Virtual Environment Interactions (VEnvI)

Learning Computational Thinking Through Creative Movement

VEnvI is a program that blends dance choreography, computer programming, and a virtual environment to teach computational thinking, and broadens pathways for more diverse students. Using VEnvI, students create dance performances for virtual characters utilizing embodied ways of thinking to engage with computational concepts, practices, and perspectives.

The VEnvI user interface.
The VEnvI user interface.

Students create dance choreographies for their characters by dragging and dropping code blocks, where each atomic block is a dance move. Students use programming concepts such as variables, loops, conditions, and functions to add complexity to their dance.

A professional dancer in a motion-capture suit recording dance moves for VEnvI.
A professional dancer in a motion-capture suit recording dance moves for VEnvI.

I created VEnvI using the <a href="https://www.unity.com/">Unity game engine</a> and C# programming language. The dance moves were captured by recording a professional dancer using a 14-camera Vicon optical motion-capture system, and then integrated into VEnvI using Unity's Mecanim animation system.

Virtual Reality

Enhancing learning through self-embodied virtual avatars.

As part of my Ph.D. dissertation, I studied how experiencing a virtual environment from within, and having a virtual body that moves like you do enhances engagement and learning through VEnvI.

The VR experience was created using the Oculus Rift head-mouted display and a Microsoft Kinect V2 for tracking body movement.