Dr Panagiotis Kosmas, Assistant Professor of Educational Technology, participated in the 18th annual International Technology, Education and Development Conference (INTED) held in Valencia (Spain) on March 4th, 5th, and 6th, 2024. The INTED conference is one of Europe’s most notable educational conferences in the educational sector, with more than 700 professionals from 80 different countries. Lecturers, researchers, technologists and educational professionals from around the world gathered together to discuss and explore the latest cutting-edge research in the world of education.
Dr Panagiotis Kosmas of the University of Limassol (UoL) participated in the conference as a chair of the session on Extended Reality in education and also presented a full paper on using Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies in the Higher Education sector. The paper will be published in the INTED2024 Proceeding and available in the IATED Digital Library. The paper’s title is “Transforming Higher Education Teaching Through the Integration of Virtual and Augmented Reality”.
The research paper investigates the impact of integrating Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) as teaching tools in higher education (HE) institutions. The study explores the critical role of VR/AR in reshaping the educational experience within HE institutions, examining its impact on pedagogical practises, student engagement, and learning outcomes while also developing an e-learning platform focused on integrating VR/AR in HE. The manuscript discusses the feedback gathered from HE staff, emphasising the potential of VR/AR to transform HE practises and respond to labour market needs. The paper also presents the policy framework on VR/AR technologies in Cyprus and addresses challenges and recommendations for effective integration. The study highlights the need for comprehensive education and training for instructors and learning designers, equipment and content development funding, and collaborative efforts to promote the adoption of VR/AR in HE. Despite the promising opportunities, the study underscores the essential collective efforts required at various levels to fully realise the potential of VR/AR in higher education. The study discussed in the article is a component of the European Commission-funded initiative titled “Virtual and Augmented Reality in Higher Education (VRinHE) – Project number: 2021-1-BG01-KA220-HED-000032128. More information about the project can be found here.
Source: University of Limassol | News (https://shorturl.at/jqtLP)