Japan is often perceived as one of the most technologically advanced countries, particularly in the field of robotics. This is about a new school dedicated to teaching virtual reality, a great first!
In November 2016, a selection workshop tested 350 students shortlisted by the brand new Virtual Reality Professional Academy. This number was subsequently reduced to 30 students, only ten of whom were appointed to form the establishment’s first promotion.
For three months, every Saturday afternoon, these young people will have five hours of lessons with additional work during the week to be done via the school’s web page. The method that will be used is based on the gamification (or gamification) of the courses. Thus, homework will be considered as quests, teachers as mentors and students divided into guilds in the manner of role-playing games.
This teaching is free, financed by companies seeking new talents in virtual reality. This will allow students to meet professionals in the field in order to discover the latest innovations and also why not find a job.
The courses will integrate notions of development and design, while the economic aspect will be ensured by « business seminars ». This school is currently very successful and could integrate more and more students in the future in a country where the number of people educated is declining to such an extent that 40% of colleges have had to reduce their number of teachers.
Seeing such a school appear in Japan was perhaps only a matter of time, as virtual reality fascinates many users. A significant number of companies already offer a lot of applications and other services that are often adapted to Japanese customs. The most striking example is the first virtual reality pornography festival that took place in June 2016 in Tokyo and which had to close prematurely because of too many people.
Sources: Anime News Network – Virtual Reality