Studio X Pre-College Program Open Education Resource

Introduction

As a library space, we prioritize making our instruction equitable and accessible. We have successfully run this in-person program during the summers of 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. We started offering it online in 2024. All content provided here can be remixed or reworked for teachers’ purposes. Refer to this guide for additional resources on Creative Commons licensing.

Open Educational Resources (OER)

Open Educational Resources (OER) are freely accessible teaching, learning, and research materials that anyone can use, adapt, and redistribute. We transformed our program into an OER to make these lessons more affordable and equitable, while also encouraging cross-disciplinary collaboration. You can use our resources as a complete course or as standalone items.

Learning Design

Learning Goals

• To develop knowledge and understanding of XR and its impact across disciplines and industries.
• To introduce students to how XR applications are created.

Learning Objectives

• Basics of XR & Project Planning

  Students will be able to:

  • Use XR technologies to gain familiarity with hardware and software.
  • Demo a sample project to kickoff brainstorming of their own project.
  • Create a design document for their final game project using design thinking.

• Blender

  Students will be able to:

  • Design a unique art piece by manipulating 3D shapes in Blender to learn the basics of the platform.
  • Make a custom mesh by manipulating primitive objects in Blender for their final project.
  • Make a custom painted texture for their character model.

• Unity & VR Development

  Students will be able to:

  • Identify Unity use cases to understand how the platform is used across a variety of fields and disciplines.
  • Modify a Unity sandbox project to understand the basics of the platform, including key terms, gestures, UI, and functionality.
  • Analyze a partially written C# script and write the other half to see how scripting works at a basic level in Unity.
  • Connect a VR HMD to Unity and test the template project.
  • Identify key VR concepts, including locomotion and interactables.
  • Implement a locomotion system, turning, and interactables.
  • Activate objects, create particle systems, and set up their characters.
  • Consider critical issues related to accessibility, inclusivity, empathy, and motion sickness for game design.
  • Produce their own VR game.

Course Description (2024–2025)

• Title: Dreaming New Realities: Interactive Storytelling with Extended Reality (XR)
• Description: Bring your ideas to life with XR (the umbrella term for augmented, mixed, and virtual reality)! Students will start with XR basics, including their history and application. They will use design thinking, storytelling, world building, and low-fidelity prototyping to brainstorm and design a virtual reality mini-game or digital story. They will then learn the basics of XR tools, such as Blender, a 3D modeling tool, and Unity, a real-time creation platform, through hands-on workshops to develop their own unique virtual reality experience. Students will also engage in critical discussion of XR, including topics on privacy, accessibility, and empathy. All learning levels welcome. No experience necessary. Just bring your creativity and big ideas!

Previous Student Project Examples

• Summer 2025 Recap Video
• Summer 2024 Recap Video
• Summer 2024 Student Projects Video
• Summer 2023 Recap Video
• Summer 2023 Student Projects Video

Requirements

This course requires the use of Blender and Unity Hub software. Please download and install these programs in advance to ensure a smooth development process. Make sure your device meets the minimum system requirements for Blender and Unity 6.

• Meta Quest headsets (Quest 2 or Quest 3) have been used in this program. All instructions are with the Meta Quest headsets in mind.
• However, the Unity project is compatible with OpenXR, so there are a wide range of headsets you can use for this program. Just make sure you have a means to connect the headset to an OpenXR runtime, such as SteamVR.
• Ensure your Meta Quest device is set to Developer Mode if you would like to build your finished application for standalone use on the Quest headsets.
• Install the Meta Quest Link app to connect your Quest headset to your computer. Ensure that you have the proper cables and minimum system requirements for the Meta Quest Link Software.
• After installation, connect the headset by following the steps outlined in this video tutorial.
   

Download the Project Files

We have provided a sample Unity project for students to get a head start in the development of their experience, as well as all the handouts, workshops slides, and tutorials they will need.

These files are organized using the University of Rochester's online repository system, and can be accessed using this link.

Tutorials and Instruction

Studio X has recorded the workshops and created written tutorials for this program that are available online completely for free. Follow along with these materials here.

• These tutorials will take you through:
• Intro to XR
• Design Thinking
• Intro to Blender
• Intro to Unity with VR

Accessing Equipment

• While our instructional resources are freely available online, we recognize that hardware and equipment may not be accessible to everyone.
• For university community members, equipment can be borrowed for 3-day loans, with custom reservations available on a case-by-case basis. For those outside the university community, equipment is accessible for use within our space.
• If you'd like to explore and use equipment from our catalog, we encourage you to make an online booking or visit our space in person. make an online booking or visit our space in person.

Finishing Development

Refine your skills in iterative design processes by addressing and resolving user pain points to enhance their experience.

Getting Assistance

While working on your project, you may encounter challenges or roadblocks. We encourage students to connect with us for support via our discord, our contact form, or by scheduling an in-person meeting to benefit from our expertise.

Giving Us Feedback

Ways to Share

We encourage you to share updates on your development process, project photos, or other comments through a quick 2-minute survey, on our Discord server, or through our contact form.