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Meta has confirmed a project with universities in the U.S. and the United Kingdom to support the growth of virtual reality (VR) in the education sector and to receive valuable feedback on a new product, currently in development.
In a blog post on Monday (Nov. 11), the parent company of Facebook and Instagram launched the Meta for Education beta program.
The initiative will involve collaboration with 13 educational institutions on both sides of the Atlantic, giving them early access to VR and XR prototypes in their classrooms. This will open up a new dimension to learning and study in an array of science and arts subjects.
Effectively, the students and educators will have access to devices before their eventual launch at a later date, with Meta gaining further exposure for their offerings as part of an approach to make them more mainstream.
Monica Ares, Executive Director of Imperial IDEA Lab, Imperial College London welcomed the launch of the program.
“We’re finally at a place where we have a way to combine the digital and physical worlds, and it’s unlocking this entirely new set of tools, which is what makes all of this so exciting,” she stated.
The universities involved in the project include Arizona State University, Houston Community College, Imperial College London, Miami Dade College, Morehouse College, New Mexico State University, San Diego State University, Savannah College of Art & Design, The University of Glasgow, University of Iowa, University of Leeds, University of Miami, and University of Michigan.
Building For & With Educators: Meta for Education’s Beta Program https://t.co/YOQLzDpUuE pic.twitter.com/hQOK2Wxooa
— Reality Labs at Meta (@RealityLabs) November 11, 2024
European students to connect in immersive environment “metaversities”
Meta – which was fined $15 million in South Korea – also confirmed progress in its partnership with Victory XR to deliver the first digital twin “metaversities” in Europe.
Using the advanced tech, an “immersive environment” will be created to bring together students and staff at the University of Leeds in the U.K., University of the Basque Country in Spain, and University of Hannover in Germany.
Participants will be able to embark on joint projects, to learn and socialize, in a virtual setting that mirrors their physical campus surroundings.
Image credit: Via Midjourney
