Integrating Immersive Media into the Classroom
Call for Submissions
The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) and the School of Theater, Film, and Television (TFT) are partnering to launch an initiative to develop innovative instructional media using state-of-the-art technology in a virtual production environment.
This coming summer, we are supporting the participation of a limited number of UCLA faculty in a pilot project to uniquely integrate research, field experiences, creative scholarship, and fictional worlds into courses. Using on-set virtual production technology, TLC and TFT will help instructors turn relevant media into immersive images, artifacts, and 3D scenery that instructors can interact with in an immersive video environment.
The purpose of this pilot is to create short proof-of-concept videos that may replace a lecture or short course module, with potential opportunities to integrate immersive experiences into an entire course in the future.
We seek pilot projects that allow students to engage with two types of experiences:
- Virtual experiences with computer-generated 3D models (e.g., ancient civilizations, speculative futures, distant galaxies, conflict zones, colliding photons)
- Field experiences using 360-degree video from the world (e.g., ecological fields across California, wet markets from India, temples of Myanmar, aerial views of LA architecture)
The virtual production technology will be installed at TFT. Staff and students from the TLC and TFT will work alongside instructors to bring media content to life and support the production process. Media content will be displayed on an LED “volume”, a system of interconnected LED panels used to create immersive, dynamic virtual backgrounds. The volume is expected to be over 50’ wide and 20’ high, enabling live instruction to be recorded as an immersive, 3D learning experience for students.
Example Photos
An example lecture where an instructor speaks in front of an LED “volume” (image 1) that displays video content from a 360-degree video of the El Capitan Theatre (image 2).
Two examples of a speaker in front of 3D computer-generated models displayed on the LED “volume.”
Program Details
Access to the technology pilot is currently limited to summer 2025, so proposed projects need to align with this timeframe. As such, projects that can leverage existing 3D graphics, 360-degree video, high-resolution images, and other media to which faculty already have access or will soon generate from existing research projects, community partner engagement, or larger media databases will be prioritized for the pilot. However, all instructors are encouraged to submit an interest form sharing their project ideas as we anticipate expanding engagement opportunities with this exciting course production technology in the near future!
Consults with the TLC team are strongly encouraged to identify funding opportunities and support available to execute proposed pilot projects. Contact idmp@teaching.ucla.edu to schedule a consultation.
Interest forms to participate in the pilot are due by April 18, 2025. On a rolling basis, we will reach out to instructors with eligible projects to discuss funding options and next steps, which will include scoping out a budget, securing an endorsement from department chairs, and scheduling the production timeline.
A list of the interest form questions is available to download.