This is an evolving document and will almost certainly be updated as the semester progresses. Please keep an updated view of the online version of this document.

When: Tuesday, Thursday - 3:30PM to 4:45PM
Where: Butler Hall - Room 103, Hi5 Lab in Butler Hall - Room 201

This course covers applications, methods, research, and technologies used in the development of interactive virtual and extended reality environments. Students will develop immersive environments and interactive experiences using industry standard technologies. Topics include virtual reality, mixed/augmented reality, human factors, motion capture, 3D content authoring, scientific applications, and current trends.

With the growing popularity and wide-spread adoption of inexpensive virtual reality (VR) and extended reality (XR) devices (especially those geared toward gaming), there is growing demand for software developers who have experience working with these technologies. Demand for VR/XR developers is out pacing the supply. This course aims to fill that gap by providing students with hands-on VR/XR development experience while gaining an in-depth understanding of the principals underlying these technologies.

J. Adam Jones, PhD
E-mail: jaj33@msstate.edu
Office: Butler Hall - Room 323
Office Hours:
T, Th from 12:30PM to 3:30PM
Others by appointment
(If you can't make it to my regular office hours, don't hesitate to ask for an appointment at a convenient time!)

OFFICE HOURS POLICY:
Office Hours are first-come-first-serve and visits are limited to 20 minutes. Please keep in mind that office hours are for all my students. This includes students from classes, research projects, honors projects, teaching/research assistants, and laboratories.

• History of VR/XR
• Anatomy of VR/XR Systems
• Introduction to Computer Graphics
• Immersive & Pictorial Communication
• Ethics in VR/XR
• Unity3D
• 3D Modeling
• Immersive Displays
• Optical Systems
• Motion Tracking
• Graphics Hardware
• Human Factors
• Spatial Sensation & Perception
• Simulator Sickness
• Presence & Immersion
• Development & Interaction Methods
• Navigation/Locomotion in VR
• Hand-based Interaction
• Virtual Agents
• Telepresence

Students in the class will be graded using three evaluations: Programming Assignments, Presentations, and Participation. Programming assignments are graded in studio-style demonstrations of the VR/XR environments built by the students. Late assignments will be accepted with a penalty of 10 points per day for up to 9 days. Presentations will consist of students discussing specified topics in a professional, proficient, and effective manner. Participation is evaluated as participation in group and in-class activities as indicated by team evaluations. Students taking this course for graduate credit will be expected to write a research paper on a specified VR/XR topic. This paper will contribute to their grade as if it were an additional programming assignment. Students taking this course for graduate credit (CSE 6433), will also be required to submit a research assignment prior to the last day of class. For grading purposes, this research assignment will count as an additional programming assignment. Evaluations will contribute to the students’ final grade based on the following percentages:

Programming Assignments	70%
Presentations	20%
Participation	10%
------------------
Total	100%

All evaluations are graded on a 100-point scale. Their cumulative value (adjusted according to the above percentages) determine the final grade in the course. The “letter grade” to point mapping is as follows:

A	90] and above
B	(90 – 80]
C	(80 – 70]
D	(70 – 60]
F	(60 and below

The primary means of communication for this class is through your official MSU email address. This preferred method of directly contacting the instructor. Students may expect a response within 24-48 hours.

We will also have a class Discord where students can discuss class topics and share the virtual environments that they build during this class. The link to our Discord server will be posted on Canvas. You are encouraged to post questions, problems, bugs (and fixes), and such on Discord. You are free to help each other learn and overcome challenges in this course!

Assignments will be posted on Canvas. Assignments are graded in class during “demo week” (or in some cases “demo day”). Assignments are due on the first day of demo week.

In this course, students are encouraged to use Generative AI Tools such as ChatGPT to support their work. Students must give credit and cite any AI-generated material according to rules of documentation including in-text citations, quotations, and references. Students must also include the following statement in assignments to indicate use of a Generative AI Tool: “The author acknowledges the use of [Generative AI Tool Name] in the preparation of this assignment for [brainstorming, grammatical correction, citation, etc].”

The Mississippi State University Syllabus contains all policies and procedures that are applicable to every course on campus and online. The policies in the University Syllabus describe the official policies of the University and will take precedence over those found elsewhere. It is the student's responsibility to read and be familiar with every policy. The University Syllabus may be accessed at any time on the Provost website under Faculty and Student Resources and at https://www.provost.msstate.edu/faculty-student-resources/university-syllabus