Connecting educators and students with education in virtual reality, augmented reality, and extended reality.
Team Projects
Educators in VR’s Team Projects are a way you can connect with people working on the same projects and passions as you. We’ve a wonderful diverse community of educators, learners, researchers, and passionate enthusiasts hosting regular meetings, workshops, special events, and conferences to explore their interests with experts from around the world.
It doesn’t stop there. Our members share tips, techniques, research, and resources on these subjects regularly to help us all stay informed and up-to-date on the latest news and technology.
Please note that the links to the Discord channels for each Team Project require joining the Educators in VR Discord first.
vLanguage Learning
Using virtual and augmented reality, the team is researching, exploring, and developing classes and workshops to work with ESL, immigrants, and refugees to improve their language and self-confidence skills. The team is lead by Michael McDonald of GoldLotus Ltd, bringing together some of the world’s experts in immersive language learning regularly in their meetings and special events. In a ground-breaking VR event, Educators in VR and the vLanguage Learning team helped produce the world’s first 24 Hour English Lesson Fundraiser led by Michael McDonald and a diverse range of special guests across 3 virtual platforms, raising money for the Coronavirus Emergency Fund for Leece, Italy, an area hit very hard by the virus.
The vCoaching team dives deeply into research and development of apps, tools, and programs on the psychological impact of virtual reality on personal and professional skill building, phobias, therapy, and training. The team is lead by Dana-Maria aka CaptainVR. During the COVID-19 crisis, the vCoaching team held open discussion sessions in AltspaceVR for the community and members to discuss various stress relieving tools, apps, and even virtual worlds in VR, supporting so many in this time of need. The team continues with topics on personal and professional development including free and paid sessions with trainers, psychologists, developers, therapists, and life and professional coaches, including the successful Build Your Better Self in VR Workshop with Caitlin Krause of MindWise and CaptainVR’s Dana-Maria Faneker.
The collaborative community of Educators in VR researchers are exploring a wide variety of research projects in VR/AR/XR/MR related to education work, and is lead by Evelien Ydo, Masters student of Educational Science and Technology at the University of Twente, Netherlands. They host meetups in AltspaceVR every other week along with special events and guest speakers helping us see the potential in immersive research and studies. During the COVID-19 self-isolation, the VR Research team created the VR Research Help Wanted Campaign to invite researchers around the world, separated from their labs and campus offices, to submit research forms, surveys, and interview applications that the team would then share across the Educators in VR members social media channels. It was a tremendous success and helped so many continue with their research, academic track, and careers.
The Virtual Schooling Team Project provides a community for educators, students, and enthusiasts to transform virtual schooling. This team aims to provide advice, resources, and networks to improve the online learning experience. Topics include accessibility, digital divide, fostering safe online learning environments, challenges in adoption, experiences with virtual schooling, and more. Although this community covers virtual schooling issues through popular media such as video conferencing, XR will play an important role in defining and implementing this virtual school environment where it is best suited.
Educators and trainers pushing virtual technologies across multiple platforms and building apps in programming, developing innovative educational experiences in virtual reality and with augmented reality. The research, development, and ground-breaking practicum work is led by Nicolas Barrone of Universe and Computer Science in VR.
Exploring and learning math in virtual reality and with augmented reality is a game-changer in education. This team project explores creative ways of using virtual worlds and educational and social VR platforms for teaching math, along with discussions and demos of math apps and applications, and discussions and presentations with innovative developers exploring the possibilities and potential.
The Science Team Project explores the use of XR in all the different sciences including geography, geology, astronomy, chemistry, biology, and who knows what they will come up with next? The group is currently looking for a leader, and you might be the perfect fit. Contact us if you are interested.
Team members are exploring the potential for access, training, and education of VR and AR in health tech, telemedicine, medical and health wearables, and how immersive technologies are being used in the medical and healthcare industry. This group is currently looking for a new team leader. If you are interested in exploring the vast immersive technology in modern medicine and healthcare, please contact us or join us on our Educators in VR Discord.
This diverse team explores diversity and empathy training using XR technologies, including exploring first-person and multi-user experiences in diversity, autism, and equal access with marginal learners with education, leadership, and employment opportunities. The partner group, Cyberbully Team Project, joins them often to explore cyberharassment and online bullying. The group hosts meetups and special events and workshops on diversity, inclusion, and sensitivity issues, exploring apps, platforms, and the use of immersive technology for human resources training and development.
Our Cyberbullying Team Project represents educators, students, trainers, and researchers exploring XR immersive technologies in cyberbullying, cyberharassment, privacy, personal security, and the laws, policies, and legal aspects of harm reduction training and experiences. The Team Project produces the International Cyberbullying month events and activities in October annually, and meets regularly for training programs, intros, and discussions and presentations with leaders in the use of XR for cyberbullying training and development projects.
When you hear the term accessibility, many immediately assume the topic has to do with disabilities and enabling the differently-abled. Yet, it is so much more than that. XR Accessibility is a team project focused on access to XR technology from a variety of perspectives, for differently-abled and conquering the digital divide, the divide between the haves and have-nots to technology usage. With the recent self-isolation and re-structuring schools at all levels from in-person to online, the digital divide was felt strongly as some students and classes easily made the switch to online, while others mailed out homework assignments and accepted the homework projects by snail mail in communities where WIFI, computers, and Internet access is too expensive, limited, or non-existent. This team project offers open forums and guest speakers experts in accessibility to XR for educators, students, researchers, developers, and businesses from across the wide spectrum of access. This group is currently looking for a team leader, so let us know if you are interested.
The Cultural Heritage Preservation team project’s goal is to bring together experts and enthusiasts in history, culture, heritage, and the preservation of these in 3D, VR, AR, and XR. Our goal isn’t just preservation but the development of these precious virtual resources for education, interaction, and adventure. We dream of visiting the Forum in Ancient Greece at a time when the structures were in full bloom, people milling about, shopping, debating, and gathering, moving among the crowds, learning as we go. Until then, we’re meeting regularly to learn about the options available to explore and from the developers and designers on how they are preserving our past for the future.
The Curriculum Development team meets regularly to explore XR technology educational programs, standards, practices, and certification programs in general, and developing them for the Educators in VR Institute to prepare educators, students, and researchers for today and the future of XR technology in education and beyond. It is essential that we prepare our students for the workplace of the future that embraces XR and immersive technologies, from medical and healthcare to agriculture and library sciences.
To become involved and join the team, check out the Curriculum Development channel in our Educators in VR Discord.
Content Creation Team Project
A diverse collection of topics associated with design, development, game creation and building, virtual world building, and digital storytelling are combined in this exciting Team Project exploring the potential for immersive educational stories, games, and more.
We are also exploring filming, filmmaking, 360/3D video, audio, video, haptics, full body tracking, interactivity, artistic expression, music, game design and development – it’s about the creation of content in the XR space. If you can conceive it, our team’s workshops and meetups will help you achieve it through inspiration, motivation, and collaboration.
To become involved and join the team, check out the Content Creation channel in our Educators in VR Discord.
vEngineering and AI Team Project
Virtual engineering and artificial intelligence is changing the immersive technology world and industry in many ways, from application of engineering technologies in mixed realities to development of intelligent artificial avatars for education and training. Join us as we explore the full range of potential and talk to industry leaders and educators pushing the frontier in virtual engineering and AI.
To become involved and join the team, check out the vEngineering and AI channel in our Educators in VR Discord.
Virtual Hardware Team
Our new Educators in VR Virtual Hardware Team Project examines and evaluates the different VR/AR/XR hardware and software integrations educators, students, trainers, and researchers for education. Discussions and workshops on equipment acquisition, integration, budgeting, and evaluation as well as designing and developing for specific XR headsets, tablets, phones, PC, etc. We’re eager to bring in manufacturers and industry leaders to learn more about the design, development, ergonomics, and techniques for virtual hardware technology.
Check out our Virtual Hardware and Virtual Apps channels in our Educators in VR Discord, and find us at our Virtual Hardware Team project meetups on the events schedule.
XR Business Team Project
The XR Business Team Project is designed to help innovators and developers take the next step to turning their projects into businesses. We meet regularly to discuss the opportunities and challenges and feature guest speakers from industry to share their experiences in the startup XR marketplace and explore careers in design, development, marketing, tech writing, and all the jobs associated with XR tech. We are working on hack-a-thons, startup bootcamps, and developing angel and seed funding investment programs to help educators and students turn their ideas into companies.
To become involved and join the team, check out the XR Business channel in our Educators in VR Discord.
World Builders Team Project
The World Builders Team represents virtual world and app builders exploring design and development in VR and XR. The group meets regular and one of their innovative projects ongoing is to develop virtual worlds in social VR platforms like AltspaceVR and Mozilla Hubs to share with educators for classroom and learning experiences. The Team represents innovators in virtual design and development willing to push the limits with Unity, WebXR, OpenXR, and other XR technology and platforms to encourage educational experiences.
To become involved and join the team, check out the World Builders channel in our Educators in VR Discord.
Students in VR
Students in VR is a part of Educators in VR. It’s mission is to develop leaders through apprenticeships in emerging technologies and provide digital and virtual resources for learners of all ages to lead informed, compassionate lives.
Students in VR is an organization that recognizes that the lines between students and teachers is blurring. We work with learners of all ages through apprenticeships, leadership opportunities and support initiatives. We provide information and opportunities to develop skills regarding how to engage with emerging technologies in healthy ways, how to find quality content on safe platforms and how to create and share helpful content with others. We do this by curating and sharing content created by Students in VR and others who hold similar standards, holding virtual events and promoting wholesome content through social media. Our goal is to educate learners of all ages on how to become leaders in the creation of an informed, compassionate world by finding, creating and sharing quality content and developing skills within virtual reality.
For more information, check out the Students in VR site.
Other Educators in VR Team Projects
Team Projects begin when a group of Educators in VR members have the desire to meet with others with a shared and vested interest. If you do not see a special interest group above, or wish to become more involved as a leader or team member of one of these groups, please contact us or join us on our Educators in VR Discord.