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Graduate
Exploring immersive technology for promoting positive change
On Tuesday, November 26th, graduate students in Dr. Bernhard Riecke's IAT 848 Mediated, Virtual, and Augmented Reality present their final course projects that explore the use of technology in promoting positive change.
Students in the class dove into the emerging field of virtual, augmented, mediated, and mixed realities (together known as XR) and explored the design, development, and evaluation of impactful XR experiences.
With the goal of using XR to educate, inspire, and promote positive change, five students pushed the boundaries of VR to create diverse immersive experiences that tackle challenging topics like implicit bias in law enforcements, brain health education, and mindfulness through immersive VR simulations.
The projects are interdisciplinary in nature with implications and relevance to fields like technology, crimonology, health, psychology, and education, among others.
All are welcome to attend the final project showcase taking place on November 26th and no RSVP is required.
IAT 848 Virtual Reality Showcase
Date: Tuesday, November 26th
Time: 2:30-4:20pm
Location: SRYC 3850 (aka Black Box)
Explore the projects:
If I Were You: A VR Law Enforcement Tool to Challenge Implicit Biases
Step Into a New Reality: A VR Experience to Transform Bias and Build Empathy
By Dana Metcalfe and Jennifer Zheng
"If I Were You" is a VR experience to transform biases and build empathy.
Implicit biases in policing can harm marginalized groups, and traditional training often does not address unconscious biases. Through VR, "If I Were You" promotes empathy and self-reflection, encouraging officers to examine their biases.
This VR prototype is built for criminology students to immerse themselves in the perspective of an outgroup individual, Kane, who experiences a biased, life-threatening encounter with police. Based on Social Identity and Labeling Theories, this simulation aims to confront future law enforcement personnel with the realities of bias in high-stress situations.
This immersive experience addresses a gap in traditional training by fostering empathy and awareness of bias-driven errors, with the potential to improve policing outcomes and contribute to fairer treatment in law enforcement.
MindScape VR
Inside Your Mind – A Journey Through Time
By Hayyan Liaqat
"MindScape VR" is a transformative experience where users go on a metaphorical journey while immersed inside a forest that symbolizes the intricate pathways and vitality of the brain.
Through exploration of the forest, users witness how everyday lifestyle choices shape their brain's future. Through interactive storytelling, users experience firsthand how healthy habits help the forest thrive, while neglect accelerates decay representative of cognitive decline from diseases like Alzheimer's that may be preventable through lifestyle interventions.
The study will investigate whether this immersive VR experience can promote healthy lifestyle habits, focusing on whether users make lasting behavioral changes after completing the experience. The findings could be valuable to public health organizations, medical practitioners, and educators, providing a novel approach to Alzheimer's prevention. For individuals, this immersive approach has the potential to shift behaviours, reduce Alzheimer’s risks, and empower users to take control of their cognitive future—one healthy habit at a time.
BR-FLY (BReathing FireFLY)
A meditative VR experience:
Breathe, connect, and watch fireflies respond to your touch
By Deniz Ural and Rayne Inkster
BR-FLY is a meditative VR experience where you will be guided through a narrated mindful breathing practice in an immersive environment filled with responsive virtual fireflies. You will be immersed in a space akin to a galaxy with glowing and star-like fireflies combined with a relaxing ambient soundscape, encouraging connection and awareness.
The goal of the experience is to elevate awareness and cultivate a sense of belonging and well-being among users, such as visitors at an art gallery/exhibition space or VR users intrigued through the app store.