Its Digital Transformation team had ideas for using emerging technology in teaching and learning, but the starting point was what they wanted students to be able to do rather than a predefined list of products.
Aura spent time understanding those ideas before helping source the technology that could turn them into something practical.
That included VR headsets, Bambu Lab 3D printers and Lenovo 2-in-1 devices, bringing several different requirements together through one procurement relationship.
The technology is now being used in very different ways across the College.
Students can use VR to practise interviews, explore human anatomy and experience simulated workplace environments in a safe setting. The College’s 3D printers allow students to take their own product designs and turn them into physical prototypes, while teaching teams can also produce practical learning resources such as models of the digestive system.
For Aura, the project was less about supplying a particular manufacturer or device and more about understanding the reason the technology was being purchased in the first place.
That helped Bedford College move from ideas within its Digital Transformation team to technology being used in real teaching and learning environments.
