Course features

Extended Reality (XR) is creating exciting new ways to improve healthcare, transform education, drive innovation, preserve cultures and more. It’s changing how we connect, communicate and work, while also raising new questions about our digital lives and identities.

This course introduces you to core concepts, real-world examples and key questions shaping the future of XR. Led by Dr Gabriele Salciute Civiliene at King’s College London, you’ll explore what it means to be XR literate and how XR relates to other media and emerging technologies, from cinema to Brain-Computer Interfaces.

XR media, devices, their uses, and even the language that we use to talk about them are changing before our eyes. XR brings new forms and genres of sensory engagement that impact how we feel, think and behave. And yet, little is known about the long-term impacts of the technology on our lives and workplaces.

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 analyse XR media in terms of its features, immersive spaces, control and values. By the end of this course, you’ll have gained a deep understanding of what makes XR so powerful, as well as the opportunities and challenges driving this rapidly evolving field.

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 and build Extended Reality (XR) media literacy skills
• Define XR media and evaluate its relationship with XR technologies
• Critically engage with research on XR media, technology and devices
• Explore the three main types of XR: Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality
• Examine the challenges in defining and categorising XR technologies, and the reasons behind such challenges
• Investigate what makes XR spaces and experiences different from other media
• Analyse concepts of control and values in XR experiences and the ethical implications of XR design
• Apply XR literacy to professional and real-world digital contexts
• Reflect on the present and future implications of XR in different sectors and disciplines

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.