Spring 2020 VR Courses at Illinois
CS 498 – Virtual Reality
Eric Shaffer and Dan Cermak
Course Objectives
The purpose of this course is to provide students with both a deep understanding of the fundamentals of VR and to gain practical experience. Because VR tricks our brains by presenting synthetic stimuli to our senses, it is extremely challenging to develop and analyze VR systems that are both effective and comfortable. To get a handle on these issues, this course will fuse together knowledge from a variety of relevant topics, including computer graphics, tracking systems, and perceptual psychology.
JOUR 460 – Extended Realities and Immersive Technologies
Christopher Ball
This course examines the importance and application of immersive technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. Students will learn about this history of these technologies, research regarding their effectiveness, and how to apply them to solve real-world problems.
Previous Semester Courses
ANTH 399 – Virtual Archaeology
Professor Laura Shackelford
JOUR 460 – Immersive Technologies
Professor Christopher Ball
This course examines the importance and application of immersive technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. Students will learn about this history of these technologies, research regarding their effectiveness, and how to apply them to solve real-world problems.
RST199LT – Tech Innovations for the Experience Economy
Assistant Professor Matt Browning

Technology is changing the way we live, work, and play. Simultaneously, we live in an “experience economy,”where consumers seek out experiences over products and services. Is smart tech making us happier and smarter, or does it have the opposite effect? Is social media threatening our freedoms? Will virtual travel and recreation replace real experiences? This course investigates such questions through eight asynchronous online lessons with weekly debates, readings, and 360-degree videos.
Want to list your VR-related course – please contact us at vrillinois@lists.illinois.edu