Course coordinator
Dr Maxime Cordeil
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Elec Engineering & Comp Science School
This course introduces students to theories, emerging key issues, and design and development practice of Extended Reality (XR) applications (Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality applications). Students will design and develop a series of interactive XR prototypes, along with an evaluation of their prototypes and reflection on the overall learning journey. The course will also cover specific applications of immersive technology in research and industry.
This course introduces students to digital prototyping for generating proof-of-concept Extended Reality solutions for design computing projects. It primarily focuses on creating novel embodied, immersive interactions using Unity3D and XR equipment for extended reality applications.
In this new version of the course, students now focus on prototyping both low-fidelity and hi-fidelity embodied extended reality experiences. Students will be provided with a Meta Quest 2 to design, build and test an immersive, extended reality prototype.
Course requirements
Assumed background
This course requires a significant prior knowledge of programming. It is assumed that students will have completed the prerequisite courses -ﾠCSSE1001 or ENGG1001 and DECO2500. This course will build upon the skills learnt in these courses and assumes that students are in their second year of study.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
DECO2500 and (CSSE1001 or ENGG1001)
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
DECO7230
Course contact
Course coordinator
Mr Ben Rose
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Maxime Cordeil
Mr Ben Rose
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
This course has 6 hours of scheduled activities per week:
- 2hr Lecture session per week. These sessions cover prototyping theory & in-class activities.
- 2hr Applied + 2hr Studio session per week. These sessions will introduce the skills required for the projects and will be used for testing of prototypes produced.
Students are expected to attend all scheduled sessions.
Aims and outcomes
The courses aims to:
- provide students with a solid foundation in the skills needed for developing Extended Reality (XR) digital prototypes
- provide students with the conceptual basis for researching and identifying the appropriate XR tools and methodologies for the communication of design solutions
- provide students with the opportunity to produce rapid XR prototypes that demonstrate key elements of an intended design for the purposes of evaluation & iteration
- promote critical analysis of prototype design and functionality
- develop student understanding of the role of XR prototyping in the design process
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Research and identify appropriate XR prototyping tools and methodologies for the communication of a particular design solution.
LO2.
Produce rapid XR prototypes that demonstrate key elements of an intended design for the purposes of evaluation and iteration.
LO3.
Demonstrate the role of XR prototyping in the design process.
LO4.
Analyse and reflect on critique/evaluation of XR prototypes and iterate designs accordingly.
LO5.
Evaluate the effectiveness of design decisions through the development of appropriate XR prototypes.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Essay/ Critique, Portfolio, Reflection | Design Concept Report | 25% |
14/08/2025 10:00 am 4/09/2025 10:00 am 9/10/2025 10:00 am 30/10/2025 10:00 am |
| Computer Code, Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Interactive Prototype 1
|
25% |
28/08/2025 - 29/08/2025
Testing during allocated studio sessions. Testing material (prototype code, video/photos, low-fidelity prototypes, testing plan) and outcomes (results) are due to be submitted at the end of testing session. |
| Computer Code, Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Interactive Prototype 2
|
25% |
25/09/2025 - 26/09/2025
Testing during allocated studio sessions. Testing material (prototype code, video/photos, low-fidelity prototypes, testing plan) and outcomes (results) are due to be submitted at the end of testing session. |
| Computer Code, Essay/ Critique |
Interactive Prototype 3
|
25% |
23/10/2025 - 24/10/2025
Testing during allocated studio sessions. Testing material (prototype code, video/photos, low-fidelity prototypes, testing plan) and outcomes (results) are due to be submitted at the end of testing session. |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Design Concept Report
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Essay/ Critique, Portfolio, Reflection
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
14/08/2025 10:00 am
4/09/2025 10:00 am
9/10/2025 10:00 am
30/10/2025 10:00 am
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L04, L05
Task description
This assessment aims to capture your design thinking, planning, and process. Students will initially plan their concept an prototypes for the course in this assessment, then evaluate and iterate their concept and plan over the semester as prototyping testing sessions yield data.
This assessment is a sequence and will be submitted online using a Github Wiki.
The Final wiki will cover:
Initial concept planning and paper prototype evaluation. Due Week 3 THU 10am
Evaluation, analysis, and iteration 1: Due Week 6 THU 10am
Evaluation, analysis, and iteration 2: Due Week 10 THU 10am
Evaluation, analysis 2 and final summary: Due Week 13 THU 10am:
Note on the use of AI for this assessment:
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
Post to your wiki page
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extensions are limited to 7 days as feedback will be provided within 14 days.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Interactive Prototype 1
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Computer Code, Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
28/08/2025 - 29/08/2025
Testing during allocated studio sessions. Testing material (prototype code, video/photos, low-fidelity prototypes, testing plan) and outcomes (results) are due to be submitted at the end of testing session.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
In this course, students will develop a number of prototypes with accompanying testing session design/plan as a means of evaluating conceptual & functional aspects of an idea. Students will submit three prototypes:
- Interactive prototype 1 (Thursday Week 5 10:00, 25%, Individual) - students will develop a Horizontal/Experiential prototype of their application using Unity. The prototype should allow users to experience & evaluate the concept at a high level.
- Interactive prototype 2 (Thursday Week 9 10:00, 25%, Individual) - students will develop an Extended Reality (Unity/XR) interactive prototype of their application using Unity 3D and Meta Quest. The prototype should allow users to experience the key extended reality features of the interaction.
- Interactive prototype 3 (Thursday Week 12 10:00, 25%, Individual) - students will develop an iteration of prototype 2. This iteration can either improve the previous prototype, explore an alternative interaction to the previous prototype or explore another modality of Extended Reality.
All prototypes will be accompanied by a Prototype Testing plan that includes:
- the design journal detailing the sketches, notes, and other brainstorming activities that lead up to the development of the respective prototype
- the purpose of the prototype being tested (what aspect of your idea it has been developed to test)
- the decisions made when constructing the prototype - what was important to include & exclude in order to meet the requirements of the testing
- the testing approach for the prototype - what users were asked to do & the methods you used to gather feedback
Additionally, each prototype must be accompanied by:
- Source codes/Unity project
- Video of the working prototype
Testing of prototypes will be carried out in studio sessions in Weeks 5, 9, 12 with the Prototyping plan due before the first studio of the week (Thursday 10am)
Testing sessions are identity-verified and mandatory for all students. Failure to attend mandatory testing sessions will result in a grade of zero for that prototype deliverable unless prior approval is granted.
Note on the use of AI for this assessment:
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Hurdle requirements
In order to pass the course, students must: - achieve at least a Pass for 2 out of the 3 interactive prototype assessments, and - be present at allocated testing prototyping sessions (identity-verified hurdle).Submission guidelines
Testing in practical sessions, files to Blackboard/wiki/git as per individual prototype briefs.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Extensions are not available for this assessment item.
This is to allow the testing session with your peers to proceed as scheduled and is consistent with professional and industry expectations.
Late Penalty: 100% Late Penalty (no grace period) if students are not present for testing sessions.
Interactive Prototype 2
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Computer Code, Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
25/09/2025 - 26/09/2025
Testing during allocated studio sessions. Testing material (prototype code, video/photos, low-fidelity prototypes, testing plan) and outcomes (results) are due to be submitted at the end of testing session.
- Other conditions
- Secure.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
In this course, students will develop a number of prototypes with accompanying testing session design/plan as a means of evaluating conceptual & functional aspects of an idea. Students will submit three prototypes:
- Interactive prototype 1 (Thursday Week 5 10:00, 25%, Individual) - students will develop a Horizontal/Experiential prototype of their application using Unity. The prototype should allow users to experience & evaluate the concept at a high level.
- Interactive prototype 2 (Thursday Week 9 10:00, 25%, Individual) - students will develop an Extended Reality (Unity/XR) interactive prototype of their application using Unity 3D and Meta Quest. The prototype should allow users to experience the key extended reality features of the interaction.
- Interactive prototype 3 (Thursday Week 12 10:00, 25%, Individual) - students will develop an iteration of prototype 2. This iteration can either improve the previous prototype, explore an alternative interaction to the previous prototype or explore another modality of Extended Reality.
All prototypes will be accompanied by a Prototype Testing plan that includes:
- the design journal detailing the sketches, notes, and other brainstorming activities that lead up to the development of the respective prototype
- the purpose of the prototype being tested (what aspect of your idea it has been developed to test)
- the decisions made when constructing the prototype - what was important to include & exclude in order to meet the requirements of the testing
- the testing approach for the prototype - what users were asked to do & the methods you used to gather feedback
Additionally, each prototype must be accompanied by:
- Source codes/Unity project
- Video of the working prototype
Testing of prototypes will be carried out in studio sessions in Weeks 5, 9, 12 with the Prototyping plan due before the first studio of the week (Thursday 10am)
Testing sessions are identity-verified and mandatory for all students. Failure to attend mandatory testing sessions will result in a grade of zero for that prototype deliverable unless prior approval is granted.
Note on the use of AI for this assessment:
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Hurdle requirements
In order to pass the course, students must: - achieve at least a Pass for 2 out of the 3 interactive prototype assessments, and - be present at allocated testing prototyping sessions (identity-verified hurdle).Submission guidelines
Testing in practical sessions, files to Blackboard/wiki/git as per individual prototype briefs.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Extensions are not available for this assessment item.
This is to allow the testing session with your peers to proceed as scheduled and is consistent with professional and industry expectations.
Late Penalty: 100% Late Penalty (no grace period) if students are not present for testing sessions.
Interactive Prototype 3
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Computer Code, Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
23/10/2025 - 24/10/2025
Testing during allocated studio sessions. Testing material (prototype code, video/photos, low-fidelity prototypes, testing plan) and outcomes (results) are due to be submitted at the end of testing session.
- Other conditions
- Secure.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
In this course, students will develop a number of prototypes with accompanying testing session design/plan as a means of evaluating conceptual & functional aspects of an idea. Students will submit three prototypes:
- Interactive prototype 1 (Thursday Week 5 10:00, 25%, Individual) - students will develop a Horizontal/Experiential prototype of their application using Unity. The prototype should allow users to experience & evaluate the concept at a high level.
- Interactive prototype 2 (Thursday Week 9 10:00, 25%, Individual) - students will develop an Extended Reality (Unity/XR) interactive prototype of their application using Unity 3D and Meta Quest. The prototype should allow users to experience the key extended reality features of the interaction.
- Interactive prototype 3 (Thursday Week 12 10:00, 25%, Individual) - students will develop an iteration of prototype 2. This iteration can either improve the previous prototype, explore an alternative interaction to the previous prototype or explore another modality of Extended Reality.
All prototypes will be accompanied by a Prototype Testing plan that includes:
- the design journal detailing the sketches, notes, and other brainstorming activities that lead up to the development of the respective prototype
- the purpose of the prototype being tested (what aspect of your idea it has been developed to test)
- the decisions made when constructing the prototype - what was important to include & exclude in order to meet the requirements of the testing
- the testing approach for the prototype - what users were asked to do & the methods you used to gather feedback
Additionally, each prototype must be accompanied by:
- Source codes/Unity project
- Video of the working prototype
Testing of prototypes will be carried out in studio sessions in Weeks 5, 9, 12 with the Prototyping plan due before the first studio of the week (Thursday 10am)
Testing sessions are identity-verified and mandatory for all students. Failure to attend mandatory testing sessions will result in a grade of zero for that prototype deliverable unless prior approval is granted.
Note on the use of AI for this assessment:
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Hurdle requirements
In order to pass the course, students must: - achieve at least a Pass for 2 out of the 3 interactive prototype assessments, and - be present at allocated testing prototyping sessions (identity-verified hurdle).Submission guidelines
Testing in practical sessions, files to Blackboard/wiki/git as per individual prototype briefs.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Extensions are not available for this assessment item.
This is to allow the testing session with your peers to proceed as scheduled and is consistent with professional and industry expectations.
Late Penalty: 100% Late Penalty (no grace period) if students are not present for testing sessions.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Failure to meet most or all of the basic requirements of the course and/or Failure to meet participation requirements. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Clear deficiencies in understanding and applying fundamental knowledge and skills of the course. Work submitted demonstrates a lack of understanding and application of fundamental skills of the course. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Falling short of sufficient understanding of the concepts and skills in the field; inability to communicate ideas clearly; falling short of basic requirements in the production and iteration of digital prototypes. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Satisfactory understanding of basic concepts and skills of the field; ability to communicate ideas clearly; ability to apply skills to the production of basic interactive prototypes; ability to document and reflect on own design work. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Good understanding of basic concepts and skills of the field; ability to communicate ideas clearly; ability to apply skills to the production of appropriate interactive prototypes; ability to identify critical issues and suggest solutions to problem encountered in prototype testing; ability to document and reflect on own design work. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Thorough understanding of the field and ability to draw links between critical issues; effective communication of ideas; ability to apply skills to the production of appropriate and considered interactive prototypes; ability to identify critical issues and suggest effective solutions to problems encountered in prototype testing; critical analysis of existing works, literature and ability to evaluate new challenges; ability to document and critically reflect on own design work; Ability to reflect on own practice and process. Engagement with course material through active participation. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Thorough understanding of the field at a deeper level and ability to draw links between fields; effective communication of ideas; ability to resolve problems effectively and innovatively; ability to apply skills to the production of appropriate and considered prototype to effectively test interaction ideas. Ability to document, critically reflect on and refine own practice and process. Engagement with course material through active participation. |
Additional course grading information
A qualitative grading system is used in this course, whereby you will receive qualitative feedback on your work. Grades for assessment in this course will identify your work as being of a particular standard that fall within a meaningful UQ grade band:
- High Distinction (7)
- Distinction (6)
- Credit (5)
- Pass (4)
- Fail (1 – 3)
Within each category, there may be a further qualifier of + or - to indicate that the work is at the upper or lower bounds of the category. For example, if work is assessed at the level of Distinction then it has been assessed overall to meet the quality described by the Distinction grade descriptor. Distinction- means that the work is assessed at Distinction level, but it is at the lower bound having just satisfied the requirements for Distinction. Distinction+ means that the work is assessed at Distinction, but while it is at the upper bound of this grade, it is missing key aspects that would lead it to be assessed at the next grade up.
Qualitative grading is the only method used in this course to grade work but in order to calculate a grade, each qualitative descriptor is coded to a numerical digit from 0 – 15 (see below). There are no % used in any calculation and the coding system does not correspond to a % value.
The qualitative grades in this course map to UQ Grade bands as follows:
- High Distinction+ (15) --> High Distinction (7)
- High Distinction (14) --> High Distinction (7)
- High Distinction- (13) --> High Distinction (7)
- Distinction+ (12) --> Distinction (6)
- Distinction (11) --> Distinction (6)
- Distinction- (10) --> Distinction (6)
- Credit+ (9) --> Credit (5)
- Credit (8) --> Credit (5)
- Credit- (7) --> Credit (5)
- Pass+ (6) --> Pass (4)
- Pass (5) --> Pass (4)
- Pass- (4) --> Pass (4)
- Fail+ (3) --> Fail (3)
- Fail (2) --> Fail (2)
- Fail- (1) --> Fail (1)
- X --> 0
The final grade for an assignment is calculated by assigning the qualitative grade its corresponding digit from the coding system and the weighting in a formula to arrive at a final grade. The Course Coordinator reserves the right to moderate grades. The final grade for the course uses the same principle (see table below for examples).
Example 1:
- Prototype 1: Pass+ (6)
- Prototype 2: Pass (5)
- Prototype 3: Pass- (4)
- Challenge: Credit- (7)
- Initial Grade Calculation: (6*0.3) + (5*0.3) + (4*0.3) + (7*0.1) = 5.2
- Final UQ Grade: Pass (4)
Example 2:
- Prototype 1: Credit- (7)
- Prototype 2: Credit (8)
- Prototype 3: Credit- (7)
- Challenge: Pass- (4)
- Initial Grade Calculation: (7*0.3) + (8*0.3) + (7*0.3) + (4*0.1) = 7
- Final UQ Grade: Credit (5)
Example 3:
- Prototype 1: Distinction- (10)
- Prototype 2: High Distinction (14)
- Prototype 3: Credit (8)
- Challenge: Distinction+ (12)
- Initial Grade Calculation: (10*0.3) + (14*0.3) + (8*0.3) + (12*0.1) = 10.8
- Final UQ Grade: Distinction (6)
Example 4:
- Prototype 1: High Distinction- (13)
- Prototype 2: High Distinction (14)
- Prototype 3: Distinction+ (12)
- Challenge: Credit (8)
- Initial Grade Calculation: (13*0.3) + (14*0.3) + (12*0.3) + (8*0.1) = 12.5
- Final UQ Grade: High Distinction (7)
Example 5:
- Prototype 1: Fail+ (3)
- Prototype 2: High Distinction (14)
- Prototype 3: Distinction+ (12)
- Challenge: Distinction+ (12)
- Initial Grade Calculation: (3*0.3) + (14*0.3) + (12*0.3) + (12*0.1) = 9
- Final UQ Grade: Fail (3)*
* Final grade capped at 3 due to failing Prototype 1. Passing/Failing assignments, additional information: Failing Prototype 1 or 2 means the final grade for the course is capped at a 3.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is not available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Having Troubles?
If you are having difficulties with any aspect of the course material you should seek help. Speak to the course teaching staff.
If external circumstances are affecting your ability to work on the course, you should seek help as soon as possible. The University and UQ Union have organisations and staff who are able to help, for example, UQ Student Services are able to help with study and exam skills, tertiary learning skills, writing skills, financial assistance, personal issues, and disability services (among other things).
Complaints and criticisms should be directed in the first instance to the course coordinator. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may bring the matter to the attention of the School of EECS Director of Teaching and Learning.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
The course has a Blackboard site where static course information can be found - assessment briefs, contact activities & grades.
There is also an Ed Discussion for course announcements, discussions and sharing of interesting resources related to class activitiesﾠ- details will be distributed in class.
Contacts will be recorded, however due to the nature of the session discussions and activities may not be captured clearly. And as such, recordings should not be used as a substitute for active participation.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Applied Class |
Practical Applied sessions are intended for technical support and skills development, and feedback on project ideas. Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Lecture |
Lecture These sessions will cover prototyping theory. In-session activities will apply & extend the theory discussed. Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05 |
|
Studio |
Studio These sessions are used for XR technology exploration, design activities and user-testing of prototypes. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: