Many higher education institutions are developing advanced learning spaces to facilitate their students. These learning spaces can be hybrid, online or brick and mortar facilities that provide engaging and effective learning environments for students. During this virtual tour, we ‘visited’ facilities in operation.
KU Leuven, Belgium ViSkiLab
ViSkiLab is a Virtual Reality application meticulously crafted for first-year Biomedical Sciences students at KU Leuven. During the presentation, Tula and Robbe delved deeper into the choices that were made during development, such as why they developed the application themselves or why they chose 360° video. They also showcased how they were looking at the future. The application ViSkiLab was made to endure in a world where (educational) technology changes rapidly.
Key takeaways:
- Time consuming project ➡️ added value of VR?
- necessary?
- other equivalent options with same learning goals?
- We believe in the advantage of in house knowledge and development
- “Easy” to adapt
- Independent of others
- Technology should be implementable + easy access for every student
Questions:
- “Are you mainly using this in a headset or in a browser? Or both? 🙂”
- “Hey, we only use headsets. You can’t use it in a browser :)”
- “What is the reason for choosing ‘in-house development’?”
- “In the end, we did find some applications that we could use, but they never answered all of our needs. A big part is having an application in Dutch. Another part was that we really wanted to use the laboratories from KULeuven. I hope this answers your question 😁
- “Is it compulsory to take part in the ViSkiLab? What about students with problems with using XR headsets?”
- “Yes, it is compulsory for every student. So it’s the first practical session in the row of many. VR-practicum –> wet lab 1 –> wet lab 2 –> wet lab 3 –> wet lab 4 –> wet lab 5.”
University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands H1.01
Linda van der Weg, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Read this article Putting Space to the Test: The University of Amsterdam Plans for a Future-Facing New Library to learn more
Key takeaways:
- Highly adaptable is a success
- You never have enough power sockets
- Communication is key!
Question:
“What is a meeting owl?”
- Meeting owl – https://owllabs.nl/
University of Michigan, USA Virtual Production XR Studio
Virtual tour of the University of Michigan’s Center for Academic Innovation, where cutting-edge technology meets academic creativity. Session attendees dived into their state-of-the-art XR Virtual Production Studio, a hub for immersive storytelling, advanced media production, and next-generation online learning creation. They explored the professional broadcast Control Room, engineered for seamless live and recorded content creation. The webinar provided a unique opportunity for media designers and professionals in higher education to witness firsthand how the University of Michigan is pioneering the integration of extended reality (XR) and online learning.
Key takeaways:
- Innovative Learning Experiences: Discover how XR technologies are revolutionizing educational content delivery and student engagement.
- Behind-the-Scenes Insights: Gain valuable insights into the technical and creative processes behind top-tier virtual production.
- Emerging Trends in Higher Education: Learn about the latest trends in integrating digital media and XR technologies in academic settings.
- Collaboration Opportunities: Understand the potential for cross-disciplinary collaborations in virtual production and broadcasting.
- Future-Ready Skills: Equip yourself with knowledge about the skills and competencies needed to excel in the evolving landscape of media design and production.
Recording 📽️
Moderator: Zac Woolfitt, Inholland University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands
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 the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
