Using Space Syntax for Informing the Design of Learning Activities in VR

There is an increasing focus on improving remote education through bringing lectures into virtual reality (VR) especially when a huge number of universities are heavily affected by COVID19. However, there is little research on the evaluation for these designed VR spaces, in particular, concerning the relationship between the spatial design and the learning effectiveness. This thesis aims at using an architecture theory, space syntax, to evaluate the learning or collaborative spaces in VR in mainstream platforms and to investigate the potential usage of space syntax to assist designing an effective learning environment in VR. We analyzed 3 different types of classrooms in Mozilla Hubs school with space syntax. We also conducted 2 rounds of interviews with 3 university instructors from different schools to gather their requirements for learning environments in VR and their critiques for the space syntax analysis results. In addition, we compared the ideal learning environments designed by these instructors and designed with space syntax for different numbers of students. Finally, we have developed a prototype as a proof of concept to demonstrate how to better design virtual space to support learning and collaborative activities. Through our research, it is clear that instructors have strong interests to host learning activities in VR with specific demands in accordance with their domains. In addition, our research shows that the design assisted with space syntax differs from the design of the instructors but there are shared features among these two designs which strongly suggests that architecture theories like space syntax could be integrated into the design process for virtual environments. Our research also provides 5 design guidelines for designing virtual space for learning activities abstracted from our design critiques and interviews. Our research concludes that with further study and adoption, there is strong potential for using architecture theories to better understand and design virtual spaces.Master of Science in InformationSchool of Informationhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/168548/1/20210504_Wu,Alan[Liwei]_Final_MTOP_Thesis.pd