JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Jersey City Public Schools, New Jersey’s second-largest school district, today unveiled a pilot program to introduce AR (Augmented Reality) technology to bring students fast, easy access to educational content that complements in-classroom learning. The announcement, made by Jersey City Schools Superintendent, Franklin Walker, will begin with a pilot program during April 2021 and furnish students and associated faculty members with Samsung Galaxy tablets pre-loaded with StraxARTM, an application that allows users to access immersive content through a simple scan. Samsung SDS America, a global leader in digital transformation and innovation solutions, is supporting the pilot program with mobile management and services.
The pilot program will be rolled out in two phases and last approximately 120 days. Phase One begins April 2021 and consists of approximately 100 high school students and features AR content in English/Language Arts, History, and Mathematics. Phase Two will incorporate learnings from the initial phase and additionally focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) as well as STEAM, which embraces the Arts. Upon completion of the pilot program, the district aims to leverage the technology to create heightened engagement of lessons among the participating students. Using the StraxARTM app, students could scan any designated page in a textbook to unlock videos and other content related to the text, and then be automatically redirected to additional locations for even deeper immersion into that subject.
“Jersey City Public School students deserve every competitive advantage in education, and nothing brings learning to life quite like augmented reality content,” explains Walker. “By teaming up with StraxAR and Samsung SDS, we can elevate education through state-of-the-art technology, help deepen a student’s understanding of in-class lessons, and serve as a model for schools everywhere. This unique partnership with StraxAR and Samsung SDS is a huge win, not only for Jersey City students, but for education leaders and students in any academic setting.”
Eric Singleton, Strax Networks CEO and co-founder added, “The introduction of augmented reality in education is a huge game-changer and one that bolsters the combined efforts of parents, educators and students to bring learning to life.” Alan Mariotti, CSO of Strax Networks and co-founder said, “Jersey City Public Schools have made a bold choice to marry the efforts of educators with state-of-the-art technology to bring a teacher’s lesson plans to life. AR content is the future of education and Jersey City Public Schools are leading the charge.”
Sean Im, Samsung SDS America President and CEO, notes, “From remote ‘learning from anywhere’ to hybrid education models, the education space is taking shape into a ‘new normal’ that requires a more agile approach. More than ever, education and technology must work together to lead students and educators into the future. With this collaboration, Samsung SDS America and Strax Networks are providing seamless mobile management and services to enable Jersey City Public Schools to adapt to change and fulfill their mission to ensure students are academically competitive in a global society. As students and teachers tap in to a more connected, immersive and engaging learning experience, the powerful combination of mobile technology and AR creates truly unlimited potential for improving student outcomes and understanding.”
