NATURED VR
About
About
The program provides students at the university with an unprecedented educational experience. With virtual reality technology, learning can become more engaging and immersive. We will create a virtual classroom environment that allows students to experience and explore the natural environment in new ways.
Design Brief
“Immersive Education”
Students with the conceptualisation and creation of a functional VR prototype aimed at teaching University students relevant topics within an immersive virtual environment.
include the topics below:
• Induction into the University campus
• Supporting hybrid class between online and offline (collaborative classroom)
• Public transit
• Health and safety induction (Virtual DMAF Lab induction? Chemistry? etc)
Project Type
Tools
3D, VR
Unity
Background Research
We found out that there is a trend that a number of universities have introduced VR education in their curriculum to achieve active learning experiences that place the student at the center of learning and to tackle the current challenges in traditional teaching. And it has been proven to be feasible and efficient to a certain extent.
75%
is the retention rate of VR training in schools, beating out lectures (5%), reading (10%), and audio-visual learning (20%) (Witte, Caroline, 2020)
8.8%
is the average increase in memory recall using VR in a study comparing VR and desktop learning (University of Maryland, 2018)
14%
higher accuracy and 17% faster time to completion was the result of a skilled labor study using VR training versus instructional video (Raghavan Rakesh, Rao Prahlad, 2018)
Market Research/Analysis
Although VR education has more or less manifested its value in promoting active learning and providing more accessibility with less cost, there are still some factors hindering VR adoption. Lack of content offerings (27%) is the top obstacle, followed by poor user experience (19%). (Perkins Coie, 2020)
1.Lack of Content Offerings
2.Poor User Experience
Response to The Design Brief
Currently, online and distance learning is becoming increasingly popular, and many people are now acknowledging the benefits of online learning platforms. With such drastic changes, it makes sense that people utilize technology to increase the potential of a learning environment. In addition, with the rise of the metaverse, VR is also growing more common. In the education domain, VR enables active learning that involves the participation of students as they learn by “doing and immersing” as opposed to learning through alternative passive methods, such as listening to a lecture. Nevertheless, based on the background and market research, our group identified that university students may generally expect VR education to promote more immersive learning and accessible practical activities; moreover, there are two less addressed issues regarding VR education, which are content offerings and user experience.
As a result, in our design concept, our group attempts to apply VR education to higher education by creating a simulated and immersive environment that facilitates the immersive and practical study of university students in a certain subject. It is expected to reduce the expenses and risks of physical field trips, which might be encountered in traditional teaching methodologies, and offer a certain amount of educational content with a clear user experience.
Target User Group
Natural environment university students:This app was originally designed and created for students who study the natural environment. These students need to understand how natural environments work and how climate change can affect those environments. Through VR applications, they can experience these environments first-hand without the need for a physical visit.
Needs：
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Practical experience
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Safe learning
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Efficiency and cost
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Deep learning needs
Evaluation & Iteration
In the initial interface, our concept is to present a space resembling a classroom, creating a sense of realism for the users. In this space, we will create a chalkboard and a door. Through the chalkboard, users can select the scene they wish to explore, such as a jungle, ocean, or volcano. Once they have chosen their scene, they simply need to open the door to enter that world.
We tested our prototype with 20 students, and 9 of them (45%) expressed that the instructions in the prototype were not clear enough, causing confusion about the next steps.
Description of The Prototype
Our project is primarily aimed at students of the University of Sydney (USYD), offering an unprecedented educational experience. In traditional classroom learning, students typically acquire knowledge through textbooks, slides, or classroom lectures. However, we believe that through virtual reality technology, learning can become more engaging and immersive. We will create a virtual classroom environment that allows students to experience and explore natural environments in entirely new ways.
In our virtual classroom, students will have the opportunity to select different natural settings, including pristine forests, glaciers, plateaus, and more. These environments are characterized by extreme natural conditions and are filled with captivating resources and ecosystems. However, traveling to these places often involves significant risks, such as extreme weather, wildlife encounters, or high altitudes. By using virtual reality technology, we can provide students with a safe exploration opportunity while maintaining a sense of realism and deep interactivity.