Academic · Educator · Creative technologist

Designing how people learn, make & imagine.

Senior Lecturer & Associate Program Manager — Digital Media at RMIT Vietnam. Building thoughtful experiences where creativity, education and emerging technology meet.

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A concise, selected overview - not the complete academic CV. Please get in touch for the full and detailed record.

Portrait of Dr. Surendheran K. — **Dr. Surendheran K.**B.E., MS (UK), Ph.D., FHEA

15y 9mTeaching experience since Nov 2010

6Countries taught in

18Publications — and growing

8Awards & recognitions

Profile

Research-informed teaching meets creative production.

Award-winning digital media educator and academic leader working across immersive media, 3D visualisation, digital pedagogy, VR/AR in education, e-learning, and technology-assisted learning.

Selected work

Ideas made tangible.

All projects →

Learning Design · 2025

Media Cues

**Media Cues** is an educational board game designed to support active and collaborative learning in media and communication education. Developed through an educational innovation initiative, the game transforms key media concepts into an interactive classroom experience where participants respond to prompts, discuss interpretations, and apply theoretical ideas to practical scenarios. The project was created to make concept-heavy learning more accessible, engaging, and discussion-driven. By encouraging peer interaction and collaborative problem-solving, Media Cues helps students build media literacy, critical thinking, and confidence in communicating complex ideas. The game was also shared through a staff Community of Practice, supporting wider conversations about playful learning, classroom engagement, and the use of game-based approaches in higher education.

Learning Design · 2025

IMMERSE Framework

A learning framework for immersive media education adopted by Zhengzhou Business University and Lincoln University College. The **IMMERSE Framework** is a pedagogical approach developed to guide the meaningful integration of immersive technologies into teaching and learning. Rather than using virtual or mixed reality as a novelty, the framework helps educators align immersive experiences with clear learning outcomes, active participation, reflection, and assessment. The framework supports the design of learning activities in which students explore concepts through experience, interaction, and situated practice. It is particularly suited to subjects where spatial understanding, embodied learning, simulation, storytelling, or experiential engagement can strengthen comprehension. IMMERSE has informed the design of my immersive learning projects, including virtual reality activities in theory-heavy courses. It provides educators with a structured way to determine when immersive technology adds genuine educational value and how it can be incorporated without losing sight of accessibility, pedagogy, or student learning.

Interactive Installation · 2025

Morphology of Kinesis

A biophilic, real-time AI installation that transforms a living terrarium into an evolving visual environment. Audiences become co-authors of digital habitats while reflecting on equitable access to nature, environmental learning, and regenerative futures.

Education Innovation · 2025

Regenerating Heritage: Student-Led 3D Preservation of Vietnamese Cultural Sites

Students in RMIT Vietnam's Fundamentals of Creative 3D course have reconstructed more than 50 Vietnamese heritage sites in Blender. Each cohort expands a living digital archive, combining industry-ready 3D skills with cultural stewardship and regenerative design education.

Immersive Media · 2024

Education without Borders

**Education Without Borders** was an immersive mixed-reality initiative developed to explore how emerging technologies can create more accessible, engaging, and future-focused learning experiences. The project used extended reality to demonstrate how digital environments can move learning beyond the limitations of the traditional classroom, enabling participants to interact with educational content in more experiential and embodied ways. The project was showcased during a high-level institutional visit attended by senior RMIT leadership, including the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor. My contribution involved supporting the development and presentation of the mixed-reality experience, translating educational ideas into an accessible demonstration that highlighted the potential of immersive media in higher education. The project strengthened conversations around technology-enhanced learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the role of immersive media in shaping inclusive and innovative educational experiences.

Augmented Reality · 2022

Augmented Reality Lab Learning App

Developed for doctoral research, this Android AR application lets online learners interact with virtual lab equipment and complete practice-based tasks when physical laboratories are unavailable. Built with Unity, Vuforia, Blender, Substance Painter, Maya, Photoshop, and C#.