When virtual reality technology was first introduced, it was touted as the next big thing in gaming. However, adoption of VR gaming gadgets remain is a bit slow until now. But Facebook is not a bit discourage by VR's low entry in gaming as it just found a new niche for its VR console the Oculus Rift - by bringing virtual technology into the world's classrooms, libraries, and museums.
Oculus Rift is exploring an underserved niche for virtual technology dubbed as educational VR. The company announced the launch of its Oculus Education pilot programs via a company announcement on its website posted on August 28, 2018. According to Oculus, it aims to "better understand how teachers, students, and various institutions can use VR for learning and collaboration." The company will initially focus its programs in three locations -Taiwan, Japan, and Seattle.
In Taiwan, Oculus has partnered with the Taiwan Internet and E-Commerce Association (TiEA) and has donated Oculus Go and Oculus Rift consoles for the program. TiEA, in turn, will distribute the consoles to various museums and libraries throughout Taiwan. While it is left to the recipients of these headsets how to utilize them in the communities they serve, Oculus' goal is to enable members of the public to interact with the museum's exhibits or use visual learning apps in libraries using the gadgets, according to The Verge.
Meanwhile, Oculus' focus on its Japan program is to help high school students living in remote areas via distance learning. There are areas in Japan that are just too remote making it impossible to be physically present in the classroom every school day. With the use of Oculus' VR headsets, students can still get in touch with their teachers in the virtual world to ensure that these students are given access to educational materials and continue to submit the coursework necessary to pass the class.
In Seattle, Oculus partnered with the Seattle Public Schools for the development of a VR creation course and learning program which will likely be offered during the US 2018-2019 school year. They are targeting students from the Ballard High School and the Franklin High School for the course will teach them how to create educational VR content which will then be used in the classrooms.
While most VR gadget manufacturers initially focused their efforts to serve the gaming industry, virtual reality has the potential to revolutionize the learning process and the way classes are taught. VR can create almost anything in the virtual world which makes it the perfect tool to help students visualize concepts and speed up their learning process in areas such as history, science, and culture.
