Overview
This course offers participants an opportunity to explore immersive learning and the innovative use of Extended Reality (XR) technologies—Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR)—within education and professional training. It is designed for learners who wish to understand and select immersive technologies, and combines practical skills with critical, research‑informed perspectives on immersive technology in teaching, learning, and assessment.
Throughout the course, learners will examine how immersive tools can be meaningfully integrated into curriculum design, with particular emphasis on accessibility, learner engagement, and ethical considerations. The course also places strong emphasis on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and accessible resources. Participants will critically assess XR technologies and will develop the skills needed to select inclusive digital resources that support diverse learners, including those with varying levels of technical confidence or accessibility needs.
The course is grounded in contemporary research, drawing on national and international publications in digital and immersive education. Using an evidence-based approach, participants will be introduced to evidence-based practices that shape effective course design and evaluation.
Finally, the course facilitators are committed to openness and practice-sharing, leading to the inclusion of immersive technologies within a variety of educational contexts. Participants will be encouraged to join a growing community of XR educators, with details of relevant conferences, workshops and events related to immersive technologies.
You’ll Learn:
- About key concepts, pedagogical foundations, and affordances of XR in education.
- How to evaluate and select XR tools for learning and assessment.
- How to design a short XR-enhanced learning activity aligned with curriculum outcomes.
- About the importance of critically reflecting on ethical, legal and social issues in immersive learning.
On earning your open badge award for this course, you will have achieved further recognition in the following domains of the National Professional Development Framework for Staff who Teach:
- Domain 3 Professional Communication and Dialogue emphasises the importance of excellent, clear and coherent communication skills within the changing learning environment.
- Domain 4 Professional Knowledge and Skills ensures the individual remains current in terms of their professional/disciplinary knowledge and can implement teaching, learning and assessment approaches which promote active learning and are underpinned by a strong evidence base.
- Domain 5 Personal and Professional Digital Capacity recognises explicitly that we live and work in a digital world, and that teachers must develop digital skills that allow them to harness the potential of technology for learning impact.
Course Developers
This open course will be developed by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in partnership with:
Dr Geraldine McDermott
Technological University of the Shannon (TUS)
Dr Zeta Dooly
South East Technological University (SETU)
Hans Moolman
Munster Technological University (MTU)
Dr Rachel Farrell
University College Dublin (UCD)
Clara Keevey
Technological University of the Shannon (TUS)
Brendan Dolan
Technological University of the Shannon (TUS)
Dr Rob Lowney
Dublin City University (DCU)
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Learn as part of a group in an upcoming facilitator led programme
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