At this Media & Learning online event, participants explored the connection between immersive technologies and budget-friendly educational content creation. They learned how institutions could use augmented reality, extended reality, and similar tools to develop exceptional educational material within budget constraints. Attendees discovered practical approaches and cost-effective strategies that leveraged immersive tech to create engaging learning experiences without breaking the bank.
XR on a budget (Ghent University, Belgium)
Presentation by Stéphanie Vanneste, Ghent University, Belgium
Key takeaways:
- Connect with like-minded people both in and outside your institute. This way you can build a network internally and externally and share material, knowledge, etc.
- Find opportunities to participate in projects. This way you receive great financial support to purchase hardware and develop XR.
- Start with small steps: free trials, BYOD, second-hand hardware, 360° videos…
Links:
Developing and using XR apps in a university (NTNU, Norway)
Presentation by Mikhail Fominykh, NTNU, Norway
Key takeaways:
1. Many research prototypes end up being evaluated during project lifetime but not developed further or even maintained because of luck of funds. Polishing such prototypes to be usable products, releasing, and maintaining them is of great value for the sustainability of R&D.
2. When developing research prototypes at universities, student projects can be integrated to the R&D, as in these two immersive learning projects at IMTEL: Nevrolens and VR4VET. This facilitates continuous development of the software in a project and reduces the tasks for the senior developers to technical coordination, maintenance, and refactoring.
3. Engaging teaching staff at a university is a way to implement immersive learning on a budget. Demonstrate the possibilities of the technology to the teachers, teach those who are interested in a continuing education course, engage them as subject matter experts to co-supervise a student project, develop a prototype, evaluate it, and apply for external funding with this solid background.
Links:
AR/VR experiences on a budget: research informing practice (Hotelschool The Hague, The Netherlands)
Presentation by Che Govender, Hotelschool The Hague, The Netherlands AR/VR experiences: research informing best practices
Key takeaways:
- Students prefer high levels of interaction, gamification and expect to see 3D content rather than 2D content when experiencing AR/VR for education.
- AR/VR is seen as having high impact on presence and engagement with clear applications within tourism and hospitality education, language training as well as pre-work placement
- Barriers to integrating AR/VR into education include the cost of equipment and licenses, staff time and workload as well as the need for continuous skills of development of educators.
Lessons Learned:
- Continuous prototyping always wins
- You need energy and perseverance to outlast forces holding back the project
- Link AR/VR project to the institutional strategy/vision, show benefits & ROI
- Support of top leadership clears the path of obstacles and unlocks resources
- Student evaluations make decisions
- Build a network of specialist with skills you don’t have
- Media strategy: Linkedin, blogs, webinars
- Co-creation and involvement
- Link an externally funded research project to the internal AR/VR project….
Links:
Recording 🎥
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
