Immersive Learning In Schools

Workstations for Immersive Learning? It’s True.

The ability of technology to add educational value depends on how well tools support learning objectives. The wrong technology choice can impede rather than advance student learning. Case in point, trying to teach a student how to code an HTML web page from a book isn’t nearly as effective as a hands-on tutorial in which the student uses a PC to code a project from scratch.

Such is the benefit of immersive learning. It instructs students based on experience and interaction. Immersive learning is creating a quantum shift in education, breaking the conventional construct of pencil and paper. Just as corporate workflows have been digitized for advantage, education is taking a cyber leap forward with immersive learning tools such as 3D, CAD, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. Gamification of lessons, another immersive technique, is expected to grow 28% through 2021.

Powering Past Limitations

While the benefits of immersive learning are clear, so are the technology challenges. STEM applications frequently used in virtual reality and 3D learning are enterprise class — and require robust processing and graphics capabilities. As schools look at their IT spend, workstations are emerging as a solution to align IT dollars with immersive learning initiatives. Unlike conventional PCs, workstations are architected with engineering and design applications in mind, featuring high-speed graphics, processing, and rendering to run analytic and graphically intense applications.

Higher education is a perfect example of the workstation advantage. Colleges and universities are shifting toward a preference for hands-on preparation and the use of real-world tools students will encounter in the workforce. Hence, Vancouver Film School recently deployed workstations for its students to create films, video games, and 3D animation. Similarly, Marquette University purchased high-performance workstations to help students perform complex simulations to solve real-world engineering problems using CAD and mathematical modeling — gaining advanced processing power that reduced simulation time from hours to minutes.

While higher education workstation use is tied to workforce preparedness, K-12 schools are also deploying workstations for academic advantage. Middleton High School, part of the Hillsborough County Public School district in Florida, is engaged in Project Lead The Way, which provides K-12 STEM-based learning. Workstations were deployed there to support the robotic and engineering applications built into the curriculum. Likewise, Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles is using workstations to help the Title 1 school advance student opportunity with access to 3D, CAD, and GIS technology. Students learn skills that can yield a certificate, which can lead to job placement upon graduation.

Overcoming Budget Constraints

Funding for education technology is hard to come by and frequently depends on budgets, grants, and community approval. While previous-generation workstations were cost prohibitive, today’s offerings come in a wide variety of price points — and many, like HP Z Workstations, offer Education Edition models that are budget friendly and configured for student use. For example, HP Z Workstations include flexible form factors like laptop, desktop, and all-in-one models that can satisfy a wide range of curriculum requirements. They also come with a guarantee that workstations are configured to be compatible with enterprise-grade engineering and design software in industry use — all of which can be used to justify the cost of a workstation purchase.

As an HP Platinum Partner, Sehi Computer Products helps schools configure workstations for immersive learning initiatives with solutions that are affordable and aligned with curriculum goals. We have 35 years of experience serving K-12 and higher education institutions in the public, private, and charter sectors. Contact us to learn more.

Midwest/Eastern Region 800.233.7344 salesmi@sehi.com | Western Region 800.346.6315 salesca@sehi.com

Sehi Computer Products, Inc. | 2930 Bond Street, Rochester Hills, MI 48309 | www.sehi.com

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