Course features

Extended Reality (XR) is capable of capturing our attention and transporting us to other worlds in ways that other types of media cannot.

In this course from King's College London, you'll explore how XR media technologies draw on the brain's attentional mechanisms to guide human behaviour and shape experiences in the contexts where XR is used for treatment, entertainment and learning. While XR brings many exciting opportunities, it's also important to raise questions about the longer-term impact of XR on our brains as these technologies continue to evolve and spread into our everyday lives.

Guided by Dr Gabriele Salciute Civiliene, you will examine the fascinating relationship between attention, cognition and XR, drawing on different perspectives from philosophy, neuroscience and media studies. With real-world examples and critical discussion, you'll discover how XR media influences the way we feel, act and think within XR spaces and beyond.

This course draws on cutting-edge research from a wide range of sources with podcasts from experts, case studies, readings and videos that will enable you to critically engage with XR technologies and their influence on human attention, emotion and behaviour. You'll also reflect on the ethical challenges presented by XR and its implications for work and society.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to engage confidently with current debates surrounding XR and apply your knowledge to fields including technology, healthcare, education and the creative industries.

Course format

This course is delivered through the edX learning platform and is designed to be completed in approximately 5 hours, along with 3 hours of self-directed study.

What you'll learn

• Understand critical concepts of the attention of the human brain and its relation to XR
• Discover how XR media and technologies are intentionally designed to interact with our attentional mechanisms
• Examine how our attentional mechanisms in XR might further affect our emotions and behaviours
• Engage with contemporary and historical ideas and evidence surrounding spatial attention and both its implications for and dependence on the features of XR spaces
• Consider the role of pleasure in making attention in XR media and spaces
• Engage with research on cinematic and theatrical technologies for defining immersive experiences
• Analyse XR through the lens of both restricted and augmented cognition
• Understand how XR media immersion employs both sensory augmentation and deprivation
• Learn about brain waves and how XR can interact with the brain's electrical activity
• Apply knowledge about different modes of attention and XR in the creative, health and tech industries

Entry requirements

No formal requirements. English proficiency recommended (IELTS Level 6).

Further information

King’s College London has partnered with the online education platform edX to deliver self-paced short courses to learners worldwide. Anyone can audit the course materials for free, excluding graded assessments, for a limited time.

For full access to the course including graded assessments and to obtain a verified certificate upon successful completion, the fee is $199.

Payment for verified access to the course is made directly via edX. Please see edX Terms of Service for further information.