Educational AI/VR Teaching Mindscapes

This project develops an innovative Virtual Reality (VR) Escape Room for higher education, especially in Global Change and Sustainable Management courses. Using VR's interactive capabilities, it creates efficient learning experiences around complex sustainability issues.A core feature is the integration of Generative AI (GenAI) as a natural language interface, allowing users to interact through spoken language, moving beyond typical point-and-click VR formats. The AI interprets user actions meaningfully, offering context-aware responses and dynamic adaptation to learner behavior for a personalized experience.The project explores the educational potential of combining VR and GenAI, focusing on how different interaction forms impact learning. The virtual environment features a series of rooms with puzzles tied to course topics. Students solve them via haptic interaction or verbal communication with the AI. The AI provides adaptive hints and adjusts difficulty levels to optimize learning. Metrics collected during interactions assess challenge levels, usability, and the overall learning experience, informing design improvements and potential integration into other virtual learning scenarios.Overall, the project advances didactic practices in higher education by experimenting with novel, exploratory, immersive, and student-centered learning approaches.