The Pacific Northwest Open Extended Reality Initiative

该项目旨在为太平洋西北地区的教育工作者创建一个区域培训和资源网络，以探索和实施虚拟、增强和混合现实（统称为扩展现实或XR）模块，从而为国家利益服务。该项目的目标是增加XR在教学和学习中的使用、熟悉和采用，以促进不同学生群体的教育公平。这个项目代表了在两年制大学中扩大XR的第一步。为了实现这一目标，贝尔维尤学院将：1)创建一个社区和技术学院的XR教育交流网络；2)为教育工作者开发基础XR教育资源；3)实施基于项目的协作流程，设计定制的XR资源，培养未来的XR专业人才；4)建立开放获取的XR教育档案，在全网络传播。创建一个充满活力、高质量的数字学习环境，通过XR教育资源支持体验式学习，并建立教师能力，在两年制大学的课程中提供沉浸式XR促进学习策略，这有可能扩大机会，改善学习成果，促进教育公平。该项目将通过XR开发课程为技术专业的学生创造一个非常引人注目的学习体验。至少10个XR课堂资源将在两年制大学课堂中开发和实施。该项目还将为教师提供专业发展机会、研讨会和活动，以探索XR技术作为教学工具，并熟练使用该技术。教师外展将包括XR采用指导、综合体验式学习和课程创新，这些都将超出项目的生命周期。美国国家科学基金会关于在两年制高等教育机构推进本科STEM教育的创新和影响的项目描述支持在两年制大学推进STEM教育计划的项目。该项目描述促进了两年制大学本科STEM教育的创新和循证实践。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by creating a regional training and resource network for educators in the Pacific Northwest to explore and implement virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (collectively referred to as Extended Reality or XR) modules. The goal of this project is to increase access, familiarity, and adoption of XR for teaching and learning to promote educational equity across diverse student populations. This project represents a first step towards expanding access to XR in two-year colleges. To achieve this goal, Bellevue College will: 1) Create an XR Educational Exchange network of Community and Technical Colleges; 2) Develop foundational XR educational resources for educators; 3) Implement a project-based collaboration process to design custom XR resources and train future XR professionals; and 4) Launch an open access XR educational archive for dissemination throughout the network. Creating a vibrant, high-quality, digital learning environment that supports experiential learning through XR educational resources, and building faculty capacity to provide immersive XR facilitated learning strategies across the curriculum in two-year colleges has the potential to expand access, improve learning outcomes, and promote educational equity. This project will create a highly compelling learning experience for students in technology specializations through the XR development course. A minimum of ten XR classroom resources will be developed and implemented in two-year college classrooms. This project will also provide faculty with professional development opportunities, workshops, and events that explore XR technology as a teaching tool and that build proficiency with using this technology. Faculty outreach will incorporate guidance in XR adoption, integrative experiential learning, and curricular innovation that extends beyond the lifetime of the project. The NSF program description on Advancing Innovation and Impact in Undergraduate STEM Education at Two-year Institutions of Higher Education supports projects that advance STEM education initiatives at two-year colleges. The program description promotes innovative and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.