Changing the Rules with XR

Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Make STEAM Work For You

Innovation in education is critical to our society, says One Digital Consulting Founder and CEO Carlos J. Ochoa. And virtual- and augmented-reality applications are central to his vision for the future. Carlos and his team have already created a number of free digital resources, to empower educators. Carlos, who is both the President of the VR/AR Association's Madrid Chapter and Global Co-Chair of the VRARA Education Commitee, says virtual reality and cultural heritage are his passions. His recent work combines both. One Digital Consulting's YouTube channel includes tours of Russian museums (in 360 video, of course!), and a full playlist of "VR in Cultural Heritage". And a don't-miss project is "Magical and Mystery Tour Around Cultural Heritage", which Carlos and his team created for the ILRN 2020 digital conference. This is a VR recreation of the historical city of Cuenca, in the Iberian Peninsula. Carlos says the project involved recreating the city as it had been, prior to its destruction in the 14th century, and including a timeline which showcased the innovations of Muslim culture. Carlos talked about his background and his own introduction to immersive technology, shared the story of One Digital Consulting and offered resources for fellow educators. On this edition of Over Coffee® you will hear: How Carlos first became interested in VR; The story of One Digital Consulting and their VR/AR platform, Smart Education Labs; A closer look at the ways Smart Education Labs created "smart" education content and a new educational approach; The obstacles Carlos sees, to effective XR education worldwide; What needs to happen, to address the problems of digital divide, post-COVID 19; Five major objectives for creating effective immersive-learning environments worldwide; One of Carlos' favorite experiences with creating educational content through virtual reality; And, how to access and interact with his work! A favorite free (and easy) resource, for creating a 3D environment for education.