An Introduction to Immersive Reality

Immersive reality (XR) encompasses the spectrum of enhancing learning through augmented reality to virtual reality. Although there has been much hype around the transformative potential of AR and VR the adoption of these technologies in higher education learning environments has been limited (Cochrane, 2016). With a lack of models of how to integrate XR in higher education AR has fallen into the trough of disillusionment on the Gartner hype cycle for emerging technologies 2018, while VR is on the ‘slope of enlightenment’ (Daniel, 2018). In response, this workshop will provide participants with a hands on experience of creating their own simple immersive reality scenario using the web-based VR platform SeekBeak (https://seekbeak.com). The workshop is a generic version of a workshop run with Journalism students that introduced them to the concepts of immersive journalism practice and the implications for immersive storytelling (Sissons & Cochrane, 2019a, 2019b). The workshop will introduce participants to the state of the art of immersive journalism, and demonstrate a BYOD approach to user-generated virtual reality in higher education as a model of integrating authentic learning within the curriculum.   Schedule (100 mins) Introductions (5 min)

 Participant survey (5 min) Introduction to 360 video and VR (10 min) XR Journalism examples

 Demo of initial Media Centre VR https://seekbeak.com/v/kvPq47DpjAw (5 min)


 VR project development (60 min) Google Cardboard Headsets, using participants’ own smartphones Introduction to the Toolkit Participants create SeekBeak accounts Hands on with the 360 cameras 

 Participants choose a topic to work on as a mobile VR production team Sharing and review of participant projects(participants share SeekBeak links) (10 min) Reflections via brief SurveyMonkey survey, and sharing of project URLs and reflections via Twitter and the #SOTELNZ hashtag (5 min) END References   Cochrane, T. (2016). Mobile VR in Education: From the Fringe to the Mainstream. International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning (IJMBL), 8(4), 45-61. doi:10.4018/IJMBL.2016100104 Daniel, E. (2018, 21 August 2018). Gartner hype cycle 2018: Mixed reality to overtake VR and AR. Retrieved from https://www.verdict.co.uk/gartner-hype-cycle-2018-mixed-reality/ Sissons, H., & Cochrane, T. (2019a, 22 November). Immersive Journalism: Playing with Virtual Reality. Paper presented at the AUT Teaching and Learning Conference: Authentic Assessment - Time to Get Real?, Auckland University of Technology. Sissons, H., & Cochrane, T. (2019b). Newsroom Production: XRJournalism Workshop. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/XRJournalism