“ Anytime that you change the way you see things; it changes the way you understand them … As soon as you can change somebody’ s understanding, then they can change the way they see the world.”
HOLOLENS IN EDUCATION
BY HOLOLENS TEAM DIRECTOR AND EDITOR
While technological advances won’ t necessarily change fact or history, some can certainly change the ways in which many of these subjects and skills are taught. For certain areas of study, the introduction of particular innovations can complement the existing pedagogy, empowering students and teachers to approach topics or exercises from different angles, opening up broader possibilities in terms of accessibility, collaboration, and understanding.
At Case Western Reserve University, Microsoft HoloLens is already impacting the study of medicine. In the mixed reality world of HoloLens, classes of med students are now able to examine the human body and its multi-layered anatomical structure, seeing systems and events in action in a way that simply has not been possible before through cadavers and textbooks. Being able to visualise this information in a 3D manner that is reactive to the students was one of the key reasons behind the adoption of HoloLens into the anatomy curriculum at CWRU:
“ Anytime that you change the way you see things; it changes the way you understand them … As soon as you can change somebody’ s understanding, then they can change the way they see the world.”
- Mark Griswold, Ph. D- Case Western Reserve University.
Confidence is also a key factor in mastering any skill or discipline, and allowing the students to work practically in an environment where mistakes can be made and learned from- without literal life or death consequences- will have a profound impact on learning.
In a mixed reality anatomy class, being able to quickly set up or change practical sessions, reset the environment for the next student, or even go back a step after a critical mistake, all significantly improve efficiency and collaboration, meaning more students can acquire skills through practical experience in a much shorter time.
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