Emerging Technologies in Learning Design & Technology and Envision Center to hold extended reality workshops

September 15, 2023

Faculty from the Purdue University College of Education will lead a new, collaborative, three-part workshop series this fall on using emerging technologies in learning design and technology.

Science student examining 3D Insect image using AR application on iPad
Science student examining 3D Insect image using AR application on an iPad (Photo provided)

Victoria Lowell, clinical professor of Learning Design and Technology in the College of Education, will lead the series, collaborating with Purdue’s Office of the Provost, Innovation Hub, Envision Center, Innovative Learning, and Teaching Academy.

Lowell leads the Emerging Technologies in Learning Design and Technology group, and will work with the Envision Center’s George Takahashi to hold three sessions of a workshop this fall designed to provide Purdue faculty and staff with hands-on experiences in Extended Reality (XR) technologies. XR is an inclusive term that describes immersive technologies, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and VR/AR with AI. The sessions will take place Sept. 29, Nov. 3, and Dec. 1, and participants should plan to attend all three sessions. Space is limited and those interested should register as soon as possible at https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3NTyvMUhUPKCXr0

The interactive sessions will build on one another, and participants will be given time to learn and interact with the tools and speakers, using the tools in their instructional practice to enhance their teaching and students’ learning.

The fall workshops will be held in person in the Hall for Discovery and Learning Research, with an option for those who cannot attend in person to attend via Zoom.

Participants should plan to attend the entire fall series, which will include:

  • Session 1 – “Introduction to X-Tended Reality for Enhancing Teaching and Learning,” on Friday, Sept. 29, from 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. This workshop will introduce XR technologies and their use for teaching and learning and cover topics such as “What XR technologies are out there? What are their differences? How are they used in formal education?” Participants will get a broad overview, including easy out-of-the-box solutions.
  • Session 2 – “Hands-On Exploration,” on Friday, Nov. 3, from 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. This workshop will explore many of the XR tools in greater depth. Attendees can interact with XR hardware and software and get hands-on with VR glasses, Merge Cube, and XR apps.
  • Session 3 – “XR Showcase,” on Friday, Dec. 1, from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. During this exciting, jampacked speaker session, participants will hear from instructors at Purdue and other universities already using XR technologies in their teaching. Participants will discover how faculty integrate these technologies into their classes with presentations and demonstrations.

A second companion series will run in the spring to assist faculty with the pedagogical process of developing instructional content integrating extended reality technologies. Those who attend the three fall sessions may attend the companion series in the spring.

Questions: vllowell@purdue.edu

Source: Victoria Lowell, vllowell@purdue.edu