Welcome from Dr. Lavinia Hirsu

Cheers, everyone! I am Lavinia Hirsu and I will be one of your local hosts in Glasgow, at the University of Glasgow. I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education and I lead interdisciplinary research with a focus on emergent digital literacies, theories of cultural diversity, social inclusion and multilingual pedagogy. I am currently working on publications emerging from the VR pilot project entitled Experiencing Picturebooks in 3D environments (with Julie McAdam) and I work closely with Dr. Rodolico on strengthening capacity and creating opportunities for professional development with teachers in the use and implementation of XR technologies. I look forward to welcoming you to our vibrant city where our motto is, “People make Glasgow.” Besides the exciting event we’re planning, I hope you will enjoy the humour of Glaswegians, the local and international food scene, and the many cultural experiences available in the city.

Welcome from Dr. Gabriella Rodolico

Welcome to all! I am Gabriella Rodolico, one of the local hosts in Glasgow at the University of Glasgow. I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, with expertise in the implementation of innovative technologies such as VR in Initial Teacher Education courses. Additionally, I have experience teaching in secondary school and Higher Education. I have led several VR projects with international partners and had the honour of being awarded the LearnSci Teaching Innovation Awards 2021 in collaboration with the Science team at the School of Education for outstanding work in integrating innovative technology into ITE Science courses. You will find some of the work I completed with colleagues such as Dr. Hirsu on the Education Scotland website Virtual Reality in a Scottish context | Resources | Education Scotland. We cannot wait to see you all. Let's embark on this great opportunity for a cultural, learning, and enjoyable journey of knowledge exchange!