Immersive Environments: exploring current practice and barriers in Higher Education

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Booking Open

Date

13 December 2024

Book Before

6 December 2024

Birkbeck University of London

Malet St, London WC1E 7HY

About the Event

This event is at Birkbeck, University of London

In 2018, UCISA DEG hosted an event on immersive environments, then a growing area. In this follow-up event, we will consider what has changed in HE over the last 6 years. Has the use of immersive environments/virtual reality expanded into more disciplines? Is cost still a barrier or are there ways to implement this technology with a constrained budget? How has the technology moved on? Are there other potential constraints e.g. accessibility, and how are these being overcome?

This event will showcase examples of practice taking place across different institutions, outlining the value that they are offering to students and the practicalities of creating these environments and experiences.

This event will be hosted simultaneously at two venues: The University of Leeds and Birkbeck, University of London. There will be activities specific to each venue with keynotes streamed between venues.

Speakers

man with virtual goggles

Gary Burnett

Professor in Digital Creativity

Loughborough University

person looking at the camera

Katie Gardner

Lecturer in Arts-based Pedagogical Practices

University of Leeds

person looking at the camera

Owen Crawford

Digital Learning Manager

Cardiff Learning & Teaching Academy

person smiling at the camera

Sarah Sherman

Director

Bloomsbury Learning Exchange

Michael Detyna

Learning Technologist

King's College London

More Info

Michael Detyna is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has a particular interest in learner engagement. He is a peer reviewer for a range of journals, and regularly speaks at national and international conferences on digital education. He is the co-chair of the hybrid flexile learning board at King’s College London, and leads the virtual reality interest group.

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James Daniels

Educational Software Developer

The Open University

More Info

Jamie is an experienced educational software developer with a passion for exploring the boundaries of new technologies to deliver and underpin impactful learning. He has been at the forefront of many landmark educational technologies at the OU, including e-learning websites, mobile app and more recently Virtual Reality and immersive simulations

Event Schedule

Friday

09:30

Registration opens

10:00

Welcome and introductions

DEG committee members
10:05

Keynote 1 (live-streamed from Birkbeck): On-boarding HE students for immersive experiences: The need for an XR ‘driving test’

Gary Burnett, Professor of Digital Creativity, Loughborough University
10:50

What’s happening where you are?

Sarah Sherman, Director, Bloomsbury Learning Exchange
11:10

“What immersive learning budget?” – Designing and delivering education-focused immersive learning activities in a time of higher priorities

Owen Crawford, Digital Learning Manager, Cardiff University
11:50

Comfort Break

12:05

A window on the world: using immersive virtual reality

Michael Detyna, Learning Technologist, King’s College London
12:45

Lunch and tours

14:00

Keynote 2 (live-streamed from Leeds): Developing Students' Digital Creativity through Virtual Reality: Approaches to Balancing Open-Ended Exploration with Readily Available Experiences

Katie Gardner, Lecturer in Arts-based Pedagogical Practices, University of Leeds
14:45

An 8-year journey from immersive dream to immersive reality

Jamie Daniels, Educational Software Developer, The Open University
15:30

Closing remarks

15:45

Close