Realities360 was an entire conference on using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) for learning. It was held in San Jose, CA and sponsored by the eLearning Guild, an organization that includes higher education, but consists primarily of trainers and instructional designers in the corporate environment, e.g. Medtronic, Apple. There were a handful of vendors with software, hardware, and services on site for actually trying some of the technology out. My hope was to see what is happening both at the high end and, especially, the lower-end (and cost) of this rapidly developing technology. The conference more than met my hopes. I learned about recommended equipment (cameras, goggles), software for adding interactive content to an image/video, and the ways it’s being used in higher education. I attended an all-day workshop on Prototyping and Creating VR and 360 Video Experiences that will provide a good foundation to explore possible uses at SMSU. I hadn’t known much about Augmented Reality but, after going to a few sessions, I am convinced of its usefulness for both academic and non-academic (e.g. marketing) purposes. The most exciting and relevant session for me was a presentation by two Florida International University faculty: Beginner’s Guide to Low-Cost, High-Impact Immersive Learning Strategies in Higher Education. The entire conference was an exciting experience that I hope to share with my colleagues to enhance student learning at SMSU. Thank you so much for helping to make this trip possible.
