Author: nadja.pirchheim

Matt Corrall held a guest lecture at our institution at the FH Joanneum. He works as design director at the company Ultraleap which is known for their devices with handtracking controls.

As I am very interested in spatial design and VR as well, I found his talk at the atelier super inspiring and wanted to delve deeper into his work. On his website I found another speech he held at the Interaction 23 Conference in Zurich, Switzerland.

During his talk Matt mentioned a lot of interesting aspects designer need to consider when designing for interfaces for the future.

• Virtual environments with hand tracking is more intuitive as with controllers. Users do not need to remember which button does what. Also gestures have a natural variance.
• How user interact with certain objects is quite interesting. It depends of the size of the object. Is the object rather small the index finger and thumb is used, for bigger objects the whole hand is used and for really big objects, people use both hands.
• Objects needs to be signified if they are interactive e.g. by glowing or label when hovering/going over the specific object
• Objects have to have three dimensional aspects. A button is instantly know to be triggered when it has a physical appearance. In general UI components work best when they are in 3D.
• Wearable UI is really important for certain interactions. But they should only be triggered when needed
• Exaggerated feedback: To simulate haptics in VR is not possible (yet). That the user understands that a trigger/interaction was made, the feedback has to be clearly visible and in best case be exaggerated.
• In general every/most of the VR applications have their own interaction and process, a tutorial before first usage is very important to clarify the upcoming experience.

Generally speaking the talk and the website of Matt Corrall is very interesting to me and has a lot of helpful insights. Can recommend 10/10 😊

Links:

https://www.corralldesign.com/writing/how-to-get-into-xr-as-a-ux-designer

https://interaction23.ixda.org/online-schedule/day-1.html

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattcorrall/?originalSubdomain=uk

For my future masterthesis I created the following research planning matrix which will guide me through my research/design process.

Ontology:

If I reflect on the nature of reality as it pertains in my research topic I assume, that teenagers often don’t know what they want to become nor where their professional journey is heading. One reason for this is the lack of opportunities to gain insights into different professions. This is also been examined in a survey conducted by Zukunft.Lehre.Österreich.(1)

I definitely view this assumption as objective facts as they were asked and examine in a broader field.

Epistemology:

The primary sources for my study are mainly from the WKO (chamber of commerce) as they conduct studies and surveys every year about apprenticeships in Austria. As well as other institutions in Austria which work for the Ministry of Education, other job seeking platforms or have any relation to education and employment. Also personal experience and subjective experience from people in my surroundings play a major role and give insights into for instance the change over time. The understanding is mostly empirical based on data and observation throughout the years as well as the material which is provided by the WKO.

Possible limitations could be that I have already delved too deeply into the topic and do not see other relevant information or my own biased interpretation of certain aspects.

Source:

(1) https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/1229681/umfrage/hinderungsgruende-fuer-eine-lehre-in-oesterreich/

Today I had the opportunity to have a nice chat with Mrs. Frank from the company Mediasquad in Innsbruck. The company is specialized in Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality and they created the application “Berufe-VR” for the chamber of commerce.

Mrs. Frank gave me some insights about the implementation of the application and other useful tipps I need to consider when creating my VR project for my masterthesis. She also told me about their process when starting a new project and what to consider with working with clients. Furthermore she empathized how important it is to have feedback for the user especially when there is no haptic involvement e.g. handtracking, gaze control, etc. Another important hint was the iterative process and always including user testing throughout the project. Also to test the application on users which are not experts in the field – rather use rookies to get helpful criticism.

In conclusion the conversation with Mrs. Frank was very valuable and I am thankful for the opportunity to gain insights and expertise from people in the field.

Links:

https://www.berufe-vr.at

VR Projekte

Today I was invited to visit the Talent Center at the WK Styria. Mr. Pichler, the manager of the talent center gave me a very warm welcome and showed me the facilities. The building is very impressive and he told me that every day they have 40-50 teenagers at the talent center doing interest and skill tests and trying out VR applications. Surprisingly he also told me that they currently work on Virtual Reality simulations to try out different jobs. Currently they have three different jobs the teenagers can try out. I was allowed to do virtually bricklaying on the roof of the talent center. The visuals and the interaction were really great and it was so much fun to test it out. Mr. Pichler also told me about the companies who were involved in creating the VR simulation. They did not communicate any of those simulations yet as they just started.

Mr. Pichler was really curious about my thesis and offered me to help also regarding the user testing which was super encouraging towards my project. He gave me some tips in terms of motion sickness and realistic features. All in all I was super impressed by the simulation and had a lot of fun it trying out.

Links:

https://talentcenter.at

no 3rd. link available

I recently joined the gym and my new habit is to listen to an podcast episode every time while sweating on the cross trainer. To get the best out of my time there I decided to start a podcast about VR Development. I found the “Zero to Start VR Podcast” on Spotify and gave it a shot. It is about two women where one of them has no experience in VR development and she wants to create a project she can publish on the Oculus Start developer program. In each episode the two ladies talk about her progress and about other VR related topics.

What I really like about the podcast is that the ladies start from scratch and also talk about how to install Unity and what she struggles with at the beginning. In one of their first episodes they talked about when starting with VR development you should wear rose-colored glasses and be super optimistic even when it’s going to be a super bumpy road. And this is the approach I am going for. Just do it. Just start and don’t worry.

What I don’t like that much is that there is a lot of bla bla and quite some beating around the bush. I understand that when they started, in the third episode COVID-19 and the pandemic started and they had to switch to remote recording and nothing was happening on their side but it was also a great start for VR Dev the time to shine. I am currently on episode 8 and I’m curious how it will continue.

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/arvrwomen/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/siciliana/

Last week, shortly before Christmas I had the honor to conduct an interview with Petra Duhm. She is the project lead for the platform “Berufe-VR” by WKO. Mrs. Duhm and I talked about my thesis topic as well as the project “Berufe-VR”. She explained how they started the project and also about the pits and falls she and her team faced during the implementation phase. Also how they started shortly before the COVID-19 Pandemic started. Another important partner which was involved in this project was the Tyrolean company Mediasquad. They developed the VR application and were responsible for the technical aspects.

The project is very successful and currently they have 50 videos on the platform. For the next year 10 new videos are planned. The hardware used is a pair of VR-glasses from Pico. They swichted from the Oculus to Pico regarding some license issues.

The interview I had with Mrs. Duhm gave me a lot of interesting insights and we will stay in touch for future exchange.

https://www.berufe-vr.at

@Birgit Bachler: Feedback zum Exposé

Questions:

• Exposé clear and understandable?
• Is the research questions clear and concrete enough? How can I improve it?
• How could a realistic timeframe look like?
• How to start strategically?
• How to write/practice proper academic english?

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working title

Unlocking Careers: Exploring Virtual Reality’s Potential in Simulating Various Apprenticeships – Case Study: Cooking Apprenticeship

the problem

It is no secret, that Austria has a skilled worker shortage. The numbers of young people starting an apprenticeship decreases each year. What are the main issues why teenagers decide against an apprenticeship? One main problem is that a lot of teenagers don’t know what they want to become and where their professional journey is heading. The market is flooded with job opportunities and it might be overwhelming as well. And the possibilities to dive into every single job is not possible.

state of research

There are several ways for young people to gain realistic insights into various apprenticeships. However, none of them provide a comprehensive focus on informing young people about apprenticeships and their tasks through a virtual reality simulation. The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber uses a similar method to deliver information about apprenticeships to teenagers, but they opt for an observational approach. This thesis and experiment aim to supplement this with a simulation. Users can try out common tasks and obtain information in a gamified and exploratory manner.

the question

How can young people be given realistic insights into different apprenticeships to make their decision easier?

Subquestion: How can Virtual Reality support in giving realistic insights?

the objective

In the forthcoming master’s thesis, evidence will be presented to establish that the innovative use of virtual reality technology holds significant potential in the representation of various apprenticeships. This utilization of technology can serve as a powerful tool to assist young individuals in navigating their career paths, ultimately helping them discover and pursue their ideal profession.

the reference to theory

Teenagers are inherently curious and have a natural inclination towards exploring new technologies. Virtual reality, as one of these emerging technologies, serves as an intriguing platform for them. In the context of Austria, a nation currently grappling with a shortage of skilled labor, it is essential to find fresh and engaging ways to reach out to these young individuals. Traditional methods may not resonate with them. Instead, they are more likely to be receptive to interactive and innovative approaches, particularly those that present learning as a fun and gamified experience. This approach not only makes learning enjoyable but also enhances information retention, which is vital in addressing the skilled labor shortage.

the method

Initially, I plan to create a VR simulation featuring a cooking apprenticeship case study with simple tasks. This simulation will then be tested by pupils aged 13-15 years. To evaluate the effectiveness, I will use a quantitative approach, asking the teenagers several questions both before and after the user testing.

(preliminary) structure

Title Page

Abstract (DE/EN)

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables

List of Abbreviations and Acronyms

Chapter 1: Introduction

Background and context of the study

Statement of the problem

Research objectives and questions

Significance of the study

Thesis structure

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Educational psychology and cognitive science theories related to learning in VR

The evolution and state of VR technology

VR in education and apprenticeship training

The role of realism and immersion in VR learning

VR content creation and design principles

User experience and HCI in VR

Chapter 3: Theoretical Framework

Framework for creating realistic insights into apprenticeships using VR

Integration of educational theories and VR technology

Chapter 4: Methodology

Research design

Data collection methods

Participants and sample selection

Data analysis procedures

Chapter 5: VR Content Development

VR hardware and software

Design and development of the chef’s apprenticeship VR simulation

User interface design and interaction techniques

Chapter 6: Implementation and Evaluation

Implementation of the VR simulation

Data collection for evaluation

Analysis of learning outcomes

User feedback and surveys

Comparison with traditional cooking apprenticeship learning methods

Chapter 7: Results and Discussion

Presentation of findings

Discussion of the effectiveness of the VR simulation

Interpretation of data

Comparison with existing literature

Implications of the results

Chapter 8: Conclusion and further Development

Summary of key findings

Contributions to the field

Final thoughts, recommendations and further development

References

Bibliography

Appendices

timetable

February – March 2024 – working on the prototype, theoretical part

March – June 2024 – working on the prototype, theoretical part

July – August 2024 Testing, Evaluation, conclusion

As I want to create a VR experience I examined the following stakeholders:

Young People: As the VR experience will be mainly targeted for young people they would be one of the primary stakeholders for the product. Right after that there would be parents/guardians who will be directly affected through the young people.

Government: The government would be one of the stakeholders in terms of new laws and regulations. Also the chamber of commerce would be a party of interest.

Schools: Another important stakeholder will be schools as they would act as one of the main parties where young people can try out the experience. Educational institutions and educational fairs for instance BeSt could also carry out such experiences.

Employers: Companies are from interest in providing resources and gaining new apprentices and employees. Career Counselors and NGO’s e.g. Bildungsinfo Graz would also benefit from the application.

Stakeholder Map:

For the task: What is this I chose VR Goggles as my product for the task

What is this: VR Goggles

• What is it for
  • Creating experiences
  • To put it on
  • To immerse
  • To play, watch
• How did it get there
  • By delivery
  • By carrying it
  • By ship/plane
• who uses it?
  • People who like to try something new
  • People who don’t get motion sick
  • People who like to immerse themself
  • People who like to play/watch
  • People who like to gather experience
• What does it do?
  • blinking
  • playing
• When is it used?
  • Whenever the battery is charged
  • When it is needed
  • When people want to get entertain
  • When people want to get help
  • When people want to research
  • When people want to educate themselves
• What is it made of?
  • Plastic
  • Metal
  • Aluminium
  • Ruber
  • Fabric
  • Battery
• Who made it?
  • a company in e.g. China
  • a worker
  • researcher
  • designer
  • software programmer
• Why does it exist?
  • For “help” purposes
  • For entertainment purposes
  • For research purposes
  • For educational purposes

Für die Recherche habe ich die Masterthesis von Nicole Bilak, Bsc von der FH St. Pölten mit dem Titel “Beobachtung der VR User Experience Erstellung einer Benutzeroberfläche zur Beobachtung von Patient*innen in der VR Therapie”, ausgewählt.

• Gestaltungshöhe
  Die Arbeit ist übersichtlich gestaltet und beinhaltet Tabellen, Abbildungen und Fließtext.
  
• Innovationsgrad
  Das Thema behandelt Virtual Reality und Therapieansätze. Meiner Meinung nach ist der Innovationsgrad sehr hoch, aufgrund der Wichtigkeit und Aktualität der Technik mit dem Fokus auf mentale Gesundheit.
  
• Selbstständigkeit
  Für das Experiment hat die Autorin eine eigens entwickeltes User Interface in Virtual Reality entwickelt, welche von außen (Personen außerhalb der VR) gesteuert und modifiziert werden kann.
  
• Gliederung und Struktur
  Die Arbeit ist sehr strukturiert. Diese beinhaltet einen empirischen Teil und einen praktischen Teil. Der klassische Aufbau einer Masterarbeit wurde korrekt eingehalten und übersichtlich verfasst.
  
• Kommunikationsgrad
  Die Autorin nutzt gendergerechte Sprache und drückt sich klar und deutlich aus. Der Lesefluss ist angenehm und flüssig.
  
• Umfang der Arbeit
  Der Umfang der Masterarbeit erstreckt sich über 92 Seiten und ist befasst sich sowohl mit Literatur als auch mit empirischen Studien und deckt alle relevanten Aspekte im Detail ab.
  
• Orthographie und Genauigkeit
  Die Thesis ist sauber und nachvollziehbar verfasst und beinhaltet einen roten Faden durch die gesamte Arbeit.
  
• Literatur
  Für die Literaturrecherche hat die Autorin aus unterschiedlichen Quellen zitiert wie z. B. Büchern, aber auch aktuellen Fachzeitschriften und Internetquellen. Insgesamt hat die Autorin Quellen auf fünf Seiten aufgezeigt.