The University of Leeds embraces VR technology as part of Meta’s new educational programme

The University of Leeds has become one of more than a dozen universities partnering with Meta to trial VR and extended reality (XR) technology in its classrooms.

Ahead of Meta’s official new launch, the “Meta for Education beta programme”, Quest devices will be implemented at the partnered institutions  to expand the possibilities of immersive learning.

Universities across the US and the UK will be taking part, with each university testing and offering regular feedback on the educational applications prior to the official launch this winter, Meta reports.

There is hope that the VR headsets will offer immersive experiences for students that enhance learning and understanding, such as virtual field trips to museums and risk-free training across a variety of subjects.

The programme will provide the University of Leeds with early access to various apps and features, offering students opportunities for educational experiences that might otherwise be costly or difficult to access.

Other UK universities involved include Imperial College London and the University of Glasgow.

Alongside the Meta for Education beta programme, Meta have been working with VictoryXR, an education-based virtual reality software company, to develop some of the first digital twin “metaversities” in Europe, including the University of Leeds “metaversity”.

According to VictroyXR, digital twin metaversities allow students and faculty members to experience their university campus in VR, within the metaverse. The VictoryXR developers have created three-dimensional, hyper-realistic models, customised to feel as immersive and realistic as a real-life university environment.

These metaversities allow lecturers and students at the University of Leeds in the UK, the University of the Basque Country in Spain, and the University of Hannover in Germany, to explore, socialise, and attend live classes remotely, all within an immersive VR campus replication.

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At the University of Leeds, immersive classes began in September, focussing on Performance and Theatre.

Monica Ares, Executive Director of Imperial IDEA Lab at Imperial College London said: “This moment is greater than any one institution or one company.

“We need to come together in collaboration across the creators, the developers, educational institutions, research organisations, and tech companies to build this new learning ecosystem because it’s going to benefit every individual and industry.

“We’re finally at a place where we have a way to combine the digital and physical worlds, and it’s unlocking this entirely new set of tools, which is what makes all of this so exciting.”

The Holyrood has reported that VR in classrooms improved learning outcomes through increased attendance rates and higher grades, rising by 11 per cent at one of Meta’s US partners.

Meta has also linked VR technology to increased levels of empathy and engagement, as well as “new forms of connection.”

Kim Grinfeder, professor at the University of Miama, said: “It had a completely different feeling. We were creating experiences.

“I immediately recognised this as a tool that’s going to change education—change the way we teach. It allows us to bring the world into the classroom.”

Featured image via YouTube