Oculus announced yesterday that it is exploring VR in the educational space, with pilot programs in Taiwan, Japan, and Seattle. VR’s untapped potential in the classroom can help students visualize subjects like history or social studies in a totally revolutionary way.
The pilot program is called Oculus Education. The plan will be to bring Oculus Go and Rift headsets to schools, libraries and museums in Taiwan, Japan and Seattle.
The Oculus Education program in 2017 partnered with research institutions such as medical universities to test the potential in these arenas as well.
The current focus of the program is on training teachers and instructors, with the goal of creating a lasting impact on the field. The program is also trying to collaborate with institutions having some autonomy on their own setup.
In Taiwan, Oculus is donating its headsets to the Taiwan Internet and E-Commerce Association (TiEA). Each institution will decide how to best use VR in their community. In Seattle, Oculus has partnered with Seattle Public Schools to create a VR content creation course, with the intention of the student’s content creations eventually being used in the classroom. In Japan, the focus is on distance learning and applications for high school students.
Another educational experience Oculus is exploring is “Breaking Boundaries in Science” which looks at the contributions of three remarkable women of science; Jane Goodall, Marie Curie, and Grace Hopper.
Facebook is wise to delve into the field of education, with the potential to completely alter the ways people teach and students learn.