Meta is investing $150 million into its Immersive Learning project. In partnership with extended reality education software company VictoryXR, Meta will open 10 new virtual campuses in the metaverse.
Universities Entering the Metaverse
In partnership with VictoryXR, Meta has created virtual campuses with various facilities. Starting with an initial 10 virtual campuses the company plans to expand the number to 100 universities over a later period. Meta will also donate its Meta Quest headsets to these organizations.
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Through Immersive Learning, Meta intends to develop a generation of metaverse creators to launch high-quality immersive experiences. According to the company, collaborating on initiatives will help these creators learn new skills and pursue meaningful careers.
One such virtual campus is the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), which is an entirely online university. With more than 45,000 students, the university will now provide facilities in which students can meet and learn in the metaverse.
The University of Maryland Global Campus will now offer five metaverse courses that will come at no additional cost compared to non-immersive courses. The courses offered will include blockchain, as well as courses in biology and astronomy.
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“Education is an exciting use case for the metaverse, and Meta Immersive Learning will help creators around the world gain skills for the metaverse and create immersive experiences for learners,” explained Steve Grubbs, founder of Victoryxr.
Among the 10 universities to enter the project are the New Mexico State University, Dominguez Hills, University of Kansas School of Nursing, Florida A&M University, West Virginia University, South Dakota State University, California State University, Southwestern Oregon Community College, and Alabama A&M University.
On the Flipside
- Despite its best efforts to resemble a lush college campus, the area still gives the impression that you are just playing an early-build PC game. Compared to the thriving university campuses from real life, their digital replicas feel empty. Furthermore, moving in the digital space can cause motion sickness, as graphic development for the metaverse is still in its early phase.
- Meta’s pivot to virtual reality has caused the tech giant to lose a significant amount of money, with its metaverse division, the Reality Labs unit, reporting losses of $2.8 billion in Q2 2022.
- Meta had its first bond issuance in August, selling $10 billion in debt in order to further invest in metaverse products and other initiatives.
Why You Should Care
Regardless of any setbacks, the metaverse is going to be big. Some experts insist that it will be the next iteration of the internet. Tech behemoths around the world are entering the race to create the metaverse.
For more about big tech companies developing the metaverse, read:
Big Tech Metaverses: Everything You Need To Know About Meta, Microsoft, Google, And Apple
Find out more about Meta’s investment in the metaverse:
Zuckerberg Keeps Investing in Metaverse Despite $2.8B Loss in Q2
