Virtual stage lectures, AI chats, and next-generation photorealistic avatars: more and more professors are embracing the rise of VR reality in academia to deliver cutting-edge teaching to their students.
Globally, the virtual reality It is already a protagonist in numerous schools and universities: among the 10 most surprising applications of this technology, the economics professor at the University of North Carolina stands out, who gives a lesson in the form of an avatar inside an entirely virtual stage, but not only that.
In New Zealand, the VR reality is used to teach the use and forms of renewable energy, while in Germany the robot avatar that allows a seriously ill child to still go to school stands out.
The paper, in addition to various international research, contains the statements of Billy Berlusconi, founder of IgoodI, the first Italian avatar factory, and also those of Marco Lombardi, professor of Media Languages at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan.
“It is the supreme art of the teacher: to awaken the joy of creativity and knowledge.”: with these words Albert Einstein highlights the important role of professors towards individual students, who increasingly need stimuli and, above all, authoritative figures to inspire them within a constantly evolving academic scenario. In this regard, a new global trend is emerging, embraced by more and more professionals in the sector: it is the use of virtual reality and, in particular, of photorealistic avatars able to replicate the physical professor as such, or the so-called “avateachers”. The first confirmations in this regard come from the magazine The Conversation: the Australian portal talks about an economics professor at the University of North Carolina who, after taking a position on an entirely virtual stage, uses an avatar to teach his students the notions of his course. But that's not all, in another US university the young people of an artificial intelligence course have discovered that one of their teachers is a futuristic avatar able to answer their questions with 97% accuracy. And again, Stanford University organizes an ad hoc course on virtual reality for its students while they are immersed in a virtual universe: these kids, using special visors, can participate in the lessons in the form of avatars and interact with their classmates, learning the notions in the most immediate and effective way possible. Staying on the same wavelength, here The Japan News which talks about learning centered on the use of digital twins as a normality destined to become increasingly popular in the future.
This is what emerges from an in-depth study conducted on the occasion of the Digital Learning Day on international newspapers by Espresso Communication For IgoodI, the first Italian avatar factory founded by Billy Berlusconi, which is further improving its offer in order to provide authentic digital twins who are even able to speak and interact with real people thanks also to the use of technology ThisIT based on the use of artificial intelligence. The applications of these avatars are countless, starting from the academic field. According to the startupper: “The virtual will increasingly be part of the surrounding reality. For this reason, getting used to this trend requires a futuristic approach accompanied by the use of cutting-edge measures and technologies. Just like the fitness and sports universe, the medical and recreational fields, the academic world also needs to keep up with the times. Starting from the assumption that, due to the health emergency, the changes have been countless, professionals in the sector can embrace virtual reality with the aim of improving their methods, or rather perfecting them to provide notions and advice in more immediate and effective forms. In various parts of the globe, there is already talk of “avateachers” – concludes Billy Berlusconi – We at IgoodI, as a leading company in the sector, we are aware of the benefits related to the use of digital twins, since they are created through scans carried out on physical people reproduced perfectly in a 100% virtual version”.
The application of virtual reality and avatars in the academic field is further supported by Auganix, a reference website in the world of the VR industry, which creates an in-depth study focused on the strategic partnership developed by the University of Arizona. The American university, in fact, has decided to follow up on a real research to understand what type of virtual avatar should be made available to students to guarantee them a perfect learning experience. Furthermore, it is also important to remember the University of Saskatchewan, located in Canada, where a young professor, specialized in immersive learning design, holds lessons and in-depth courses in avatar centered, meeting her students in three different VR platforms based on their level of training of the students themselves. This teaching method offers the opportunity for young people and professionals not only to learn new knowledge, but to feel like an integral part of a community built on the pillar of sharing.
The general scenario is also enriched by the opinion of another expert in the sector such as Marco Lombardi, professor of Sociology at the Catholic University of Milan and specialized in media communication, who focuses his attention on innovation and the technological revolution that is involving the entire academic panorama. “The world of teaching is changing very quickly,” Lombardi says. “In the last two years there has been a real upheaval, a change of perspective that is almost scary: right now we must not fall into the trap of accepting a new normality that was not chosen. We must ask ourselves, now, what we want the academic future of the professor and the student to be like. Teaching has transformed into immersion in a metaverse: in this case, the teacher must choose an immersive technological approach oriented towards the youngest because they are the recipients of the educational processes. They are attracted by new technologies and, precisely for this reason, virtual reality is an appropriate strategy. The teaching of the future is therefore called to enter the digital metaverse. Will my digital double be a teacher avatar? Of course! After all, every avatar is a communication medium, before being a mirror of itself. I would say that it is time to explore the new digital ecosystem, seeking its boundaries that are still far from those imagined so far.”
The journey into the new virtual ecosystem of teaching continues with Will, an avatar who teaches the use and forms of renewable energy to primary school children in New Zealand. Further inspiration is provided by Florida International University, which introduces a digital twin of a barista with the aim of exposing students to a new world of innovations related to hospitality, branding and, ultimately, the combination of technology and mixology. And what about Berlin's robot avatar? The New York Post creates an impactful article, as it talks about a real twin in robot format: this cutting-edge tool gives a sick child the opportunity to go to school. The student can interact with the teacher and classmates through this technological avatar, thanks to which he sends a flashing signal when he feels the need to talk. But that's not all, in fact the Times of India highlights the use of 3D holograms by individual teachers to increase the level of interactivity in lessons and to better involve the most struggling students. Continuing on the same wavelength, Power Point presentations enriched by incorporated avatars emerge with the aim of teaching the multiple uses of 3D technology in the industrial and design fields. Finally, it is worth mentioning the initiative of the University of Georgia: the students, who aspire to become future teachers, interact with avatars to understand how to manage uncomfortable and delicate situations within the school environment.
10 Most Innovative Apps of the avataracher
- In New Zealand, are used to teach children about the use and forms of renewable energy;
- In North Carolina, the teacher in question disseminates economic and financial notions, presenting himself on an entirely virtual stage;
- Opening students' minds to a world of innovations related to branding and hospitality: the Florida International University relies on a bartender's digital twin to look to the future;
- In Germany, a “robot avatar” gives a child in serious health conditions the opportunity to still go to school;
- In Canada, “avateachers” are applied with the aim of creating real sharing communities within virtual platforms;
- In India, digital twins are essential for creating interactive learning paths and improving school engagement;
- THE'University of Georgia exploits the effects of virtual reality to give shape and content to immersive scenarios in order to test the abilities of young people;
- TO Singapore New technologies are used to enrich professional presentations in order to teach the multiple uses of 3D technology in the industrial and design fields.
- In the'University of Arizona, the avatars are specifically designed to understand which digital twin is most in line with the needs of the young people attending;
- Staying in the USA, students in an artificial intelligence course can rely on an “avateacher” who can answer questions with 97% accuracy.
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