Christopher O’Connor is a Research Fellow for the Global Smart Lab and a Digital Media Technician at the University of Southampton, Winchester School of Art. He specialises in VR technologies, web development, and digital design, with a particular focus on transforming teaching and learning practices. He co‑authored a collaborative teaching framework rooted in problem‑based learning, published by Bloomsbury Academic, and later gave a follow‑up presentation on this work at the CAN Conference in Plymouth, discussing his continued use of the Triple P Framework within his teaching practice. He also teaches both undergraduate and postgraduate art and design students in digital design and emerging technologies.

Chris has been jointly published in several academic papers as part of his VR research, including work on Virtual Reality (VR) Grocery Shopping and An Immersive Reproduction Project, the latter of which was presented at the world‑leading IEEE VR Conference.

His primary research centres on Rethinking Learning Spaces, focusing on how Extended Reality (XR) platforms can support and enhance education within art and design. He explores how immersive technologies can improve accessibility and inclusion in higher education while fostering social presence and collaborative learning. As part of this work, his current project involves designing and implementing a virtual campus, contributing to the development of VR and AR applications that support innovative, inclusive, and hybrid models of art and design education.