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Pre-College Program at Studio X, 2024

Version 2 2025-01-29, 18:35
Version 1 2024-12-17, 14:16
educational resource
posted on 2025-01-29, 18:35 authored by Libby Braun

Each summer, high school students from across the country come together at the University of Rochester’s Mary Ann Mavrinac Studio X to explore and experiment with XR technologies. This two-week program welcomes participants of all experience levels, guiding them in creating their own VR experiences. Students begin by learning XR fundamentals and brainstorming project ideas, then progress to hands-on practice with tools like Blender and Unity. To support continued learning, we’ve included free, linked resources designed to empower students to build their skills independently.This record includes the following program slide decks:

  • Intro To XR: learn about XR key terms, the history behind the technology, Studio X, and what this project will focus on.
  • Design Thinking: practice the design thinking process to build your experience.
  • Intro to Blender: practice the basics of blender with a challenge and non-player character creation.
  • Intro to Meshes and Materials: make your non-player character models come to life with this step-by-step instruction on materials.
  • Intro to Unity: learn about and how to use Unity and build your environment.
  • Intro to Unity and VR: bring Unity and VR hardware together and add interactions to your experience.
  • Critical Discussion of XR and Digital Literacy: learn about how users interact with XR vis-a-vis empathy and embodiment.

Also included are handouts for the workshop's Design Thinking section and all required Unity assets. Please refer to the included readme PDF for instructions on installing the required software.

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