ORU Receives Innovation Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Stephanie Hill, Director of University Relations & Communications
Office: 918.495.7337, Mobile: 918.720.5548
sthill@oru.edu
Tulsa, OK – Oral Roberts University (ORU) was excited and honored to receive the United States Distance Learning Association’s (USDLA) Innovation Award last night at the organization’s National Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.
ORU was honored for the Global Learning Center’s use of augmented and virtual reality to reach every person’s world. The $8.5 million Global Learning Center was a 24-month initiative led by ORU President William M. Wilson and Associate Vice President of Technology and Innovation Michael Mathews. It opened its doors in January and since then professors from Biology to Business have used augmented and virtual reality to teach students in new and innovative ways.
“T
he credit belongs to dozens of ORU employees and faculty members who have spent more
than 400 hours so far to make the Global Learning Center what it is today,” said Mathews.
“They are innovators and dreamers who have made it possible for ORU to literally flip
the University to the world through augmented and virtual reality.”
ORU has partnered with two vendors, EON Reality and Carousel Industries, to integrate AVR in the Global Learning Center. The innovative vision of AVR for academic purposes is intended to potentially reach millions of distance learners and align with the University’s Globalization Vision.
The USDLA is a 501(c) 3 non-profit association, founded in 1987, as the nation’s leading distance learning organization. The association reaches 20,000 people globally with sponsors and members operating in and influencing 46% of the $913 billion U.S. education, and training market.
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