Many companies are seeing the benefits of using virtual and augmented reality experiences for training employees, particularly those in hazardous or dangerous industries such as construction, logistics and manufacturing.  

As demand increases, so will the need for skilled people to develop immersive software and programmes.That’s where USP College can help. Focused on offering learning experiences with clear pathways into inspiring, high-end careers, we have invested in cutting-edge facilities.Our XTEND Digital Campus in Canvey Island, Essex, was opened in 2021. Kitted out with industry-leading extended reality (XR) equipment, it allows us to offer courses and skills training for careers in the exciting, emerging field of immersive technology. We are excited about the prospects that the new campus and technology will bring for students and businesses alike. Clear career pathways As the first academic institution in the UK to have this innovative technology, our college offers valuable opportunities for students to not only learn the theory of XR development but to put the latest developments into practice.Partner company Diverse Interactive uses our emerging technology suite to hold their client meetings and our XTEND Digital Company Manager, Andrew Martin, sits in and identifies areas where our students can contribute.Students also work with employers to identify their training needs and we help them put that into VR and develop content for them. We have created 3D assets for the BBC and worked with the NHS on using biometrics to create VR content for CPR training. When the fire service wanted to use VR to train people on a new type of fire extinguisher, we were able to capture it and turn it into a 3D model in about 30 seconds.What kind of technology is on offer?Our volumetric capture studio enables 360-degree recording around a real-life element or person that can then be imported into an XR programme, creating more realistic experiences than using computer-generated imaging (CGI).There’s also a state-of-the-art motion capture studio, with 24 cameras and an infinity green screen. Students can film actors against the green screen, create their own 3D environment and bring characters into it.For example, our performing arts students used the studio to perform Alice in Wonderland. Their likenesses were captured in the photographic suite and our games design students edited those back into the 3D environment.[#pullquote#]Students can film actors against the green screen, create their own 3D environment and bring characters into it.[#endpullquote#]The whole thing is then enacted live within motion capture and the result sent to a games engine so it can be experienced through VR headsets. Users can choose how they watch: as if in the audience or walking around on stage. It’s a whole new theatrical experience.The emerging technology suite includes motion simulator seats with VR headsets. A lorry driver training simulator, for example, uses AI to assess performance. The suite also uses technologies learners encounter at home – Playstation5, iMacs, Android and iPhones – so they can pipeline their creations to devices and do their own user-experience testing.[#pullquote#]The emerging technology suite includes motion simulator seats with VR headsets. A lorry driver training simulator, for example, uses AI to assess performance.[#endpullquote#]As we demonstrated at Digifest in 2022, full-body Teslasuits offer haptic feedback, allowing users to not only see but feel their virtual surroundings, from subtle touch sensations to feelings of physical exertion. The suits capture motion and biometric information for creating and experiencing content in VR and AR.Other facilities, include recording suites, infinity coves, editing suites and discovery labs, all up to the standard of what’s available commercially.Sharing content through a virtual campus We create content for bespoke lessons, such as dissection of a real heart for biology students. Normally, a student might only get one opportunity to see this and would watch the lecturer doing it from behind a desk or on a screen.Now, we can capture it all: the student uses a VR headset and can re-watch the entire experience, see it from any angle and get as close as they want.We’re building up a bank of lesson content that we can make available to other colleges through our virtual campus platform, which is supported by investment and development from Diverse Interactive.The VR Campus is designed to work not only as a standalone platform, but also in conjunction with our immersive room network, supported by i-immersive.[#pullquote#]The idea now is to pool resources and develop shared content for the platform, creating a one-stop-shop where members can find and download XR content. Eventually, all participating colleges will be able to monetise their own content[#endpullquote#]We asked other colleges to join the pilot and the response was overwhelming: we now have more than 50 colleges actively participating in the consortium and Metaverse Learning will upload its content, too.The idea now is to pool resources and develop shared content for the platform, creating a one-stop-shop where members can find and download XR content. Eventually, all participating colleges will be able to monetise their own content.It’s a way of sharing resources more widely and gives learners access to specialist teachers without having to physically bring them on to the campus, so it’s more inclusive, too.Technology to reduce teacher shortageThe principle of sharing assets across multiple separate colleges is not new to USP. After a period of trial and error, in 2019 the college installed a series of immersive classrooms.Students studying the same subject at each location had completely different experiences and outcomes because of different quality problems and differing numbers and quantity of teachers.We needed to bring the two campuses together seamlessly to deliver the highest quality teaching and learning, and the best student experience.The shortage of teachers in FE nationally was the driving factor. To expand skills and deliver a wider variety of curriculums, we needed greater access to a wider range of teaching talent.[#pullquote#]The immersive rooms gave us an advantage when the pandemic hit and helped connect students and teachers, regardless of their location. They have also provided a great return on investment: in the first year we saved more than £100,000[#endpullquote#]The first step was to create an identical immersive room on each campus, with room-to-room video conferencing. Installed by i-immersive, the two rooms delivered a fully interactive system with low lag, low latency and clear images.The immersive rooms gave us an advantage when the pandemic hit and helped connect students and teachers, regardless of their location. They have also provided a great return on investment: in the first year we saved more than £100,000.We now have seven immersive rooms, each with a minimum of five HD screens, and 30 smaller streaming rooms across three sites.Principals from across the country have seen for themselves how well these rooms work: how they can help with merged campus delivery and, in some instances, halve teaching costs.Longer term, when the network of rooms is expanded, colleges struggling to find staff with particular expertise can ask other colleges in the group if they have suitable staff and purchase teaching hours. It’s win, win. Dan Pearson will be sharing more about the benefits of immersive classroom at Jisc’s annual edtech conference, Digifest, on 7-8 March. Registration for the event is now open.