Will Meta for Education Save The Day?

This post became topical again with the upcoming release of #MetaForEducation. Let's dive into why MFE could be what we've all been waiting for in XReducation.

Before we start, let's assume no one here knows what an MDM is. Mobile device management (MDM) software allows IT administrators to control, secure, and enforce policies on mobile devices like tablets and phones. Headsets also require an MDM if the organization wants to control what is on them, find them if they go missing, or update a large batch of them remotely from a computer. It is a secure portal for managing devices.

What's the big deal?

XR SAAS products tend to get built in a cave, waiting too long to consider the impact your architecture will have on faculty implementation and the student perspective. These are not perspectives that should only be considered after 5 years of development; there should be conversations with educators on day one, and it's why I am so encouraged by the statements coming out of the Meta for education announcements.?

Yea, but ... OFB ??

Am I the only one who feels like saying OFB out loud is like mentioning Voldem... ahem, he who must not be named? (I digress).

We've all known that Oculus for Business (OFB) and Quest for Business (QFB) offered some features educators needed but still left them with significant pain points. However, if we step back 30,000 feet, it makes sense that these offerings were not a perfect fit for educators because they were built for Hilton, Purina, and Ford Motor Company. Ford isn't a place where people learn how to become professionals; they are at the top of their field, looking to shave off a few minutes or collaborate immersively towards a bottom line; QFB has business nailed down. Meta for Education, on the other hand, appears to be about something else, and most importantly, it includes educators from the beginning, which is really encouraging. Sharon Kritzer recently posted a Meta blog titled?"Building For & With Educators: Meta for Education’s Beta Program,"?and I have to say, it appears they are starting on the right foot.

So, what are the differences in what business requires vs education? Let's take a stab:

QFB = Business ??

Corporations seeking XR integration think about: ROI, speed, scale, control, security, rinse and repeat. "We will bill you if we have issues; K bye." They worry about things like:?

• Show me the immediate ROI $ and the long-term potential ROI $$$.?
• It's less about the upfront cost and more about the return.?
• Where will we save??
• How fast can we save it??
• What dollar metric can I assign to this??
• What improvement metric can I glean from my workforce??
• Operational ready on day 1.?
• Scaled deployment on day 2.?
• Measuring ROI on day 3+.?
• How can we market this to increase sales, retention, valuation, growth & innovation?

MFE = Education ????

Educators seeking XR integration think about: Recurring costs, security, ease of use, faculty adoption, and student experience. "Walk with us, hold our hands, teach us. We want innovation but are resistant to change."?They worry about things like:

• Will the MDM be so $$$ it competes with my SAAS training dollars??
• Does the software bundle with the hardware for grant dollars??
• Is this a subscription? We hate subscriptions; they're hard to pay for with grant dollars.
• Can I use it across sectors at the college, or is it exclusive to one segment? (i.e., If the College of Nursing uses MFE, can the welding school deploy its training software through the same MDM?)
• Will IT approve this on our network, and what bandwidth is required for a positive experience??
• How do I secure student privacy??
• Am I facilitating students' ability to misuse new technology? What can they download, see, do?
• We don't want this to force us to raise tuition.?
• Will my faculty use this, including my legacy teachers? Prove it.?
• Will this improve X for students? Prove it.
• Students rate me as a professor; are they going to love or hate this??
• I teach, I facilitate professional sims, I grade, and I write curriculum. I've been doing this for 20 years, and my department is understaffed ... you want me to start using what now?
• If this isn't turn-key EASY to use, it will collect dust.
• Faculty will not change their curriculum for a shiny object, they would rather wait out the subscription and say "I told you so." Show me how this makes my life easier.
• This is my curriculum and my class; I am an expert at making professionals. Show me?why?I should change anything.?
• Who do I call when I have an issue, or will you disappear??How do I retrain if I have turnover?
• I hear Meta, and I think?Facebook, and that is a curse word on campuses—like it or not, it's the truth. Show me this isn't a backdoor for social media distractions in class.
• On top of all this, we also need an ROI, accessibility options, equal opportunities for students, and access to hardware/software for all income levels.

Now, can you see how educators have perhaps had a hard time with OFB & QFB, which were created to serve a different set of challenges, needs, and goals? This is why I am so encouraged by the incoming MFE, they are building it with the educators' voice in mind. People like Monica Arés (who is an absolute delight btw), Muhsinah Morris, Ph.D , Andrew Sedillo , Thomas Merrick , Sean Hauze, Ph.D. , Rubén Durán , and Kim Grinfeder have all been involved in the Beta. Look them up; they are a broad sampling of representatives in education.

I look forward to Q1 2025; a lot is coming to serve the immersive simulation industry for educators. And the timing here is perfect. COVID Relief Funds sunsetted early in 2024, so the time is now to offer the industry an affordable, effective, and easy-to-use platform. They need it.?

Have a great day, everyone.?