An Introduction
Often students in K-12 and higher education find it difficult to conceptualize the topics they are learning. Whether such is due to a lack of high-end lab equipment while conducting science experiments, missing a few days of class from an illness, or simply low-resolution and explanation from 2D, paper-based visualizations. With EduVeRSE, students travel through their educational pursuits with greater immersion and understanding through web-based VR experiences!
What is EduVeRse?
EduVeRse is a free, web-based application that allows students of all grade levels to learn concepts through educational VR experiences – without the need to download any software. Through A-Frame VR experiences and Youtube VR's built-in functionalities, the VR experiences listed in the catalog on EduVeRse are compatible with mobile phones, desktops, and VR headsets.
How did we build it?!
We built EduVeRse using A-Frame (a JavaScript API that allows us to code in HTML for VR development). With Blender 3D modeling software, we created a demo 'explore a human body cell' VR experience with A-Frame – referencing to the exported .gltf model and .glb scenes by importing Assets into our code editor (glitch). For purposes of scale, we also scoped Youtube for various VR/3D-formatted videos on educational concepts and added these to EduVeRse and downloaded other .gltf models from SketchUp to demonstrate how we can use A-Frame with virtually any 3D model.
Challenges we faced:
Since our team has minimal prior coding experience, building a website, creating 3D models from scratch, and incorporating both of them together was hard for us. There were times when we felt sleepy, demotivated, and stressed out – but with 739,282 cups of coffee and a sleepless night, we got through it!
What we're proud of:
We're proud of our ability to provide a web-based method for students to experience VR – augmenting their educational journey – at no cost and with no high-spec / downloading requirements.
What we learned:
Through the development process of EduVeRse, we learned how to import and source 3D models correctly in A-Frame.
Future Plans for EduVeRse:
In the future, we intend to make EduVeRse more interactive with multiplayer capability in classrooms – designated to students at specific K-12 schools and universities. We would also like to add a feature where students can take virtual tours of colleges on EduVeRse.
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