On Wednesday a team from UNIC (European University of Cities in Post-Industrial Transition) visited the Erasmus University Rotterdam and paid a visit to the Immersive Xperience Lab at the Erasmus Data Collaboratory, hosted by Erasmus Centre for Data Analytics.

Together we explored the opportunities of immersive technologies for universities and university networks like UNIC. Next to discussing the possibilities of XR within education and research, we also looked at how we can transfer these advantages to the city by creating digital engagement and helping with citizen challenges like inclusion.

Some key takeaways and thoughts shared:

* XR technologies, such as AR, VR, and digital interactive humans, linked to AI and large language models (LLMs) offer many opportunities.
* Digital interactive avatars can accelerate engagement with students or among students themselves.
* Linked to a large language model (LLM) and trained on specific content, digital humans can provide new formats for personalized learning, helping teachers answer specific student questions.
* The opportunity of immersive tech to bridge different cultural backgrounds and differences is one of the avenues for further research. For instance, how will a digital human communicate a certain message, depending on the cultural context?
* The metaverse and VR offer opportunities for collaborative virtual classrooms, where students can safely approach challenges from different (cultural) backgrounds. This enables the creation of learning experiences that would be harder to realize using traditional teaching platforms.

👆 The most important question and challenge to address is how to create optimal blended learning experiences, by combining the best of physical on-campus meetings and virtual online sessions. In other words, what is the physical minimum and virtual optimum?

Some of the opportunities for the UNIC network that were discussed:
– sharing experiences and best practices across different XR labs
– sharing content via a joined repository
– collaborating on new pilots and projects

ErasmusX showcased two XR applications their team has been working on: 1. teaching negotiation skills using a VR environment and 2. approaching and analyzing a crime scene, in collaboration with the Erasmus School of Law.

During the second part of the visit, the UNIC team continued to the Community for Learning & Innovation – Erasmus University Rotterdam. In the Erasmus Studio, we experienced the possibilities of their high-end facilities for creating digital educational content.

Do you also want to pay an inspirational visit to the Erasmus Data Collaboratory| House of AI, or are you interested in discussing opportunities for collaboration with the ECDA team? Please do not hesitate to contact us. Together we can explore and accelerate the responsible and effective use of immersive tech within your domain.