https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xegQ_iUQiVU

The University of Coimbra has opened applications for the Web-based Virtual Reality Environments distance-learning course that I will be teaching.

<aside> <img src="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/8b7e3530-27be-4af7-89d4-d3e01960463e/VR-icon.png" alt="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/8b7e3530-27be-4af7-89d4-d3e01960463e/VR-icon.png" width="40px" /> The course will focus on the use of web technologies for the implementation of virtual reality environments, using and giving special focus to the A-Frame development platform.

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<aside> ⏰ Application deadline: November 2, 2021

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<aside> 🗓️ Duration: from November 16, 2021 to February 16, 2022

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<aside> 👉 Apply now!

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Objectives

This course aims to:

1. Describe the first developments of VR and the various applications of VR throughout its history;
2. Introduce and explain the concepts of Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality and Augmented Reality through concrete examples;
3. Provide technical knowledge for the development of a web-based Virtual Reality project.

Although the course will talk about history, concepts, applications of VR, it is mainly a practical hands-on course on the use of a Web-based VR framework — A-Frame — for implementing concrete VR experiences.

Target audience

The course may have particular interest to web designers and multimedia designers who intend to know and/or improve skills of virtual reality environments, e.g., for designing virtual art exhibitions or museums, interactive virtual reality experiences for marketing purposes.

The course may also have interest to instructional designers, who wish to know how to create interactive 3D immersive instructional materials for teachings.

Teachers that want to introduce virtual reality into their classes (e.g., in high schools), may also find this course relevant as the virtual reality framework that is used is appropriate for a first contact with the topic, requiring only a basic understanding of HTML.

Examples of things you will be able to build

There are many kinds of Virtual Environments and applications of Virtual Reality. You may, for example, re-created captured (photographic) environments. The following example is a recreation of the Museum of Conimbriga with 360º photographs:

Visita Virtual Conímbriga 360º

Virtual tours to museum spaces.

You may also create synthetic environments that recreate a specific location. The following example is a kind of virtual kiosk-view of Macau, where the most iconic locations can be highlighted: