Time indicated above is MDT.
For Ontario participants the conference runs from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST
Thank you to all the supporters, partners and attendees of the second annual Merging Realities event. Check back for details on upcoming conference dates.
The world’s first full-day VR/AR conference held completely in virtual reality is back for its second year. Join us for Merging Realities to engage with people from around the world, learn from industry professionals and explore the capabilities of VR/AR. This year we will explore education, training and collaboration using VR/AR technologies. Learn about the benefits of VR for information recall and understand how AR can increase student engagement.
Lethbridge College and the Alberta and Toronto Chapters of the VR/AR Association (VRARA) are pleased to welcome Centennial College as a partner this year. Attendees at the April 25 event will be able to participate at the Lethbridge College campus, the Centennial College campus or in virtual reality from around the world.
For more information, contact Kris at 403-320-3202 ext. 5489 or kris.hodgson@lethbridgecollege.ca.
A recent study from the University of Maryland states that people more easily recall information when taught in Virtual Reality (VR), as opposed to traditional options like standard computers. Augmented Reality (AR) also provides improvements to the learning process by increasing student engagement, explaining complex and abstract concepts, increasing access to learning, and more.
Attending the live stream at Lethbridge College
Registration is free and includes lunch and trade show access.
The in-person live-stream of Merging Realities will be held in the Instructional Building (IB) at Lethbridge College. To see where the IB Theatre is at Lethbridge College, download the campus map.
Download the parking map to see where to park.
A parking pass will be sent to you via email prior to the event.
During the conference, an in-person trade show will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lethbridge College, bringing together VR businesses from across the province.
Attending the virtual live stream from your location of choice
Registration to virtually attend is free.
Registrants will be sent information prior to the event on how to view the live stream and watch in VR. Please note a personal headset is required if you wish to watch the conference in VR.
Attending the live stream at Centennial College
Register by donation “Pay What You Wish” at the door for the conference and lunch.
In addition, attend the afternoon social by a donation of $25 at the door.
At Centennial College, Merging Realities will be held in the Centennial College Event Centre, which is located in the new School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts.
The address for the Event Centre is:
Centennial College Progress Campus
937 Progress Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
Event attendees can park in Lot 3, or alternatively, if the parking lot is full, attendees can park at 940 Progress Avenue and walk across Progress Avenue to the Event Centre.
For more information about parking, visit the Parking Services page.
Event Sharing
During the conference, you’re encouraged to share your experiences, thoughts and findings on social media. When sharing, please use the conference hash tag, #MergingRealities2019 and tag @LethCollege on Twitter.
Conference Schedule
NOTE: All times listed below are in Mountain Time. If you are attending at Centennial College please see your specific event schedule here.
Speaker Bios available below.
| Time | Topic | Presenter |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 a.m. |
Welcome address on-location (Toronto and Lethbridge). |
|
| 8:45 a.m. |
Virtual start with speakers from both locations in VR. |
|
| 9 a.m. | Keynote |
Alan Smithson, MetaVRse |
| 9:30 a.m. | Changing the Way we Educate with 3D Learning and Creativity. |
Christian Long, Immersive VR Education |
| 10 a.m. |
The New Classroom and Learning Environment. |
Jani Leskinen, Glue Collaboration |
| 10:30 a.m. |
Cognitive Performance Training in VR. |
Alex Jackson, Hone VR |
| 11 a.m. |
Using Creative Gamification for Education. |
Amanda Fox, Creative Director at STEAMpunksEdu |
| 11:30 a.m. |
Education on the Fundamentals of VR and AR. |
Michael McCready, Lethbridge College |
| Noon (Lunch will also be served at this time) |
Training the Trainers and Teachers to use VR and AR in the Classroom. |
Alberta and Toronto Chapters of the VR/AR Association |
| 12:30 p.m. |
Education and the Future of Work. |
Tyler Forster, Collaborative Edge Donna Eilby, The Future Work Skills Academy |
| 1 p.m. |
Fireside Chat with the Next Generation. |
Sabarish Gnanamoorthy, Waypoint AR Olivia Wenzel, Visiting Researcher at Cleveland Clinic Center for Brain Health VRARA Student Education Committee Co-Chair |
| 1:30 p.m. |
Closing remarks. |
|
|
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
Trade Show In-person attendees only |
Industry partners |
Speaker Biographies
Alan Smithson
Alan is the CEO of MetaVRse, a global leader in virtual, augmented and mixed reality (XR). Alan is a VR/AR thought leader, an independent global advisor on the business of XR, and a founding member of the VR/AR Association.
Christian Long
Christian, a former member of the Royal Air Force turned teacher, now works as a business developer at Immersive VR Education. He shares his knowledge with industry and educational establishments taking the step into this new technology.
Jani Leskinen
As head of sales at Glue Collaboration, Jani is a business-minded and experienced professional who is very enthusiastic about project sales and marketing. With his financial knowledge, he gets his fulfillment from finding solutions in demanding new business challenges.
Alex Jackson
As CEO at Hone Virtual Education, Alex leads a team of highly passionate and skilled individuals to combine psychology and technology to save lives. At Hone, Alex and his colleagues work to improve cue recognition for first responders and healthcare professionals.
Mike McCready
As an instructor at Lethbridge College, Mike spearheads the development of the new VR/AR certificate program. He is a passionate advocate for technology and a seasoned digital marketer and communicator with over 15 years of experience.
Tyler Forster
As president of Collaborative Edge XR, Tyler has taken his experience with science and technology to find ways of helping organizations accelerate their transition through the fourth industrial revolution as an AR/VR educator and consultant.
Donna Eiby
Donna is a lifelong educator with a passion for the democratization of learning. Her latest initiative at The Future Work Skills Academy combines her enduring interests in humans and work.
Sabarish Gnanamoorthy
Fourteen-year-old Sabarish is the youngest AR developer in the world to be sponsored by Microsoft to develop for its HoloLens. The Thiel Foundation has sponsored his venture, WaypointAR, an AR navigation platform for airports, campuses, conferences and malls.
Olivia Wenzel
Olivia is a visiting researcher at Cleveland Clinic Center for Brain Health. She is a VRARA Student Education Committee co-chair and a student at Laurel School in the Cleveland/Akron, Ohio, area.
Amanda Fox
Amanda has 10 years of experience in education as a teacher, instructional designer, coach, and curriculum developer. She acts as Creative Director at STEAMpunksEdu, is a well established international speaker, is the author of Teachingland and co-host of The Virtual Reality Podcast.
Julie Smithson
Ontario VRARA Chapter President
Producer
Mike McCready
Alberta VRARA Chapter President
Event Founder / Consultant
Allyson Cikor
Instructor, Multimedia Production
Faculty Supervisor / Event Manager (Lethbridge)
Shannon Bramwell
Professor & Program Coordinator, Special Event Planning
Faculty Supervisor / Event Manager (Toronto)
Kris Hodgson
Chair of the School of Media and Design (Lethbridge College)
Faculty, Digital Communications and Media (Lethbridge College)
Partners
