XR and Social Innovation in Northern Ontario Communities

by Ankith Nair

Conestoga's VARLab has partnered with Contact North | Contact Nord XpertVR and Kelencontent on an innovative collaborative project to bring XR training to northern Ontario communities. The project, funded by the NSERC- College and Community Social Innovation Fund represents a three year research and social innovation project in which Conestoga's Virtual and Augmented Reality Lab will make our XR simulations available to learners and businesses in the north, as well as to establish an incubator XR development lab to help support community training needs with virtual and augmented reality. This fall, our teams went to visit Contact North locations to meet other community organizations, and to share our research and collaborate on strategies to support northern remote and rural regions in Ontario.

On February 27th, the VARLab and our partners connected again during our CCSIF conference and planning session held in Niagara On the Lake. Kim Nutter, the Principal Investigator at the VARLab and Professor at Conestoga’s School of Creative Industries, facilitated the conversation. It was an excellent opportunity for student research assistants to engage in conversations about the future of XR in training and skills-building.

Special guests Shannon Adamson, Daryl Twilley, and Charmaine Kissman from Contact North, Tanya Kelen from Kelencontent and Evan Sitler-Bates & Drew MacNeil from XpertVR shared the innovative ways their organizations are leveraging XR technology as a pivotal tool for connecting and empowering northern communities.

?? Event Highlights:

• New Roadmaps Unveiled: We laid out our future plans, focusing on the planned launch of micro-credentials developing XR skills, and exciting incubator initiatives .

• Engaging Learning Tools: We introduced innovative guides on Moodle to enhance immersive learning experiences, tailored for diverse educational scenarios.

• Strategic Initiatives: The conference detailed our roadmap for integrating XR technologies into education, including comprehensive needs assessments and content development strategies.

• Insightful Updates: The conference provided a deep dive enriched by research papers on VR and educational strategies.

• Collaborative Partner Updates: Insights from Contact North, XpertVR, and KelenContent highlighted the collaborative spirit driving our advancements.

• Interactive Demos: Attendees experienced the potential of XR firsthand with demos of Oculus 3, Meta Quest and immersive technology solutions from Contact North and Conestoga College.

• Enhancing Instructor Experience: Insights into the digital learning experience journey for instructors were shared, focusing on technology adaptation and engagement strategies for success.

This gathering was a step towards redefining how we approach education with XR technology, pushing boundaries for wider accessibility and deeper engagement.

Ankith Nair joined VARLab as a Project Assistant in 2023 and is an international student at Conestoga College, pursuing his Graduate Certificate in Project Management. With experience in project management and roles in founders' offices at tech startups, Ankith is deeply committed to product management, skillfully blending technology, user experience, and strategic insight.