New reality of college study
Amazing technology means students can now get right to the heart of the matter.
Ayrshire College is the first in Scotland to use pioneering virtual reality headsets to allow students to step inside a human heart or get a birds’ eye view of foreign climes.
The college has been nominated for a Times Educational Supplement award for its use of the devices.
We visited the college on Friday morning to get a first- hand look at the technology.
And within minutes of placing the goggles over our heads we were transported to Scandanavian skies before standing in the middle of the human heart.
College learning technologist Kevin Scade said: “All of the staff and students who took part, from an extremely diverse range of classes, really engaged with the programme and have all seen first- hand the opportunities that VR technology can bring to the classroom.”
“We’re looking at investing more in the Google Cardboard system, getting more phones so that everyone can take part.”
The technology is deceptively simple. Kevin said: “All you need is a compatible phone in the £ 100 range and the viewer, which costs around £ 15.
“It’s a constant development process. As more of the expeditions become available and we develop our own I’m sure we’ll see it used across more subjects.
“We are actively trying to encourage students to see how they can make new expeditions.”
Science lecturer Alan McDowall said: “Using this technology in the classroom is like stepping into the internet.
“It gave my students the opportunity to stand within a human heart and marvel at the internal anatomy from a perspective that no text book or dissection could provide.
“This technology could be more than an educational tool. It could be an educational revolution.”
The tech has been a smash hit with students as well as staff, with the HNC travel and tourism course setting off an expedition to Iceland’s capital Reykjavik when we visited.
Andrew Sloan, 28, said: “It’s amazing. It’s like you are actually there and once they get the Scottish expeditions included it’ll be a lot better.”
Kirsten Gibson, 20, added: “It lets you know what other countries are really like and you get to see it without the costs. You can see what people go there for. It’s good for people that don’t like to go on a plane as well.”