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Google VR Labs to Open a World of Opportunity for STEM Students
Google is partnering with Labster to create virtual reality labs for students pursuing STEM subjects at University.
For students pursuing STEM degrees like biology, physics, and chemistry, hands-on time in a lab can be as essential as time spent in the lecture hall or library, and through its ability to take people anywhere, virtual reality can be a powerful resource for students who otherwise would not have access to the lab time they need to complete their degrees. Enter Google VR Labs to the rescue.
Google announced this week that they have partnered with science education company Labster to create more than 30 virtual labs on the Google Daydream platform, where students can do their lab work in VR without having to walk, drive, or fly to a campus.
These VR labs can be particularly useful to students and faculty at the rapidly-growing number of schools that offer online science degrees.
Using Daydream View students can do things that previously necessitated a physical presence in a lab, like examining organisms under a microscope and sequencing DNA.
They can also do things that wouldn’t be possible in the physical world, like seeing and manipulating DNA at the molecular level or exploring a newly discovered exoplanet.
“Because there’s no time limit, students can review theories, concepts, and techniques as many times as they want. In addition, students receive personalised feedback in the app to help them understand which concepts they need to review, and which techniques need more practice.” said Courtney Hampson, program manager at Google AR & VR.
“We’re hoping to make the virtual lab experience available to more students worldwide, including undergraduates, graduate students, and even high schoolers.”
