VR-enhanced Immersive Science Investigations into Biology and Genetics

The team will develop a prototype of an immersive virtual reality experience for high school students to learn about the scientific processes and the biology of plants. The prototype will be designed to be multi-player where groups of students collaboratively conduct open-ended cross-breeding experiments, record images to export to reports, track and analyze data, and draw conclusions. At the end of Phase I, in a pilot study with 50 high school biology students, the researchers will examine whether the prototype functions as planned and whether it shows potential for improving students' science content knowledge related to genetics, heredity, and traits, as well as their use of science and engineering practices.