Dedicated EON Reality VR and AR Suite for Telford College #FutureOfEducation

Classroom of the Future with EON Reality for Telford College: Leading the way with dedicated VR and AR Suite

At college or sixth form, it’s rare that students get the change to step right into the industrial environments they’re learning about.

Or break apart a jet engine in real-time.

Or calibrate an oil compressor rig.

Yet at Telford College – this possibility for experiential learning is entirely real thanks to their new Virtual and Augmented Reality Suite.

Digital Reality technologies like AR and VR are transforming many of the paradigms around teaching and learning, as well as the ways students interact with information.

Many educational policies ban or aim to reduce the use of phones and serious games technology in the classroom because it is disruptive. But what if this powerful tech and disruption is harnessed and used to boost teaching and learning, instead of refuting the technologies altogether?

“Combining the knowledge, skills and facilities on our campus is a perfect time to reflect on our curriculum, and the introduction of virtual and augmented reality technology is a key ingredient in this,” said Graham Guest, Principal and Chief Executive of Telford College.

“We want to be at the forefront of education, which is why we are bringing in virtual reality and new technologies to inspire students. It will revolutionise ways of teaching and learning.”

Mark Bridgeman, Global Chief Operating Officer and UK MD at EON Reality, said:

“Telford College has bolstered their further and higher education offering by opening a dedicated Virtual and Augmented reality Suite, containing all the latest technology – powered by EON Reality’s AVR Platform, serving their 2000 students.”

“The UK finds itself sprinting to keep up in offering the teaching, training and courses that are competitive in a vastly accelerating global marketplace.

“This includes training future talent in using and understanding XR technology – ultimately, preparing students for their what their employers expect of them.”

The use of leading-edge technology is the norm for the most attractive employers, and students are widely expected to know how to use a variety of computing interfaces in their day-to-day lives and work.

Telford College is forging a unique path in the further education sector in the UK, being the first of its kind to build a ‘7th Form’.

This concept forms a holistic and future-now approach to the traditional idea of a sixth form – but revolutionises this idea by embracing the changing learner journeys, the modern lives students lead and their technology in a fast-paced world of data and interactive media.

“By using VR and AR, they are already leagues ahead, and helping futureproof their course offerings,” said Mark Bridgeman, Global Chief Operating Officer and UK MD at EON Reality.

“EON Reality is therefore delighted to be supporting this clear vision, and the cutting-edge VR/AR hub suite at Telford College.”

About EON Reality: World leader in Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) based knowledge transfer for industry and education, EON Reality’s success is tied to its belief that knowledge is a human right and should be available, accessible, and affordable for every human on the planet. To carry this out, EON Reality, since 1999, has developed the de-facto standard for Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality based knowledge transfer software that supports devices from mobile phones to large immersive domes. EON Reality’s global app development network, with twenty-two locations worldwide, has created the world’s leading AR/VR library for knowledge transfer with over 7,000 applications. Over 36 million people worldwide have downloaded these applications. 

About Telford College: A Further Education (FE) college in Telford, Shropshire, England with a wealth of history that dates back to 1800s. The ‘first industrial revolution college’ was founded in 1892 by Charles Walker as the Centre for Art and Science Classes and was originally based in Oakengates, Shropshire. Now that the merger between TCAT, and New College Telford (NCT), has been officially rubber-stamped by the government, Telford College has been operating under one banner since Summer 2017, unveiling a joint program of courses and new identity.