{"id":38758,"date":"2025-04-02T11:42:17","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T09:42:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/media-and-learning.eu\/?p=38758"},"modified":"2025-04-02T11:42:19","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T09:42:19","slug":"reality-collab-at-hcc-where-the-future-of-learning-is-built-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/media-and-learning.eu\/subject\/ar-vr\/reality-collab-at-hcc-where-the-future-of-learning-is-built-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Reality COLLAB at HCC: Where the future of learning is built together"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Rub\u00e9n Dur\u00e0n<\/strong>, Houston Community College, USA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Reality COLLAB<\/em>, we\u2019ve always believed that technology should serve people – not the other way around. Since 2016, we\u2019ve grown from a single VR headset and a converted meeting room at Houston Community College into a full-blown innovation hub. But the real story isn\u2019t about hardware or platforms – it\u2019s about the incredible community that\u2019s formed here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve had the privilege of helping shape this lab into something much more than just a space for XR development. It\u2019s become a place where learners from all walks of life come together to build, experiment, and grow. Whether they\u2019re working on digital twins for architecture decisions, immersive art shows, or AI-powered avatars that help others communicate, our students and collaborators are creating the future – side by side.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Recently, Reality COLLAB was selected by Meta<\/strong> as one of only 13 institutions in the US and UK<\/strong> to pilot the new Quest for EDU Horizon platform<\/strong>. That\u2019s a huge deal – not just because we get to test Meta\u2019s latest HMD administrative tool, but because it puts our students and faculty at the forefront of shaping how immersive tools can truly transform<\/em> education.<\/p>\n\n\n

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We\u2019ve got an amazing setup: Meta Quest 3 and Pro headsets, 3D scanners and printers, Unity, Unreal, Gravity Sketch, Midjourney, Blender, Twinmotion, and more. But none of that matters without the people powering it. I work alongside interns, administration, staff, faculty, and industry partners who constantly inspire me with their creativity and drive. Some of our best ideas have come from casual brainstorming sessions, unexpected collaborations, and students who dared to ask, \u201cWhat if we tried this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our model is hands-on and collaborative\u2014like an indie studio with an educational mission. We don\u2019t just train students to use tech; we bring them into real projects with real impact. I\u2019ve watched interns become staff, students become speakers, and project ideas turn into full-on immersive experiences that serve our college and community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the projects I\u2019m proudest of include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n