2. This project serves as a teaching agent, where users can learn about and participate within a simulated mandala construction ritual. Before users build the mandala, they are placed into virtual environments which they must explore spatially. During their exploration, their movement activates the space, displaying relevant contextual information. Overview

3.  Teaching action-oriented knowledge EXAMPLES:  Virtual surgery  “America’s Army”  Well-documented in areas of science / math EXAMPLES:  Yair – Astronomy  Trindade, et al. – Water molecules  Kancherla – Anatomy  Ou / Weese – Human cells  Less so in areas of ritual practice EXAMPLES:  Cruz-Neira and Sanford – “Virtual Hindu Ritual”  Strickland and Laurel – “Placeholder” Virtual Reality/Environments in Pedagogy Virtual Hindu Ritual

4. Constructivism: DEFINITION: Philosophy of learning founded on the premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our own understanding of the world we live in. Each of us generates our own "rules" and "mental models," which we use to make sense of our experiences. Learning is the process of adjusting our mental models to accommodate new experiences. Swan and Hughes Dewey Bricken and Byrne Virtual Reality/Environments in Pedagogy

5. Positive Attributes of VEs as Method of Teaching About Rituals:  Interaction schemes can guide users through ritual steps (linear procedures);  VEs can illustrate both concrete and abstract concepts;  Users can learn about religious/cultural content other than their own in a non-threatening environment;  Users can learn about religious/cultural content without need for travel;  Rituals (symbolic) can be placed within the context of historical / environmental representational models;  Rituals, their environment, and history can be preserved (virtual heritage);  Additional content can be presented in many ways, reinforcing learning. Virtual Reality/Environments in Pedagogy

6.  How to simulate a sacred space/ritual in virtual space;  Addressing multi-sensory aspects of the ritual and the integration of additional necessary descriptive information;  Mapping of time in environment. Project Design Considerations

7.  Rituals are already virtual - multiple layers of remediation;  Need for initiation of user before ritual engagement;  Flow  Csikszentmihalyi  Heim  Users’ roles within a ritual performance;  Creation of gestural components which correspond to real-world gestures;  Authenticity of ritual presentation and space where ritual is performed. Simulating Sacred Ritual/Space in Virtual Space

8.  Use of multiple avenues for conveying information:  Visual  Auditory  Spatial (moving through simulated spaces)  Gestural (moving in real space)  True virtual reality: more direct interaction  Other senses? Addressing Multi-Sensory Aspects / Additional Info Integration

9.  Length of creation process;  Granularity of detail  Number of people involved in construction  Convey sense of meticulous detail and patience;  Need for condensation without loss of symbolic elements;  Allowing for stops/starts in process (Save);  Need to see progression (Finish Mandala). Mapping of Time

10.  Virtual enactment of a mandala ritual;  Virtual heritage simulation, providing a record of both a Buddhist sacred space and ritual performance;  Interactive virtual gallery setting. Project’s Educational Foci

11.  Gives users an idea of the repetitive and meditative elements which are part of meticulously creating a piece of ritual art;  Virtual mandala creation does not require the technical and aesthetic expertise;  Users are required to learn a simple sequence of mouse movements and keystrokes;  Created mandala layers has a corresponding symbolic meaning, which is shown in app through textual description;  User adopts role as monk. Virtual Enactment of a Mandala Ritual

12.  Gives users a vehicle to visit a far-away place without having to actually do so;  Contextualizes the mandala ritual in space and time;  Virtual preservation of place;  Virtual preservation of cultural practice. Virtual Heritage & Travel Comparison of Virtual and Real Ritual Environment

13.  Users’ exploration of space activates it, revealing images, sounds, and text;  Revelation of information is form of initiation;  User can have a more spatialized gallery experience than other traditional “point and click” web gallery interfaces;  User can maneuver and find his/her optimum viewpoint and freeze it until s/he is ready to continue exploring. Virtual Gallery

14.  Requirements specification;  Gathering of reference material from real world objects;  Structuring the graphical model and, sometimes, dividing it between designers;  Building objects and positioning them in the VE;  Enhancing the environment with texture, lighting, sound and interaction, and optimizing the environment.  Kulwinder Kaur’s “Designing Virtual Environments for Usability" Design Methodology

15.  Images as:  Teaching aids  Ritual implements  Creation of images as meditation/worship  Ritual art  Mandala is form of this  Mandala is 2D representation of 3D space (as is this application) Representation

16. Multiple layers: –User -> Physical controls (mouse/keyboard) –User -> Virtual movement Spatial Gestural Add RITUAL PERFORMANCE: Another layer: –User -> Ritual act : predetermined symbolic acts representative of meaningful events or knowledge User Action

17. 4 Phases of Application:  Orientation : 1.0 – Pathway to Mahabodhi Temple & Tree of Enlightenment  Introduction to Mandala Creation : 2.0 – Mandala Creation Room  Virtual Mandala Creation : 2.1 – Thekpu, or Mandala Table  Summary Environment : 2.2 – 3D Mandala Extrusion Application Introduction

18. 3 Evaluators  Evaluator A : Educator, interacted with prototype (cooperative Think Aloud)  Evaluator B : Interface / interaction designer, interacted with prototype (observation, interaction)  Evaluator C : Interface / interaction designer, did not interact with prototype (observation) RESULTS  Interface: primarily legibility issues  Interaction: more detailed directions, integration of forcing functions Evaluation

19.  VR capabilities, utilizing physical controllers for the mandala creation process  Localized sound  Simultaneous multi-user capabilities, so that multiple users can collaborate on the mandala creation  “Save” function for the mandala creation process, so that user(s) may save their progress  More accurate textures/models of - the Mahabodhi Temple - the 3D extruded mandala temple - the Tree of Enlightenment  Additional lights and shadows to add to the environment’s ambiance and realism  Additional characters (not necessarily interactive), to act as indicators of social/ communal nature of Kalachakra initiation  Ubiquitous “Help” functions. Future Improvements

20.  VEs can offer insight into rituals that are new or foreign to students;  Students can view and participate in rituals in a simulated related context;  By providing multiple avenues of information presentation and virtual action, VEs have the potential to engage students through constructivist learning;  Students can interact and experience places and rituals virtually without actually having to do so (less personal risk, no need for travel);  If designed correctly, virtual rituals have the added benefit of providing a meditative experience;  Individuals interested in participating in the real Kalachakra initiation can learn more about it before taking real-world action. Conclusions