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 2024
Agenda
Summary
In this meeting, we met the DML's new Senior XR consultant, Dan Butters, who gave us an insight into the work the DML has been doing. Stephen Vaz went through the Business School's latest VR project along with their involvement in the Meta for Education pilot. Fred Tovey-Ansell went through the new developments in the ViRSE project (VE 2) and plans for the new environment.
Agenda
Arrival, welcome, food/ tea/ coffee
Rapid updates and announcements
Four Presentations:
- Bodyswaps - Stephen Vaz
- From Virtual Palpation to Clinical Integration: Combining XR with Physical Touch in Medical Education - Joshua Brown
- Updates from the ViRSE project - Fred Tovey-Ansell
- Ongoing projects at the DML - Christian Pask and Kam Raoofi
Summary
At this semester's meeting, Stephen Vaz shared the deployment of ‘Bodyswaps’ software in the Business school, where students can experience various roles in investment pitches, negotiations and interviews. Dr Joshua Brown then followed this up with his work on combining XR with bespoke haptic technologies to simulate physical examinations in clinical skills labs. Kam Raoofi then shared a look at how the College’s physical lab spaces are being recreated in interactive VR by the Digital Media Lab. Dr Simon Pocock rounded out the meeting with updates on the ViRSE which continues to expand with new training materials and courses.
Recording
View the recording for this event (Imperial login required).
Agenda
Summary
The meeting began with insightful XR usage discussions across the College. Highlights featured Professor Amir Sam on VR vs. AR in medical education, Dr. Demetrios Venetsanos discussing VR labs for structural engineering, and Dr. Mark Sutton announcing central funding for the ViRSE project. Thomas White and Thomas Shawcroft from the Digital Media Lab presented ongoing XR projects, including virtual reality labs for inductions and a motion capture stage for surgical procedure recordings. The session concluded with a networking lunch for in-person attendees, enjoyed by all.
Meeting History 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.
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.
Sign Up
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You can also view the issue archive online.
Contact Us
Sign-up here to be on our mailing list and recieve invitations for future meetings. For more information on this SIG, please contact ltstrategy@ic.ac.uk.