HIGH-TECH, HIGHER LEARNING

From virtual reality to bleeding robots, BCIT students get leading-edge training for the jobs of tomorrow

We want our students to be on the front line of leading innovation, pushing the boundaries of not just existing industries, but the ones of the future, too

If students attending polytechnic institutes have one overarching goal, it’s receiving job-ready education so they can start their careers as soon as possible after graduation. That’s certainly a big reason why 48,000-plus full- and part-time students attend the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), says James Rout, associate vice-president, education support and innovation at BCIT.

“As a polytechnic, our job is to get jobs for our students,” he says. “But it’s more than that – we also want them to have access to the latest technology for enhanced learning so they have skills and knowledge that will help them flourish and drive their respective fields – five and even 10 years down the road.”

Central to this philosophy is BCIT’s focus on integrating leading-edge simulation technologies like virtual reality into its curriculum.

“There are a number of post-secondary institutions doing work in these areas, but where we’re innovative and unique is developing a comprehensive cross-institution strategy with three major strategic directions.”

First, BCIT is creating programming that will make students experts at developing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies.

The second piece is integrating these technologies in the classroom to improve learning experiences. Third, the post-secondary wants to build awareness of the technological implications of VR and AR technologies by providing access and training to BCIT staff and faculty.

The full potential of these technologies is yet to be realized, but BCIT is already ahead of the curve, providing some of the most impressive hands-on educational experiences anywhere in Canada.

“We want our students to be on the front line of leading innovation, pushing the boundaries of not just existing industries, but the ones of the future, too,” Rout says. “And we believe really strongly that embracing new innovations – like VR and AR – position BCIT well to do just that.”

CREDIT: SUPPLIED Students of the critical care nursing program at BCIT’s School of Health Sciences get hands-on experience working with interactive robots, setting them up for real-world emergency situations.

CREDIT: SUPPLIED BCIT instructor Rob Kruger with nursing students and medical ‘sims’—life-like robots used to simulate working with real hospital patients.