A lot of new use cases for virtual reality need to be developed in the coming years. Arizona State University is getting in on the action, albeit in a rather different manner. Its online biology class taps virtual reality to dissect animals. It removes the “gross” aspect of such a dissection, although the concept needs to be fleshed out even further.
ASU Sees Merit in VR Classes
Up until this point, virtual reality hasn’t made the bigger of impacts in the educational sector. That situation is slowly coming to change in a positive manner. Arizona State University has received a batch of several dozen Lenovo VR headsets to use for a specific purpose. That purpose revolves around lab simulations during online biology courses.
Because of these headsets, students can now perform virtual dissections of animals as part of their biology class. Considering how these classes are part of ASU’s online biological sciences degree program, this is a major development for the VR industry. It also shows there are many opportunities in the educational sector which need to be explored.
Other purposes for these VR headsets include experimenting and conducting various tests, depending on the course material. As these classes can be attended from home, it is a great way of transforming the “boring” way of education altogether. This is also the very first online biology class to use virtual reality for these kinds of purposes.
It is important to note these VR headsets are rented from the ASU Bookstore. Although there is no fee involved, they are not designed for leisurely purposes. It is also possible to buy the units outright for the price of $400. Additionally, there is a $50 lab fee for students taking this online course. Additional online biology classes, on a more advanced level, will be added to the VR curriculum later this year.
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