I-Merse is an interdisciplinary research group within the University of South-Eastern Norway that aims to advance the effecti ... ve utilization of immersive environments in education, the public and commercial sectors, and society as a whole. Immersive technologies are beginning to shape our ways of living in a digital age by changing how we consume and process information. These changes will have a far reaching impact on how we live our lives and how we interact with the world around us - the ways in which we communicate, learn, work, shop and play - and will have a profound impact on community and societal interactions. The impending mass adoption of immersive technologies raises fundamental questions about the risks and opportunities afforded by the technology to its users and society as a whole. Commercially available immersive technologies have developed at a rapid pace over the past decade in both technological capabilities and affordability for consumers. However, there is a lack of knowledge on how usage may affect some users, ranging from children and adolescents to adults, seniors and persons with disabilities. How do we best design and use these technologies to maximize its benefits while minimizing threats and the introduction of new and potentially unforeseen problems. Our first objective is to explore possible ways of optimizing the use of commercially available immersive technologies for training, learning and understanding behaviour among university students. Knowledge and skills suitable for developing experiential learning in immersive technologies and methods for studying behaviour in immersive technologies will be investigated. read more