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Digital & Interactive · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Immersive Storytelling with VR/AR/XR

“Don’t just show them the story; put them inside it.” This course explores the narrative frontiers of Extended Reality (XR). Students will move beyond the rectangular frame to design 360-degree and interactive experiences. The curriculum covers the unique challenges of directing attention in spherical environments, designing “Gaze-based” interactions, and utilizing “Spatial Audio” to guide the user through Virtual (VR) and Augmented (AR) worlds.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Differentiate between 360 Video (Passive) and Real-Time Engine XR (Active/Unity)
  2. Master the "Swayze Effect" (Ghost) vs. "Embodied Presence" in storytelling
  3. Design spatial narratives where user agency effects the outcome
  4. Utilize "Spatial Audio" (Ambisonics) as a primary storytelling tool
  5. Prototype AR experiences that overlay digital narrative onto physical space
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01Introduction to XR: The Reality Spectrum
  2. 02The Psychology of Presence & Immersion
  3. 03Storyboarding for 360 Degrees
  4. 04360 Video Production: Camera & Stitching
  5. 05Directing Attention: Visual & Audio Cues
  6. 06Introduction to Unity for Storytellers
  7. 07World Building: Scale & Environment
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Interaction Design: Gaze & Controllers
  10. 10Branching Narratives in VR
  11. 11Spatial Audio: Ambisonics & HRTF
  12. 12Augmented Reality (AR) Storytelling
  13. 13Volumetric Capture (Holograms)
  14. 14Ethics: Trauma & The "Empathy Machine"
  15. 15User Testing: Comfort & Motion Sickness
  16. 16Final Project: The Interactive XR Experience

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Interactive XR Experience

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. Storytelling for Virtual Reality by John Bucher
  2. The VR Book: Human-Centered Design for Virtual Reality by Jason Jerald
  3. Experience on Demand by Jeremy Bailenson
  4. Unity for Absolute Beginners by Sue Blackman
  5. Creating Augmented and Virtual Realities by Erin Pangilinan
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