zSpace offers our students a variety of educational software that will truly engage students in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics— all in an augmented, experimental environment. Research studies have consistently demonstrated that AR/VR experiences lead to significant improvements in student learning outcomes. The augmented reality platform bridges the gap between textbooks and hands-on applications. This is the missing link to experiential knowledge and education. By providing interactive 3D environments, these technologies allow students to explore complex concepts, visualize abstract ideas, and engage in hands-on learning.
How do you teach a student to weld, create a circuit board, or operate on a patient? The textbook will only get you so far. From there, the student must engage with the physical medium. But, if they weld, if they solder, if they cut open a heart, with no experience, what follows will, at best, be discouraging. Enter the 21st century and ask, “What if a student could transition from textbooks, to physically manipulating an augmented reality, and then ultimately, to an application of that experiential knowledge in the final medium?” This is, without question, the most efficient and effective means of educating our students for any given task. To that end we have employed a leader in this field: zSpace.
zSpace is an innovative AR/VR platform designed specifically for educational settings. Here are some key features:
· 3D Interaction: zSpace allows students to interact with lifelike 3D objects using a specialized device and stylus. The haptic feedback in the stylus provides a sense of touch, making the experience more authentic.
· Curriculum-Aligned Content: zSpace offers a library of educational content aligned with various subjects, from science and engineering to art and history. Teachers can seamlessly integrate zSpace activities into their lessons.
· Collaborative Learning: Students can collaborate in a shared virtual space, working together on projects, simulations, and experiments. This fosters teamwork and problem-solving skills.
Practical Benefits
By design, zSpace creates a collaborative learning environment. Students work together to solve problems— problems with teacher-implemented deadlines and real-time consequences (the weld holds up, or it does not).
And, because the labs are virtual, very little time is required to set up, and none for cleanup. For students in a zSpace environment, when they enter the room, the experiment is ready with little set-up time necessary by the teacher. This means that, class after class, it is possible for a teacher to provide each student with the same experimental environment. And because no time is required for cleanup, they have the entire class period to work. We have entered into a new era of education and training. Some of the experiments possible in the world of augmented reality would never be possible in physical reality. For, some experiments conducted with electricity, health sciences, and engineering are both cost-prohibitive and dangerous, using a conventional approach. But in augmented reality, they are not only safe, but also, practical, feasible, and extremely beneficial as an onboarding milestone to the physical application of a given skill set.