Tangible User Interfaces for Enhancing User Experience of Virtual Reality Cultural Heritage Applications for Utilization in Educational Environment

Abstract

Museums are traditionally considered learning environments and are ordinarily used for non-formal education. Physical museums, while being irreplaceable, are limited to a physical space, requiring mobility and physical presence. In addition, traditional exhibitions are not designed for interaction and physical exploration of artefacts. With the focus being shifted from museum exhibits to visitors’ experience, utilization of emerging technologies and co-creation of virtual museums not only helps in preservation of cultural heritage, but enhances the dissemination, engagement and experience, while addressing the mobility and the plurality of voices and perspectives represented. In this work, we designed and developed the School House Virtual Museum with tangible user interfaces based on participatory, interdisciplinary and co-creative methods with students and a larger community of researchers, artists and practitioners working on heritage and memory. In a user study with 62 participants, usability and user experience were explored and the potential contribution of such virtual museums to learning, based on critical, cross-disciplinary and participatory dialogue, both in cultural and educational institutions/programs has been investigated. The results have confirmed that the system has been well designed and developed, and the user experience was largely positive. The responses from educators and students confirmed that the application holds potential as a learning and education tool in either museums, schools, or when used independently.

The Impact of Immersive Virtual Reality on Knowledge Acquisition and Adolescent Perceptions in Cultural Education

“…Despite the intuitive immersive capabilities of VR, empirical studies exploring the cultural intersection are scarce [19][20][21]. Existing research primarily addresses VR's role in recreating historical sites, events, or artifacts [22][23][24] but neglects the broader spectrum of cultural education which includes contemporary practices, beliefs, and interrelations. While such endeavors hold merit, this gap in empirical studies underscores the need for investigations that can articulate the full range of VR's capabilities in fostering a more complete and culturally inclusive educational experience.…”

Design a Virtual Reality Interface to Enhance the User Experience of Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection

“…Secondly, user experience also plays an important role in improving users' understanding and cognition of intangible cultural heritage. By designing an intuitive and easy to understand interactive interface, users can more easily browse and understand the relevant information of intangible cultural heritage (Hulusic et al, 2023). For example, by using VR technology, users can visit the making process of traditional handicrafts in an immersive way to gain an in-depth understanding of the cultural connotation behind them.…”