School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics (CEM)

Equipped with a wide range of immersive resources across their Simulation Suite and VR Lab the School of CEM has longly been utilizing immersive media to enhance teaching and student’s learning outcomes. To learn about programming and VR Design, students are taught software like Unity3D and then invited to experience their own creation directly within the Virtual Environment. The VR Lab is a space for students and lecturers to play, experiment with and learn and so is the Simulation Suite. Although primarily used by Engineering students, the suite has been used to run workshops and experiments from other schools too.
Within CEM, students have the opportunity to apply knowledge on real-life situations, thanks to their lecturer’s investment and involvement within external projects. Among the many:

Computing & Cultural Heritage
Principal Lecturer, Dr. Karina Rodrigues Echavarria

The development of computational technologies to advance the study, preservation, and communication of cultural heritage is what motivates the research of Dr. Karina Rodriguez Echavarria.

After completing an undergraduate degree in Computer Systems Engineering in Mexico, Karina received an Overseas Research Student Award to undertake a Ph.D. in the UK. Thereafter, she joined the University of Brighton as a postgraduate researcher in 2004. Growing up in Mexico, a country rich in history, instilled in Karina an early interest in cultural heritage. This is reflected in her research interests which combine her expertise in computing with the challenges faced by heritage professionals and communities around the world to protect and preserve their shared history. As her research interests required more humanities training, Karina undertook an MA in Histories and Cultures at the University of Brighton in 2008.

Karina’s consultancy and knowledge exchange activities are done through collaborations with museums, heritage institutions, heritage professionals, artists, and the general public. These activities usually focus on the co-development of solutions by taking advantage of a variety of technologies at the Digitisation Lab, including 3D scanners and 3D printing technologies. Current initiatives include collaborations with the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Hove Museum and Art Gallery, the Hove Civic Society, the Victoria and Albert Museum and Diversity Lewes.

Karina’s teaching is strongly linked to her research interests. She engages with students by exploring a variety of technologies including 3D graphical software, sensors, 3D printing, and visualization technologies. Students enjoy learning by being given the opportunity to explore areas of their interest in computer games and visual computing systems. Other times, her research has inspired students to further explore the possibilities of graphics technologies within cultural heritage and interactive applications. To view one of Karina’s 2018 final year students projects, please click here.

Educational Escape Room for Cybersecurity Training 
Senior Lecturer, Dr. Panagiotis Fotaris

Dr. Panagiotis Fotaris is Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for BSc (Hons) Digital Games Development & BSc (Hons) Computer Science for Games at the University of Brighton. He has a diverse background in computing, digital media, and e-learning, and demonstrates a deep understanding of the pedagogical, social and cultural issues affecting the adoption of new learning technologies. Dr. Panagiotis’s research interests focus on the integration of technology in teaching and learning, particularly in the use and pedagogic potential of games, escape rooms, virtual/augmented environments, and data visualization in educational settings.

(Concept Image | Source: VRFocus)

Dr. Panagiotis’s supervisory interests focus on projects exploring the pedagogic potential of virtual/augmented environments, games, social media, and infographics in the context of computing and design education. Additionally, he is interested in projects that combine creative computing with arts, music, and fashion. All of which has led him into a new entrepreneurial journey for the establishment of a spin-off company focused on the development of Hybrid Educational Escape Rooms for Cybersecurity Training. Partly funded by Innovate UK, the project has also opened opportunities for outstanding students to get involved and apply their developed skills in VR Escape Rooms design in the industry context.

TAGS: CEM, Virtual Reality, Unity, Programming, VR Escape Rooms