ZSpace tour bus provides 3D Anatomy lessons |
SARASOTA, Fla. (Aug. 13, 2018) – Faculty, staff and students are invited to USF Sarasota-Manatee’s “Tech Petting Zoo” to check out the latest in high-tech gadgetry, including a zSpace tour bus where visitors can learn how Virtual Reality (VR) technology is being used in classrooms.
The event, scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the campus’ Selby Auditorium, will give attendees an opportunity to test drive a variety of state-of-the-art technologies. Representatives from zSpace, Microsoft, Crestron Air Media and Newline Interactive will be on hand to demonstrate new hardware, instructional software and VR and AR (Augmented Reality) devices.
Virtual reality is already impacting learning at USFSM. At the College of Science & Mathematics’ biology labs, students learn about anatomy using VR. The versatile technology can enable students to “hold” a human heart or even a butterfly in their hands.
The event is a great primer for new faculty or refresher for returning faculty. It coincides with the IncrediBull Critical Thinking workshops that train faculty on how to strategically incorporate critical thinking into their curriculum.
ZSpace, a leader in AR/VR learning solutions for educators, will park its tour bus, showcasing AR and VR classroom technologies (zspace.com/tour), outside the Selby Auditorium. Microsoft will bring a device bar for faculty and students to test its latest tablets, including the just-released Surface Go, and for those interested in a little fun, a VR gaming station will be setup.
Staff from USFSM’s eLearning Services – Timi Hager, Heidi Schroeder, Sarah Gentry and Amber Lee – will be available to demonstrate instructional technologies used by faculty and students.
“This is an event you shouldn’t miss,” said Gentry. “We’ve been able to partner with Technology Services and top-notch vendors to put this all together. It’s really to show our faculty and students what technology we currently have and what instructional technologies they can integrate into their face-to-face and online classes for future semesters.” ### |
About USF Sarasota-Manatee (USFSM) USF Sarasota-Manatee is a regional campus of the University of South Florida system, offering the prestige of a nationally ranked research university with the convenience of a hometown location, including classes in Manatee and Sarasota counties, Venice and online. USFSM is ideal for those interested in pursuing a baccalaureate or master’s degree, professional certification, or continuing education credit in a small, personal setting with distinguished faculty and a dynamic curriculum of more than 40 academic programs. Website: www.usfsm.edu. |