iLRN event focused on immersive learning and the emerging technologies transforming research, education and training
Staff from JIBC's Centre for Teaching, Learning & Innovation (CTLI) received two awards at the 12th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network (iLRN), held June 27–30 at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece.
The conference brought together professionals in the field of immersive learning. CTLI presented two peer-reviewed papers in the Immersive Learning Education and Design (iLEAD) stream, highlighting innovative uses of immersive learning in public safety and social justice education. Junsong Zhang, Robert Walker, Helen Lee, and Melanie Meyers co-authored the papers, which were presented by Zhang and Walker.
The conference organizers recognized both papers at the awards event, where they received two of only 11 awards presented for paper submissions. The winning submissions were:
- Outstanding Contribution to Inclusion award:Beyond the Empathy Machine: Trauma-Informed Facilitation for Immersive Social Justice Learning – The presentation examined how immersive experiences can support learning about social justice, equity, and Truth and Reconciliation when combined with trauma-informed facilitation, reflection, and community partnerships. Rather than treating virtual reality (VR) as an "empathy machine," it showed how carefully designed experiences can foster deeper dialogue, critical reflection, and action.
- Outstanding Contribution to Workplace & Industry Training award:Making Practice Repeatable: Building and Piloting a VR Active-Shooter Scenario for Police Training – This project explored how virtual reality can complement traditional police training by helping learners build decision-making skills in high-stakes situations through repeatable, scalable, and measurable practice. CTLI, the Police Academy, and the Centre for Digital Media developed the project, which highlights lessons from developing and piloting VR in workplace training and shows how immersive technology can enhance experiential learning and support instructor-led reflection and debriefing.
This international recognition reflects JIBC’s longstanding commitment to experiential learning and its innovative use of immersive technologies to support public safety training and social justice education.
This year’s iLRN event received submissions from about 540 researchers, educators, designers, and industry leaders representing nearly 150 institutions across 32 countries. The submissions showcased advances in areas including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), simulations, gamification, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies that are transforming research, education, and training.
For more on the iLRN awards see here.
For more on JIBC’s Centre for Teaching, Learning & Innovation, visit here.