As part of the VIRION VR project, the Mathematics VR Experience offers a unique way for students to engage with geometry through Virtual Reality. This immersive application transforms traditional learning by allowing students to explore and manipulate geometric shapes in an interactive virtual environment, making complex concepts more accessible and engaging.
The experience guides students through three phases. Thanks to the ability to represent three-dimensional spaces—something not possible with conventional two-dimensional screens—this app allows students to interact with and explore geometry in an immersive virtual environment. At the conclusion of the journey, students earn a certificate of accomplishment, highlighting their progress and achievements. This software is part of the VIRION project, aimed at integrating VR technology into STEM education. Stay tuned for updates as we continue to release more VR applications designed to expand and transform the ways we learn.
The Primary Objectives of the Application
VIRION VR Mathematics is a virtual reality application designed to enhance students’ understanding of geometry and spatial visualization through interactive, immersive learning. The main objectives of this experience are:
- To enable students to interact with and analyze simple geometric shapes, such as spheres, cubes, pyramids, and toruses, by learning their definitions, properties, and mathematical formulas.
- To allow students to modify and create complex geometric structures through Boolean operations, combining basic shapes to form new ones.
- To provide an interactive platform where students can explore abstract mathematical shapes, gaining insights into forms that exist primarily in theoretical mathematics.
Structure and Functionality
The VR experience is structured into three progressive phases, each designed to build students’ knowledge of geometric concepts and their applications.
-Phase 1: Analyzing Basic Geometric Shapes
Students begin in a virtual environment where eleven fundamental geometric shapes (including spheres, pyramids, cubes, and octahedrons) float around them in a circular belt.
- Using VR controls, students select and place each shape into an “Analyzer”, which displays its geometric properties, surface area, volume formulas, and key characteristics.
- After analyzing each shape, students must answer a question related to its properties before proceeding to the next one.
- Once all eleven shapes have been studied, they are stored in a “Collector”, completing this phase.
-Phase 2: Constructing Complex Geometric Shapes
Once students have analyzed all simple shapes, they move to the next phase, where they can combine and manipulate geometric forms using Boolean operations.
- A virtual operations table appears, enabling students to adjust shape parameters and create new structures by performing:
- Intersection – Identifying the overlapping volume between two shapes.
- Union – Merging two shapes into a single object.
- Exclusion – Subtracting one shape from another.
- Students must complete at least five Boolean operations to proceed to the final phase.
-Phase 3: Exploring Advanced Mathematical Shapes
After constructing complex shapes, students unlock a collection of advanced mathematical structures, many of which exist only in theoretical mathematics.
- These shapes are impossible to manipulate in the real world, but in VR, students can explore and interact with them freely.
- This phase bridges theoretical mathematics with hands-on visualization, making abstract concepts more accessible and engaging.
Interactive Features
- A holographic analyzer provides real-time information about each geometric shape, including formulas, properties, and characteristics.
- The VR operations table allows students to modify and manipulate geometric structures interactively.
- A progress-based challenge system requires students to solve shape-related questions to advance through the experience.
- A visual and interactive representation of Boolean operations helps students understand shape transformations dynamically.
Educational Outcomes
Upon successfully completing all three phases, students are awarded a certificate of accomplishment, acknowledging their proficiency in analyzing, modifying, and constructing geometric shapes through mathematical operations. This experience reinforces their ability to recognize and classify geometric forms and their properties, apply Boolean operations to create new structures, and explore abstract mathematical concepts through interactive, hands-on engagement.