Unit of Digital Learning and Society

digital-futures

The Unit’s activities examine creative and transformational approaches to learning and teaching through the use of educational media and technology across all disciplines. We apply our work to practically relevant approaches to learning that result in meaningful outcomes in schools, higher education and industry. We focus our work on broad aspects of learning, technology and assessment, including the design and evaluation of educational media such as texts, augmented and virtual reality, videos and games and the role of embodiment in learning through a strong theoretical lens.

We provide a unique gateway to University research and researchers across multiple disciplines including media, engineering, computer science and artificial intelligence and machine learning as well as our internal expertise in designing and delivering online and technologically enhanced content.

We have a current focus on

  • The impact of artificial intelligence on education and training.
  • The role of mixed, virtual and augmented realities in education and training.
  • The role of creativity in education.
  • The social impact of technologies on learners and learning environments.
  • The role of personalising learning in outcomes.

Highlighted projects

  • Attitudes towards AI of teachers and students in a tertiary context.
  • The value of narrative on VR experiences in a lunar rover simulation.
  • The assessment of situational awareness in virtual reality.
  • Navigating the Information Disorder: Building Resilience through Critical Digital and Media Literacies

Available projects

The role of narrative on learning outcomes in VR. In this project the research student will develop VR scenarios with different narrative levels and look at attitudes and learning outcomes. We are seeking to identify the role narrative plays, if any, on learning outcomes.

The role of cognitive load in lunar rover training scenarios. In this project the research student will develop and analyse three scenarios with different cognitive loads and measure attitudes, outcomes and biometric responses. We are aiming to identify the impact cognitive load has on learning outcomes in VR scenarios.