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What are the possibilities, opportunities, applications, challenges and obstacles of eXtended Reality for education? Who are engaged in this? Where are we now and where are we going? Read about it in the issue XR in education.
This is the moment
Almost all educational institutions now have something happening in the field of XR. And that is great to see. There is a lot of trying and experimenting and all kinds of cool applications. Students practice their knowledge and skills in beautiful virtual worlds such as the human body, a courtroom, a laboratory and the past.
Working with XR means making up situations and scenarios for students so that they can endlessly practise what they find difficult. In doing so, it is particularly valuable when students contribute to application development themselves through co-creation. Collaboration is crucial anyway. This is about the benefits of sharing, being strong together and working on a new way of training. In doing so, both the low-hanging fruit and the high-hanging fruit deserve attention. Working together also leads to a lively exchange of experiences, insights and future plans.
Let's also keep working from a vision. A good vision can come about quickly, stand like a house and be an excellent frame of reference in everything you do. And don't forget your sales technique. Organise a roadshow and bring glasses because VR only really comes to life when you put on the glasses.
Fear of the future is not necessary but we need to stay sharp. Because with the help of XR, we are not only shaping the students but also the citizens of the future. And because everything is stored, we will soon almost drown in data. That too deserves serious attention. An ethics committee can play an important role here.
The future is not just about much more in all sorts of areas. It is also about 3D test animals, the merging of VR and AR in one device, VR glasses on the book list, one app library for all institutions, good agreements with Big Tech, more Europe and the combination of XR with other technologies.
SURF believes in the future of XR for education. We want to take big steps in the coming years. Together with the educational institutions and all other stakeholders. One of the ways we will do this is through Npuls, an eight-year programme to improve education in secondary and higher education by making better use of the opportunities of digitisation. In the programme, knowledge sharing, cooperation and experimentation are important pillars and all public mbo institutions, universities of applied sciences and universities participate. XR in education. Now is the time. Are you also participating? We would love to hear from you.
Gül Akcaova & Esther van der Linde
Lead Futurist & Project Manager Innovation, SURF
Senior Advisor Educational Innovation, Advisor XR in Education, SURF