Thesis Statement
The primary objective of this research is to develop and investigate a user interface that supports learning to be implemented in the virtual reality application Anatomy Builder VR, an ongoing project from the Department of Visualization. Through the conception of this interface, we will explore the research question “how can user interface design in virtual reality applications support learning and engagement?”.
Theoretical Framework
Through the use of iterative design, we will develop an interface to be implemented in the virtual reality application Anatomy Builder VR.To accomplish this, we will create several prototypes to be evaluated by a focus group before implementing a high fidelity interface into the application. The three prototypes will be used to conduct a user study that will improve the quality and functionality of the final interface as a whole.
Project Description
Effective user interface design is extremely important when creating an application focused on learning. If the application’s interface is misleading, the user will either incorrectly learn the information or stop using the application altogether. For this reason, we will center our research on the question “how can user interface design in virtual reality applications support learning and engagement?”. Expected outcomes include designing a user interface that will provide an intuitive and engaging learning experience. Our interface will be implemented intoAnatomy Builder VR, an application that allows users to assemble a human or canine skeleton while learning comparative anatomy. Anatomy Builder VR is a current collaborative project between Department of Visualization and Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences. We will investigate how our design impacts the user’s anatomy learning experience