The XR Studio PREMIUM Project!
Do you have passion for cutting-edge technology and innovation? The University Library is planning an XR (Extended Reality) studio and wants PREMIUM students to contribute!

The University Library (UL) is one of the most visited locations of Maastricht University. The UL provides more than 3,000 workplaces for 22,000 students. It also hosts a video- and podcast studio, as well as a makerspace. In this project, we are planning to extent our offers and we invite students to spearhead the development of a state-of-the-art XR studio in the University Library.

Imagine a space where members of the UM community can harness the power of XR technology, from virtual realms to augmented experiences, however, also integrate actual relevance, accessibility, ethics and maintenance.

We would like to challenge you to develop a plan for an XR (Extended Reality) studio within the University Library. The XR studio should provide students and researchers with a physical space to access state-of-the-art hardware and software, facilitating the development of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality experiences. Next to the technological opportunities, aspects of accessibility, ethics and as well as easiness of use and maintenance should be taken into account. The goal is to develop a plan for a state-of-the-art XR studio in the University Library, that is relevant and useful for the whole UM community.

The students will work together with the expert Digital Literacy and the expert Innovative Learning Spaces. We also intend to arrange a visit to an XR-company at Brightlands or the XR Zone at the New Media Centre of the TU Delft.

Objectives for the PREMIUM project:

• How does the library play a role in the (future) UM XR environment and in particular the XR opportunities for students?
• What are the needs of the UM Community with regard to XR, and in particular students’ needs?
• What technology should the XR studio have? How can we maintain it?
• How can we foster accessibility and equal opportunities for all UM students in the XR studio?

Why Should You Get Involved?

• Gain experience in project management and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Practice your academic skills, such as interviewing and conducting focus groups.
• Design, co-create and develop ideas that can turn into realistic plans.
• Expand your network in the academic, but also the business world.
• Contribute to the University Library of the Future!

The UM Library is a partner in research and education at Maastricht University (UM) and supports students and staff with finding and distributing scientific knowledge.

The main target groups of the library are researchers, lecturers, and students of the UM. Our staff focusses on new types and forms of scientific knowledge resources (such as digital journals, Open Educational Resources, e-books, data files, DVDs, streaming videos), but also hosts digital and physical learning spaces and provides, among others, training in information and digital literacy skills and research data management (RDM) support.

We aim to establish an open and accessible XR studio to remain at the forefront of emerging trends and to expand upon our existing multimedia facilities, such as the video and podcast studio, and our makerspace. This initiative will also increase our offers for digital literacy competences within our creative spaces.