In a recent report by XR MDM solutions provider ManageXR, the firm highlighted a recent success story with educational end users in the Kentucky region.
According to the report, the Kentucky Department of Education – under the leadership of Dr Shannon Putman, PhD – deployed roughly 2,450 Meta Quest 2 VR headsets across the region’s learning institutions.
The landmark figure marks “the largest school district-led VR deployment in the country,” according to ManageXR. Moreover, the headset deployment will occur as a two-phase roadmap, deploying the headsets in waves.
The district chose to leverage Meta Quest 2 headsets due to the lineup’s affordability and features; the firm also chose ManageXR to help manage the mass fleet of XR devices due to the firm’s platform experience and features, such as remote management, update control, and detailed analytics.
Following funding via COVID-related investments, the region gained the support required to kick off the VR immersive learning program, starting with just 50 Oculus Gos, before reaching its current hardware figure.
The Kentucky Department of Education aims to adopt up to 5,400 headsets following a multiple-phase deployment plan – which started in October last year, with the second phase currently effective.
During the first phase, the Kentucky Department of Education learned and adapted its distribution strategy to ensure best practices when deploying the next wave of Quest headsets at scale in educational environments – taking lessons learned into phase two.
Moreover, the current phase two of headset distribution sees the Kentucky Department of Education actively approach special education groups.
ManageXR and Other Project Partners
ManageXR is leading the project’s MDM needs, supplying the features above alongside additional tools and support systems based on years of XR device management experience.
Moreover, the firm also assists the Kentucky Department of Education in leveraging platform-leading features like the customisation of home screens and a kiosk mode for multiple apps, which project lead Dr Putman leveraged to create intuitive home screens where students could easily access learning materials.
Alongside ManageXR, the Kentucky Department of Education also leverages the immersive collaboration platform EngageXR that allows multiple students to utilise its virtual campus learning space simultaneously – with features like 3D educational assets, integrated video features, and built-in experiences.
The project also leveraged a partnership with Xreps that provided immersive learning experiences to enable engaging maths games.
Moreover, the immersive learning platform CareerViewXR found its way into the project, while the firm is also underway with an immersive learning adoption push in North Dakota Schools.
The hardware and immersive learning software framework come together to provide students with a tool to learn the skills needed to approach future careers. The report states that students can gain crucial skills for use in jobs relating to welding, HVAC, CAD, digital marketing, business, healthcare, and others.
North Dakota Deploys 300 HTC VIVE Devices
The news comes as educators in the North Dakota region distribute roughly 300 HTC VIVE Focus Plus headsets in collaboration with CareerViewXR to boost career learning for young students and adults.
From February 11-13, 2024, public and private schools across North Dakota can receive headsets during the 2024 NDCA Annual Conference. The conference will allow educational institutions to obtain a headset, and any unclaimed HTC VIVE VR devices will be distributed to the appropriate schools.
The North Dakota deployments come following the adoption success of CareerViewXR in the region, whereby the firm deployed a headset-free version of its immersive learning platform before scoring the deal to deploy HTC VIVE headsets to boost performance.
The GM of Americas at HTC VIVE, Daniel O’Brien, said the firm’s participation in the North Dakota initiative “fits perfectly” with the firm’s mission of “merging humanity and technology to unleash the imagination.”
Moreover, O’Brien explained that HTIC VIVE’s partnership with CareerViewXR allows students and jobseekers to “advance their skills and explore new career paths in an engaging and safe environment without limitations.”
A new wave of XR influence emerges with the Apple Vision Pro recording sales figures of roughly 200,000 headsets. Could investments from school districts like Kentucky and North Dakota spearhead an adjacent trend of XR device adoption in schools?
With the education sector a storied adopter of XR, the use case may become a leader in the XR space as mainstream interest once again booms.
