Today, Meta announced the Meta for Education beta program, a product aimed at universities. This product was first unveiled by the company in April. The solution aims to provide education-related XR services to teachers, instructors, and administrators through Quest’s portfolio of VR and MR headsets.
With beta launch, Meta brings new educational solutions to US and UK universities including Arizona State University, Houston Community College, Imperial College London, Miami Dade College, Morehouse College, New Mexico State University, San Diego State University, and Savannah College I plan to do it. Bachelor of Arts and Design, University of Glasgow, University of Iowa, University of Leeds, University of Miami and University of Michigan.
Participating universities will work with Meta to provide feedback on the beta launch to expand and enhance Meta’s products for education ahead of broader launch for topics such as science, medicine, history, and language arts.
Kim Grinfeder, University of Miami Professor and Director of the University XR InitiativeSaid:
When I first put the headset on, it was immediately apparent that this was different from a screen or TV. It felt completely different. We were creating an experience. I immediately recognized that this was a tool that would transform education, the way we teach. This allows us to bring the world into the classroom.
More details meta for education
Similar to the Meta Quest for Business product model launched last year, the new education solution aims to empower teachers, trainers and administrators with XR applications and management features designed specifically for education.
Updated management features allow teachers to use multiple Quest devices simultaneously in a classroom environment. Additionally, advanced device management tools eliminate the need for teachers to update and manually provision each device individually, making the onboarding process more efficient.
Interestingly, Meta has highlighted how its training package includes Metaverse functionality, which may breathe new life into the once much-hyped promise of the technology. Meta explained how Metaverse solutions can empower classrooms through digital field trips and training.
Rubén Durán, Director of Reality CoLab, Houston Community Collegesaid:
Students are engaging with technology in meaningful ways. Through the Virtual Reality for Empathy project, we invite community organizations that are open to all, such as the Center for Racism Healing, to have community members and HCC students come to the lab and role-play to raise awareness and improve student achievement and outcomes. . An experience unknown to those participating. And this immersion creates feelings that we think of as the first step in forming empathy. The results of this experience form part of the important research conducted by our psychology faculty.
Meta calls the initial results “promising.” Monica Ares, Executive Director, Imperial IDEA Institute, Imperial College London“This moment is bigger than any institution or company. We need creators, developers, academic institutions, research institutes, and technology companies working together to build this new learning ecosystem. It benefits every individual and industry.”
Ares also added:
We finally have a way to combine the digital and physical worlds, unlocking a whole new set of tools that makes it all so exciting.
After an initial launch and first feedback period, Meta looks set to expand its solution during the final weeks of 2024, leading the company to drive education and training use cases for its Quest portfolio. This also follows the launch of Meat Quest 3S by Connect a few months ago, which aims to be an accessible gateway for integrating MR across a variety of sectors.
Andrew Sedillo, Director of Instructional Design, Micro Credentials, New Mexico State UniversityIn the current beta phase of the training solution, the team “tested early prototypes of these programs. “Meta reached out to us. They are asking us what they can do to improve their product and they are really listening,” Sedillo explained.
Sedillo also added:
Because of that, we have built a lot of trust in Meta because we know they are releasing a product that will impact educators in a positive way.
Last April, Mehta first announced its education model. at that time, Nick Clegg, Global President, MetaEducation and training providers represent a “significant market,” and Meta noted that there is a growing number of developers “building and launching apps targeting this sector.” Clegg pointed out that there is scope to expand the immersive education offering. “On a much broader scale.”