Both Meta Immersive Learning and RULER offer valuable educational benefits, but they cater to different needs. Meta excels in providing immersive VR/AR experiences, while RULER focuses on social-emotional development. The choice between them depends on the specific goals and priorities of the educational institution.
| Attribute | Immersive VR/AR Educational Experiences (e.g., Meta Immersive Learning) | Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs (e.g., RULER Approach) |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum Alignment | VR and Metaverse platforms offer immersive learning environments that align with curriculum standards, enabling students to explore complex concepts and historical events. | RULER's curriculum is structured to align with both social and emotional learning standards and academic goals. It utilizes the Understanding by Design framework to weave emotional learning into daily instruction. RULER units are designed to help students reach enduring understandings about emotion concepts and build upon each other through elementary school. |
| Student Engagement | Interactive experiences can significantly boost student motivation and retention. Reports from universities participating in the beta phase of Meta for Education indicated an 87% increase in student engagement. Studies also show increased student motivation, participation, and knowledge retention when using VR in education. | RULER improves student engagement by enhancing teacher instruction. Increased student engagement has been found to be key to positive shifts in school climate. |
| Accessibility & Inclusivity | Metaverse technologies and VR support accessibility in higher education. XR in education can benefit less-advantaged students, giving them equal opportunities to access more 'hands-on' experiences. | RULER provides strategies for understanding context, working with bias, and customizing for context. It includes activities that focus on individual, cultural, social, and contextual differences in the experience and expression of emotions. RULER empowers individuals to explore and develop strategies that work best for them, considering the impact of their actions on themselves and others. Select RULER classroom and family engagement materials are available in Spanish and Mandarin. |
| Teacher Training & Support | Meta is developing educational tools for teachers and students, including VR resource libraries, training programs, and professional development initiatives. Meta is also empowering educators with new resources and training that can help them enhance learning experiences. | The RULER approach begins with staff training. A small team from each participating school attends a RULER training institute. Training comes with two years of implementation support that includes a training institute for a team of school staff, access to the RULER Online platform, virtual group coaching sessions, electronic newsletters, and support webinars. |
| Assessment & Progress Tracking | LMS (Learning Management System) integration with VR courses offers benefits for tracking and reporting on the immersive learning process. | The Mood Meter helps students and educators become more mindful of how their emotions change throughout the day and how their emotions affect their actions. |
| Cost & Scalability | Meta offers different pricing tiers for Horizon for Education, with options for two-year free access or a one-time lifetime fee per device. Meta is simplifying large-scale adoption and offering multiple pricing options, paving the way for more schools to explore immersive teaching methods. VR training is more cost-effective at scale, with per-employee implementation costs less than half of classroom training. | RULER offers a train-the-trainer system to support sustainability. |
| Evidence-Based Outcomes | Studies show that interactive experiences can significantly boost student motivation and retention. Morehouse College reported increased attendance rates and improved grades when using XR solutions. A recent study by PwC found that '40% of VR learners are more confident in applying what they've been taught, and 150% more engaged during classes'. | Research supports RULER's effectiveness in decreasing problem behaviors and improving social and academic behaviors for diverse students. Schools adopting RULER have shown positive shifts in school climate, enhanced academic performance, better quality relationships, and less bullying. |
| Technical Requirements & Support | Minimum technical specifications include an operating system (Windows 10), Processor (Dual Core 2 GHz), RAM (4 GB). Meta provides device management tools and resources to help teachers boost device security and keep on top of firmware updates. | RULER Online is an online platform that supports RULER implementation in trained schools and includes staff learning modules, interactive web tools, webinars, and classroom curricular content organized by grade level. |
| Content Customization Options | Schools can oversee everything from user accounts to custom app distribution from one interface. | RULER empowers individuals to explore and develop strategies that work best for them. Schools choose reading material, current events, real-life examples, and other learning content that resonate with their staff and students. |
| Data Privacy & Security | Meta has adopted a privacy-first strategy. Students aged 13-17 can only access the program without an account login. Meta does not utilize student data for personalization; it only employs it to provide services and for security, safety, and legal compliance purposes. | RULER does not collect any student data, and students are not authorized to use the RULER Online platform. |
| Integration with Existing Systems | Meta for Education provides access to Meta Quest devices using Meta Horizon managed solutions for education. | RULER integrates seamlessly with many other school-based initiatives and its goals and methods overlap with those of other SEL and character education programs. |
| Age Appropriateness | Meta for Education will only be available to schools serving students over 13 years old. | RULER content is tailored to be developmentally appropriate for students at each grade level, from pre-K to high school. RULER for Elementary School (K-5) is a developmentally appropriate and comprehensive curriculum that contextualizes and builds students’ emotional intelligence within their experience of the world. |
| Price | Meta offers different pricing tiers for Horizon for Education, with options for two-year free access or a one-time lifetime fee per device. | Not available |
| Ratings | Not available | Overall: Positive shifts in school climate, enhanced academic performance, better quality relationships, and less bullying. Performance: Research supports RULER's effectiveness in decreasing problem behaviors and improving social and academic behaviors for diverse students. |