Immerse yourself into learning

Experts from MARCS, SCEM, Digital Humanities, Digital Futures, ITDS and Microsoft shared the latest applications and initiatives in the field of augmented, virtual and mixed reality to an eager crowd of academics, researchers and practitioners.  Their collective vision was exploring the potential of this technology in teaching, learning and research.

Participants ventured into new worlds via their Hololens or Occulus Rift headsets, and explored the inner workings of the human body and brain, and remote areas on earth and in space.  These higher production environments were contrasted with free software and image libraries for 3D image design for easy rendering and presentation.

Leading researchers shared powerful insights of wearable technology on humans young and old, and showed a glimpse of the future of teaching at Western. Immersive technologies are transforming the art of storytelling and offer realistic forms of complex content to engage learners in situations that would otherwise be too risky, impossible to reach, or too expensive to create.

While current immersive technologies focus on sight and sound, the future may add other human senses into the interaction.  Imagine the experience if learners could not only see and hear the environment but also taste, smell and experience physical sensations at their fingertips.  With Western Sydney University practitioners, researchers, explorers and technologists forming a community of practice these experiences may be closer than we think.

The inaugural Immersive Futures forum was a success with participants’ eager to register for next year’s event.  Stay tuned in 2018 for details for another exciting adventure into the immersive future.

Learning Futures.NOW. Issue 3.

-November 2017-