Virtual reality presents a new opportunity for learning. Immersive head-mounted displays give players a chance to become involved in narratives in new ways.VR feels more "real" than any other digital medium. The immersive quality of VR is called "presence". 

Presence is the the feeling that you’re actually in the virtual world. Presence allows for a user's suspension of disbelief to kick in. Good VR experiences can make someone believe they are in another world, reacting to stimuli as they would in reality.

This studio will explore virtual reality's potential to connect modern audiences with historical themes. In the studio, students will research historical topics, identify strong stories, and build virtual scenes to explore these topics. 

Traditionally, video games have approached history in a very shallow way. Mostly history becomes a backdrop - a scene upon which to apply [often violent] game mechanics. By approaching the connection between video games and history in a different way, what new experiences could you create?

This studio will explore history through personal investigation and discovery - students will explore historical places and events in order to explain the significance of figures & ideas by creating their own digital interactive experiences.