{
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    "title" : "A New Prize Challenge for Virtual and Augmented Reality Learning Tools |Digital.gov",
    "description": "A New Prize Challenge for Virtual and Augmented Reality Learning Tools",
    "home_page_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/","feed_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/18/a-new-prize-challenge-for-virtual-and-augmented-reality-learning-tools/index.json","item" : [
    {"title" :"A New Prize Challenge for Virtual and Augmented Reality Learning Tools","summary" : "The Administration has launched a new competition for virtual and augmented reality developers to create learning tools to support career and technical education.","date" : "2016-11-18T12:00:22-04:00","date_modified" : "2025-01-27T19:42:55-05:00","authors" : {"erik-martin" : "Erik Martin","albert-palacios" : "Albert Palacios"},"topics" : {
        
            "challenges-and-prize-competitions" : "Challenges and prize competitions",
            "emerging-tech" : "Emerging tech",
            "mobile" : "Mobile",
            "multimedia" : "Multimedia"
            },"branch" : "bc-archive-content-3",
      "filename" :"2016-11-18-a-new-prize-challenge-for-virtual-and-augmented-reality-learning-tools.md",
      
      "filepath" :"news/2016/11/2016-11-18-a-new-prize-challenge-for-virtual-and-augmented-reality-learning-tools.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2016/11/2016-11-18-a-new-prize-challenge-for-virtual-and-augmented-reality-learning-tools.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2016/11/2016-11-18-a-new-prize-challenge-for-virtual-and-augmented-reality-learning-tools.md","slug" : "a-new-prize-challenge-for-virtual-and-augmented-reality-learning-tools","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/18/a-new-prize-challenge-for-virtual-and-augmented-reality-learning-tools/","content" :"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSummary: The Administration has launched a new competition for virtual and augmented reality developers to create learning tools to support career and technical education.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"quote-block \"\u003e\n    \u003cblockquote\u003e\n      \u003cspan class=\"quote-block__quotation-mark\"\u003e“\u003c/span\u003e\n      I’m calling for investments in educational technology that will help create \u0026hellip; educational software that’s as compelling as the best video game. I want you guys to be stuck on a video game that’s teaching you something other than just blowing something up.\n      \u003cspan class=\"quote-block__quotation-mark\"\u003e”\u003c/span\u003e\u003ccite\u003e— President Obama, March 2011,\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/03/08/president-obama-talks-education-boston-moral-and-economic-imperative-give-every-chil\"\u003espeaking about the need for innovation in education\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/cite\u003e\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n  \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImagine learning about biology by traveling inside human cells, or chemistry by experimenting with all of the elements of the periodic table, or computer science by programing robots to explore other planets. Virtual reality and augmented reality are new and emergent technologies that have received wide media coverage in the past year with the potential to make all of these experiences come to life. As evidenced by the Virtual Reality Developers Conference that was held this month in San Francisco, there is a growing developer community that is experimenting with these technologies and hungry to create experiences that are not only immersive and engaging, but can also transform the way stories are told and the way people learn.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2016/11/600-x-400-VR-education-President-Barack-Obama.jpg\"\n    alt=\"President Barack Obama uses a virtual reality headset in the Outer Oval Office, Aug. 24, 2016. Personal aide Ferial Govashiri sits at her desk at left.\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eTo harness the creativity and ingenuity of this developer community on behalf of America’s students, the U.S. Department of Education has launched the \u003ca href=\"http://edsimchallenge.com/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEdSim Challenge\u003c/a\u003e for next-generation educational simulations that will prepare students for the globally competitive workforce of the 21st century. The Department is calling on the virtual reality, video game developer, and educational technology communities to submit concepts for immersive-learning experiences that strengthen career and technical skills. The Challenge will award $680,000 in cash prizes and additional sponsor prizes from IBM, Microsoft, and Samsung.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a bet worth making. Students learn best when they are deeply engaged and excited, which is why President Obama has called for more educational tools that can push learning while entertaining and motivating children. Simulation-based learning can provide students with enriched experiences in information retention, engagement, skills acquisition, and learning outcomes. It’s why in 2014, the Administration held the first \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/10/06/white-house-education-game-jam\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eWhite House Education Game Jam\u003c/a\u003e to demonstrate that engaging developers and designers of high-quality games and having them work with teachers and students could lead to powerful new learning experiences, and in 2015 the U.S. Department of Education built on this idea by holding the first \u003ca href=\"http://tech.ed.gov/games/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGames for Learning Summit\u003c/a\u003e with Games for Change.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/06/21/impact-report-100-examples-president-obamas-leadership-science\" target=\"_blank\"\u003estrong progress this Administration has made to improve STEM education\u003c/a\u003e, there is more to be done. As the jobs of tomorrow require students to hone increasingly diverse skill sets, further investments in these new learning technologies will be essential for preparing students for success in future careers and life, a core goal of the President’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/k-12/educate-innovate\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEducate to Innovate initiative\u003c/a\u003e. That’s why the U.S. Department of Education is most interested in simulations that pair the engagement of commercial games with rigorous educational content to transfer critical academic, technical, and employability skills.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe EdSim challenge is the latest example of \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/08/10/public-sector-prizes-and-challenges-continue-grow-use-and-sophistication\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ethis Administration’s use\u003c/a\u003e of incentive prizes and challenges to harness the ingenuity of the American people. Since 2010, more than 100 Federal agencies have engaged 250,000 Americans through more than 700 challenges to address tough problems ranging from fighting Ebola, to decreasing the cost of solar energy, to blocking illegal robocalls.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThose interested in entering the Challenge should \u003ca href=\"http://edsimchallenge.com/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003esubmit\u003c/a\u003e their simulation concept proposals by January 17, 2017. Following the close of the submission period, a multidisciplinary panel of judges will evaluate the entries and select up to five finalists to advance to the Virtual Accelerator phase. Each finalist will be awarded $50,000 and gain access to expert mentorship as they refine their concept and build a simulation prototype.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStay tuned and visit the \u003ca href=\"http://edsimchallenge.com/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEdSim Challenge website\u003c/a\u003e to learn how you can reimagine the future of learning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eErik Martin is a Policy Advisor for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Albert Palacios is an Education Program Specialist at the U.S. Department of Education.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDisclaimer\u003c/strong\u003e: All references to specific brands, products, and/or companies are used only for illustrative purposes and do not imply endorsement by the U.S. federal government or any federal government agency.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor more on challenges and prize competitions, read our latest \u003ca href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/topics/challenges-and-prize-competitions/\"\u003eChallenges articles\u003c/a\u003e. Thinking about running a challenge and prize competition at your agency? Connect with over 700 government professionals by joining the \u003ca href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/communities/challenges-prizes/\"\u003eChallenges \u0026amp; Prizes Community\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRead our recent articles on \u003ca href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/topics/emerging-tech/\"\u003evirtual and augmented reality\u003c/a\u003e and the new \u003ca href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/26/gsa-launches-new-ai-virtual-reality-and-authentication-programs/\"\u003eAI and Virtual/Augmented Reality Communities\u003c/a\u003e—join both via our main \u003ca href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/communities/\"\u003eCommunities\u003c/a\u003e page.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis post was originally published on the \u003ca href=\"https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/omb/blog\"\u003eOffice of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) blog\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n"}
  ]
}