Waterloo Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality (VR/AR) Community of Practice: XR as a learning technology in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic (CTE 7511)

Thursday, July 29, 2021 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EDT (GMT -04:00)

Location: Online

Facilitators: Mark Morton (CTE) & Lynn Long (CTE) 

Description

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted education globally by shutting down academic institutions and requiring the rapid move to remote learning.  This transition has served to magnify existing educational inequities with the greatest impact being experienced by learners of lower socioeconomic status, those who identify as women, persons with disabilities, and those living in rural areas. Prior to the pandemic, extended reality (XR) was quickly becoming recognized as a tool with the potential to enable experiential learning in settings where this would otherwise be challenging or impossible.  As instructors contemplate how to bring experiential learning to diverse and dispersed learners during and after the pandemic, they must do so with these magnified disparities in mind. This project aims to establish a framework for choosing and using XR as a learning technology in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and provide a brief overview of the criteria used to compare selected XR tools.

Registration

Registration required (if this is your first time using GoSignMeUp, you will need to set up your account first). If you have changed roles at the University (e.g., graduate student to faculty) please update your "Participant Profile" in your GoSignMeUp account. After you register, a link to the Teams session will be emailed to you prior to the event. 

Cancellations

Many of our workshops have waiting lists, so if you've registered but can't attend, please cancel your registration well in advance through the registration system, so that someone else can fill your spot.

Accessibility

The University of Waterloo is committed to achieving barrier-free accessibility for persons with disabilities who are visiting, studying, or working at Waterloo. CTE’s online workshops are delivered through either WebEx, Microsoft Teams, or Bongo with the audio component available either as captioning or a transcript. CTE’s face-to-face workshops typically involve a mix of presentation and discussion-based activities, and we encourage a scent-free environment. We welcome accompanying assistants, interpreters, and note-takers. If you have questions concerning access, such as parking, building layouts, or obtaining workshop content in alternative formats, or wish to request accommodations for our programming, please let us know by emailing cte@uwaterloo.ca. Please note that some accommodations may require time to arrange.