Apple Inc.’s new augmented reality device Apple Vision Pro — a powerful spatial computer driven by advanced technologies and Apple’s operating system — is expected to be as big a game changer as the iPhone.
Apple positions its new device as much more than a headset, going beyond what is possible with more passive virtual reality goggles and devices.
Just as the iPhone changed the way people think about handheld computers, Apple Vision Pro may change how people think about augmented or virtual reality (AR/VR). Described as much different and more powerful than other offerings in the space, the Apple Vision Pro enables rich, fully immersive experiences in which eye movements, hand gestures and voice can enable changes in the scene or application.
The device was developed by a small, dedicated team, including former executives from Dolby, the entire Canadian team from VRVana (which Apple bought as a company in 2017), technologists from NASA and Apple’s creative design and software developers. Apple also partnered with Zeiss to develop an advance optical system.
The big shift in the technology is the “infinite canvas.” Users are no longer limited by the constraints of a physical two-dimensional screen. They can explore digital content as if it were part of their physical space, exploring from various angles and perspectives, stimulating curiosity and fostering deeper understanding. For example, they can walk around a room or physical space as if they were there, being part of, for example, a movie, sports event or meeting.
Apple is developing partnerships and alliances to curate content designed for use on its powerful headset computer. Disney is already on board, as are Zoom and Adobe. Others are expected to follow soon.
Existing Apple apps such as FaceTime, Music, Apple TV, Messages, Mail, Keynote and Freeform will work with this device, as will the entire Microsoft Office suite. It will be available in 2024 for $4,700 (Canadian) at launch. Other less expensive models are likely to follow.
Education and training with the Apple Vision Pro
Apple Vision Pro can engage learners in five ways:
- Through immersion
- By transforming collaboration and communication
- By empowering teachers and enhancing pedagogy
- By revolutionizing apprenticeship training
- By enhancing training and employee retention
1. Engaging learners through immersion
The Apple Vision Pro is expected to make learning more engaging and memorable by enabling learners to “live” the content.
Imagine a history lesson in which learners can walk through historical events like the Battle of Hastings or the trial of Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. In a science lesson, they can interact with atoms and molecules, chat with a dinosaur or climb Mount Everest.
Equipped with extraordinary resolution and a state-of-the-art spatial audio system, the Vision Pro allows learners to dive into interactive educational content, fully immersing themselves in the material. Through the 4K+ per-eye displays, they can explore vast natural terrains like the Grand Canyon, visit distant cities such as Beijing or delve into the complexities of the human body — all from the comfort and safety of their own learning space.
This form of immersive and experiential learning has the potential to significantly boost comprehension, integrated learning and retention for students.
2. Transforming collaboration and communication
The potential of Apple Vision Pro for communication and collaboration in the educational realm is far-reaching.
Its adaptation of FaceTime or Zoom technologies can take classroom interactions to a different level. Students can be a part of life-sized interactive discussions, presentations and group projects, fostering an enriched collaborative learning environment with others anywhere in the world. Virtual co-ops and virtual work-based learning could be a new reality.
The Apple Vision Pro could also pave the way for a truly inclusive educational space, bridging the gap between remote and on-campus learners to make hybrid learning more feasible and a much richer experience for all.
3. Empowering teachers and enhancing pedagogy
This device could be a remarkable tool for educators, enabling the refinement and expansion of teaching and learning and allowing for a fluid, engaging learning environment. VisionOS, the operating system, empowers educators to structure their lessons in a non-linear format, stepping away from the conventional one-size-fits-all approach to education and offering a more personalized experience.
The Vision Pro’s capacity to modify scale, level of interaction and degree of realism can accommodate a broad range of learning styles, literacy and learning speeds. This adaptability will allow each student to have a unique educational experience, further enhancing comprehension and retention.
The device also facilitates educators’ ability to deliver real-time, impactful feedback. Instructors can virtually enter a student’s project, engage with their creations and offer instant constructive coaching, mentoring and guidance. By bridging the gap between knowledge and understanding, this interactive approach can lead to learning that is more powerful, vibrant and effective.
4. Revolutionizing apprenticeship training
Apprentices need to master a range of technical and specialist skills and apply them to various situations. Apprentice plumbers, for example, must use their skills in different locations, each of which has its own peculiarities and challenges, and then use their knowledge and judgment to solve problems.
Augmented reality linked with a virtual set of tools could allow an apprentice to both practise and demonstrate skills in a range of environments, many of which may not be available to them locally.
This is also an opportunity for others in initial training, including medical technicians, teachers, lawyers, legal assistants, personal support workers, chefs, civil engineers and IT developers, who could be placed in challenging situations and asked to demonstrate their competencies.
Current uses of augmented reality relate to health and safety and disaster response. With simulations displayed in the Apple Vision Pro AR environment, powerful learning and demonstration of skill become possible.
5. Enhancing training and employee retention
Training at work is big business. Imagine operating a new technology just deployed in a power plant after working with the “old” technology for 20 years. Unlearning and new learning can be fast-tracked through Apple Vision Pro’s immersive AR headset.
By leveraging digital information, how-to videos and real-world equipment all connected in real time to the equipment the employee needs to master, training can be undertaken on the job in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost of sending them to a college or training facility. Retained knowledge is much higher on the job (80% versus 20% from classroom training), and competencies are enhanced in real time.
AR/VR in education: Stand by for change
AR and VR are in the early stages of use in education and training. In some fields — training pilots and aircrew, healthcare, engineering — the use of AR/VR has been common for some time, but in other STEM subjects, social sciences and the humanities, not so much.
After the release of Apple Vision Pro in 2024, we can expect some hype and buzz, mainly from developers offering third-party applications and services.
We can also expect other manufacturers to seek to enter this space, as we see with all Apple’s products. Educators must cut through the hype and buzz and focus on what their students will gain.
There will be more opportunities to leverage Apple Pro Vision once developers begin to work on new applications and services that make full use of the technology. Educators should be engaged with these developers, since too many applications are developed for teachers by people who don’t teach. Given the powerful technology in use here, engaging teachers in design, development and deployment of new applications will ensure the success of Apple’s groundbreaking product.
