Although extended reality (XR) technologies are not yet widely used in higher education, some universities and colleges have started using XR to teach complex topics in new and exciting ways. The University of Michigan, for example, has re-created the decommissioned Ford Nuclear Reactor in virtual reality. Nuclear engineering students can now enter the reactor and operate it as their professor guides them through a lecture. Considering extended reality’s potential to transform student engagement and success, widespread adoption appears likely as XR technology becomes more affordable and available. “XR will transform online learning as we think of it today,” says Maya Georgieva, director of education futures and the XReality Center at The New School. “It will offer powerful ways for stronger engagement with students and their fields of study.”
