XR for Education

The XR for Education SIG is dedicated to fostering discussions and collaborations surrounding XR technologies - Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) - in the context of education within Imperial College. Whether you're a faculty member, researcher, or part of the professional services team, if you're passionate about exploring the potential of XR in education, this SIG is for you.

This year, the SIG is co-lead by:

  • Simon Pocock (Data and Innovation Lead - Interdisciplinary EdTech Lab)
  • Joshua Brown (Haptics Research Associate - Imperial College Centre for Engagement and Simulation Science (ICCESS))
  • Stephen Vaz (Senior Learning Technologist - IDEA Lab, Imperial College Business School)

What this SIG is for:

Facilitating Collaboration and Networking: We provide a platform for individuals across Imperial College to come together and share their work, ideas, and insights related to XR technologies in education.

Exploring Best Practices: This SIG delves into the world of XR learning design, identifying the most effective strategies to enhance educational practices within Imperial College.

Staying Current: In the rapidly evolving landscape of XR, the SIG will keep you up-to-date with the latest technologies, trends, and advancements, both within the college and in the industry.

Meeting Schedule:

We convene once a term to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate and contribute. These meetings serve as a forum for lively discussions, presentations, demonstrations, and networking opportunities.

Communication Channels:

Our primary communication platform is Microsoft Teams. Here, you'll find updates on upcoming events (General Channel), discussions on college advancements (College XR News Channel), and the latest news from the XR industry (XR Industry News Channel).

If you would like to join a SIG, fill out the form here to be added to the mailing list. You will then be informed about future activities. 

Meeting history

11 September 2023

Agenda

Arrival, welcome, grabbing food/ tea/ coffee 
Rapid updates and announcements: a short opportunity for people to give any updates/ announcements related to relevant projects they are working on 
Presentation: Effect of mixed reality on delivery of emergency medical care in a simulated environment: A pilot randomized cross-over trial - Jason Lawson 
Presentation: ViRSE Student Shapers: Developing VR applications for education through student-staff collaboration - Fred Tovey-Ansell and Student Shapers 

Summary

The meeting began with a brief round of updates and discussions, setting the stage for two captivating keynote presentations. Dr Jason Lawson shared the encouraging results of an empirical study exploring the effectiveness of virtual reality in emergency medicine education. Following this, attendees were treated to exciting live demonstrations crafted by talented students from the Departments of Earth Science and Engineering and Aeronautical Engineering, who showcased a variety of virtual teaching spaces crafted for Palaeontology, Tectonics and Structural Mechanics as part of the College's ViRSE project.

10 May 2023

Agenda

Three talks:
- Thomas White: An intro to the Digital Media Lab's XR work
- Dr Risheka Walls: 360 degree emergency medical simulations for undergraduates
- Dr Mark Sutton: The ViRSE project
Select a leader
Informal discussion and lunch

Summary

We started the meeting with three talks from representatives of different XR-interested groups at Imperial College London. Thomas White spoke about the Digital Media Lab's work in XR, Dr Risheka Walls spoke about 360 degree immersive emergency medical simulations and Dr Mark Sutton spoke about the ViRSE project.
Simon Pocock was selected to organise the SIG meetings.
The group had lunch and informal discussion for the remainder of the meeting.