City of Bristol College is transforming the education of its automotive talent after integrating Assisted Reality (AR) headsets into its teaching programmes as part of a pioneering trial.
Launched last September by Autotech Connect, The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) and RealWear, the 12-month trial has seen almost 30 headsets donated to colleges and training providers nationwide.
While aimed at removing onerous and manual administration tasks for the education workforce, City of Bristol College, which received an AR headset in January, has successfully demonstrated how technology-based tools can improve the learner journey.
Through the AR headset, the automotive faculty at City of Bristol College has been transformed into a dynamic, interactive hub with assessments now open for live observation by fellow students, enhancing the overall learning experiences.
Signalling an exponential leap in teaching quality and student engagement, almost 40 assessments have been conducted with the aid of the headset since the New Year, and students have reported clear benefits from using the immersive learning tool. From picking up hints and tips from the videos recorded and loaded up to the headsets, to replaying the insightful content to reinforce their practical automotive skills.
Leveraging the visual and hands-on capabilities of the head-mounted technology, created by RealWear, has been crucial to automotive learning due to the nature of a vehicle technician’s work.
“The feedback from students and assessors could not have been more affirming,” comments Luke Reid, Head of Department for Motor Vehicle & DAF Apprenticeships. “The adoption of the AR technology into our assessment program has ushered in a remarkably heightened level of understanding and retention of practical automotive skills which are essential for future vehicle technicians.”
City of Bristol College is also looking at opportunities to integrate further AR headsets into its apprenticeship assessment programme. As a leading apprentice provider to DAF Trucks UK, a flagship name in commercial automotive fleets and other nationwide companies, the college frequently carries out up to 430 assessments per year with assessors travelling up to 300 miles to visit a single apprentice.
In a significant nod to sustainability, having the ability to utilise AR headsets to carry out assessments could dramatically reduce the college’s travel-related carbon emissions.
“We are perfectly aligned with the tactile nature of automotive mechanic work,” Luke continues. “These headsets are unobtrusive, allowing free use of hands, crucial for our learners, and both assessor and apprentice have direct engagement through the headset’s visual video screen. Future
integration will enable us to aid the apprenticeship assessment process while realising future sustainable objectives and support growth plans.”
