IT Innovation + Research - XR Collective
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ENHANCING LEARING WITH EXTENDED REALITY
The XR Collective is a collaborative of faculty, staff, and students and is focused on discovering, exploring, experimenting, and accelerating the application of Extended Reality (XR) to transform teaching and learning at Grand Valley State University.
The founding members of this initiative include: Paul Hillman and Dawn Brackmann (Seidman College of Business), Courtney Topic (School of Criminology), David Shultz and Chris Cirefice (Language Resource Center), Hunter Bridwell, Erion Adams, Joseph Van Harken, and Eric Kunnen (Innovation + Research), Owen Mearns (Simulation Center), and Kelley Senkowski (eLearning Technologies).
The collective meets once a month in the X►STUDIO, with students from the Student Technology and Innovation Guild (STING) and IT Innovation + Research Faculty Fellows to pioneer the future of education through emerging technologies, including: virtual, augmented, and mixed reality as well as 360 degree immersive video.
Be Inspired and Connect with Us!
Looking for examples of extended reality use in teaching and learning?
- Please review the examples below and be sure to review the "Learning through Virtual Reality" article on GVNext.
- For more examples of innovative projects facilitated by the I+R team, please visit our Project Portfolio page.
Additionally, if you are looking to join our collaborative, or if you are in search of advice, or have a question around extended reality applications at GVSU, please contact the IT Innovation + Research team ([email protected]) for a consultation meeting. We are looking forward to inventing the future with you!
Courtney Topic, J.D. in the Legal Studies department is using virtual reality combined with 360 degree experiences for providing students with immersive experiences related to courtrooms.
Dr. Mark Schwartz, Dr. Yifat Thareani, Dr. Elizabeth Arnold, and Dr. Jonathan Greer from the Anthropology Department are using 360 video as well as VR headsets for the exploration of archaeological sites such as Tel Dan in Israel.
Professor Paul Hillman and Dawn Brackmann J.D. from the Seidman College of Business are leveraging virtual reality to conduct simulation for business related interactions using an AI-powered application called Ovation VR as well as exploring live collaboration with Microsoft Mesh and Meta Horizon World.
David Shultz and Chris Cirefice from the Language Resource center are using virtual reality for modern language learning with faculty in the Language Resource Center. Currently they are using applications including: Immerse Me and Wander.
Winter 2026
January 30th - 10:00AM to 11:00AM
February 28th - 10:00AM to 11:00AM
March 27th - 10:00AM to 11:00AM
April 24th - 10:00AM to 11:00AM
Spring/Summer 2026
May 29th - 10:00AM to 11:00AM
June 26th - 10:00AM to 11:00AM
July 31st - 10:00AM to 11:00AM
August 28th - 10:00AM to 11:00AM
Fall 2026
September 25th - 10:00AM to 11:00AM
October 30th - 10:00AM to 11:00AM
November 20th - 10:00AM to 11:00AM
December 11th - 10:00AM to 11:00AM
"Transforming education through innovation..."