Warren Fearn

Warren Fearn is an Associate Professor at York St John University and a Postgraduate Researcher in the School of Arts and Creative Technologies at the University of York. He straddles creative industries and academia, leading postgraduate programmes while pursuing a PhD that explores how augmented reality (AR) can enrich primary science education.

Education & Career Path:

• MA in Furniture Design, Bucks University
• Freelance designer with Pentland Centre on European women’s footwear
• 3D graphics specialist at Alias Wavefront
• Virtual Set Designer, BBC VR Studios London
• 3DFX department contributor, BBC (Horizon, CBeebies, National Geographic)

Research Focus: Dr Fearn’s scholarship centres on augmented reality, extended reality (XR), and service design methodologies to overcome barriers to AR adoption in UK primary schools. His work combines immersive 3D graphics expertise with pedagogical insight to design meaningful AR experiences that support Key Stage 2 science curricula.

Across his recent publications and keynote talks—including a TEDxDoncaster talk and contributions to Teaching and Learning with Technologies in the Primary School (Routledge)—a clear trend emerges: leveraging service-design thinking to align AR tools with teacher workflows, pupil engagement patterns, and curriculum objectives, thereby accelerating mainstream uptake of XR technologies in classrooms.

Awards & Recognition:

• Promax Award (BBC 3DFX projects)
• Emmy Award nomination

Grants & External Engagement:

• Unreal Mega Grant (2019) – exploring AR for primary science education
• Keynote & invited speaker: TEDxDoncaster 2024, Animex Festival 2024, Pint of Science 2024
• Media coverage: BBC Sounds, York Press, That’s York TV

Warren Fearn currently advises postgraduate students at York St John University while developing funded AR prototypes that bridge classroom and remote learning environments.