Category: Safety

What is the Difference Between VR, AR, MR, and XR - Portada
13/06/2023

What is the Difference Between VR, AR, MR, and XR?

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on What is the Difference Between VR, AR, MR, and XR?

There are many exciting new and emerging technologies making a splash these days and it can be easy to confuse them with one another. Virtual reality (VR) as well as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and extended reality (XR) are four types of technology that you likely hear referenced, but how do they differ? Keep reading to find out.

VR

VR is a type of immersive experience that involves simulating reality using computers. Headsets are a vital component of VR, as you can use reality headsets to experience realistic images, sounds, and even sensations—all of which help replicate the feeling of being in a real environment or an imaginary world. While it isn’t always possible to do so, an authentic VR environment makes it possible to engage all five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste).

AR

AR takes a real-world environment and augments elements using computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics, or GPS data. The point of AR is to augment existing reality and to add to it in one way or another. Currently, smartphones and tablets are the most common way to access AR, but some custom glasses are also being used. Pokémon Go is a great example of AR. With that game, players use their phone to interact with the world around them, finding and catching Pokemon in their own backyards/their surroundings.

MR

MR, which can also be referred to as hybrid reality, merges a virtual world and the real world to create a new environment. In a MR environment both physical and digital objects can co-exist and interact together in real time. MR can place new imagery within a real space and can make it possible to interact with this imagery in our physical world.

XR

XR is one of the more recent technologies emerging in the immersive virtuality space. XR stands for extended reality and encompasses all forms of combined real and virtual environments. AR, MR, and VR are all included in XR. You can think of XR as an umbrella that brings those three terms together. The term XR is helping group all of this technology together and is making this space less confusing for consumers.

When XR Goes Global

When consumers interact with these virtual worlds (whether VR, AR, or MR is being utilized), language is often involved in one way or another. This is why it’s so important to localize the content featured in these worlds. That way, users worldwide can take advantage of the new developments and trends in immersive virtuality without being blocked by a language barrier. Localization also takes cultural differences into account, which can apply to all of the senses that these technologies can utilize to create a more immersive world.

After all, if the point of these technologies is to create truly immersive experiences, then localizing the world you’re creating for your target audience can help accomplish that goal.

RELATED CONTENT

What is Technology Enhanced Learning and What are the Benefits
30/05/2023

What is Technology Enhanced Learning and What are the Benefits?

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on What is Technology Enhanced Learning and What are the Benefits?

Technology touches virtually every area of our lives, including how we learn. Which is why it’s no surprise that Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) is rising in popularity. In short, TEL applies technology to the process of teaching and learning. Many students find that TEL helps them learn information more quickly, understand it better, and retain that information for longer.

To better understand what TEL is and what its benefits are for students, keep reading.

What is Technology Enhanced Learning?

TEL is used to enhance the learning experience and how educators teach. Educators can turn to both analog and digital technologies to help their students learn more efficiently and effectively. Any technology that improves how someone learns can be considered TEL.

So, what does TEL look like exactly? Today, TEL can be found in the form of ebooks, video content, audiobooks, smartphone apps, computers, tablets, and video games. Virtual classrooms that make it possible to learn in group settings from the comfort of home are also an example of education opportunities that TEL can improve upon, as are e-learning courses.

The Benefits of Technology Enhanced Learning

Due to the pandemic shutting down schools and workplaces, TEL made a great impact on how many of us learned in the past few years. Thanks to TEL, it became possible to continue elementary, high school, college, and graduate-level education from home. Workplaces also embraced TEL to host employee trainings and many found that virtual trainings were both time and cost-effective.

TEL can be combined with more traditional learning techniques to meet a student’s needs. Other benefits include:

  • Versatility. TEL can accommodate accessibility features to appeal to different audiences by allowing users to alter font sizes or to listen to the audio content in lieu of reading written content.
  • Localization. It’s possible to localize TEL resources in a language that the user is most comfortable with.
  • Flexibility. TEL gives students the option to learn where and when is best for them.
  • Engaging. Many children find TEL style learning to be more engaging — this is especially true when gamification techniques come into play. Millennials who grew up with technology can also find TEL such as e-learning courses to be more engaging than attending an in-person lecture or reading a training manual.
  • Customizable. Students have the ability to learn at their own pace when learning via TEL instead of a physical classroom environment.
  • Less limiting. A textbook has a limit on how much information it can hold. Teachers now have the ability to get more creative and can turn to resources like video, audio, and interactive learning to help their students learn.

The Takeaway

Technology can be extremely beneficial in regard to providing quality learning experiences that adapt to each learner’s unique needs (whether those needs are related to a specific subject matter, a disability, or a preferred language for learning). Shying away from technology can do both teachers and students a disservice and it’s more than likely that TEL is here to stay.

RELATED CONTENT

Are You Complying With This OSHA Requirement
15/12/2020

Are you complying with this OSHA requirement?

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on Are you complying with this OSHA requirement?

Our society is always evolving and the workplace is no exception. The Hispanic presence in the US workforce is growing, and as of 2018 this group made up 17.5% of the US labor force, with that number being anticipated to grow in the following years. Hispanic workers are present across all industries ranging from construction (34.3%), to finance (22.9%), to manufacturing (21.3%). Their contribution to the US workforce is undeniable. Which is why OSHA standards are so important for employers to follow. There is one requirement in particular that can help protect our Hispanic workforce and any other employees who are not native English speakers.

What is OSHA?

First things first. You may be wondering what exactly OSHA is. OSHA, aka the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, works to create important rules and regulations that businesses have to follow to remain in compliance with proper safety protocols. If they fail to follow them, dangerous accidents can occur as well as large fines and penalties.  

OSHA sets and enforces standards through training and education that touches a variety of industries such as healthcare, oil and gas, and even maritime. Employers are responsible for ensuring that all of their workers are aware of OSHA requirements and they must train them properly on the best safety practices.

A Key Requirement

One important OSHA requirement that employers must adhere to is making sure that their workers receive imperative information and training regarding safety measures, workplace hazards, how to prevent accidents and any OSHA standards that apply to their workplace. An even more important requirement is that employers must provide that information and training to their employees in a language and vocabulary that the worker can understand clearly and absolutely. 

For workplaces that have any Hispanic employees, translating e-learning materials into Spanish may be absolutely necessary to stay in compliance with OSHA.

How to Meet OSHA Language Requirements

Given the pandemic and many workplaces operating remotely or keeping their employees separated while on the job, online training can be an extremely effective and safe way to deploy employee training. E-learning can help boost engagement, give employees the flexibility to take training when and where is convenient for them, and it can be an enjoyable way to learn. 

Another benefit of online training is that they are easy to adapt to other languages for employers that have a diverse staff. The localization of e-learning materials takes not only language differences into account, but cultural differences as well.To help employers meet their training obligations, OSHA has a web-based assistance tool that can aid employers with a Spanish-speaking workforce in identifying the Spanish-language outreach resources on OSHA’s website. By providing training for employees in their native language, employers can make sure workers completely understand the instructions and rules that must be followed. This will create a safer work environment for everybody.

LATEST POSTS