Meta has rolled out its ‘Meta for Education’ initiative from its beta phase, opening doors for schools globally to equip their classrooms with Quest headsets and immerse students in education-centric XR apps and software.
Originally unveiled last April, Meta for Education is a robust offering for educators eager to integrate XR technology into their teaching environments. The package includes Quest headsets, subscriptions to an XR management solution with educational device features, along with a suite of tools and applications crafted for administrators, teachers, and students alike.
During its beta phase, Meta collaborated with universities in the U.S. and the U.K. to refine this platform. Educators from these institutions observed that the use of virtual and mixed reality significantly boosted student engagement and comprehension of complicated topics.
Nick Clegg, Meta’s President of Global Affairs and former U.K. Deputy Prime Minister, underscores the groundbreaking role immersive technologies can play in the educational sector, providing students the chance to explore scenarios that would otherwise be out of reach.
“Enhancing educational opportunities for children has always been a passion of mine, both in my political career and in technology,” Clegg shared. “Of all the technological progress I’ve witnessed at Meta, immersive technologies such as virtual and augmented reality really sparked my imagination for their potential to revolutionize how we learn. With Meta for Education, I hope to simplify learning, practicing, and applying new skills for students; create a sense of presence with teachers and peers; and facilitate visits to places or experiences that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. Importantly, I hope it empowers teachers to continue doing what they excel at: teaching.”
According to Meta, feedback from 43 schools within the Inspired Education Group, which already employ immersive technology in junior and senior classes, showed that 87% of students reported increased engagement and interest in their lessons. Moreover, 85% of teachers found virtual and mixed reality to be an effective enhancement for their teaching methods. Additionally, students exhibited a 15% improvement in their scores on multiple-choice assessments.
The initiative’s transition from beta is supported by various collaborations with educational institutions like Arizona State University, Imperial College London, and the University of Miami to incorporate VR into their curricula.
Furthermore, Meta and VictoryXR have jointly launched more than 30 “metaversities” using the Engage XR platform to create digital twin campuses, facilitating remote student interactions. Students at institutions such as The University of Leeds in the UK, the University of the Basque Country in Spain, and the University of Hannover in Germany can now access these digital campuses.
Educators curious to explore more about Meta for Education can visit the program’s website, where there’s contact information for prospective applicants in countries such as Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.
