In early October 2024, Academia Institute of Technology, in collaboration with CORE d.o.o. and Društvo Hiša!, organised a 5-day international intensive programme, MediaXperience Autumn School, which focused on exploring and applying virtual ( VR), augmented ( AR), and mixed reality ( MR) technologies.
The event brought together students and lecturers from El Salvador, Jordan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Spain, Lithuania, and Slovenia . More than 40 international and Slovenian participants collaborated, gaining valuable experience in the field of innovative technologies through group work and expert lectures delivered by international lecturers.
Interdisciplinary Challenge: Transforming the Tourist Experience
The MediaXperience Autumn School programme was based on close collaboration between students, mentors, and industry partners – CORE d.o.o. and Društvo Hiša!. The main challenge of the programme was to transform the traditional physical treasure hunt that Društvo Hiša! already offers to tourists in Maribor. Throughout the week, participants transformed the hunt into a modern digital experience incorporating VR/AR technologies. The aim was for students to create an interactive application through group work on the company's challenge that would attract a younger audience and encourage them to explore the city's cultural heritage.
Participants were divided into groups where they used tools such as Blender, Unity3D, WebXR, and GPTAPI to develop innovative solutions. With the help of mentors and industry experts, they developed digital solutions that would enable young people to have a more personal and in-depth experience of the city of Maribor. Lina Petrović from Društvo Hiša! highlighted: "Collaboration with students and the exchange of ideas brought many fresh approaches to promoting cultural tourism among the younger generation."
Diverse Programme and Practical Work
In addition to group work, the programme included a series of lectures by renowned experts from different countries. Among other things, participants attended a lecture by Jasmine Dončić and Anđela Pljakić (Akademija Sumadija) on using Chat GPT for innovation in tourism, and a lecture by Jolanta Mačėnienė (Vilniaus Kolegia) on cybersecurity in virtual reality. They also visited IZUM and viewed the VEGA supercomputer, which offered participants insight into advanced computing technologies.
Almedina Kadrić, one of the international participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, described her experience as extremely valuable: "It was amazing to see how VR and AR technologies can transform tourist experiences. Participating in the project brought me a wealth of practical experience that I will be able to use in my further work and career."
Conclusion with Certificate Award
On the final day, students presented their projects to a panel consisting of participating mentors and company representatives. Projects were evaluated on innovation, user experience, and integration of VR/AR technologies, among other criteria. Guest lecturer Douglas Emilio Cabezas Guardado (Universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador) praised the creativity and commitment of the participants.
The autumn school concluded with the award of certificates of participation, and students took the opportunity to network and connect with peers from different countries. Through their participation, they also earned 3 ECTS credit points for participation, successful completion of the programme, and all assignments, which will help them in their further academic and professional development.
Opportunities for the Future
MediaXperience Autumn Tech School was an excellent example of how Erasmus+ projects can bring together students and industry partners to jointly develop solutions to real-life challenges. The event encouraged further collaboration between institutions and companies, which will provide students with even more opportunities for future international cooperation.
A summary of the event can be viewed in the video below:
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Source: Academia (15. 10. 2024). Fotografije: arhiv Academie.
This English summary was produced automatically from the Slovenian article and is pending editorial review. Slovenska različica
