Lenovo scales immersive learning solutions with a deep understanding of pre-existing IT frameworks, generational factors, and genAI
Lenovo is growing its extensive XR partner portfolio to scale enterprise AR/VR/MR solutions alongside its ThinkReality VRX headset, creating new enterprise XR opportunities via an ecosystem of trusted solutions and hardware.
Leveraging its XR ecosystem and long history in education, Lenovo partnered with VictoryXR to scale the adoption of immersive learning tools for a new generation of students.
VictoryXR CEO Steve Grubbs and Lenovo’s Head of Virtual Reality Jason McGuigan spoke exclusively to XR Today about the rising XR tide in education and Lenovo’s expansive mission of bringing XR and the ThinkReality VRX headset to new enterprise users; a significant portion of this journey includes education institutions.
McGuigan explained that based on its history working with education customers, Lenovo understands that full solution approaches are most valuable, remarking, “we have to give clients the entirety of the solution, not just one portion of it.”
That is where VictoryXR comes in. By working with Grubbs’ team, Lenovo is developing a comprehensive ecosystem that leverages the powerful ThinkReality VRX headset and VictoryXR platform to offer services such as virtual campus open days to shared immersive classroom learning.
Creating an Ecosystem of Immersive Learning Services
McGuigan remarks that Lenovo is seeing a “major penetration” of the education market.
While the education XR adoption journey is not yet fully mature, the technology is already gaining significant traction, and Lenovo is ready to provide an ecosystem of tools to meet educators at their point in the XR journey.
Grubbs explained:
Every university in the world is adopting XR immersive learning at one level or another. I think it would be very difficult to be taken seriously as an institution of higher learning without trying to deploy XR somewhere in an education system.
Grubbs notes that a leading VictoryXR service is its virtual cadaver lab. The solution answers the needs of many learning institutions that need a cadaver lab but may not have the funds or space to build one.
Moreover, by distributing a virtual lab, VictoryXR can provide students with a repeatable immersive training procedure, that is not restricted by the high expense and low supply of learning cadavers.
With VictoryXR’s cadaver lab, virtual reality learning allows students in any location and at any level to access the content. “This is a way that learning becomes more affordable by providing the most advanced labs in the world to every student,” remarked Grubbs.
McGuigan also added that VictoryXR deploys similar solutions to junior-level students, leveraging the cadaver lab framework to facilitate virtual frog and other animal dissection without dealing with the hazard and expense.
What is Driving XR Adoption in Education
While commercially available and affordable VR headsets have slowly rolled into education spaces in the past few years, “the ability to have multi-player synchronous virtual classrooms didn’t come about until 2020-2021,” said Grubbs.
The multi-user angle is now a significant factor when discussing the growth of XR education solutions.
Grubbs explained that when the pandemic forced students out of the classroom and onto webinar learning tools, “universities began looking for something immersive.”
McGuigan noted that when Lenovo started its VR classroom program in 2017, the firm found early success by deploying basic VR learning tools like 360 video experiences.
However, McGuigan noted that these early XR learning services were “isolating,” meaning that multi-user immersive environments became “absolutely key,” allowing students to collaborate as they would in a traditional classroom, helping to drive adoption and value.
“The ability for students to socialize and interact is a key aspect,” noted McGuigan, meaning translating that as a technological modality is also extremely important.
McGuigan explained:
We are not swapping out one brand of PC for another. Instead, we are swapping out a specific way of learning for a brand-new technology.
In a collaborative research effort with Bâton Global, a research firm, VictoryXR reported that of 24 professors representing 19 universities, 96 percent of instructors found VR learning to be successful.
Moreover, in the Bâton Global report, 95 percent of students stated VR enriched their learning experience, meanwhile 89 percent said the technology had a positive impact on their education.
Generational Factors and Student Demand for XR
“The roads are still being built. We’re still building out all the pathways between the technology, how it works smoothly across every aspect, and how XR gets adopted,” said McGuigan.
A factor evolving with the growth of XR is that new generations are becoming increasingly familiar with XR, expecting it in professional and learning environments.
Generational factors are an exciting difference between education sectors and conventional enterprise deployments. In conventional office environments, some older workforce demographics may appear dismissive of XR; meanwhile, younger generations are happy to take advantage of the emerging technology, which is greatly helping adoption efforts.
In education, most users—excluding teachers—are younger and are already early adopters of XR; “those coming out of high school going to university are in their early 20s; they have grown up around this technology. Students do not need convincing; they want to utilize this technology,” explained McGuigan.
However, McGuigan noted that despite student support, the education/XR adoption journey is not an “overnight” effort. Education customers must undergo a proof of concept and slow deployments like other enterprise sectors.
The Emerging AI Factor
Lenovo’s ecosystem of solution providers also includes a variety of integrated emerging technologies, including genAI.
“GenAI has been a massive boost in the XR industry,” said McGuigan, who noted that classroom sizes are “continuously increasing, teacher burnout is increasing, and funding is challenging.” XR mixed with genAI can help to alleviate some of those challenges.
While genAI holds massive potential, Grubbs highlighted that “humans teaching humans still matters even in this age of AI and immersive learning. ” He also noted, “that’s why the multi-user, multi-player synchronous environment really matters,” as it allows human teachers to participate and assist students virtually.
Grubbs explained that while VictoryXR integrates genAI to create conversational avatars, such as a teaching assistant, genAI does not overtake the human factor in teaching.
Human teachers bring unprecedented connection and value to learners, and “that’s very difficult to replace with code,” said Grubbs.
It is clear the future of education will see VR/AR/MR solutions play a major role in upskilling future generations.
However, VictoryXR and Lenovo prove that a human centric approach is key to successfully deploying immersive learning.
A classroom is full of passionate individuals ready to teach and learn, by combining mentors that excel in connecting with students and personalised immersive learning tools; many new valuable opportunities will arise for educators worldwide.
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