Students in Career Technology Education programs and workforce trainees traditionally learn the tricks of their trade in classrooms or in the field. But thanks to a $1.49 million grant to provide virtual reality headsets and education software, the Research and Curriculum Unit at Mississippi State University plans to add another option.
Betsey Smith
RCU Director of Research and Curriculum Betsey Smith told The Dispatch she and her team are in the procurement phase of VR headsets with education software to bring online curriculums for subjects ranging from health wellness and mechanical engineering to culinary arts and restaurant management into classrooms throughout the Golden Triangle.
“I have sampled a couple of tools in the past,” Smith said. “I’ve been able to see how to weld a bead, I’ve been able to tighten pipe fitting, I’ve even been able to work on some knife skills and culinary art (all through VR).”
Companies that produce VR headsets and education modules are welcome to submit proposals to RCU through its website. Smith and her team will review applicants and choose a provider in November before finalizing the contract in December.
Once a contract is finalized, Smith said RCU will distribute the headsets to schools in Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay, Noxubee and Kemper counties, as well as the East Mississippi Community College campuses in Scooba and the Communiversity on Highway 82 west of Columbus beginning in spring 2023.
The headsets provided to the school districts will go to the middle schools’ Cyber Foundations classes and high school Career Technology Education programs, where students will have access to online courses in anything from metal fabrication to hospitality management from the comfort of the classroom. Combined, those headsets will provide more than 10,000 students with additional education opportunities, Smith said.
“We have some students that don’t have the opportunity to get out and go see what is available out there,” RCU Assistant Director of Business Operations Pam Stafford said. “This would open them up into a whole new world of being able to see other opportunities that are available outside of their current location.”
Lenora Hogan
Lenora Hogan, director for the Millsaps Career and Technical Center in Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, told The Dispatch this isn’t the first time her school has used VR headsets. She said students greatly benefit learning from real-world experiences without having to be there in person.
“Students were able to actually see a profession at work,” Hogan said. “One example that I was fascinated by was our health science class; they had a chance to actually go into surgery and look at different things.”
The RCU will also provide headsets to the EMCC campuses, offering job training and workforce development courses and training for workers at local area industries. Industry partners with RCU are International Paper and engine manufacturer PACCAR in Columbus and OCH Regional Medical Center in Starkville.
At hospitals, specifically, Smith said VR can train students on skills such as inserting an IV or sewing up a wound.
OCH Human Resources Director Cynthia Travis said the medical center’s partnership with RCU has excellent potential for the hospital’s ability to quickly and effectively train its employees.
“We believe virtual reality training will greatly enhance our current training methods in preparing our workforce with the skills needed to have a successful career in health care,” Travis said. “OCH has long recognized the benefits of collaborating with MSU. The association between OCH and MSU is a great example of how a community can benefit greatly when organizations work together.”
In February, the RCU received the funds from the Appalachian Regional Commission’s POWER grant program.
The Golden Triangle Development LINK partnered with RCU by writing letters of support to ARC and will continue to assist by providing a connection between the school and area industries, LINK Chief Operating Officer Meryl Fisackerly said.
“The LINK is always proud to partner with Mississippi State and in the case of RCU,” Fisackerly said. “For the grant, the LINK will serve as the RCU’s connections to industries in the area once the grant is implemented.”
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Source: https://cdispatch.com/news/2022-09-24/virtual-reality-training-coming-to-area-classrooms/