Students in the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business soon will be able to learn using the latest cutting-edge immersive technology thanks to new virtual reality (VR) headsets donated by Meta, the parent company of Facebook.
Tippie is among 15 schools nationwide gifted the headsets for classroom use from Meta.
Nick Clegg, president of global affairs for Meta, said Tippie and the other recipients will conduct classroom sessions and exercises in VR to examine how immersive technologies can contribute to the future of education.
“Digital technologies have transformed so many areas of education in recent decades,” Mr. Clegg said in an announcement. “The metaverse is the next evolution of the internet …These technologies create a more immersive, 3D experience where you feel like you are right there with another person or in another place.”
The partnership is the second this year that will incorporate VR technology into Tippie’s curriculum. In April, the college partnered with Davenport-based technology developer VictoryXR to create a digital twin of the Pappajohn Business Building and other parts of the University of Iowa campus. The twin will allow students to get a full three-dimensional experience while participating in Tippie classes and other programs.
VictoryXR grows metaversity
VictoryXR, owned by Steve Grubbs, is now partnering with more than 100 colleges and universities that have joined its “metaversity ecosystem,” he told the QCBJ earlier.
In addition to Tippie College, VictoryXR has rolled out a VR and augmented reality (AR) pilot program in the Quad Cities with St. Ambrose University. The Davenport university announced in February that it is the first school in the world to test VictoryXR’s full (AR) campus within the physical campus.
According to Jim Chaffee, Tippie College’s executive director of learning innovation and technology, the college already has 130 headsets for current classes that use VR technology. Meta will donate 15 new headsets that will be used for classes that develop students’ soft skills starting in Spring 2024.
“Universities have heard from employers that new graduates need to develop their soft skills, so this generous gift from Meta will help our students enhance the skills that will give them an edge in the job market while learning to use the very latest VR technology,” Mr. Chaffee said.
