As a result of COVID-19, schools have made the transition from the classroom to the computer, at least for the time being. With this transition comes many changes that students and instructors have had to adjust to, which is why Centennial is continually making it as seamless as possible with various opportunities for virtual learning.
One of these opportunities is the introduction of simulation applications, such as augmented reality (AR), into the curriculum. AR uses your real-world environment with computer-generated enhancements to create various elements, such as visuals and audio, making it an interactive experience.
Although its implementation is currently in the researching phase, Dean Nate Horowitz thinks adding AR into the mix would positively benefit virtual learners, in addition to students in the future. He says, “I think it’s a direction everyone is thinking about and that we should be going in, so I think it makes sense.” Using the example of someone learning to draw, Nate describes how AR can allow for the use of a virtual brush and virtual paper, all of which can be done on a screen. “Some of these applications exist already; it’s just a matter of finding them. We have to find out if they are good, applicable to us, and suitable to our courses for students and the standards of quality we have,” he says.
Programs that are more difficult to run virtually would greatly benefit from simulation applications. Nate says, “There are all kinds of ways of creating. For example, product design is something you can do virtually and even have a place to send it for printing through a 3D printer.” Programs such as television and film, which could be a bit more complicated, can still run effectively in a virtual environment. “It could be done as long as you have a basic camera that you can work with...and you can certainly do video editing online now.” There are even simulation applications for lighting; the possibilities are endless. Nate emphasizes that the applications utilized would simulate a lab function or something that would typically take place in a studio as best as possible. He says, “We’re trying to simulate what we would normally do with our hands, eyes, and mind, in a studio facility, and I think it’s time to do that.”
Accessing the applications would be through a cloud network. “Students could go and download it from a cloud, and for a fee that either the student pays or that Centennial would pay, depending on the situation, the student could use it for x amount of time. This could vary for a few weeks to a year, and they would have that application available to them until it expires,” he says. As you can imagine, implementing something like this would take a bit of time, but Nate says he would like to have some of it in place for the “Fall of 2020 and grow it through the year, even if we’re all back on the campus.” Domestic and international students could access the simulation applications “and then come into the physical studios to do more practice using the facilities provided,” assuming in-person classes resume.
It is clear that having these simulation applications available for students in the chance that remote learning continues, as well as if we are all able to go back to campus, would positively benefit the curriculum and the student learning experience. Nate adds, “If you look at the return on what the students are going to get and how many students will be attracted to a College that has this, it could be an advantage.”
We can’t wait to see how Centennial is going to implement this exciting aspect of learning!
By: Alexandra Few, Communications - Professional Writing Student