Developing Immersive Learning Programs for Higher Education | Prof. Eric Hawkinson

In his talk, Prof. Eric Hawkinson discussed immersive technologies that can support learning and teaching paradigms; particularly utilizing both augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Hawkinson mentioned that as the world evolves, humans will find more mediums for communication after which immersive technologies can be integrated into everyday life, especially in the educational context. As he proposed this idea, he commented that these technologies are capable of changing how we represent ourselves; Hawkinson also emphasized how one cannot just expect an instantaneous fruition from AR and VR without an immersive design. Hawkinson shared a few of his collaborative projects such as My Hometown Project, which uses immersive storytelling to induce asynchronous traveling; with students telling stories about their experiences in particular locations built in the virtual reality.