VR students continue to impress

Students with a passion for future technologies – especially those who want to develop and create them – can now combine their artistic and technical skills in a cutting edge Virtual Reality Design and Development course offered by the University of Adelaide.

This course is taught by Steve Cook, who has worked in the immersive technology and shared virtual environment space for more than a decade. As well as having worked on commercial and academic projects for more than 10 years, Steve has designed curriculum and lectured in information technology, computer-aided pedagogy, game and 3D development, and Virtual Reality. His course 'Virtual Reality Design and Development' (MDIA 2223) introduces students to immersive technologies through hands-on experience.

All students, regardless of their background, create their very own VR application which runs on the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.  They learn the basics of 3D modelling, sound design and simple programming. The exciting course is the first of its kind to combine all facets of development at an introductory level and there’s an emphasis on production workflow and design theory. Students will also learn how to create game assets and apply simple game mechanics to their VR projects. 

Steve shares his passion and enthusiasm for VR with his students – and they loved doing the course. Students from across Media, CGI, Sonic Arts, Computer Science and Engineering rated Steve as an excellent teacher whose years of experience, flexibility, approachability and high level of knowledge helped them achieve outstanding projects with little or no prior experience.

It is an exciting time to study Virtual Reality, with Adelaide becoming the destination of choice for multinational  corporation, Technicolor  , recently announcing their Australian headquarters will be launched in Adelaide. Technicolor provides services and products for the communication, media and entertainment industries, through the use of VR, Visual Affects, animation and much more. The French innovator is known for a number of Hollywood blockbusters, including The Shape of Water, The Jungle Book, The Martian, Blade Runner 2049, Wonder Woman and Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

If you are interested in studying Virtual Reality with Steve in the Bachelor of Media, visit Degree Finder and search Media to find out more. A double degree with Computer Science is also available.