{"id":3640,"date":"2018-12-03T08:00:33","date_gmt":"2018-12-03T08:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/?p=3640"},"modified":"2018-11-29T22:39:07","modified_gmt":"2018-11-29T22:39:07","slug":"tstc-implements-mixed-reality-into-curriculum-a-first-for-the-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/?p=3640","title":{"rendered":"TSTC implements mixed reality into curriculum, a first for the college"},"content":{"rendered":"

(HARLINGEN)\u00a0 – Bringing emerging technology into the hands of its students, Texas State Technical College will be implementing HoloLens Mixed Reality into its curriculum as early as next year.<\/p>\n

The first programs to introduce the Microsoft application, in partnership with Pearson Education, are Architectural Design and Engineering Graphics, Vocational and Registered Nursing and Chemical Technology.<\/p>\n

Students strap on a Microsoft HoloLens, similar to virtual reality gaming headsets, to see 3D computer graphics shown on top of the real-world classroom environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is nothing as powerful as using HoloLens for educating our students,\u201d said TSTC Senior Vice President of Student Learning Hector Yanez. \u201cThis is a unique tool for explaining lessons in-depth, beyond a traditional lecture. Students can feel the knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a number of virtual reality and augmented reality applications being utilized in higher education, mixed reality brings a different approach to the already popular technology.<\/p>\n

Unlike its counterparts that set a user in a virtual, or digital landscape, mixed reality blends the person\u2019s real-world and digital world, and introduces a hologram that the user can interact with.<\/p>\n

It is a three-dimensional immersive learning experience that can be used anywhere or anytime.\"TSTC<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cMixed reality applications have been around for only a few years,\u201d said TSTC Executive Director of Instructional Support Orlando Penuelas. \u201cSo there was a lot of research that went into this decision making; this is a great investment for our students and institution.\u201d<\/p>\n

A pair of HoloLens applications: HoloPatient and HoloChemistry, were among the first to be demonstrated to TSTC students recently.<\/p>\n

TSTC Vocational Nursing students Ana Decuesta and Celina Romo were first to use HoloPatient to interact with holographic medical scenarios.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve only seen this type of technology on TV. So being able to actually touch it and use it is exciting,\u201d said Romo, the 39-year-old Raymondville native. \u201cAt first I was intimated; it\u2019s cutting edge technology, but it turned out to be very user friendly and I can\u2019t wait until it\u2019s fully implemented into our program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Decuesta shared the same sentiment. She said she is happy that this type of technology is now available to her and her peers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis type of technology is usually found in big universities, so TSTC giving us this opportunity is invaluable to our training,\u201d said 19-year-old Decuesta. \u201cThis will allow us to build on our confidence, which is key in our field, before beginning our clinical rotations and beginning our careers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yanez said the goal of the applications is to bridge a gap between understanding and visualization, which will lead to student retention and placing more Texans into good paying jobs.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoloLens gives TSTC and our students a competitive edge,\u201d said Yanez. \u201cWe are just seeing the start of the endless possibilities that these tools can offer our students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Penuelas agrees that with industry increasingly using mixed reality for their daily processes, training students in the software and how to use HoloLens correctly will make them more marketable when looking to start their careers.<\/p>\n

Large organizations such as Chevron and NASA are using HoloLens to provide visual aids and remote assistance for their employees.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoloLens is the golden standard for mixed reality and our students have it at their fingertips,\u201d said Penuelas. \u201cThis will definitely give them a leg up.\u201d<\/p>\n

TSTC in Harlingen will kick off the pilot program in the coming year and will eventually be implemented at the college\u2019s 10 other campuses across the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal is to implement HoloLens statewide once we completely understand how to implement the system and its applications,\u201d said Yanez. \u201cEvery TSTC campus will have access to this advanced technology sooner rather than later.\u201d<\/p>\n

Registration for Spring 2019 is underway. The last day to register is Jan. 2.<\/p>\n

For more information on the programs offered, to apply or register, visit tstc.edu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(HARLINGEN)\u00a0 – Bringing emerging technology into the hands of its students, Texas State Technical College will be implementing HoloLens Mixed Reality into its curriculum as early as next year. The first programs to introduce the Microsoft application, in partnership with Pearson Education, are Architectural Design and Engineering Graphics, Vocational and Registered Nursing and Chemical Technology. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-harlingen"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3640"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3640\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3642,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3640\/revisions\/3642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}