Events happening today
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3
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18 May 2023 03:00 PM 03:50 PM
This presentation will address the kinds of support Dr. Eleanor Dare believes is needed to help faculty and students to effectively use and critically encounter XR, describing some of the technical and epistemic strategies which aim to balance technical competency with critical theory. Here, Dare will outline a post -qualitative approach (St. Pierre, 2020, 2021, Grant, 2018) to teaching VR and AR, in which students identify the materiality of technologies which are often framed as immaterial or removed from questions of their material and political implications. Eleanor will explain how using VR has changed the way they teach, in particular the ways in which they frame spatiality in the pandemic and post-pandemic university.
About Dr. Eleanor Dare: Dr Eleanor Dare is an academic and critical technologist with a PhD and MSc in Arts and Computational Technologies from the Department of Computing, Goldsmiths. Eleanor was formerly Reader in Digital Media and Head of Programme for MA Digital Direction, at the Royal College of Art. Eleanor is now a Senior Teaching Associate at the University of Cambridge as well as lecturer in Games Design and Research By Practice at UCL. Eleanor is the cofounder of X||rdinary Stories, an immersive storytelling studio.
This event is part of the iLRN2023 Online Conference.
Get more information and register... click here now!
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4
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18 May 2023 04:00 PM 04:50 PM
XR & AI have long been sibling technologies co-evolving with each other. This keynote from Voices of VR podcast host Kent Bye will present some of the frameworks he uses to help navigate the interdisciplinary nature of experiential design, why embodied cognition is so important for XR Education, and how to make sense of the recent inflection points in AI as well as where it overlaps with XR. He will also be exploring some of the ethical implications for both AI & XR, and doing a brief survey of the current state of XR education and where it might be headed in the future.
About Kent Bye: Since May 2014, Kent Bye has published over 1200 Voices of VR podcast interviews featuring the pioneering artists, storytellers, and technologists driving the resurgence of virtual & augmented reality. He's an oral historian, experiential journalist, & aspiring philosopher, helping to define the patterns of immersive storytelling, experiential design, ethical frameworks, & the ultimate potential of XR.
This event is part of the iLRN2023 Online Conference.
Click here to get more information and register.
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7
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18 May 2023 07:00 PM 07:50 PM
Advances in AI have been accelerating in the past few years especially deep learning models that have gone viral during 2022 where millions have been experimenting with Ai systems such as Dalle-2, Midjourney and ChatGPT. This resulted in a heated discussion around whether to embrace such technology and transform education or ban such models for cheating potential. As these applications have major implications on education, the goal of this panel is to address educators’ concerns and possible ways to leverage AI in education and revolutionize the way we teach and learn. This panel hosts academic and industry leaders in machine learning and education to address concerns and potential opportunities of using Ai in education. Panelists will discuss how these technologies work, and address educators and instructional designers' concerns and provide guidelines for the use of generative AI in education.
About the Panelists:
Chris Dede, session moderator/panelist:
Chris Dede is a Senior Research Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and was for 22 years its Timothy E. Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies. His fields of scholarship include emerging technologies, policy, and leadership. From 2001-2004, he was Chair of the HGSE department of Teaching and Learning. In 2007, he was honored by Harvard University as an outstanding teacher, and in 2011 he was named a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association. In 2020 Chris co-founded the Silver Lining for Learning initiative (https://silverliningforlearning.org). He is currently a Member of the OECD 2030 Scientific Committee and an Advisor to the Alliance for the Future of Digital Learning, sponsored by the Mohammed bin Rashid Global Initiative (MBRGI). Also, Chris is a Co-Principal Investigator and Associate Director for Research of the NSF-funded National Artificial Intelligence Institute in Adult Learning and Online Education. His most recent co-edited books include: Teacher Learning in the Digital Age: Online Professional Development in STEM Education; Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Realities in Education; Learning engineering for online education: Theoretical contexts and design-based examples; and The 60-Year Curriculum: New Models for Lifelong Learning in the Digital Economy.
Lidija Kralj, session panelist:
Lidija Kralj is an international analyst and expert in data and AI in education, she is a member European Commission’s working groups on Artificial intelligence and data in education and training, digital education and safer internet; UNESCO and Council of Europe workgroups on AI and education, and author of digital learning resources and textbooks, as well as an advisor and teacher trainer. She had been working at the Ministry of Science and Education in Croatia, where she led reforms in the area of digital education, learning analytics, data-based decisions in education and comprehensive curricula reform. Lidija is eLearning and project manager, and a lecturer in Mathematics and Computer Science with 30 years of experience, currently works as a senior analyst at European Schoolnet.
Keram Malicki-Sanchez, session panelist
Keram founded Constant Change Media Group Inc., the VRTO Spatial Media World Conference & FIVARS festival. He contributed to the Handbook of the Global Impact of Immersive Technologies and the 2022 PEW Research Report on the Metaverse. In addition to his industry contributions, Keram teaches Blender for WebXR design at UCLA Extension, where he designed the first workshop around generative AI art. He won Creator of the Year at the 2022 Poly Awards.
Sandra Okita, session panelist:
Dr. Sandra Okita is the Director of the Gizmo EdTech Lab at Columbia Teachers College, New York. Dr. Okita's current research interest is focused on the learning partnership between individuals and technology, and how technology intersects with learning and instructional processes. One characteristic of Dr. Okita's work is the use of technological boundary objects as a threshold to learning, instruction, and assessment. Here, Dr. Okita defines boundary objects as computational artifacts where animate and inanimate features overlap between fantasy and reality (i.e. robots, agents in virtual reality environments, mixed-reality). Dr. Okita's interest in boundary objects is due to their strong social component that enables students to build a peer-like relation with technology that reveal new insights to the role of social relationships in learning.
Other interests include designing technology assisted learning/intervention in formal/informal settings, and children's interpretation and conceptual development in relation to technological boundary objects. Theoretical research interest areas include self-other monitoring, learning by teaching, learning by observation and its influence on behavior in the domain of biology, math, and agency.
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8
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18 May 2023 08:00 PM 08:50 PM
Metaverse Adventure : Meet The Makers
Meet The Makers
In his most recent achievement, Ben orchestrated the 3rd Polys - WebXR Awards, which marked several firsts. The event showcased the first red carpet and award presentation streamed from both a volumetric capture stage and an LED stage, and delivered the virtual trophies in holographic displays. His next show “Meet the Makers” is focusing on “the who” of the Metaverse which will premiere at AWE.
About Ben Erwin:
Ben Erwin is the creator of The Polys - WebXR Awards, WebXR Summit Series, and MetaTr@versal which have impacted the industry by catalyzing awareness of, and engagement with the immersive web. His work is dedicated to the advancement of the XR industry through recognition of its pioneers and events that provide an advocacy platform for thought leaders. He is a passionate proponent for cooperation on standards for the Metaverse.
As an Internet frontiersman since the 1990s, Ben has served as a developer and as an executive for digital media agencies creating data driven interactives for dozens of major brands. For 13 years, he was a webmaster and consultant for the United Nations humanitarian section and partner NGOs, bringing awareness to the plight of women and children in conflict areas around the world. Before the internet, Ben began his career in the entertainment and music industry.
Ben is a digital polymath with decades of experience in marketing, management, programming, video editing, and writing. Influenced by his years as a veteran of the browser wars, he has teamed up with XR industry leadership to produce the MetaTr@versal series of events. These events are designed to galvanize the community around cooperation on the development and adoption of open standards and platform interoperability for the Metaverse.
Ben believes passionately in the potential of immersive content as a positive means for evolved human communication, particularly in civics, journalism, and education. Through shining a light on the good works of innovators, he aims to help preserve their legacy and inspire others to build upon their work.
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9
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18 May 2023 09:00 PM 09:50 PM
XR Women has been holding meetings in XR Women Hall on the iLRN Campus every week since November 2020. In this panel, members of the XR Women community will describe the cutting-edge work they do in XR and Web3. They will trace their path into the field and the skills they brought with them as well as others they gained along the way, how educators can prepare students for careers in immersive tech, and how technology will shape our lives and work going forward. These women live and work in the XR future today, across a wide range of fields including game design, music, live events, art, Web 3, education, training for enterprise, brand experiences, museums and community building. You will hear how immersive learning is at the center of our activities and feel empowered to experiment with how immersive learning will impact your students, groups, and community organizations. Learning is life-long, and iRLN allows for more!
PANELLISTS
Karen Alexander (XRconnectED / MetaVRse, USA)
Paige Dansiner (Third Academy, USA)
Celeste Lear (Boutique Electronique Music, USA)
Robin Moulder (3lbXR, USA)
Chair: Sarah Barker (Creative Media Hub, USA)
This event is part of the iLRN2023 Online Conference.
Click here to get more information and register.
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10
PM
18 May 2023 10:00 PM 10:50 PM
In this presentation, Knox Grammar Preparatory School in Sydney showcases how they use immersive Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in inquiry learning projects for students from Kindergarten to Year 6. The presenters will demonstrate a range of inquiry units that provide students with meaningful and engaging learning programs, fostering critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration skills. Through the VR and AR projects, students can safely explore and develop prototypes for various concepts and phenomena in a controlled virtual environment. This enables them to observe, experiment, code, and interact with 3D objects and simulations that enhance their understanding of complex topics. The presentation will describe the pedagogical principles and technological tools used to create immersive and engaging learning experiences. Examples of student work and feedback will be shared, highlighting the benefits and challenges of using VR and AR in the classroom. The demonstrated deep learning of the students through their inquiry projects has important implications for future research and practice in the field of immersive learning. Educators interested in incorporating VR and AR into their teaching practices will benefit from the recommendations presented. Overall, this presentation offers insights into how immersive VR and AR technologies can support inquiry-based learning across subjects and age groups. It provides a case study of successful integration of these technologies in contemporary classrooms, demonstrating their potential to engage students and enhance their learning experiences.
The Knox Grammar immersive presentation platform:
https://framevr.io/knoxpreppresentations
https://sites.google.com/knox.nsw.edu.au/knoxpreppresentations/home
About the Presenters:
Nely Daher is a K-6 educator and Kindergarten Team Leader who is driven to make a positive difference in the future of education. Her passion is to empower students to become innovators of change by instilling and equipping them with confidence, agency, identity and self-efficacy whilst nurturing quality learning and life skills needed in our VUCA world.
Ian Fairhurst is a passionate educator who leads the Innovation and Technology Team at Knox Grammar Preparatory School in Sydney, Australia. He specializes in inquiry-based, real-world STEM learning, and leveraging technology to empower students to become authentic change-makers. With a Master of Education in Innovation and Change Ian is dedicated to helping students develop the skills they need to succeed in a complex and technology-driven world.
Sue Floro is an audacious educational thinker who understands the importance of a future focused, experience rich curriculum that encourages K-6 students to seek solutions to issues on a global scale. She has led the development of a school based curriculum platform, with the deep integration of the purposeful use of technology to design, create and innovate, at her school in Australia. Sue believes in the power of children to creatively solve great big world problems, and enjoys providing an environment where they can do just that!
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11
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18 May 2023 11:00 PM 11:50 PM
In 2021, two issues that dominated both headlines and management discussions were the extension of remote work resulting from the ongoing pandemic and the explosive hype of the "metaverse." What if these issues were to collide? As industry and agencies alike grapple with engaging their remote workforce during the "great resignation/reset," the go-to platforms for meetings and gatherings have represented the "Hollywood Squares" video conference format. New issues of equity have emerged in this format for numerous reasons. In the metaverse, opportunities to build identity, experiences, and environments and to build engaged communities are limited only by our imagination. This panel will discuss the practical challenges embedded in creating safe and productive environments and experiences when considering virtual worlds as workspaces and the digital identities we create in those spaces.
Presenter Bios:
Donna Davis, PhD is an expert in virtual reality (VR), digital embodiment, tech equity and inclusion, and digital social capital. At the University of Oregon in Portland, she is an associate professor and director of both the Oregon Reality Lab and the Strategic Communication Master’s Program. She will also direct the new Immersive Media Communication Master’s program, set to launch in Fall 2023. Her ethnographic research focuses on the potential uses of social virtual worlds, gamification, and other emerging immersive media, with a special interest in marginalized and vulnerable communities. Her research on embodied experience and identity among people with disabilities in virtual reality was funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation. She has also extensively studied people with Parkinson’s disease who find and build support in the virtual world. Her interests continue to explore the impacts of these experiences on both the promise and peril of technosolutionism, recognizing both isolating and connecting powers of these emerging immersive environments.
Linjuan Rita Men, Ph.D., APR, is a Professor of Public Relations and Director of Internal Communication Research in the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida. With a background in corporate communication research and consulting, Men’s research interests include internal communication, leadership communication, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurial communications. Men has published more than 90 articles in refereed journals and as book chapters. She is the (co-) author/editor of four books, Excellence in Internal Communication Management (Business Expert Press, 2017), Strategic Communications for Startups and Entrepreneurs in China (Routledge, 2020), Current Trends and Issues in Internal Communication: Theory and Practice (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021), and Internal Communication and Employee Engagement: A Case Study (Routledge, 2023). Men serves as an associate editor for Journal of Communication Management and is a member of the Arthur W. Page Society. Men has worked internationally with Alibaba Group, Inc., Ketchum, Inc., and provided management communication consulting for various multinational corporations, startups, and non-profits.
Andrea Stevenson Won, M.S., Ph.D, is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at Cornell University, and the director of the Virtual Embodiment Lab. The lab’s research is funded by NSF, NIH and DoD, and focuses on how mediated experiences can be used to change people’s perceptions, especially how appearance and behavior can be tracked and transformed in virtual environments. Recent applications include improving collaboration and social connections over distance, training teachers and others to be aware of their nonverbal behavior, and using social virtual reality to address pain.
ILRN2023
