Society. Spaces. Screens
Abstract
This paper examines the perceived benefits of immersive technology skills in creating opportunities for marginalized youth. Drawing on a university extension project in Brazil, the study highlights initiatives that support students and educators in developing essential digital competencies required to succeed in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Significant disparities in access to extended reality technologies—such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and the metaverse—have left students from peripheral communities with limited ability to adapt to a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and disruptive technologies. This paper examines the ongoing challenges of digital inclusion for this target audience and explores transformative experiences with immersive technologies aimed at fostering digital citizenship. Preliminary findings suggest that the project’s hybrid training model, which integrates in-person sessions with creative experiments, fosters critical engagement with immersive technologies and equips students with the skills needed to meet the demands of Web 3.0 and 4.0.
Dr. Katia Maciel holds a PhD in Film Studies from the University of Southampton and a Master’s in Directing for Film and Television from the University of Bristol (Chevening Scholar). She is an Associate Professor and co-founder of the Postgraduate Programme in Creative Media at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, where she coordinates the ‘Metaversidade’ extension project. Active in screenwriting and filmmaking since 1998, she expanded into Extended Realities (XR) in 2018. Her recent projects include Viva Ouro Preto VR (2020) and the Metaversidade Virtual Exhibitions (2021, 2023).
Dr. Inês Maciel is a mixed-race researcher, identified as Black, with a postdoctoral degree from PUC-Rio (2012) and a PhD in Production Engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2003). She also holds a degree in Industrial Design (1986) and a Master’s in Production Engineering (1996) from UFRJ. Currently, she is a researcher at the Postgraduate Program in Creative Media at UFRJ, where she leads projects in Cinematic VR and co-coordinates the ‘Metaversidade’ extension project. Recently, she launched the platform <mapeamentoxr.net>, presenting the findings from her ‘MR/XR Ecosystem Mapping in Brazil’ research.
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Thursday 12th December, 2024