Multimedia Principles Applied to a Virtual Reality Application Design for Procedural Learning

Abstract

Designing immersive learning environments based on simulations has evolved into a tool for practicing procedures in fields such as industrial safety. This document describes the design of a virtual reality learning environment for the practice of safe bench saw use in the carpentry workshops of the Industrial Design Program at Universidad Industrial de Santander (Colombia). The user interface was created using the multimedia principles of spatial contiguity, temporal contiguity, redundancy, and signaling from the Four-Components Instructional Design Model. The qualities mentioned have ties to the 4C/ID model's elements, learning tasks, procedural information, support information, and practical tasks, which allowed for their incorporation into the user interface elements of a virtual reality environment. A design for evaluating the prototype is also presented in order to assess how well it performs in terms of teaching students who use the learning environment how to use the machine safely.