The VR labs will allow undergraduate students at various academic institutions across the globe to complete lab work without traveling to a university campus. These labs may be particularly useful for students at schools that offer online science, technology, engineering and math degrees, according to Google.
“For students pursuing STEM degrees like biology, hands-on time in a lab can be as essential as time spent in the lecture hall or library,” read a Google blog post. “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.”
In August, online bachelor’s students in the biological sciences program at the Arizona State University in Tempe began working in these VR labs for full course credit. These students will be able to practice examining organisms under a microscope and sequencing DNA in the VR lab. They will also be able to complete activities that wouldn’t be possible in the physical world, such as manipulating DNA at the molecular level.
The University of Texas at San Antonio and McMaster University in Canada plan to unveil similar VR programs with Google, along with various academic institutions across North America and Europe.
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