INVITATION TO JOIN THE IMMERSIVE LEARNING RESEARCH NETWORK (iLRN)

Link to join (free): https://immersivelrn.org/get-involved/membership/

*** About iLRN ***

The Immersive Learning Research Network (iLRN at http://immersivelrn.org) connects educators, developers, and researchers to work together on developing the scientific, technical, and applied potential of immersive learning. New and emerging virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and other related technologies (collectively known as “XR”) present new opportunities for tackling some of the world’s most capacious and pressing societal, environmental, and economic problems; iLRN seeks to foster a global, interdisciplinary community of scholarship and practice, founded on the principles of open science and open design, aimed at leveraging these opportunities for the good of our planet and its inhabitants.

*** Current Activities ***

1. Immersive Learning Research Network Conference (IEEE technically co-sponsored)

Now in its sixth year, iLRN's annual international conference is the premier scholarly event focusing on advances in the use of XR and immersive technologies to support learners and learning. The theme of iLRN 2020, which will take place in San Luis Obispo, California, is "Vision 2020: Hindsight, Insight, and Foresight in XR and Immersive Learning." iLRN 2020 is an IEEE Education Society technically cosponsored conference. Visit the conference website at https://immersivelrn.org/ilrn2020/

2. The State of XR and Immersive Learning

This project, led by iLRN and conducted in partnership with IEEE ICICLE, EDUCAUSE, and the Consortium for School Networking, combines an ongoing systematic review and synthesis of the evidence/knowledge base on “what works” in XR and immersive learning with an annual Delphi-inspired environmental scanning and forecasting exercise in the vein of the well-known Horizon Project. The 2020 State of XR and Immersive Learning Report is sponsored by HP, Unity Technologies, Adobe, zSpace, Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation, and SpringboardVR. See https://immersivelrn.org/about-us/state-of-xr-and-immersive-learning/

3. iLRN Houses

By offering resources, tools, and forums for experts to meet, share, and collaborate, iLRN strives to assist and promote the development of knowledge, skills, principles, and practices throughout the multitude of enterprises where the unique affordances of the technology may be powerfully harnessed to support and catalyze human learning and achievement. iLRN Houses have been/are being established that focus on: immersive place-based learning; XR in medical and healthcare education; language, culture, and heritage; workforce development and industry training; supporting vulnerable and underrepresented learner populations; nature and environmental sciences; assessment in XR; and K-12 STEM education. If you are interested in becoming involved in one or more of these Houses, please get in touch with us: https://immersivelrn.org/contact-us/

4. iLRN Chapters

Chapters are geographical subdivisions of iLRN that cater to the needs of members within a particular city, state/province, or country and that champion the mission and goals of iLRN within that geographical area with the purpose of showcasing and promoting immersive learning capabilities within that area. Each Chapter organizes its own face-to-face activities and events that serve as forums for members to meet, interact, share ideas/knowledge, and collaborate. If you are interested in joining or forming a local iLRN Chapter, please get in touch: https://immersivelrn.org/contact-us/

5. The Versatilist

iLRN's official podcast, The Versatilist, covers and discusses both the latest news in immersive learning across the disciplines as well as hosting guests who do important work in various capacities in this emerging field of expertise. For more details, please see http://podcast.immersivelrn.org

6. iLRN Happy Hours

Each Friday at 5:00pm US Eastern time, grab a beer or other beverage of your choice and join iLRN President/CEO Jonathon Richter on our Discord server for wide-ranging conversations about all things immersive. (Upon joining iLRN, members receive an invitation to join our Discord server.) Beginning in early 2020, iLRN Happy Hours will rotate between various social and collaborative VR and AR/MR platforms to give participants opportunities to experience the features and affordances of those platforms while engaging in discussions about topics of interest within the realm of XR for learning and collaboration.

*** iLRN Membership ***

Basic individual membership of iLRN is currently free of charge. Any researcher, developer, educator, or business person is welcome to join the network to receive newsletters and relevant information:

https://immersivelrn.org/get-involved/membership/

Premium levels of iLRN membership will be introduced in the near future that includes voting privileges, access to special reports, research opportunities, discounts to iLRN events, and more.

Organizational memberships are also offered at rates commensurates with the size of the organization and the relationship desired. Please contact us for details: https://immersivelrn.org/contact-us/

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The Neurocomputation and Biological Vision Team (NeuroBiT)
(http://www.cvc.uab.es/neurobit) offer a PhD scholarship to work in a highly
multidisciplinary project which includes computational modelling of primary
visual cortex and psychophysical experimentation of colour perception and
its relationship to visual migraines.

The Research will take place at the Computer Vision Centre
(http://www.cvc.uab.es) of the Univ. Autònoma de Barcelona, which is
consistently ranked among the top Spanish Universities
(https://www.uab.cat/web/about-the-uab/the-uab/the-uab-in-the-rankings-13456
67138662.html).
The centre is located in a campus outside the vibrant city of Barcelona and
has a strong tradition of multidisciplinary research in computational colour
vision with their own psychophysical laboratory, living labs facilities and
several computer clusters. The candidate will be part of the
NeuroComputation and Biological Vision Team (NeuroBiT), a recently-formed
multidisciplinary research group which combines perceptual and computational
approaches with visual neuroscience. We offer regular meetings with other
PhD students, international contacts and the possibility of
internship/cooperation with other experimental/theoretical labs. The
successful candidate is likely to obtain several high-impact publications.

The PhD student research topic will be the development of recurrent
multilayer spiking networks to reproduce the biological architecture of the
primary visual cortex and several of its physiological properties, aiming at
reproducing the results of psychophysical studies in colour perception and
clinical studies on migraines.

The duration of the position is 3 years (36 months). We expect the position
to start before July 1st 2020 (i.e. eventual visa issues should be solved
beforehand!). The total annual stipend of the grant is around 15.000 euros
gross, which include the cost of registration fees for the official
doctorate program.

Conditions: The candidate must

   -hold a European Higher Education Area (EHEA) qualification of at least
300 ECTS credits or a university-awarded Master degree or equivalent in the
natural sciences/engineering at the time of signing the contract.

   – have experience in programming with Python and/or Matlab (C,
C++, Unix environment and computer cluster experience are also valued)

   – have knowledge of / interest in the human visual system, visual
perception and statistics

   – proficiency in English and (desired in) Spanish or Catalan

   – have excellent skills in analytical thinking, perceptiveness,
commitment, self-organization, teamwork, and communication.

Any previous experience in the subject of computational modelling will also
be a bonus.

How to apply:

Please send your CV and a short statement (500 words) connecting your
previous work with the topics of this grant to xotazu@cvc.uab.es and a copy
of the official academic transcript (including GPA) before november 25th.

We encourage candidates with strong skills in programming who are interested
to work in a highly multidisciplinary project and environment (computer
science, neuroscience, psychophysics), to apply.
Candidates should have a degree in a related subject (Neuroscience, Computer
Science, Mathematics, Physics, Biology, etc.).

Xavier Otazu

Senior Researcher at Computer Vision Center Professor at Computer Science
Department, Univ Autonoma de Barcelona

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