THE Rural Industries Skill Training (RIST) virtual learning centre is a virtual space for trainers to inspire, educate and engage with their students.
The space allows students to interact with virtual reality and augmented reality experiences, watch 360-degree videos and view 360-degree photos.
It is a collaborative platform allowing students and trainers real time communication and engagement without the constraints of bricks and mortar assets.
This new concept of learning is called immersive education.
Immersive education is the process of delivering education with the use of a simulated or artificial environment.
RIST chief executive officer Bill Hamill said this environment enabled learners to immerse and interact in the learning and in a way that feels like they are experiencing an actual real-life situation.
"Immersive education will provide the opportunity for students to experience education and learning rather than being taught; they will engage directly with the learning and experience this through interaction with the course materials and experiences within this virtual world," he said.
"The evolution of immersive education using virtual reality and augmented reality allows the educator to engage with the student using multiple sensory touchpoints and it provides a wide range of advantages from innovation, real life learning, through to the ability to scale up education and training delivery in a cost-effective manner."
For more than two decades, Rural Industries Skill Training has been recognised as one of Australia's leading independent agricultural colleges, delivering vocational education and training. Since its establishment in 1992, 18,200 students have graduated and more than three million hours of training have been delivered.
"Distance will no longer be a barrier to students being able to participate in classroom activities with other students," Mr Hamill said.
"Online learning platforms as they exist today will disappear and students will be able to engage in real time in a much more interactive and stimulating environment."
