Course Description

The University of Latvia invites master’s level students to join the synchronous course "Virtual and Augmented Reality. Technology for Education" at the FORTHEM Digital Academy!
The rapid development of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) opens new possibilities for enriching learning, increasing student engagement, supporting active and experiential learning, and designing innovative learning environments. Immersive technologies allow learners not only to explore digital content but also to interact with, create, and experience learning materials in new ways.
This course is designed for beginners who want to understand what VR, AR, and MR are, how these technologies differ, and how they can be purposefully integrated into education across different educational levels and learning contexts. No previous experience with immersive technologies is required.
The aim of the course is to provide students with both theoretical understanding and practical experience in the educational use of immersive technologies. By the end of the course, students will be able to distinguish between VR, AR, and MR, evaluate immersive applications from an educational perspective, and design a learning material that meaningfully integrates AR and/or VR.
The course combines synchronous online learning, practical exploration, and independent work. In the first assignment, students will explore and analyse AR and/or VR experiences, considering their educational potential and possible applications in different learning contexts. In the second assignment, students will design and develop one educational material that can be experienced using AR and/or VR, applying the knowledge and skills gained throughout the course.

Three synchronous online sessions in Microsoft Teams:

• 1 October2026, 9:00–12:00 CET / 10:00–13:00 EET
• 16 November 2026, 9:00–12:00 CET / 10:00–13:00 EET
• 3 December 2026, 9:00–12:00 CET / 10:00–13:00 EET
  Independent Assignment 1
• Explore and analyse an AR and/or VR experience from an educational perspective.
• Submission deadline: 16 November 2026.
  Independent Assignment 2
• Design and develop one educational material that can be experienced using AR and/or VR.
• Submission deadline: 3 December 2026.
  Successful participation in the three online sessions and completion of both independent assignments are required to complete the course and receive 6 ECTS (estimated workload – 64 hours). The course will be delivered entirely online.

Additional information: At the University of Latvia, the course is offered by the Faculty of Education Sciences and Psychology and is open to Master’s-level students interested in education, educational technologies, digital learning, and innovative approaches to teaching and learning.

Note: Only students who have pre-registered till the 15 October 2026 may participate in the course.