IR Format Example

You might also like

Download as docx, pdf, or txt
Download as docx, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1of 67

INVESTIGATION REPORT

ScienceQuestVR: A VR learning tool for science students in High


School

By

Goviind Rai Singh Sikander

TP055126

UC3F2111MMT(VRAR)

Main Supervisor: Ts. Dr. Siti Azreena Binti Mubin

2nd marker: Ms. Rizawati Rohizan

1
Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction………………………………………………………………………..2

Chapter 2: Literature Review……………………………………………….………………..10

Chapter 3: Technical Requirements…………………………………………………………..22

Chapter 4: Methodology……………………………………………………………………...29

Chapter 5: Data Gathering……………………………………………………………………35

Chapter 6: Data Validation…………………………………………………………………...44

Chapter 7: Conclusion………………………………………………………………………..64

2
Chapter 1 IR: Introduction 

1. Background of the project 


 
This project is a response to the rapidly aging method of education, today with the current
takeover of Generation Z as the primary students of the past decade it is high time that
educational institutions all over the globe adapt and enhance alongside all other aspects of our
constantly evolving planet.   
Teaching methods today are more carefully considered than before, as over the past
couple decades studies have been conducted and research has proven that the way a teacher
conveys information to students is extremely crucial and can directly affect the perception of
a subject or topic for a student. In the past students different learning styles like Visual,
Auditory, Kinaesthetic and Reader/Writers (Malvik, 2020) were not considered in teaching
methods and teachers taught the same standard way to all standards, which quickly became
stale as a good number of students would be unable to properly learn; a number that is rapidly
growing nowadays which proves how stale teaching methods have become. 
However, students learning ability depends on many factors and these can be both
internal factors such as physical and physiological and external factors such as facilities and
environments (Munawaroh, 2017). Which is why this project and report is being conducted;
to relay the importance of teaching methods and to explore and enhance on current teaching
methods. 
Generation Z students have grown up and have been working alongside the use of
technology from an extremely young age, in a way they can be referred to as ‘Digital
Natives’, they are described as problem solvers and expect a higher level of integration of
technology compared to previous generations and tend to approach problems with a flexible
and entrepreneurial approach. Which is where the proposed system comes in, to provide a
refreshing interactive learning environment that is meant to act as a substitute and/or addition
to the traditional classroom by taking advantage of the emerging VR technologies, since
systems already exist for subjects like neuroscience and chemistry, the proposed system has
potential. 
 
 

3
2. Problem Context and Statement 
 
The implementation of Virtual Reality systems into the education system at the middle
school and high school level is an innovative idea but is also one that is limited. The 2 main
problems that surround its widespread use in educational institutions are the fact. 
 
A. Current teaching methods are stale and lack engagement.  
A study done by the University of California in understanding the effects
active teaching had on students showed that classes that deliver the classic face to face
stand and talk lectures were 1.5 times more likely to fail compared to students in more
active and engaging classes (Bajak, 2014).
 
B. Lack of technology self-efficacy amongst educators 
Teachers themselves are worried about the self-efficacy of using the
technology as most of them are unsure of even where to start, 64% of 41 respondents
of a questionnaire said that they have never used VR. (Cooper et al., 2019). A
percentage of the same respondents were also worried about the cost of
implementation and the cost of training the teachers to use the headsets and the cost of
implementing it for students. 
 
C. Not available for all students in all areas 
Virtual Reality, while it has gone down in price over the past few years as the  
tech became more widespread and due to more companies releasing their own VR
products, competitive pricing has helped in making it more affordable. However, it  
still would cost an amount of money that most public institutions don’t have and its  
unlikely to be implemented anywhere but urban private institutions. 
 
 
 
 

4
3. Rationale  
 
In the past decade, Virtual Reality technology has been less of a ‘futuristic dream’ and
more of a realistic possibility, with VR currently solidifying itself as a viable technology that
could be applied into various kinds of industries. One of these industries is education, an
industry that is so crucial to humanity that it must adapt with the times in order to increase its
efficacy and stay relevant. Exploring the effects Virtual Reality has on education is an idea
that can provide many positive results with correct usage and the appropriate environment. 
There have been numerous papers that discuss the positives and negatives of the
implementation of Virtual Reality in education. It has been in discussion with research
studies dating back to the late 1990s. After some reading was done, the conclusion we arrived
to is that there is evidence across multiple papers to show that there is great support for
implementing Virtual Reality in a classroom, support that has grown over the years as we
leave the ‘Information Age’ and enter the ‘Experience Age’. (Hu-Au & Lee, 2018) 
Virtual Reality as an industry has grown over the years and is assumed to grow larger
over the next few years, growth in the market size has been forecasted to grow more each
year all the way to 2028 ("Virtual Reality Market Share & Trends Report, 2021-2028",
2021). 
 

 
Figure 1: ("Virtual Reality Market Share & Trends Report, 2021-2028", 2021) 
 
 

5
4. Potential Benefits 
 
 
There are 2 types of potential benefits that will be considered in this investigation report
will be tangible and intangible benefits, this is a clear way to separate and state the
physical results and the non-physical results. 
 
 
1. Tangible Benefits 
 
Criteria  Existing System  Proposed System 
Engagement with Assets  In Mind VR allows the user to  The proposed system will
visualize and interact with allow a large engagement level
brain neurons with many different kinds of
assets.
Experiment Visualization  Mel Chemistry VR includes  The experiments will have
realistic recreation of simple multiple different
chemistry lab experiments.  functionalities amongst the
subjects.
Accessibility   The existing system  Will be a desktop application
InMindVR is available on PC that requires a VR HMD to be
and on Mobile Devices while connected to the PC in order to
MEL Chemistry VR is a function.
standalone product that must
be purchased separately.
 
 

6
1.4.2 Intangible Benefits 
 
Criteria  Existing System  Proposed System 
Realism  Mel Chemistry VR has a sense  The proposed system utilizes
of realism in a way that it a brand-new game engine that
resembles the design of the will have an increased amount
laboratories and the of realism and visual feel.
experiments
Excitement and Interest   Mel Chemistry VR is rather  The proposed system will
exciting in the way that there definitely generate interest and
aren’t many other products out excitement in the way its
there that allow users to created and designed based on
virtually do chemistry lab visual appeal alone and also
experiments. the smooth functionalities that
will be implemented.
Experience Enhancement   There is not much  The proposed application
enhancement on the intends to enhance on the
experience apart from the learning experience by
added safety from MEL utilizing teaching methods and
Chemistry VR experiments done purely in
VR
 

 
5. Target Users 
 
The target users for the proposed application are set for students between the ages of
14-18. The reason for this demographic selection is because these ages are prime
education years; the years that define whether a student becomes a doctor, an engineer, a
scriptwriter. Which is why it is impeccable that the material be delivered in an intuitive
and innovate fashion that will exceed students’ expectations and invite them to draw their
attention to subjects they would otherwise apply minimal effort just to try and pass. 

7
 
Simply put, the target users are: 
a. Students in middle to high school level  
b. Teachers who teach science subjects 
 
 
6. Aims and Objectives 
 
1.6.1 Aim 
The aim of this application is to create an innovative and engaging method of education
that can enhance the classroom learning experience for both students and teachers and to
provide a more in-depth experience into science subjects, which can cater towards a
multiple amount of different learning types and create more interest in subjects. 
1.6.2 Objectives 
1. To evaluate whether VR technology will be an effective teaching tool for students
at the Middle and High school level. 
2. To develop engaging teaching methods using VR to create a more immersive
learning environment 
3. To investigate the positive and negative effects of VR use on a student’s
physiology and psychology 
 
1.6.3 Deliverables  
The main deliverable that I hope to achieve with this VR educational application is that it
delivers an education experience for both teachers and students that is superior and more
interactive than the current means of teaching and learning to captivate students and increase
the interest for the sciences in students from a younger age. This includes having a few
functional experiments as well as interactive quizzes and memorization methods. The
targeted audience are teachers and students and so the required technologies will already be
available to them, the most important items needed are a functioning computer and a VR
HMD and its controllers.  
 
 
 

8
The application will be created and developed using the Unity3D engine, testing and
implementation will be done using it. For the creation of any 3D elements and materials,
applications like Blender and Substance3D will be used. 
 
The few interactive elements that will be implemented are: 
  
A. Include experimentation for all 3 sciences. 
B. Include interactions with pop up texts for certain items or processes. 
C. Include physics into the application to make it realistic. 
D. Allow users to participate in interactive quizzes.
E. Allow interaction with VR UI 
F. Allow users to move around in a 3D created environment using VR
controllers. 
G. Allow users to interact with certain 3D generated assets. 
H. Allow users to interact with certain experiment.
I.  Allow users to interact with UI and buttons.
J. Allow users to choose experiments and subjects with buttons. 
K.  Allow users to manipulate liquids using grabbable objects.
1.6.4 Nature of Challenges  
Technical Challenges – The main challenged faced when it comes to the creation of
the application involves a mixture of programming and node mapping that Unreal Engine 5
utilizes and Unreal Engine is a rather heavy program that has many features, but it takes a
decent amount of time to learn and understand. 
 
7. Overview of Report 
 
1. Chapter 1 – Introduction to the idea and proposed application
2. Chapter 2 – Literature Review discussing different aspects of technology.
3. Chapter 3 – Considering the Technical requirements needed for the system.
4. Chapter 4 – Discussing and justifying the methodology chosen.
5. Chapter 5 – Explanation of the questionnaire and interview questions.
6. Chapter 6 – Data Visualization of the responses from data gathering.
7. Chapter 7 – Conclusion of report.

9
CHAPTER 2 IR: Literature Review

2.1 Introduction

This chapter of this report consists of a brief yet detailed summary of extensive
research that was completed by the developer and this research is done to create informative
comparisons to assess the viability of the proposed application. The literature review will
provide the researcher with information that shines light on the possibility of real-world
applications and the effects of the proposed system on its users. This section will contain
research on a few aspects of technology used and will consider existing systems and papers to
use as comparisons and as supportive materials.

This section will consider these areas:

a) Theory of Virtual Reality Technology


b) Virtual Reality Hardware & Software:
c) Classes of Virtual Reality
d) Applications of Virtual Reality
e) Virtual Reality in Education
f) Similar Systems

2.2 Domain Research

2.2.1 Theory of Virtual Reality Technology

Virtual Reality is a set of technology that includes hardware and software that acts as
an immersive tool that puts the user in a digital landscape. Now to go into detail, Virtual
Reality is referred to as an emerging technology that utilizes hardware that’s mainly known as
Head Mounted Devices that covers a user’s vision and replaces what they see with a digital
environment that is 100% computer generated, it allows users to interact and move around

10
this environment by using devices like VR controllers and is meant to allow the user to use
their computer as a vehicle into new 3D worlds. (Bardi, 2022)

Virtual reality is meant to be interactable to a point, it’s meant to give a user control
and the whole idea of Virtual Reality started off as a way in 1961 by 2 employees at the
Philco Corporation and they created a HMD that was meant to be used by the army to
remotely look at dangerous situations, using a camera to move along with the users head
movements, (Barnard, 2022) and over time companies and different individuals have worked
and studied VR to see if it would be a viable technology that could have any growth.

Today, Virtual Reality has its shoe in the door in a multitude of industries, while its
main source of use is still primarily in the entertainment industry, VR is currently being
integrated into other industries like medicine, tourism, architecture and education especially.
(Corporativa, 2018) Museums all around the world have integrated some sort of VR into it so
that people in other parts can access and view them, VR is used in medicine and
manufacturing when doctors and workers need to view processes that would otherwise be
impossible to view with the naked human eye alone. Virtual Reality is an emerging
technology that is finding a use and has a growing market that can only seem to increase in
the next decade.

Virtual Reality is moving from a technology that at one point seemed like a futuristic
dream and is now being recognized for what it truly is; a technological marvel.

- What Is Virtual Reality?


- What is it used for?
- What can it be used for in the future?

2.2.2 Virtual Reality Hardware and Software

Virtual Reality has always been a technology that requires an external unique device
that allows a user to be immersed into the virtual environments. With the current rapid growth
of the technological sector, VR headsets are being developed by more companies, and VR
itself functions alongside the assistance of Hardware and Software’s.

11
Hardware

When it comes to discussing about the necessary hardware required to operate and use
VR, there are a few things to consider first, HMDs nowadays are created in 2 ways, one to be
used primarily with a PC or console and those that have its own integrated operating system.

A) HMDs
The main and most essential part of VR technology is the Head Mounted
Device that is used, as virtual reality is a fully immersive device that replaces the
user’s vision. Head Mounted devices work by generating and manipulating 3D
elements alongside real-time interactive graphics with display technology. HMD
provides the immersion factor and is how VR is used. Another important factor is the
controllers that almost all HMDs come with and it’s how a user operates the VR
headset.

B) Computer Requirements

As technology grows, the requirements for using VR devices and to have them
running smoothly on your computer also increases. While you will not need to spend
crazy amounts for insanely high-end computers and computer parts, there is a
minimum that is required and there are 3 main requirements of a PC to decide if it is
VR-Ready (Gajsek, 2022). While it may differ for each different headset, after a
thorough study of all the minimum requirements the developer has been able to
ascertain the general requirements needed. The 3 main requirements are CPU, RAM,
and GPU:

 CPU: The minimum required CPU must at least be 4 or more cores. The CPU
is responsible for the main operations of the PC and provides a lot of its
strength. The strength and speed of a processor will affect the functionality of
a PC and any other device that connects to it. A CPU with 6+ cores and
threads are ideal and will be able to easily let a VR device function with it

12
 RAM: At least 8 gigabytes for RAM is recommended but personally after a
study of different requirements and the growing requirements of new and
existing applications, 16 GB of RAM is ideal for VR use. RAM is responsible
for how fast a PC functions and how smoothly the applications run, RAM is
what computers used to store short term memory so it can be accessed easily
so the more applications that a PC uses or the stronger the application is, the
more RAM is required.

 GPU: Probably the most important factor to having VR applications work is


the graphics card a PC uses. A study done by members from the Department
of Applied Physics of the National Defence Academy, the R&D group from
Hitachi and Advanced Technology Research & Development Center, Hitachi
Chemical Co, all these groups are in Japan and the study was a comparison of
different GPUs for Computational Material Sciences. The GTX 1060 and
1070 were compared by using VMD (Visual Molecular Dynamics); a software
used to display molecular structures and assemblies. The framerate was
calculated for both cards according to how many particles were shown on a
screen at a time. The GTX 1070 outperformed the 1060 in almost every case
the 1070 had a ratio of over 1.2 in scores in comparison. (Hagita et al., 2019)

C) Software

The main software required for VR is the software that is necessary for it to
connect and sync with the computer. For example, to use the Oculus Quest 2 with a
Computer, the Oculus application must first be installed so that the Quest 2 can
connect to the application. The secondary type of application is whatever VR
supported software that is intended to be used. Or more commonly VR testing can be
done by using Game and Design Engines like Unreal Engine or Unity. For the
proposed application the main software used will be Unreal Engine 5.

13
2.2.3 Classes of Virtual Reality

A) Non-Immersive VR

Figure 2: Examples of Non Immersive Virtual Reality 


https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Examples-of-immersion-levels-A-a-non-immersive-VR-system-B-a-semi-immersive-
VR_fig2_260761455

Non-Immersive can be described as the type of Virtual reality as the


kind that is not in any way fully immersive. Non-Immersive VR is as simple
as looking at a computer screen or watching something on a television.

It still consists of the use of a 3D computer generated environment;


however, the user is in complete awareness of their real-life environment and
do not physically cover the users’ eyes in any way. It’s as simple as playing a
computer game and can be considered ‘overlooked’ as a VR category since it
requires basic devices like a keyboard and mouse and a screen to work. Video
Games can be thought of as an ideal example of non-immersive VR.
(Heizenrader, 2019)

B) Semi Immersive

Semi Immersive VR is a kind of Virtual Reality technology that allows


a user to interact with a full virtual environment to a certain extent, yet
also allows them to remain aware and be able to view real world

14
surroundings. Essentially Semi Immersive VR is a type of VR that does
not fully capture the user away from the real world.

Semi-Immersive VR also uses HMDs, or any other kind of screen that


covers the users view, usually semi-immersive applications are used
through computers or though in-built apps on certain VR devices. Semi
Immersive VR can be different when it comes to levels of interactivity and
immersion and is mainly used for simple viewing and may or may not
include a lot of interaction (Bardi, 2022). Since Semi Immersive VR
allows a user to still view the real world in front of them it is not as intense
as a fully immersive VR app and will definitely be less disorienting and
provide less motion sickness if any user is prone to those.

Overall, semi-immersive VR can provide users with an engaging and


immersive experience, while still allowing them to maintain some
connection to the real world.

C) Fully Immersive

Figure 3: Fully Immersive VR


https://cyprus-mail.com/2022/07/04/metaverse-starting-to-impact-buying-decisions/

15
When someone thinks of the term ‘Virtual Reality’ they will most likely think of the
most well-known HMD devices that have brought fully immersive VR capabilities to
the public. This type of VR fully immerses a user into the virtual environment by
covering a user’s eyes; this is where the VR Headset comes in. The device has screens
inside it that are high resolution and its used to simulate the virtual environment.

HMDs can either function as its own by the use of its own OS and UI for
example the Oculus Quest 2. This device has an inbuilt CPU and can store up to 256
GB worth of applications. The other type is a VR headset that can only function once
connected to a computer, for example the HP Reverb is a prime example of this, it has
no UI or OS and won’t work if not connected to a PC.

This kind of VR functions with the use of controllers that include buttons,
triggers and joysticks that provide the user with a decent amount of functionality
options and can allow programmers to provide users with multiple abilities.

2.2.4 Applications of Virtual Reality

In recent years VR has been applied in many different industries apart from its insane
growth in the entertainment industry. An example is the healthcare industry. Doctors can
utilize VR for practice for surgeries with use of dummies to hone their skills and not have to
take unnecessary risks on patients. Those who have phobias or anxiety can use VR to conquer
their fears in a controlled environment.

In manufacturing, VR is used to simulate product development and can be used to


visualize and simulate the manufacturing process for an item, to view components that would
be difficult to view otherwise and can be used for training for new employees as VR’s
interactive factor allows for employees to gain good beginners experience.

Similarly, to manufacturing, VR is also being used currently in engineering. Engineers


utilize VR technology to conceptualize and to visualize and test theories and designs, this
saves a lot of time, resources and manpower and VR can also be used to help identify
problems in a machine and allow engineers to figure out solutions before they start physically
creating anything.

16
2.2.5 Virtual Reality in Education

Virtual Reality has shown immense potential in the case of making education more
fun and engaging. It can transport students to simulated environments, making learning more
practical, experiential, and interactive. With growing potential of Graphics in latest game
engines, environments can be created that can simulate several environments that can be
utilized for education.

Environments can allow a lot of things, such as visiting historical sites, museums, and
natural wonders without leaving the classroom. The interactive nature of VR means that
students can learn at their own pace, making it more personalized to their needs. Secondly,
VR can provide students with practical skills and help them experience real-life situations in
a safe and controlled environment. It's a great way to prepare students for the real world,
without putting anyone at risk. Lastly, VR can bridge the gap between theory and practice by
enabling students to experiment with different scenarios and test their knowledge in a
practical way. Physics students can use VR to simulate experiments and engineering students
can visualize and test designs. It's a great way to apply theoretical concepts to real-life
situations, making learning more relevant and meaningful. Students appreciate and recognize
practice-oriented learning rather than memorizing facts (Radianti et al., 2019). Which goes to
show that as of this time there is already existing support for VR in education.

A study done for the journal of business done to test the possibilities of VR and
whether it would improve the learning experience for students. The primary focus was about
business education, and the testing was done by students utilizing VR technology for a task.
At the end of the experiment the results showed that VR technology has the potential to
enhance students’ presentation skills, and students were able to “acquire a broader range of
skills in nurturing their overall educational experience.” The researchers concluded their
study by saying that other professors should also attempt to collaborate with VR technology.
(McGovern et al., 2019)

2.3 Similar Systems

A crucial part of any investigation report that must be considered is the similar
systems subject. When a developer starts to formulate ideas for an application and before they
start development, looking for references and inspiration is one of the most important things

17
as considering other existing systems that have feedback and proof of sustainability will
further increase the developer’s knowledge and allow the developer to solidify a prototype for
testing.

The idea for the proposed application is one that provides the students using them the
opportunity to learn, experiment and experience their subjects with an immersive exciting
experience. 2 appropriate similar systems have been found for consideration.

a) MEL Chemistry VR

         MEL Science was founded in 2015 and includes a team that has reportedly always
had an interest in science and math, the objective of the company was to “make science
education easy, interesting and effective.” Their main goals are to create engaging hands-on
experiments that utilizes new technology, which is a good inspiration for the developer
creating the proposed system.

MEL Chemistry VR utilizes their own VR device, and it includes experiments and
learning tools. However not every experiment is VR based, the company packages their VR
tools alongside other physical experiments. However, what the software for the included VR
is capable of is quite impressive, as shown in the figure below, a user can identify elements
and materials and with separate UI boxes showing different aspects of the element such as its
atom configuration, what it looks like, its atomic number and mass and a few other things.

MEL Chemistry VR. This application was created specifically for school curriculums.
It is used to explain and demonstrate complex concepts and provide a great amount of
intractability. It can be used to view atoms in different states of matter, subatomic particles of
an atom, and much more (Gupta, 2017).

18
 

Figure 4: MEL Chemistry VR

MEL Chemistry VR is one of the best examples to use to support this proposal. It
incorporates all the aspects of immenseness and interaction and blends them with the basic
and standard chemistry curriculum and creates a truly innovative learning experience.

b) In Mind VR

InMind VR is another fascinating application that is advertised for students in the late
primary and early secondary range. Its an application that focuses on the human brain and
allows for the close-up viewing of the human brain and its neurons and pathways and to
uncover and learn about mental disorders too.

19
InMind VR takes the form of a game and has a story that would surely captivate the
younger audience and provide them with a learning process that’s extremely interactive and
immersive and overall provides an enhanced learning experience.

The company that made the application has already released InMind2 which is a 

sequel to the original game.

Figure 5: INMIND VR

(Image from inmind.com)

2.4 Comparison Table

Features MEL Chemistry VR In Mind VR ScienceQuest: VR


(Proposed System)
Object Interaction Yes Yes Yes
Voice Narration No Yes Yes
Graphics Used 3D 3D 3D
Class of VR Full Full Full
Target Audience Ideal Target Neuroscience Ideal Target

20
audience is students students and those audience is students
between 12-16 years interested to pursue, from age 14-18
old from high school to
university level
Interaction with Yes Yes Yes
elements

2.5 Summary

Simply put. The research domain done here is rather brief but contains all the
necessary and supporting information that the proposed system requires in order to serve as
an application and to support the idea that the application will have value or will have an
effect on an individual or group.

The research conducted in this chapter alongside the comparisons is all to gain
information on what issues, drawbacks and limitations exist that the developer could possibly
attempt to navigate around while creating the application, but also to identify key points and
advantages of using VR for education that has been clearly stated in the paragraphs above.

Each domain and theory described above directly affects the application in a way and
the application will have an aspect of whatever is written, so now the developer can easily
smoothen the flow of development and will not need to perform extremely heavy research in
the future.

CHAPTER 3: Technical Research

21
3.1 Introduction

3.1.1 Programming Language

The chosen language that has been selected for this project is C++, the reason this was
chosen is because it is the language that is used alongside the node selection that comes
alongside Unreal Engine 5.

When it comes to using unreal engine there are 2 routes to take to get the
functionalities working properly, using blueprints and using C++ syntax itself to unlock more
functions. C++ is an object-oriented language which simply means it allows code reusability
which makes a program more reliable than it is (DataFlair, 2020). C++ has a large community
backing and support where people all around the world come together and help one another
with problems faced so for the developer it seemed like a reliable programming language.

3.2 IDE (Interactive Development Environment)

Simply put, an IDE is a software that assists programmers and developers with
creating software code at an efficient manner, this is done as most IDE’s can combine
different aspects such as software editing, testing, packaging, etc. This allows developers to
save time and to make it easier.

3.2.1 Microsoft Visual Studio Code

22
Figure 6: Example of Visual Studio Code

https://code.visualstudio.com

Microsoft’s Visual Studio is a well-established application that acts as a code editor


and is also a useful IDE application. The application can support a variety of different
programming languages that can range from the inclusive VB.net, to Python, Java, PHP,
HTML5, CSS, C, C#, C+ and C++. Since the application can handle a few different types of
code, that means its useful when it comes to building different types of applications and is
currently used for creating VR applications and for coding interactivity between them.

1. Integration with Unreal Engine 5

Unreal Engine is a 3D game engine that is currently used today to create some of the
most visually pleasing games out on the market, from a developmental perspective
this is made simpler as Unreal Engine was created to be able to integrate with Visual
Studio smoothly; meaning a developer can easily make quick changes to any code and
be able to see the results almost immediately.

23
2. Ease of Use

Visual Studio Code has been notified as one of the best IDE’s out there and is a fan
favourite for most elite and amateur programmers, the reason for this is because
Visual Studio has a lot of simplicity to it, even a fresh user can easily understand how
to navigate and utilize the application and saves a user a lot of time. Another point
that makes it very easy to use is Visual Studio’s large collection of extensions, where
there are thousands of existing; these can help a user with a myriad different type of
tasks.

3. Good Code Checking support

Visual Studio is an application that will immediately tell you if a line of code entered
has an error or is unsuitable to be used at that time. Visual Studio can assist with
improving code by providing examples showing where a user can improve on some
coding. The software has Intelli-Sense, this is what detects any incomplete or
incorrect code and will immediately inform the user of this error.

3.3 Libraries and Tools


3.3.1 Unreal Engine 5
24
Figure 7: An example of Unreal Engine on the desktop

https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/unreal-engine-5-what-s-new-and-is-it-ready-to-use-2180/

Unreal Engine is an extremely popular game engine, and it is one of the most intense
platforms ever made. It was chosen as the main engine for which the proposed system would
be built on for several reasons. It’s an application that is rather versatile and can accompany
new time developers and well-experienced ones, and it provides an amazing variety of tools
that can be used for creating a myriad of application types. The most well-known use and the
most popular is Game Design.

Another good reason for primarily using Unreal Engine is its SDK availability. From
a passage of text taken from the book “Unreal Engine VR Cookbook: Developing Virtual
Reality with UE4”, a developer may need to take advantage of a certain features of a
particular SDK. Unreal Engine includes all these engines upon download and can be added to
a project at the developer’s choice. (McCaffrey, 2017)

Unreal Engine’s latest iteration has a huge, included library of assets that range from
foliage to infrastructure of different eras. Allowing a developer to minimize the need to 3D
model basic and repetitive objects and is incredible at saving time and increasing creativity.
Alongside that Unreal Engine has in built software and SDK’s ready for different types of VR
devices that range from the OculusVR to the Samsung Gear VR to Google Cardbox VR.

25
Overall Unreal Engine seems to be a versatile and well-rounded tool that will
definitely assist the developer in creating the proposed application.

3.3.2 Blender

Blender is an extremely popular 3D modelling software. Over the past decade


Blender has solidified itself into the 3D Market and competes with some of the
most popular professional tools like 3DSMax, Maya and others. Blender is an
open-source application which is free compared to having to pay the above-
mentioned applications and it has a much cleaner UI. Blender includes a
myriad of tools ranging from 3D modelling to sculpting, to UV mapping to
rendering. Another amazing point of Blender is its ability to do compositing
and create textures for 3D objects, which makes it a rival of applications like
Adobe Substance 3D.

3.3.3 Substance Painter

Substance Painter: now known as Adobe Substance 3D, is an application that


designers use to create textures for 3D models. It is probably the best and main
texture creation tool used in the multimedia field today apart from creating
materials in Blender. Substance includes a myriad of materials, smart
materials, tools like masking and UV map separation. This is an industry used
tool and is used for designing models for games, movies, etc.

3.3.4 Audacity

The application will include voice narration and guides for certain aspects and
topics. Such as explanation on a certain matter or instructing the user how to
do something or where to go. Audacity is a free open-source audio editing and
mixing application. It has a decent amount of functionality that can satisfy all
kinds of users. Audacity allows for recording of audio within the application

26
itself and allows a user to mix different tracks and allows them to export audio
clips into multiple types of formats like .mp3, .wav.

3.4 Operating System


3.4.1 Microsoft Windows

For the proposed project, the developers have chosen to use Microsoft Windows as the
main operating system.

There are a few reasons as to why Microsoft Windows was chosen for this application
instead of other Operating Systems like MacOS or Linux, the reason for this is that Windows
is the OS that has most of the supporting applications and software. For example, if a
developer intended to create a VR application for a mobile device, they would be better of
using Apple and iOS as it is suitable for creating Mobile VR applications.

However, Windows and Linux PC’s are more commonly customized and more commonly
include parts such as Graphics Cards that are able to keep up with the demanding
requirements of PCVR technology. Taking the Oculus Quest 2 HMD into account; it is an all-
in-one VR headset that has its own built in UI but also has the option to connect to a
computer alongside the Oculus App to run PCVR software. While computers that come from
Apple are usually prebuilt and do not have the required hardware for VR use or development.

3.5 Summary

To conclude this chapter. The information provided above pertaining the IDE,
programming language, developmental applications, and operating system will
prove useful at supporting the developer’s proposed system; Science Quest:
VR.

Every mentioned choice of software integrates with one another easily and has
been carefully considered as time is a crucial factor when considering the
development of the proposed application. While it might seem like the
development process includes the same instructions and methods that goes

27
into creating a video game, when it comes to VR its almost all the same, the
approach and the design and structure of the application is what defines it.

Windows is the most commonly used OS for game development apart from
Linux, and most applications most importantly VR applications will have less
complications running on windows compared to Mac or Linux. Unreal Engine
has immense visual and functional potential and it can definitely create an
interesting application.

CHAPTER 4 IR: SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY

28
4.1 System Development Methodology Chosen

Methodology Characteristics Strengths Weaknesses


 Includes a 5-  Intended to  Not very
step design allow suitable to be
model that is developers to used with
like ADDIE. quickly larger complex
deliver to projects.
 Able to be customers or
flexible and stakeholders.  Requires a
counter high level of

AGILE unexpected  Changes are stakeholder

Method risks. feedback communication


based; easier and
 Allows user to to make fixes involvement.
be able to learn and improve
how to deal the system.  Can easily go
with against project
unpredictability.  Flexible scope if not
processes managed as
 Iterative planned.
approach that  Prepares the
helps a team developer to
deliver value expect and
faster manage risk.

 Involves 5 steps  Flexible  Ignores


which are easy for practical needs.
Analysis, modification
Design,  Primarily used
Development,  Can be for learning/
Implementation adapted with academia

29
and Evaluation. other models
ADDIE easily.
 Often used in  Development
training  Linear and process order
systematic must be strictly
 Is a flexible adhered.
model and can
help in small
scale and large-
scale solutions
Waterfall  It is a method  Clearly  Late testing
Method that follows defines the stages in this
sequences that project plan, method
must be scope, compared to
completed objectives, others.
before moving and other  Does not offer
onto the next aspects. much
step. flexibility.
 Each phase has  Must deal with
specified issues
prerequisites immediately
that must be which can lead
done before to delays.
completion of a
phase

4.2 Methodology Explanation

4.2.1 AGILE METHOD

30
Figure 8: AGILE Methodology Explained

In the early 2000s, a group of researchers were quite disappointed with the existing
software development delivery methods that were available at the time. Due to countless
“mismanaged projects with unsatisfactory results”, the group created the agile process to
improve the delivery time of software projects. The AGILE process is not a methodology in
its purest form, it is rather a list of goals and standards that is held together by its
implementations (Scrum and KANBAN), and overall can be describes as an extremely
effective method that can focus on business and practical needs. (Sacolick, 2022)

The AGILE Method consists of 5 mains steps which can be easily explained. The first
part is the statement of requirements, this includes discussing and stating any useful concepts
and to state any objectives and requirements of the proposed solution that is being created,
this is the preliminary step and allows for smoother transition into the next stage which is the
Planning phase (Step 2). Here is where all team members of the project meet and are
separated into different departments; this is done after the gathering requirements phase as the
team will not need to waste time going over the material so project leaders can immediately
delegate tasks. The 3rd phase is the Design and Development, here all team members follow
the tasks given to efficiently complete the project, user opinion is taken into account. The
fourth step is implementing and delivering the system, since testing is done continuously
throughout development the team can spend less time focusing on it and can easily release

31
the solution to customers faster. The 5th and final stage are reviewing and monitoring, where
the team constantly responds to user input and feedback to sustain and keep the solution
working properly.

4.2.2 ADDIE METHOD

Figure 9: ADDIE Methodology

The ADDIE method is one of the most used methods of project management. It is
simple and straightforward and will allow developers to easily develop the application, this
method is rather like AGILE however this waterfall is a proper methodology and is
considered the traditional method to complete projects. (DeBell, 2020)

Like the AGILE method, the first step consists of analysing the project and to learn
and gather any preliminary material that would increase the project team’s efficiency. Stage 2
is the design phase where the team makes decisions and starts the sketching and
brainstorming of the best method to develop the proposed solution. Development phase
follows Design where the team applies their ideas and creates the product. The next 2 stages

32
are Implementation and Evaluation and like the previously stated methodology, they follow
the same steps to release and monitor the application to keep it running smoothly.

4.3 JUSTIFICATION FOR METHODOLOGY CHOSEN

After a careful and thorough comparison of all 3 methodologies stated above, the
developer has chosen to go with the AGILE methodology when it comes to creating the
proposed system: ScienceQuestVR. There are many reasons for this and the main one is that
AGILE is suited for a project and application of this size, AGILE is unsuitable for larger
projects and since this project does not have a large project team or stakeholders it seems
easier to manage the development flow.

AGILE is much more flexible when it comes to the project processes, AGILE will
allow the developer to be adaptable to a numerous amount of scenarios and will train the
developer to expect risk. AGILE methodology will require the developer to deal with many
unpredictable things that will train the developer with dealing with more unexpected errors
that could be faced later in the development phase.

AGILE is client and stakeholder based, meaning that this methodology is built to
handle feedback and to allow the developer to change certain aspects of the application to
meet new requirements, as previously stated this is good training for the developer to deal
with unpredictable events but this is a benefit as the application will receive proper opinion
and feedback and the methodology allows for changes to be made at any stage of the process.

4.4 Implementation of Methodology

AGILE is built on 5 different steps, each step can be broken down into different
smaller steps that make it easier for the developer to tackle or can be combined to group
different types of information together.

Firstly is requirements and information gathering, this can refer to the literature
review and information gathering method being used are questionnaires and interviews. The
questionnaire will have questions based on gaining users opinion on VR in science and on the
idea of the proposed application as a whole while the interview will aim to obtain more

33
detailed open-ended answers that involve VR in education in general and a few questions
specified towards science in VR. Other information that needs to be gathered before
development is the similar systems report and comparison. After all these the developer
begins to create a plan for starting the development phase based on the information acquired.

Then during development, the developer will make use of the systems and software’s
mentioned in CHAPTER 3 of this report to create a functioning application that meets the
users and developers’ requirements. Development is the longest phase and while development
occurs, the testing phase can also begin as the application goes on. Once development is done
major testing is done repeatedly to identify and repair any issues found in the output.

The last phase would be reviewing and monitoring the output, this is where the
delivered system is monitored and carefully maintained to be certain that the application is
able to run smoothly over time. This stage doesn’t end quickly and can go on for as long as
the application is functioning, this Is where more opinions and feedback can be gained to
enhance and improve on the application.

34
Chapter 5: Research Methods and Data Gathering

5.1 Introduction of the Chapter

In this section, the developer will state and explain in detail about the selected
research gathering methods and why they were selected for this project and how the results
will overall help the development of the proposed application.

The chosen methods for data collection are an online questionnaire and an online
interview. One of the external yet deciding factors that made the developer select these
methods is that while the world is still recovering from the Covid 19 Pandemic, it is advised
to reduce unnecessary human contact as much as possible and that these methods are simple
and provide different types of results.

The questionnaire can provide many responses as it is easy to fill out and the duration
of a survey is only a couple minutes. The questionnaire will be shared to potential
respondents through methods like social media and direct sharing from the developer. The
main targets for this questionnaire are people over the age of 18. For this Google Forms was
the chosen media as it’s an easy all in one tool for creating questionnaires and having the
responses presented with visual aids such as graphs and charts.

For the interview, questions are placed onto a document and handed to the
respondents so they may view the questions while being asked questions. All interviews will
be held digitally however will utilize voice and video technology to recreate the face-to-face
feel.

All data collected will be studied and analysed in order to gain more information and
public opinion in order to fix or change the application based on the feedback received.

5.2 Design

A) Questionnaire

The questionnaire is a straightforward document that contains 2 sections,


demographics, and then closed and open-ended questions that aim to get quick and large
amounts of responses in order to compare results and compare to planning of the application.

35
Figure 10: Questionnaire Page 1

36
Figure 11: Questionnaire Page 2

37
Figure 12: Questionnaire Page 3

38
Figure 13: Questionnaire Page 4

39
Justification for questions asked:

Questions 1 – 4 are rather straightforward demographic-based questions as to gain


a better understanding on the individual responding and to specify and show it
visually on a graph.

Questions 1- 3: These 3 questions are aimed at gaining information on the


respondents past history in their education in middle and high school,
understanding if they enjoyed the way they were taught and were able to
understand it.

Question 4-6: These 3 questions are based on figuring out if the respondent
understands or has heard about Virtual Reality and whether they have used it for
any purpose, especially if that purpose is something other than entertainment or
gaming.

Question 7-8: This is asking the respondents what they think of VR as a teaching
tool in school, asking for a brief sentence will also give some reasoning towards
their answer to better understand.

Question 9-10: These 2 questions were created to see if respondents would be


interested in any Science Based VR subjects now or in their past.

Question 11: To see if respondents would vote for VR to be a main teaching


method for students with disabilities.

Question 12: Useful to understand how effective respondents find VR technology


for science.

Question 13: To see if respondents understand different learning types and to see
if they think it would be suitable for all kinds of students as each student has a
different learning type and experience.

40
Question 14: To see what people think the main drawback of VR is at this time.

Question 15: To see if users think VR should be heavily or lightly implemented.

Question 16: For respondents to add anything they think the developer should add
into the proposed system in the future.

B) Interview

No. Question Justification


1 When you think of the term VR, what’s the first thing Useful to see what
that comes to mind, what do you see people doing with people’s opinions on VR
it? are before asking science
specific questions.
2 How familiar are you with the benefits that VR can offer Useful to understand
in education, such as enhanced engagement and what terms interviewees
immersive learning experiences? consider as benefits.
3 What are your thoughts on the possibility of introducing Important to ask to gain
virtual reality (VR) as a standard tool in middle and high opinions on efficacy of
school education over the next decade? Do you believe the proposed application.
it is likely to happen?
4 Can you see VR being used as a primary learning tool To gain knowledge on
for students with certain disabilities? Students who have whether VR as a primary
complications using certain limbs? learning tool could be
considered for students
that find traditional
classes and learning
experiences difficult.
5 In your opinion, what are the potential drawbacks or Good to gain
concerns surrounding the implementation of VR in information on what the
education, such as the high cost of equipment or the developer should attempt
possibility of overstimulation and distraction? to overcome and to gain
opinions that affect
implementation.
6 If you were to have children, would you be in favour of A hypothetical question

41
your child having access to VR tools as part of their that gains insight onto
middle or high school education once technology how the respondent will
improves? Why or why not? feel about VR in the
future.
7 How do you see VR being used to teach subjects that As a developer,
are traditionally difficult to visualize or experience, such understanding what
as chemistry or history? needs to be implemented
is important to show the
efficacy of the proposed
system.
8 Do you believe that VR has the potential to enhance To understand whether
social and emotional learning using empathy-building the respondent sees any
experiences or simulations of real-world situations? other benefit apart from
engagement and
immersive factor.
9 What kind of training and support do you think teachers To understand if
would need to effectively incorporate VR into their respondents themselves
teaching practices, and how do you see their role know if teachers today
evolving with the introduction of these tools? do or do not understand
VR, or to see if they
understand what training
is needed.
10 Have you had any personal experience with VR in a Simple to gain
learning environment? If so, how did it impact your knowledge on whether
learning experience? there are existing VR
solutions being used in
schools from over a
decade ago until now.
11 Which science subjects do you think would be most Useful as a developer to
beneficial to teach using virtual reality (VR) technology, see what should be
and why? focused on
12 Can you think of any science topics that may not be Useful as a developer to
well-suited for VR learning, and if so, why not? see what topics should

42
be avoided or limited as
to not waste time and
resources
13 How might VR technology be used to simulate real- Respondents can have a
world scientific scenarios, such as laboratory variety of answers based
experiments or field research, to enhance the learning on preferences so its
experience for students? useful to gain some
information here.
14 From your perspective, what types of VR content would As a developer its
be most effective for teaching science subjects, such as important to recognize
interactive simulations, 3D models, or immersive and understand what the
experiences? user is looking for

5.3 Summary

Overall, the questions asked In both the interview and the questionnaire are quite
similar in a way, however the interview contains purely open ended questions aimed to get
the respondents opinions and thoughts on the subject and the objective of the questionnaire
was to obtain simple and closed ended information that is straightforward.

The questions asked are relevant to both Virtual Reality in education in general and
includes questions specifically based on VR in science. The responses gathered will be
analysed and represented visually by charts and graphs and the responses for the interviews
will be recorded and transcribed and entered the next chapter.

CHAPTER 6: DATA VALIDATION

43
6.1 Data Analysis

Questionnaire Response Analysis

The questionnaire was sent out to a large group of people that specifically fit
the specific demographic intended by the viewer and while the hope was to get back
50 responses, only 30 was managed to be obtained. Here the screenshots of the
responses will be shown for each question and will be briefly explained.

The questionnaire contains 20 questions and is split into 2 parts, the first 4
questions are demographic questions and the remaining 16 relate to the proposed
system and VR in education as a whole.

Figure 14: Questionnaire Response Amount

Question 1

44
Figure 15: Questionnaire Response 1

The intended demographics were between 18-24 and 25 and above as for information
gathering the developer intended to search for responses from those who have already
finished their schooling experience.

Question 2

Figure 16: Questionnaire Response 2

This is just to gain some background from the responses and see what they currently do.

45
Question 3

Figure 17: Questionnaire Response 3

This is simply asking if the respondent consents to having their submitted information
presented, confidentially as their names are not revealed.

QUESTIONNAIRE QUESTIONS

Question 1

46
Figure 18: Questionnaire Response 4

Here you can clearly see that there is a difference between those who enjoyed and did not
enjoy and those who were just okay with how they were taught in school.

Question 2

Figure 19: Questionnaire Response 5

Question 3

47
Figure 20: Questionnaire Response 6

Question 4

Figure 21: Questionnaire Response 7

Question 5

48
Figure 22: Questionnaire Response 8

Question 6

Figure 23: Questionnaire Response 9

Question 7

49
Figure 24: Questionnaire Response 10

Question 8

Figure 25: Questionnaire Response 11

50
Figure 26: Questionnaire Response 12

Figure 27: Questionnaire Response 13

51
Question 9

Figure 28: Questionnaire Response 14

Question 10

Figure 29: Questionnaire Response 15

52
Question 11

Figure 30: Questionnaire Response 16

Question 12

Figure 31: Questionnaire Response 17

53
Question 13

Figure 32: Questionnaire Response 18

Question 14

Figure 33: Questionnaire Response 19

54
Question 15

Figure 34: Questionnaire Response 20

Question 16

Figure 35: Questionnaire Response 21

55
Interview Response Analysis

Interviewee 1: Muhammad Ashran

Age: 21 years old

Time of Interview: March 14th 8:30 PM

Medium used: Discord

Occupation of Interviewee: Full-Time Cybersecurity Student

University: Asia Pacific University

No Question Response to Question


.
1 When you think of the term VR, what’s the first The first thing that comes to mind is that people
thing that comes to mind, what do you see play video games.
people doing with it?
2 How familiar are you with the benefits that VR Students might find VR learning more
can offer in education, such as enhanced interesting and will also find it more engaging.
engagement and immersive learning
experiences?
3 What are your thoughts on the possibility of Yes, I wouldn’t say every school. But yes, I
introducing virtual reality (VR) as a standard think we are already at a point of institutions
tool in middle and high school education over using it but definitely more growth in the future.
the next decade? Do you believe it is likely to
happen?
4 Can you see VR being used as a primary Not necessarily no, I think it will still be just as
learning tool for students with certain challenging because, for example with cerebral
disabilities? Students who have complications palsy its still hard to hold VR controller. For
using certain limbs? note taking and information gathering it would
seem harder to do in VR.
5 In your opinion, what are the potential Definitely a lack of understanding of how it
drawbacks or concerns surrounding the could be beneficial and the cost of
implementation of VR in education, such as the implementation.

56
high cost of equipment or the possibility of
overstimulation and distraction?
6 If you were to have children, would you be in Yes, for sure.
favour of your child having access to VR tools as
part of their middle or high school education
once technology improves? Why or why not?
7 How do you see VR being used to teach subjects When it comes to chemistry, I can definitely say
that are traditionally difficult to visualize or that when it comes to chemical reactions and
experience, such as chemistry or history? mixing like how we used to do it in high school
in chemistry class, doing it in VR is a much
more safer environment. With physics the
problem for me was that in school it was all just
textbooks, so in VR when you visually see it
work, it would be much easier to understand that
certain topic.
8 Do you believe that VR has the potential to Yes, for sure, I think it can have a negative and
enhance social and emotional learning using positive effect, but I think its enhancements far
empathy-building experiences or simulations of outweigh any drawbacks.
real-world situations?
9 What kind of training and support do you think I don’t think it would be too different from
teachers would need to effectively incorporate traditional teaching but they definitely need to
VR into their teaching practices, and how do you learn how to use the VR system as you cant
see their role evolving with the introduction of expect to teach it without fully understanding it.
these tools? So all teachers should receive VR training.
10 Have you had any personal experience with VR No, I’ve only used VR for gaming as of now.
in a learning environment? If so, how did it
impact your learning experience?
11 Which science subjects do you think would be If we’re picking just 1, I would pick biology.
most beneficial to teach using virtual reality Being able to interact with the human body and
(VR) technology, and why? visually seeing how it works is much better than
seeing it in images or textbooks. And for
example, when you dissect frogs, in VR you
wouldn’t have to spend time and money

57
gathering the frog corpses.
12 Can you think of any science topics that may not I don’t see any that is not suited for VR.
be well-suited for VR learning, and if so, why
not?
13 How might VR technology be used to simulate Yea I think if it gets approval, it would be a good
real-world scientific scenarios, such as idea to use VR to simulate labs and scenarios
laboratory experiments or field research, to that you can’t physically be there like natural
enhance the learning experience for students? disasters.
14 From your perspective, what types of VR For me I think it would be really cool to do
content would be most effective for teaching chemistry experiments and mix chemicals and
science subjects, such as interactive simulations, seeing their reactions. For biology I mentioned
3D models, or immersive experiences? before. But i guess more interactivity would be
the best.

Interviewee 2: Thaddeus Trystan

58
Age: 21 years old

Time of Interview: March 15th 5:00 PM

Medium used: Discord

Occupation of Interviewee: Full-Time VRAR Student

University: Asia Pacific University

No Question Response to Question


.
1 When you think of the term VR, what’s the first Gaming and entertainment, socializing using
thing that comes to mind, what do you see applications like VR chat.
people doing with it?
2 How familiar are you with the benefits that VR The first thing I think of are simply increased
can offer in education, such as enhanced engagement; when students are more engaged,
engagement and immersive learning they retain information easier, and they have
experiences? increased curiosity towards the lesson and will
overall increase interest towards subject and
learning.

3 What are your thoughts on the possibility of I would say in the next decade certainly of
introducing virtual reality (VR) as a standard course it’ll be limited towards more high-end
tool in middle and high school education over private institutions with finance and technical
the next decade? Do you believe it is likely to ability to implement VR.
happen?
4 Can you see VR being used as a primary I do think it will be very useful but at the same
learning tool for students with certain time as a primary tool I think that I’m not too
disabilities? Students who have complications certain of that, because there are many
using certain limbs? challenges with ppl with disabilities and how
they use VR, there will be testing in sectors but
if it doesn’t work out. In the future perhaps.

5 In your opinion, what are the potential Outside of financial reasons would be technical

59
drawbacks or concerns surrounding the reason; some would not be able to implement
implementation of VR in education, such as the VR properly as trying to use it they may not
high cost of equipment or the possibility of have proper training and some kids will
overstimulation and distraction? definitely have cybersickness as it ranges from
person to person, since VR is a very new thing it
is hard to say if VR is okay or not okay if a
person will be ok. Hard to say if everyone will
be able to use it safely in the classroom.

6 If you were to have children, would you be in Personally yes, it allows them to be more
favour of your child having access to VR tools as familiar with VR at an earlier age, as they can
part of their middle or high school education learn and understand if they like it or not earlier.
once technology improves? Why or why not? VR is very engaging and that is both a benefit
and a drawback as looking now if you give a kid
a phone or an iPad it would definitely distract
them so that has to be worked on.

7 How do you see VR being used to teach subjects In chemistry in terms of VR, I can see simulation
that are traditionally difficult to visualize or of lab work, to cut cost with chemicals and its
experience, such as chemistry or history? less of a safety hazard. With history you can
replicate a historical scene or object, you can use
it to easily teach students. In economics you can
even use VR in trying to visualize graphs and
scenarios using VR for demonstration and
presentation purposes.

8 Do you believe that VR has the potential to It will to a certain degree, when you are put into
enhance social and emotional learning using a VR environment you are engaged, when you
empathy-building experiences or simulations of are engaged you empathize and connect with it.
real-world situations? If students are engaged in an environment, they
are comfortable with it create a long-lasting
impression and would definitely boost their
learning experience.

60
9 What kind of training and support do you think Their roles with VR will still be stabilized, they
teachers would need to effectively incorporate will still be guiding students through their VR
VR into their teaching practices, and how do you experiences, for example in a bio lab VR, the
see their role evolving with the introduction of teacher will still guide them, when dissecting a
these tools? frog you can have UI tips and tools, it’s still
more effective and more grounding to have a
teacher there as it will reinforce the feeling of a
learning environment. But they will need
training on how to properly use VR devices.

10 Have you had any personal experience with VR In terms of learning experience in the classroom
in a learning environment? If so, how did it I had no VR experiences since VR was very new
impact your learning experience? when I was in school and seemed like a cool
gaming thing that was related to sci-fi. But
working now in university working with VR
since it’s my course I feel like it enhanced my
learning experience here, but while learning in
school there was no VR experience.

11 Which science subjects do you think would be I would say most likely biology, since in the case
most beneficial to teach using virtual reality of anatomy you can easily use 3d models to
(VR) technology, and why? separate the body like learning about the heart
and blood vessels, or learning about micro-
organisms, before you had to use a textbook or
microscope, but in an environment where you
can easily and clearly see the microorganism you
can see how they interacts with the environment
and gain a deeper understanding on aspects like
these. I think biology as there are more concepts
that can be taught better with VR.

12 Can you think of any science topics that may not Theories of measurements seem abit pointless, in
be well-suited for VR learning, and if so, why field work you have to measure a lot and there

61
not? are a lot of uncertainties and human errors that
can happen in real life easily, there will be way
more errors in VR.

13 How might VR technology be used to simulate Scenarios that would be impossible to observe in
real-world scientific scenarios, such as real life, formation of a star, a black hole, a
laboratory experiments or field research, to lightning storm, things that if you were there in
enhance the learning experience for students? real life; you would be dead. You can recreate
star formations or galaxy interactions or natural
disasters instead of being there. Observing a star
exploding takes thousands of years so in VR you
could simulate time moving faster to observe the
effects that would otherwise take thousands of
years to see.

14 From your perspective, what types of VR Everything could be enhanced on, but the main
content would be most effective for teaching thing would be increased interactivity, just like
science subjects, such as interactive simulations, real life we can do a lot of things, simulating
3D models, or immersive experiences? how things affect each other in VR similar of
how they do in real life, it should look and feel
as realistic as possible. Sound effects is a good
point.

6.2 Summary

Overall, the information that was gathered was extremely useful in relation to creating
the proposed system. The information gathered relates to many aspects of the application

62
and the overall intention of gathering responses for data gathering is so that there is a
public interest in the system and to obtain feedback that will drive the flow of the
production and development.

The responses directly affect the scope and the requirements of the application which
is useful as now the developer can have a basis of how to build the application. The
information gathered applies to both the proposed system and the general subject of VR
in education which according to the response, there is an interest in it and the application
does have merit.

CHAPTER 7: Conclusion and Summary of Report

63
To conclude the entirety of this investigation report and the thorough research done on
the multiple research topics and domains of, the developer has come to the conclusion that
virtual reality has enormous potential to revolutionize the way students learn. Based on the
literature review and the opinions from respondents of both the questionnaire and the
interview, VR in education and the proposed application seem like ideas with merit.

The required software and hardware for virtual reality in education have become
extremely accessible, however the price is still a major factor on whether it is feasible for
educational institutions to adopt this technology. The technical requirements while they
become more accessible and while the price may go down, it still involves educators training
themselves with the devices in order to properly be able to teach it to students.

Based on the questionnaires and interviews with it can be noted that that most of them
had a positive attitude towards virtual reality in education. They believed that it could help
students better understand complex concepts and enhance their learning experience.
However, there are some concerns regarding the potential to be a distraction to students as the
newer generation takes an instant liking towards anything digital and technological.

To conclude this chapter and paper, Virtual Reality in education is an idea that has
been growing for years, and to the developer of the proposed system if seems that VR needs
to start putting its foot in the door in all fields other than entertainment, and as technology
grows, VR in education has the potential to become a huge revolution.

REFRENCES FOR CHAPTER 1:

64
1.   Brown, A., & Green, T. (2016). Sci-Hub | Virtual Reality: Low-Cost Tools and Resources for
the Classroom | 10.1007/s11528-016-0102-z. Sci-hub.hkvisa.net. Retrieved 11 May 2022,
from https://sci-hub.hkvisa.net/10.1007/s11528-016-0102-z.

2.   Cooper, G., Park, H., Nasr, Z., Thong, L., & Johnson, R. (2019). Using virtual reality
in the classroom: preservice teachers’ perceptions of its use as a teaching and learning tool.
Taylor & Francis. Retrieved 7 May 2022, from
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09523987.2019.1583461.

3.   Gupta, P. (2017). VR Apps that Science Teachers Must Explore Now. EdTech Review.
Retrieved 20 May 2022, from https://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/trends/2785-vr-science-
education-apps.

4.   Hamilton, D., McKechnie, J., Edgerton, E., & Wilson, C. (2020). Immersive virtual
reality as a pedagogical tool in education: a systematic literature review of quantitative
learning outcomes and experimental design. Journal Of Computers In Education, 8(1), 1-32.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40692-020-00169-2

5.   Hu-Au, E., & Lee, J. (2018). Virtual reality in education: a tool for learning in the
experience age.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324704089_Virtual_reality_in_education_a_tool_fo
r_learning_in_the_experience_age. Retrieved 19 May 2022, from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324704089_Virtual_reality_in_education_a_tool_fo
r_learning_in_the_experience_age.

REFERENCES FOR CHAPTER 2:

65
1. The 3 types of virtual reality. Heizenrader. (2019, November 20). Retrieved March
17, 2023, from https://heizenrader.com/the-3-types-of-virtual-reality/
2. Bardi, J. (2022, December 13). Virtual reality defined & use cases. 3D Cloud by
Marxent. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from https://www.marxentlabs.com/what-is-
virtual-reality/
3. Barnard, D. (2022, October 6). History of VR - timeline of events and Tech
Development. VirtualSpeech. Retrieved March 10, 2023, from
https://virtualspeech.com/blog/history-of-vr#:~:text=Ivan%20Sutherland%2C%20a
%20computer%20scientist,able%20to%20interact%20with%20objects.
4. Corporativa, I. (2018). Virtual reality: Another world within sight. Iberdrola.
Retrieved March 1, 2023, from https://www.iberdrola.com/innovation/virtual-
reality#:~:text=Which%20sectors%20is%20Virtual%20Reality,that%20would
%20otherwise%20be%20unimaginable.
5. Gajsek, D. (2022). Will it run? VR hardware requirements for your PC or Laptop.
Circuit Stream. Retrieved March 1, 2023, from https://circuitstream.com/blog/vr-
hardware
6. Hagita, K., Matsumoto, S., & Ota, K. (2019, February 22). Study of commodity VR for
Computational Material Sciences. ACS omega. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6649102/
7. McGovern, E., Moreira, G., & Neverez, C. L. (2019, December 18). An application of
virtual reality in education: Can this technology enhance the quality of students'
learning experience? Taylor & Francis. Retrieved March 1, 2023, from
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08832323.2019.1703096
8. Radianti, J., Majchrazk, T. A., Fromm, J., & Wohlgenannt, I. (2019, December 9). A
systematic review of immersive virtual reality applications for higher education:
Design Elements, lessons learned, and research agenda. Computers & Education.
Retrieved March 17, 2023, from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131519303276

REFERENCES CHAPTER 3

66
1. Team, D. F. (2020, February 3). Advantages and disadvantages of C++: Make your
next move! DataFlair. Retrieved March 6, 2023, from
https://data-flair.training/blogs/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-cpp/

2. McCaffrey, M. (2017). 1. In Unreal Engine VR Cookbook: Developing Virtual


Reality with UE4. essay, Addison-Wesley.

REFERENCES FOR CHAPTER 4:

1. Sacolick, I. (2022, April 6). What is agile methodology? Modern Software


Development explained. InfoWorld. Retrieved March 17, 2023, from
https://www.infoworld.com/article/3237508/what-is-agile-methodology-modern-
software-development-explained.html
2. DeBell, A. (2020, January 6). What is the Addie Model of Instructional Design?
Water Bear Learning. Retrieved March 1, 2023, from
https://waterbearlearning.com/addie-model-instructional-design/

67

You might also like