WebXR and Education:
The Immersive Web + Why It Matters

2020 International Summit

About Me

• Latin Teacher

The Immersive Web

• Distance Learning Researcher

• Startup Founder (Edorble)

• Head of Education (WorldViz)

• WebXR Product Manager (Frame at VirBELA)

What is WebXR and the Immersive Web?

What is WebXR? A new way to build browser-based immersive experience with web development languages.

The Immersive Web

Why does it exist? Browsers are powerful. No app/download/install/walled garden. Open standards.

Why does it matter? Let's get into it.

Exploring a 6th century Cambodian Temple in a multi-user WebXR experience

The Philosophy of the Web

It has BEEN the metaverse.

The Immersive Web

Easy, Open Access - the cross-platform browser.

Approachability - Create with HTML, Javascript, easy web dev tools. Let's see how to get started.

Socrates got all his disciples into WebXR.

The web is a universalizing information space.

Students + Teachers as Creators

Using a WebXR dev framework called A-Frame, use HTML for the building blocks.

Educators in VR - Presentation Title or Team Name

<a-box height="1" width="1" position="-1 0 -3" color="blue">

</a-box>

You can get started IMMEDIATELY by remixing the Aframe starter project on an awesome service called glitch.

https://glitch.com/~aframe

<a-sphere radius="1.5" width="1" position="0 0 -3" color="red">

</a-sphere>

<a-cylinder height="1.5" width="1" position="1 0 -3" color="yellow" >

</a-cylinder>

Frame

Spoke (Mozilla)

Sumerian(Amazon)

A-Frame (awesome A-Frame people)

Babylon.js (Microsoft)

React 360 (Facebook)

three.js

Again, for quick and easy way to start building WebXR - check out Glitch.me, remix the A-Frame starter project.

I also have a series of free learning tutorials that will guide you/your students through the basics of HTML while ya'll create your first WebXR pages: learn.framevr.io

There is a whole range of WebXR creation tools, ranging from no-code to light-code to heavy-code.

Examples of WebXR in the wild:

The Immersive Web

Mozilla Hubs

Sketchfab

Hello WebXR

framevr.io

The Immersive Web

What is a Web "Site"?

As the immersive web grows, the nature of web sites will evolve.

When we think of the word "site" in isolation, we often define it as a place - a space - a location. "Web Sites" are going to become more like this - "sites" you can navigate around, journey through, meet others in, and explore.

And they will all be linked via the metaverse that already is the web.

And learning how to build cross-platform, immersive web sites is an extremely compelling, accessible way for students and teachers to learn coding/design skills.

Title or Team Project Name 

Educators in VR - Presentation Title or Team Name

2020 International Summit