NW XR EDU Grant Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by creating a regional training and resource network for educators in the Pacific Northwest and beyond to learn about and create virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (collectively referred to as Extended Reality or XR) modules.

This project will increase access, familiarity, and adoption of XR for teaching and learning to promote educational equity among historically disadvantaged groups. To achieve this goal, Bellevue College’s Principal Investigators will: 

  1. Create an XR Educational Exchange Network of CTCs, and other interested institutions 
  2. Develop foundational XR Educational Resources for educators  
  3. Develop a Project-based Collaboration Process & XR Development Course to make custom XR resources and train future XR professionals 
  4. Develop an open access XR Educational Archive for dissemination across our network 

A regional XR program and hub for community colleges will promote access, use of XR technology, help colleges adopt XR, address questions, and serve as a resource to gather, archive, and distribute XR modules for educational use. 

This project will also provide faculty with trainings, workshops, and events that explore XR technology as a teaching tool and help them build proficiency and comfort with using this technology for learning. This provides professional development in tech adoption, integrative experiential learning, and curricular innovation that extends beyond the project. The NSF program description on Advancing Innovation and Impact in Undergraduate STEM Education at Two-year Institutions of Higher Education supports projects that advance STEM education initiatives at two-year colleges. The program description promotes innovative and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges. 

Northwest XR EDU

Last Updated March 13, 2024