CS 559: Introduction to Virtual Reality [NIU]

Introduction to Virtual and Augmented Reality covering immersion, presence, technology, perception, and health effects. Students work on content creation, interaction, and iterative design projects.

Course Material

Grading

  • Class Participation 10% (undergrads only)
  • Paper Presentations 10% (graduate students only)
  • Exams 30% (10% each, 3 exams — no Final Exam)
  • Assignments 30% (5 at 6% each)
  • Projects 30% (10% project 00, 20% project 01)

Schedule

Week Topic
1 What is VR and the History of VR
2 Iterative Design
3 Hardware and Software
4 Immersion, Presence, and Reality Trade-Offs
5 Content Creation and Environmental Design
6 Affecting Behavior
7 Human-Centered Interaction in VR
8 Perception: Models, Processes, and Modalities
9 Perception of Space and Time
10 Health Effects: Motion Sickness, Eye Strain, Seizures, and Aftereffects