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Mobile-based VR for Informal STEM Learning

October 24, 2022

Sang Won Lee, Todd Ogle, Myounghoon (Philart) Jeon, Zach Duer, Chelsea Haines, and Phyllis Leary Newbill will present their research on “Mobile-based VR for Informal STEM Learning” at the CHCI ICAT Playdate this Friday, October 28 (8-30-9:30 am, Community Assembly, 185 Kent St, and online). CHCI members are in bold.

Virtual reality (VR) technologies have great potential in STEM education because they provide immersive learning experiences that one cannot have in the real world. However, interactivity using VR head-mounted displays is often a solitary experience, isolating learners from the social and learning context. This makes it challenging to learn through collaborations with peers and instructors. Furthermore, many learners are excluded from using virtual reality headsets, including children, people who wear glasses, and those vulnerable to health concerns such as motion sickness, nausea, and falling. 

We address the barrier to an inclusive and social VR experience by developing and deploying a mobile device-based VR platform to enable social learning. The project has partnered with the Science Museum of Western Virginia, the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT), and the Center for Educational Networks and Impacts (CENI) at Virginia Tech to support socially constructed, informal STEM learning for their wide range of visitors, including young children with family members, local K-12 school students, and college students. In this talk, we will share our progress and demonstrate two types of content: In-Between Spaces by Zach Duer and Solar System Explore by Todd Ogle and Phyllis Newbill. 

Team members (CHCI members in bold):

Students

  • Carlos Augusto Bautista Isaza (CS)
  • Daniel Enriquez (CS)
  • Hayoun Moon (ISE)
  • Shane Bennett (ISE)
  • Matthew Gallagher (CS)
  • James Kiscaden (SOVA)
  • Mariam Eqbal (SOVA)
  • Mia Saade (ISE)Macey Cohn (CS)
  • Leah Ican (CS)
  • Alayna Ricard (SOVA)
  • Atlas Vernier (ISE)

Faculty

  • Sang Won Lee (CS)
  • Myounghoon Jeon (ISE)
  • Todd Ogle (University Libraries)
  • Zachary Duer (SOVA)
  • Phyllis Leary Newbill
  • Chelsea Haines