What Is the Purpose of Extended Reality?
XR can be used in a variety of disciplines, from teacher education to medical training and foreign language immersion. Medical students can use AR to practice procedures before they feel confident trying them in real life. Foreign language students can gain language learning experiences without having to travel to another country.
At the University of Central Florida, aspiring teachers learn through TeachLive, an MR simulation that helps student teachers practice managing tricky situations before they enter real classrooms.
“What’s beautiful about simulation and technology is that the benefits and uses vary,” says Lisa Dieker, professor of exceptional student education at UCF and co-creator of TeachLive. “We have to be careful that the simulator doesn’t perpetuate stereotypes and that it gives a chance for students to have a shared experience.”
XR can also benefit educators by providing a standardized way to teach foundational skills and knowledge, as well as offering a model of a more efficient way to teach. In a virtual world, students can repeat a lesson or task as many times as they need to without holding up the rest of class.
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Consider Carefully Before Implementing Extended Reality Technology
Virtual reality simulators require high-end computers with sufficient computing power to handle large amounts of data. Above all, XR requires a modernized network and high-speed connections.
“A high-speed network is critical when students engage with virtual reality, because it’s one thing for a website to buffer and another thing for your headset to buffer. It breaks immersion,” says Georgieva.
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