Virtual Enhancement S2022

Documentation

Week #1: Introductions

It was a pleasure meeting everyone (virtually for now) and I am excited for this class. This week we did introductions and reviewed the syllabus together. We were also given some reading materials to look over.

Create a blog for this class (Wix, Weebly, Tumblr, Wordpress, etc.) to post your assignments, recordings, and reading assessments. Write a short assessment on your learnings from the readings to your blog and prepare to discuss next week!

Week #3: Introduction to Social VR 

This week, the two readings were "The metaverse has a groping problem already" and "Virtual Reality is Full of Assholes Who Sexually Harass Me. Here's Why I Keep Going Back". Both articles touch on the vulnerabilities and flaws of social virtual reality.

Week #5: Project 1: The Forge 

This week, the first project is due. The assignment was to enhance the IDM Student Lounge, which a 3D model of was provided to us by Leah. For this project, I wanted to recreate the IDM lounge in a way that was new but also felt familiar. I thought about what the lounge meant to me and to my fellow classmates. I realized that the lounge, while called a lounge was rarely, if ever, used as a place for relaxation. Rather it was a place to continue working on our projects and portfolio pieces after class. This made me think of a blacksmith's forge. A place where blacksmiths worked away with care and sweat to create tools and weapons that showcased their abilities. 

I chose to recreate the IDM Student Lounge as a medieval forge.

Week #6: Accessibility in VR 

I admit, I have not used any VR technologies before, however, I am familiar with it as I watch a lot of gameplay videos of VR games. So as an observer of VR and not a consumer, it was very interesting and eye-opening to read this week's readings (and watch the video). I knew that VR was the future of technology, but I didn't know about the shortcomings of this new technology.