Transforming Education through Immersive Technology
A space that fully immerses its users offers an experience much more powerful than what a traditional setting can provide.
Immersive technology, whether through virtual reality, augmented reality, or interactive multimedia, creates an environment where users are being fully absorbed in the information.
For students, this could mean stepping into a historical event instead of just reading about it or exploring the inner workings of a complex scientific process firsthand. For museum visitors, immersive exhibits can evoke powerful emotional connections, enabling them to walk through engaging simulations of historical events or explore detailed recreations of significant moments.
At Clemson University’s Watt Family Innovation Center, students and visitors are immediately engulfed in a world of interactive technology and innovation through four massive interactive video walls greeting them in the lobby. Similarly, the hospitality simulation laboratory at Reynolds Hall at West Virginia University provides students with real-world experience, allowing them to develop hands-on skills that would be impossible to gain through traditional methods alone.
Clemson University’s Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business features a business simulation laboratory that utilizes immersive technology to enhance learning, offering students a dynamic, interactive environment to solve real-world business challenges.
Immersive spaces change the way we learn and interact with ideas by creating a hands-on experience.
Even fitness spaces are embracing this shift. At the Glasshouse Apartment Complex in Pittsburgh’s historic Station Square, the fitness areas provide residents with immersive experiences through three 75-inch full HD displays, amplifying activities like yoga and spin classes by surrounding participants with engaging visuals. The Puskar Athletic Complex & Hall of Traditions at West Virginia University offers patrons with a fully immersive game-day experience. Visitors are able to learn more about WVU Football history, create their own Mountaineer jersey, and partake in several photo ops provided by the surrounding video walls.
Within Yale University’s Wu Tsai Institute is BrainWorks – operated by the Center for Neurocognition and Behavior. BrainWorks offers researchers access to cutting edge technologies dedicated to studying human brain function. In addition to several MRI, MEG, EEG, and other medical spaces, researchers at the Institute have access to a myriad of virtual reality and data visualization labs.
At the Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Respiratory Care Services Center, students have access to ultramodern simulation labs. These labs replicate real-world scenarios in healthcare, supported by observation and control rooms, which allow for continued learning and instructor feedback. When individuals feel more connected to the material, they engage more deeply, retain information longer, and develop a greater sense of empathy and understanding.
In education, immersive learning environments help turn concepts into experiences that students can explore directly. This can lend a hand to academic accessibility, catering to different learning styles and making the material easier to understand. These spaces also allow for continued collaboration and creativity among peers. Students in a virtual setting can work together in a virtual laboratory in real-time, solving problems and experimenting as a group. This kind of interactive learning sparks curiosity and makes the experience feel more personal and relevant.
Virginia Tech Innovation Campus Center of Next, Data Visualization Laboratory
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