Advanced Certificate in Building Virtual Worlds with Impact

• Advanced 3D Modeling: Students will dive into advanced techniques for 3D modeling, learning to create complex and detailed models for virtual worlds. They'll become proficient in using industry-standard tools such as Blender or Maya to bring their ideas to life. • Realistic Lighting & Shading: This unit will cover the principles of lighting and shading in virtual environments, allowing students to create more immersive and believable experiences. Topics will include global illumination, image-based lighting, and physically-based rendering. • Interaction Design for Virtual Worlds: Students will learn how to design intuitive and engaging interactive experiences within virtual worlds. They'll explore concepts such as user interface design, haptic feedback, and spatial audio. • Advanced Animation Techniques: In this unit, students will focus on advanced animation techniques to create dynamic and responsive virtual worlds. Topics will include keyframe animation, motion capture, and inverse kinematics. • Building Virtual Ecosystems: Students will learn how to create complex and dynamic virtual ecosystems, including the creation of realistic flora, fauna, and weather systems. They'll explore the use of procedural generation techniques and artificial life algorithms. • Virtual Reality Development: This unit will cover the fundamentals of virtual reality development, including best practices for designing immersive experiences and optimizing performance for VR headsets. Students will become proficient in using game engines such as Unity or Unreal Engine for VR development. • Augmented Reality Development: Students will learn how to create augmented reality experiences using tools such as ARKit, ARCore, and Vuforia. They'll explore the unique challenges and opportunities of AR development and learn how to create engaging and interactive AR applications. • Virtual Worlds for Social Impact: In this unit, students will explore how virtual worlds can be used to create positive social impact. Topics will include education, healthcare, accessibility, and environmental conservation. Students will learn how to design virtual worlds that are both entertaining and socially responsible. • Ethics in Virtual Worlds: This unit will cover the ethical considerations of virtual world development, including issues such as privacy, security, and user safety. Students will learn how to create virtual worlds that are ethical, responsible, and inclusive.