This year, the Jisc innovation team did something we had never done before: created an immersive 3D digital world.
The Virtual Innovation Hub (Or VIH as we tend to call it) is a proof of concept containing four zones. Each zone is dedicated to a particular theme that we have been exploring in our work.
What’s in the Hub?
The Utopian / Dystopian campus is a journey into the future where earth’s temperature is two degrees hotter. What happens to education in this climate? The Utopian campus explores how a institution can thrive in a warmer world using sustainable practices and seamless collaboration. Flick a switch and witness the Dystopian campus – a stark warning on the perils of doing nothing.
The Extended Reality (XR) showroom is a gateway for you to experience the future of learning firsthand. On the upper level, you can pick up digital versions of the latest VR headset tech being used by universities and colleges. On the lower level, enter and investigate three immersive classroom solutions. All the examples of new tech on show are accompanied by a use case from a UK institution who have already embedded it in teaching practice.
The Cybersecurity zone walks you through the nightmare of a ransomware attack using case studies from the sector. By highlighting key cybersecurity products and services, the zone shows how Jisc is keeping institutions secure when the unthinkable happens.
The final zone is a digital twin of the Innovation Lab, based in Jisc’s Bristol office. Here you can explore some of the projects we’ve been working on in the past 12 months, along with insight into what’s coming next. Find out more about some of the forthcoming products we’ve been championing at Jisc events from the comfort of your own home or office.
Who built the Hub?
We partnered with Metaverse Hub (part of the mXreality family), who are an established name in custom 3D virtual environments (and have a strong pedigree in applications for this technology in education). Their expertise has brought our ideas to life and now to your screen.
How to access the Hub
The Virtual Innovation Hub is browser based, meaning that you can experience in full with a moderately powerful desktop or laptop computer. It’s easy to access, simple to navigate, and available now. Inside, you can communicate with other visitors if you choose to, and interact with the virtual Jisc bots scattered through the environment, who will tell you more about where you are, or ask for feedback. We want to develop this proof of concept towards a sustainable idea that creates value for all. Getting your feedback is key to that.
What can the Hub do for you?
There is a conversation to be had about how this technology can be best harnessed for the good of education in the next few years. If the metaverse is coming, we want to start this conversation now.
Over a series of blogs, we’re going to look at why we decided to build the VIH: how we did it, the challenges we met and overcame, and what comes next. We welcome your comments and feedback along this journey. Most of all, we hope you enjoy your experience in our virtual world.
Take the extended tour*:
*Elements of this video were produced using AI tools