Educators Explore Social VR at NW XR EDU Workshop with CurioXR

A festive virtual reality beach scene in CurioXR featuring an avatar named “Drew” celebrating with colorful balloons and confetti. To the right, a large welcome sign titled “Welcome to the XR Lab CurioXR Sandbox” provides instructions for VR hand gestures and controls. On the left, a reflective sphere shows a mirrored image of Bellevue College's campus. The vibrant beach background and celebratory visuals create an inviting and playful atmosphere for new users.

On May 16, educators from across the Pacific Northwest gathered virtually for the NW XR EDU Network’s fourth workshop, hosted by Bellevue College’s XR Lab. The session spotlighted CurioXR, a creation and social virtual reality platform designed to make building immersive experiences more intuitive and collaborative.

Led by XR Lab Coordinator Drew Stone, the interactive 90-minute session guided participants through key features of the CurioXR platform using Meta Quest headsets. From learning how to upload and arrange 3D assets to navigating shared virtual spaces, attendees gained practical skills for applying immersive technology in education.

A standout moment of the workshop was the introduction of Watson, CurioXR’s built-in AI avatar. Watson serves as both a guide and collaborator, helping users explore environments and access support within the platform. Participants also had the chance to tour VR projects from other institutions, gaining inspiration from how different schools are integrating XR into their classrooms.

A virtual reality beach scene featuring three avatars standing in front of a bright blue ocean and clear sky. The avatars are labeled “Watson,” “Drew,” and “FIRST.” Watson appears as an AI guide, while Drew and FIRST are participants in the VR environment. A large globe floats to the left side of the scene with an informational panel below it, suggesting an educational or collaborative experience in the CurioXR platform.

This session offered a valuable opportunity for both XR newcomers and experienced users to deepen their skills and exchange ideas. For many, it was their first time seeing how easy it can be to design a custom VR space from scratch—all within a browser-based platform.

At the end of the event, everyone gathered in the virtual world for a group photo, celebrating community and creativity in immersive education.

Workshops like these underscore the mission of the NW XR EDU Network: to support educators in bringing extended reality into classrooms across disciplines. Whether for art, science, history, or technology, platforms like CurioXR help make immersive learning more accessible and collaborative.

The XR Lab extends its thanks to Drew Stone for leading the workshop and to all the educators who joined us in exploring what’s possible with XR.

Last Updated May 20, 2025