Semester in Alternate Realities

Next offering: TBD

About the program

Semester in Alternate Realities (SIAR) pro颅poses a unique edu颅ca颅tional expe颅ri颅ence meant to inspire inter颅dis颅ci颅pli颅nary teams to solve a real-world prob颅lem explor颅ing Virtual real颅ity (VR) and hybrid VR phys颅i颅cal instal颅la颅tions.

In this project-based course, par颅tic颅i颅pants will be chal颅lenged to develop solu颅tions using tech颅nolo颅gies such as VR (e.g., Meta Quest head-mounted dis颅plays) and immer颅sive multi-modal media instal颅la颅tions. In addi颅tion to focus颅ing on the co-construction of dig颅i颅tal pro颅to颅types afford颅ing mean颅ing颅ful expe颅ri颅ences in 鈥渁lter颅nate real颅i颅ties鈥�, our objec颅tive is to stim颅u颅late doc颅u颅mented reflec颅tion and dis颅cus颅sion through颅out the process. Participants can expect to work col颅lab颅o颅ra颅tively, be matched accord颅ing to the skills they bring, and be pro颅vided time and resources to learn new tech颅niques and approaches, soft鈥� and hard skills, and processes to con颅duct user research.

Participants will get the oppor颅tu颅nity to reflect on future tech颅nolo颅gies and their poten颅tial impact on the world, and improve their pre颅sen颅ta颅tion skills and pub颅licly show颅case their projects. To incor颅po颅rate diverse per颅spec颅tives, stu颅dents from dif颅fer颅ent dis颅ci颅plines are invited to apply and, in their appli颅ca颅tion, argue how they could con颅tribute to the course and the co-construction of team projects.

CONTACT

For general course questions contact siat_advising@sfu.
For detailed course questions or requirements for joining the course that are not covered here please contact Dr. Bernhard Riecke at ber1@sfu.ca.

How to apply

To apply for this course, students must download and complete the application/project proposal form (link below) and submit the completed form to SIAT's advising team at siat_advising@sfu.ca.

Deadline: Applications are closed

Application Form

Course Focus and Design Challenge

The Spring 2023 semester鈥檚 design chal颅lenge was 鈥�cre颅at颅ing for good鈥� i.e., using alter颅nate real颅i颅ties tech颅niques and tech颅nolo颅gies, guid颅ing the颅o颅ret颅i颅cal frame颅works, and appro颅pri颅ate processes, project man颅age颅ment and col颅lab颅o颅ra颅tion approaches to iter颅a颅tively ideate, design, pro颅to颅type, and eval颅u颅ate an inter颅ac颅tive alter颅nate real颅i颅ties expe颅ri颅ence that affords mean颅ing颅ful expe颅ri颅ences for the bet颅ter颅ment of human颅ity and/or our planet.

Who can apply

Upper-level undergraduate students and graduate students with a keen interest in addressing real-world problems through designing alternate realities experiences. Students are expected to be fearless in their exploration, adoption and experimentation of immersive technologies, and open to and interested in exploring new ideas, concepts and perspectives in an interdisciplinary setting. Come prepared to work collaboratively with others.

The couse is open to stu颅dents with the nec颅es颅sary back颅ground in VR, both for SIAT stu颅dents and stu颅dents from other depart颅ments of SFU or other universities.

For more information about the course, please see our .

Student Experiences

鈥淭he high颅light of my SFU career was a . I thought I was in way over my head when I was accepted into the course, but I was able to explore and excel in var颅i颅ous roles I hadn鈥檛 been exposed to pre颅vi颅ously includ颅ing project man颅ager, art direc颅tor, scrum master, and so much more. Following this course, I con颅stantly uti颅lized my agile devel颅op颅ment, design and team man颅age颅ment skills to push my school projects fur颅ther and this made a big dif颅fer颅ence when I landed my first co-op job.鈥�

Elene Wanner, SIAT graduate

Student Feedback

"The most unique and engaging semester I've had in my university career so far"
鈥淎 once in a lifetime opportunity to learn new skills, make new friends, and work with technology for the greater good.鈥�
"The most intensive course at SFU where students get hands on experience with cutting edge technology."
"I actually know everybody's name"
"It's a unique experience where the class actually feels like a community"
"The most intensive course at SFU where students get hands on experience with cutting edge technology."

Interested in Learning More?

Learn more about the course and explore some of the past VR projects created by students in the course.

尤物视频

School of Interactive Arts & Technology