The "Dunhuang Band" history class is designed to immerse high school students in the rich historical context of the Dunhuang murals, particularly focusing on the musical heritage as depicted in the Mogao Caves. Using Virtual Reality (VR), this course transforms conventional history lessons into an interactive exploration, engaging students with the cultural and historical significance of the Dunhuang region and the Silk Road.
High school students aged 14-18
Unity, Adobe Photoshop
VR Walkthroughs: Provides a virtual tour of Cave 112, enabling students to explore the cave and its artistic details firsthand.
Interactive Elements: Allows students to interact with elements of the Dunhuang Band, offering clickable objects that reveal more about their historical and cultural contexts.
Multimedia Integration: Combines text, images, and video within the VR experience to provide a thorough educational exploration.
To understand the historical significance and details of the Dunhuang Band within the context of Cave 112.
To gain insights into the role of music and instruments in the cultural exchanges along the Silk Road.
To develop a comprehensive understanding of the interconnectedness of historical sites and artifacts through interactive VR explorations.
VR Walkthroughs: Provides a virtual tour of Cave 112, enabling students to explore the cave and its artistic details firsthand.
Interactive Elements: Allows students to interact with elements of the Dunhuang Band, offering clickable objects that reveal more about their historical and cultural contexts.
Multimedia Integration: Combines text, images, and video within the VR experience to provide a thorough educational exploration.
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Cognitive Load Theory: Focuses on reducing unnecessary cognitive load to enhance focus on key historical insights.
Multimedia Learning Theory: Integrates visual and auditory elements to improve understanding and retention of the historical narratives.
Dual Coding Theory: Uses both verbal and imagery representations to facilitate easier recall and comprehension of the historical information.
Signaling Principle: Uses cues within the VR environment to highlight important historical information.
Redundancy Principle: Avoids overuse of simultaneous forms of information presentation to prevent cognitive overload.
Spatial Contiguity Principle: Places related text and visuals close together in the VR environment for better learning efficacy.
Multimedia Principle: Utilizes a combination of textual, auditory, and visual information to enrich the learning experience.
Modality Principle: Prefers auditory explanations over text in the VR setting to improve understanding of complex historical contexts.
Bloom, B. S., Engelhart, M. D., Furst, E. J., Hill, W. H., & Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. David McKay Company.
Budmouth Academies. (n.d.). How do we revise for history? Retrieved from https://budmouth.academies.aspirationsacademies.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/10/How-Do-We-Revise-for-History.pdf
Calvert, J., & Abadia, R. (2020). Impact of immersing university and high school students in educational linear narratives using virtual reality technology. Computers & Education, 159, 104005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.104005
Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (Eds.). (2016). Engagement in e‐learning. In R. C. Clark & R. E. Mayer (Eds.), e‐Learning and the Science of Instruction (pp. 219–235).
John Wiley & Sons.HealthLink BC. (n.d.). Cognitive development, ages 15 to 18 years. Retrieved from https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/pregnancy-parenting/parenting-teens-12-18-years/teen-growth-and-development/cognitive-development
