Online learning and development programs

Online learning

The global community is dealing with unprecedented changes to everyday routine as a result of COVID-19. The things we took for granted have been consumed by lockdown, leaving us looking for new ways to spend our time.

One thing that can be utilised, is the investment of time in learning and development; now is the perfect time to expand one’s knowledge base, upskill and even reskill.

Here are some companies offering free ways to broaden your knowledge about immersive technology during the stay-at-home period. 

A Free VR Course from VRTL

If your work schedule or class schedule has been turned upside down because of the crisis, it might be the time to broaden your skill-set. The team has made its ‘Introduction To 360/VR course Package’ free (usually $79.95) for everyone until the end of April 2020.

The course is made up of six chapters, which span from 30 minutes to 65 minutes, which allow you to immerse yourself in the art of VR storytelling and learn the fundamentals of the production process.

Free Registration for RealTime Conference

Organizers of the inaugural RealTime conference, which was due to take place in Paris and New York on 6th and 7th April, have moved the conference online and in the spirit of community, all registration fees have been waived. 

The online event on 6th and 7th April will offer an opportunity to connect, learn, and share with leaders and cutting-edge real-time innovators. Top-tier speakers from companies such as Intel, Epic Games, Google, Facebook, Adobe, Activision, Foundry, Weta Digital, Magnopus, Spatial, Daimler, Oculus VR, and Pixar will be sharing insights and present-day applications of real-time technologies on their own infrastructure, business, and resources. Topics will touch on:

  • Crafting Real and Virtual Architecture in Real-Time and
  • Fostering Customers Engagement Through Real-Time
  • Interactive Experiences to Bringing Real-Time Pipelines to Movie-Making
  • The Real in Real-Time Photoreal Digital Humans.

A Free Learning Service from Unity

Unity Learn is offering three months of free access to its premium learning service which has a library of high-quality tutorials to teach you everything from coding to art and game design. All you need to do is register for a free account.

Also included in the offer is access to ‘Create with Code Live’, a virtual course for students, teachers, or anyone interested in learning to code. Each weekday at 9 am and 5 pm PT, Unity will host an hour-long virtual class with live Q&A, to help you develop foundational skills in Unity, C# computer programming, game design, and development. 

A Free Crash Course in Unreal Engine

Unreal Engine, offers free video courses and guided learning paths—not just during the Coronavirus pandemic, but all the time.

Start at the very basics: walk through the initial steps of using Unreal Engine and how to build an interactive experience, learn the principles of the user interface and the essential features of the engine. Then, gradually work your way up to understand studio lighting, the fundamentals of real-time rendering and how to launch your first Marketplace product.

The lessons vary in length from 30 minutes to two hours, so you can pick whatever works best for you.