Events
🥽 VR Taster Series: September - December 2026
Are you interested in VR for teaching and learning, but don't have the equipment to explore it? Our upcoming VR Taster Workshop Series with Ciara Bell and Niamh Guckian will give you the chance to try a headset in a supportive and stress-free environment. Sixty staff engaged with this series when it was launched in Semester 2 2025/26 and feedback has been excellent!
Each workshop is beginner-friendly, and fully supported. Participants will get guided hands-on
time with headsets in a structured 75-minute in-person workshop. You'll get to explore immersive teaching examples, and get ideas for your own practice. No technical background is needed, just your curiosity and a willingness to give something new a go. If you’re wondering what VR could offer your teaching or research, this is the perfect opportunity to find out.
Each workshop covers the same content - please register for one workshop only.
| Date | Campus | Room | Register here |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18.09.26 | Grangegorman | AH-061 (New Academic Hub Building)
Two sessions: Two groups x 10 |
Registration is closed |
| 02.10.26 | Grangegorman | AH-061 (New Academic Hub Building)
Two sessions: Two groups x 10 |
Registration is closed |
| 06.11.26 | Grangegorman | AH-061 (New Academic Hub Building)
Two sessions: Two groups x 10 |
Session 5: 09.30 - 11.00 |
Please note that latecomers cannot be accommodated due to the nature of the training. Please only register for a feasible time slot.
Signed up but can't make the session? If something comes up and you can no longer attend the session, we request that you cancel your registration so that someone else can take your place. Follow these steps to cancel your attendance:
- Open your registration email (you will receive this when you sign up to a session).
- Select the link ‘cancel my registration’ located at the bottom of the email.
- Select ‘yes, cancel my registration’ when prompted.
October 2026
👉 Presentation: Immersive by Design: A case study in using low-cost, zero-code XR & AI in HE modules to promote engagement and creativity. (HyFlex)
15.10.26
Discover how placing XR and AI technology at the core of curriculum design transforms student digital skills learning and engagement. This session will show how TU Dublin’s Immersive Technology for Digital Tourism module was built, and give a hands-on demonstration on how XR and AI creator tools were used to drive creative thinking, critical analysis, and better engagement with digital marketing theory. Learn how the assessments was built directly around these XR technologies using easy to use 'freemium' off-the-shelf solutions to boost engagement with digital marketing skills and boost digital confidence.
NOTE: This is a HyFlex session. Nevan will be presenting from CQ201 and will have his cabinet of VR Headsets and 360 Cameras with him. This room holds approximately 20 people and requests to attend the presentation on-campus will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. There is no limit as to how many can join online.
This session was not recorded
👉 Webinar: Beyond the Tools: AI and the Future of Higher Education
Artificial intelligence is often discussed in higher education through the immediate lenses of tools, teaching, and assessment. But what if the bigger questions lie beyond these? As AI becomes embedded across society, workplaces and institutions, it challenges us to think more fundamentally about the future of higher education: how universities operate, how knowledge is created and valued, how professional roles evolve, what capabilities our graduates will need, and where human judgement, agency and responsibility sit within increasingly AI-enabled systems. This session steps beyond the tools to consider AI as a wider digital education futures trend. Moving from experimentation to integration, we will explore what an AI-enabled university might look like, and the choices involved in creating it. From governance and institutional culture to human–AI collaboration, cognitive offloading and shared responsibility, the discussion will consider not simply what AI can do, but what we want its role in higher education to be. Rather than trying to predict a single AI future, we will ask a more important question: how can the higher education community actively shape what comes next?
When: Thursday October 22nd @ 12.30pm
Where: Online via MS Teams. Register here.
Speakers: Dr Hazel Farrell and Ken McCarthy SETU
November 2026
👉 Webinar: Understanding the Power of Immersive Technologies for Enhanced Student Engagement and Learning
In this talk, Professor Burnett will outline the numerous ways in which immersive technologies, such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and holographic displays can make a difference to the student experience – and give examples with supporting data where these technologies have already been applied successfully in his teaching. Professor Burnett will talk through the challenges and practical complexities of using such technology in teaching, providing some initial guidelines for how to maximise benefits and minimise the disadvantages.
When: Thursday November 12th @1pm
Where: Online via MS Teams. Register here.
Speaker: Professor Gary Burnett, Loughborough University
👉 Webinar: Working with AI Agents – The good, the bad and the ugly
During this presentation Rodger Faherty will briefly discuss his experiences with two Copilot agent development projects and open a conversation on how to develop personal use agents via MS 365.
- The AI Chatbot for Sustainability project, funded in May 2024, was developed to help students access practical information on sustainability policies, initiatives, funding and supports.
- The MAIA project, developed during 2026, explores specialised agents for careers, assessment regulations, GPA guidance and other student relevant areas. The aim is to give students clearer, more accessible support/information and to evaluate how AI assistants can improve the student experience.
- Self-developed agents offer many advantages as they can be tailored to an individual role, provide consistent support, support decision making, reduce information overload and allow agent experimentation at a smaller scale before wide deployment.
When: Tuesday November 24th @2.45pm
Where: Online via MS Teams. Register here.
Speaker: Rodger Faherty, TU Dublin
December 2026
👉 Webinar: 3D Modelling and XR Introduction
Creating 3D content for XR applications often comes with a steep learning curve and many hidden technical and software hurdles. This lunchtime presentation session is designed to demystify some of the initial 3D development workflow for both newcomers to the XR realm, and current users. Attendees will gain honest, practical insights into essential 3D workflows, giving them the confidence to understand the nuances involved and also navigate the common 'unknowns' of content creation. This will be neither a ‘training session’ nor a ‘software marketing session,’ but rather an exploration of concepts useful for those entering XR project development or keen to consider proposing such projects.
When: Monday December 7th @1.05pm
Where: Online via MS Teams. Register here.
Speaker: Alan McDonnell, TU Dublin
🍎VR Taster Series: January 2026 - April 2026
Are you interested in VR for teaching and learning, but don't have the equipment to explore it? Our upcoming cross-campus VR Taster Workshop Series with Ciara Bell and Niamh Guckian will give you the chance to try a headset in a supportive and stress-free environment.
Each workshop is beginner-friendly, and fully supported. Participants will get guided hands-on time with headsets in a structured 75-minute in-person workshop. You'll get to explore immersive teaching examples, and get ideas for your own practice. No technical background is needed, just your curiosity and a willingness to give something new a go. If you’re wondering what VR could offer your teaching or research, this is the perfect opportunity to find out.
Each workshop covers the same content - please register for one workshop only.
Please note that latecomers cannot be accommodated due to the nature of the training. Please only register for a feasible time slot.
Signed up but can't make the session? If something comes up and you can no longer attend the session, we request that you cancel your registration so that someone else can take your place. Follow these steps to cancel your attendance:
- Open your registration email (you will receive this when you sign up to a session).
- Select the link ‘cancel my registration’ located at the bottom of the email.
- Select ‘yes, cancel my registration’ when prompted.
| Date | Campus | Room | Register here |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06.02.26 | Grangegorman | CQ402
Two sessions: Two groups x 10 |
Registration closed |
| 13.02.26 | Grangegorman | CQ402
Two sessions: Two groups x 10 |
Registration closed |
| 20.02.26 | Grangegorman | CQ402
Two sessions: Two groups x 10 |
Registration closed |
| 04.03.26 | Aungier St. | AST 1-077/78
Two sessions: Two groups x 10 |
Registration closed |
| 27.03.26 | Blanchardstown | AG-008
Two sessions: Two groups x 10 |
Registration closed |
| 24.04.26 | Tallaght | TN-306
Two sessions: Two groups x 10 |
Registration closed |
April 2026
👉 Webinar: XR HUB Bavaria: Ecosystem, Aims, and Activities
Silke Schmidt, who leads the XR HUB Bavaria at Medien.Bayern GmbH, will explain the role of XR HUB Bavaria within the regional innovation landscape. This session highlights current initiatives and strategic goals, with a specific focus on how the XR HUB Bavaria supports education and training through immersive technologies.
Watch the recording here (available only to members of The Collective).
March 2026
👉 Webinar: Overview of XR use in teaching in UCD and future plans. (Abraham (Abey) Campbell, Director of the UCD VR lab)
This talk will outline UCD's past use of XR in teaching, covering some of their work, including AR use in the Horizon pilot project, AHA, VR for teaching Anatomy for Veterinary students, and MR for teaching Radiology to Veterinary students, and exploring the use of AR to teach Dentistry with UCC. With that foundation, the talk will discuss current projects, proposed future work, and outline the work to create the new Intel-sponsored Visualisation Suite for the College of Science in UCD.
Watch the recording here (available only to members of The Collective).
February 2026
👉 Workshop: Hands on XR Development with Godot (Bryan Duggan)
Feb 6th 2pm-4pm in CQ. Room details provided in the Digital Education Futures Collective MS Team. Bryan will provide headsets (or you can bring your own), and please bring a laptop along.
You can also join this workshop virtually if you wish - Teams link provided in the MS Team.
👉 Webinar: Introducing the VIRTUE Network and the VISIEN Framework: A Vision for Immersive Technologies & Digital Education. (Hans Moolman, Virtual and Augmented Reality Specialist MTU)
We introduce and share the work of the VIRTUE Network and the VISIEN Framework, two closely connected initiatives which were developed to support ethical, inclusive, collaborative and reflective practice in digital immersive technology in education. The VIRTUE Network and the VISIEN Framework emerged directly from lessons learned while embedding digital immersive technologies into level 8 mechanical and manufacturing engineering at Munster Technological University (MTU) through the Rethinking Engineering Education in Ireland (REEdi) Programme.
The VIRTUE Network brings together educators, researchers, learning designers, and technologists who are working with emerging digital immersive-enabled technologies and want to place values, ethics, and pedagogical advantages at the centre of innovation in education. Complementing this, the VISIEN Framework provides a practical structure for considering the design, implementation, and evaluation of immersive learning experiences, with a broad range of topics such as inclusion, accessibility, sustainability, and the responsible use of technology. It supports educators and institutions in asking the right questions around inclusion, accessibility, sustainability, pedagogy, and responsibility when working with XR and future-facing educational technologies.
We will:
- Outline the purpose and vision of the VIRTUE Network and how others can engage or contribute.
- Explore the VISIEN Framework document at a high-level and how it can be applied in real educational contexts.
- Share examples from practice and ongoing projects using immersive-supported approaches.
- Highlight challenges and opportunities in value-led future-focused digital education.
Whether you are already working with immersive technologies (AR/VR/MR/XR) or are simply curious about how we can innovate responsibly, this session offers an opportunity to reflect, connect, and contribute to shaping the future of digital immersive education in Ireland and beyond.
Watch the recording here (available only to members of The Collective).
January 2026
👉 Demo: Developing XR (eXtended Reality) Projects using Godot
Godot is a Free and Open Source (FOSS) alternative to commercial engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine. It is lightweight enough to run on a Meta Quest 3 or iPad in addition to Windows, Mac and Linux and Godot can create 2D, 3D and XR projects with ease. It is easy to set up, fast and lightweight, and has advanced capabilities for rapid prototyping and fast iteration. It is backed by Meta, Google, Microsoft and Apple and supports the Meta Quest , Apple Vision Pro, Android XR, Steam VR and Pico. Godot is the foundation technology for several modules in TU Dublin Computer Science and Game Design, with hundreds of projects being created with Godot each year in TU Dublin.
In this live demonstration, Dr Bryan Duggan will demonstrate how anyone can create Mixed Reality applications with hand tracking, scanning of the room and furniture, motion captured holograms, virtual objects interacting with real world, and virtual musical instruments, in addition to full Virtual Reality using the Godot XR toolkit for movement and interactions. This will be a live demonstration using Godot running on the Quest 3 (i.e. no computer needed!)
Watch the recording here (available only to members of The Collective).
December 2025
👉 Webinar: The MSLETB XRHub Journey - Building Ireland’s Future in Immersive Learning
Iris Kerssebeeck from MSLETB will share the story behind the development of Ireland’s first Immersive Technology XRHub in Sligo, a centre designed to inspire new ways of learning, training, and collaboration through immersive technologies. This session offers an inside look at how the XRHub is shaping the future of digital and immersive education, from designing Ireland’s national Immersive Technology Apprenticeship to building strong industry and academic partnerships. TU Dublin and MSLETB are on parallel paths toward integrating immersive technologies in education, and this session invites open conversation, shared insights, and collaboration for the future of digital innovation.
Watch the recording here.
(Internal access only, and TU Dublin staff may need to be registered with The Collective to view it. The registration form can be found on the homepage of this microsite.)
November 2025
👉 Webinar: Be part of the movement! Find out what the Digital Education Futures Collective is all about, and delve into the four foundational projects
Thursday November 27th 2025
- Immersive Technology for Digital Tourism
- Marketing AI Assistant (MAIA)
- Architectural Anatomy XR
- VR Taster Series
Watch the recording here.
(Internal access only, and TU Dublin staff may need to be registered with The Collective to view it. The registration form can be found on the homepage of this microsite.)