Expanding Horizons with XR

Expanding Horizons with XR mini-conference at Bellevue College, February 2026.

Expanding horizons conference at Bellevue College. Half eclipse with text above it promoting the conference.

Bellevue College will host Expanding Horizons with XR, a half-day free hybrid conference on immersive technologies in higher education.

Created primarily for Bellevue College instructors and members of the Northwest XR EDU Network, the event brings together educators and practitioners to explore how XR and emerging technologies can meaningfully support teaching, learning, and accessibility across disciplines.

The conference has now ended.

Date Friday, February 27
Time 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Location XR Lab, Bellevue College Library (D126P)

What to Expect

Participants will:

Learn how to align pedagogical goals with immersive tools
Discover accessible, easy-to-use XR technologies for the classroom
Discuss the benefits and challenges of XR and AI in higher education
Connect with educators working with immersive media across the region
Attending in person? The conference will take place across two spaces: one room dedicated to hands-on XR demos, including headsets and 360-degree cameras, and another room for talks and discussion-based workshops.
Note that the conference is now over and the zoom link is no longer active.
We’d love to have you participate in the conference virtually via Zoom. There would be opportunities for online participants to engage with the presenters.

Conference Agenda and Speakers

9:00 – 9:15 AM
Arrival and Check-In
9:15 – 10:00 AM
Designing with Purpose: Aligning Pedagogy and Immersive Tools
Jeff Rayner (CEO, MXT Reality)
Jeff Rayner shares how XR can support learning outcomes across disciplines and institutional contexts, focusing on aligning pedagogical goals with appropriate immersive tools.
10:00 – 10:15 AM
From Eye-Gaze to XR: Designing Reality That Includes Everyone
Karanveer Singh (Bellevue College Student)
Karanveer Singh explores how accessibility technologies and XR come together to create experiences that truly work for everyone. Drawing from his lived experience and hands-on work in the XR Lab, he highlights how eye-gaze systems, AAC devices, and adaptive inputs can transform XR into usable, empowering tools.
10:15 – 10:30 AM
Conversation on Inclusive XR Design
Jeff Rayner and Karanveer Singh
Jeff Rayner and Karanveer Singh discuss inclusive approaches to XR design and practice.
10:30 – 10:40 AM
Break
10:40 – 11:25 AM
How Faculty and Learning Centers Use VR and AI in Curio
Ethan Fieldman and Chad Corbitt, Curio
Discover how colleges and universities are leveraging Curio, a free XR platform, to enhance instruction, tutoring, and student engagement. In this session, Curio’s Ethan Fieldman and Chad Corbitt will showcase how faculty and learning centers across disciplines are integrating virtual reality and AI to bring abstract concepts to life, build custom learning experiences with students, and create accessible, research-ready environments. From classroom applications to exploratory projects in XR labs, see how institutions are using Curio to innovate and win grants.
11:25 AM – 12:00 PM
Faculty Projects and Pathways to Get Involved
Deborah Leblang (Art Department) and Max Needle (Geology Department)
Bellevue College faculty share examples of how they are integrating XR into their teaching, highlighting different approaches and ways to get involved with XR initiatives on campus.

Made possible by the (opens in a new window) Lockwood Foundation.