Students from the Master’s Degree in Investigative Journalism, New Narratives, Data, Fact-Checking, Transparency and Artificial Intelligence at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) recently participated in an immersive learning activity focused on the future of journalism, digital storytelling and virtual worlds technologies.
The initiative was developed by the Ciberimaginario Research Group and the XRCOMLAB within the framework of the European project UPRAISE – Virtual Worlds Innovation Masters, a large-scale European initiative aimed at integrating immersive technologies such as XR, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Twins and virtual environments into higher education and professional training programmes across Europe.
The workshop provided students with direct access to advanced immersive technologies currently available at the Ciberimaginario Research Group and the XRCOMLAB facilities. Participants were able to experience virtual reality applications using professional headsets including VARJO, PICO 4 and Meta Quest Pro, while also testing different experimental prototypes related to immersive journalism, interactive narratives and digital communication.
In addition, the activity included demonstrations of advanced drone technologies for audiovisual production, allowing students to explore innovative approaches to immersive reporting, spatial storytelling and multimedia content creation in emerging media ecosystems.
Beyond the technological experimentation itself, the session was designed to reflect the broader educational objectives of the UPRAISE project: fostering interdisciplinary digital skills and supporting the integration of virtual worlds and immersive technologies into university curricula, particularly within Master’s programmes connected to communication, media, creativity and digital innovation.
Throughout the activity, students discussed how XR technologies and virtual environments are reshaping journalism and media production, opening new possibilities for audience engagement, data visualisation, immersive storytelling and interactive communication. Special attention was also given to the ethical and professional challenges associated with artificial intelligence and emerging digital environments.
This type of hands-on educational experience reflects the pedagogical approach promoted by UPRAISE, which combines academic innovation, industry-oriented training and practical experimentation to prepare future professionals for the evolving ecosystem of virtual worlds and immersive communication.
