Both projects use Quest, the VR headset designed by Meta. “We have been working in immersive learning environments for many years and have built educational experiences for all types of VR headsets,” Dan Munnerley shared.
The team has also gained attention for their early work in digital twins, which they see as primed for leveraging VR advances. Take for example, the ASUniverse, which is a virtual replica of the university’s Tempe campus that students at Next Lab have been designing and building out over the last year.
“[At the Summit,] Dan and I also discussed how converging technologies of VR and AI are facilitating new paradigms in education,” said Rodriguez-Fransen. During the panel, Rodriguez-Fransen noted she reflected on the words of Bucky Fuller, who once said “You never change things by fighting existing reality. To change things, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
“And that is exactly what we’re doing at Next Lab,” Rodriguez-Fransen continued. “By using a heutagogical approach — where students determine what, how and why they learn, coached by staff and faculty — we co-create prototypes and proofs of concept, such as offline, open-source AI.”
While many initiatives are actively exploring the use of AI in higher education for teaching, learning and research, the team at Next Lab is focused on using open-source large language models to help bridge the digital divide.
“Offline AI refers to a movement creating AI models that don’t require the internet to use,” shared Munnerley. The large language models are stored locally on a device, which means they can operate without internet connectivity or the subscription fees charged by AI providers.
“We see so much potential value in these open-source AI models to help address gaps in education that are most times widened when technology is introduced,” Munnerley continued.
When asked what gives them hope for the future of open-source AI in education, Munnerley emphasized intergenerational learning, and stressed the need to include students in shaping the future of AI in education. Rodriguez-Fransen talked about the growing community of design justice practitioners, who include the voices of Indigenous and marginalized communities, and thoughtfully consider who might benefit and who might be harmed by the design process for generations to come.
Munnerley and Rodriguez-Fransen are set to speak on these topics at upcoming events:
UniversityScience & Engineering Facilities Conference - Scottsdale, AZ
QS Reimagine Education, London, UK
XR Southern Summit, Cedar City, UT
Augmented World Expo, Long Beach, LA
Transforming Local Government Summit, Scottsdale, AZ