Virtual Reality

1. Analysis

-          Context and learners:

This virtual reality (VR) video is designed as a public service announcement for the Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery (Prairie Creek), a nonprofit based in Alachua County, FL.  Although anyone can be buried in the cemetery, its primary constituents and potential clients are residents of Alachua County and surrounding communities.  Alachua County, in north-central Florida, is home to approximately 270,000 residents.  Nearly 50% of those residents reside in Gainesville, the county seat; otherwise, much of the rest of the county and its neighboring communities are significantly more rural.  Nearly 70% of Alachua county residents are white, with 20% African American.  The median age skews young, just over 30, due partly to the demographic influence of the University of Florida, based in Gainesville.  The county is also considered by many to be politically liberal, culturally rich, and environmentally-minded.

-          Need assessment:

According to the Green Burial Council, there are less than 100 certified green cemeteries in the United States and Canada and only three in Florida.  The developers of this project were responding to a felt need that there is a lack of public education on green burial options generally and, more specifically, the presence of a green cemetery in our own community.  Prairie Creek, in its ongoing outreach to the wider community, shares these expressed needs for wider dissemination of green burial options.  Public education around green burial also addresses future needs related to sustainability, land scarcity, and increasing end-of-life expenses.  Through educating the public about Prairie Creek, we are also educating them about the existence of green burial options, and both themes are reflected in our VR video.    

2. Purpose and instructional goals

-          Significance and rationale for using VR:

The purpose of this project is to raise public awareness of Prairie Creek and green burial options more widely.  With so few green cemeteries in North America, many people do not live within easy reach of one.  A VR video provides an immersive experience and allows for greater means of representation and engagement with what will likely be a new concept for many people.  Through this VR experience, interested viewers will be able to take a stroll through Prairie Creek, observing firsthand the tranquil environment: the quiet, the unspoiled natural beauty, wildlife, and ephemeral artistry of the hand-decorated gravesites—all from the comfort of their own home.  The existence of online media documenting the site also allows potential clients to familiarize their loved ones with their burial choice even from a distance.  Additionally, since Prairie Creek is maintained as a conservation space, with only minimal road access and few maintained walking trails, the site is not accessible for many elderly or people with physical disabilities.  A VR video is the closest thing to an actual visit to the cemetery that some people will be able to make.       

-          Measurable instructional objectives:

Our goal to raise public awareness will be demonstrated by surveys indicating that >75% of viewers who respond to a survey after viewing our video can:

·         Describe how green burial differs from more conventional burial options.

·         Identify Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery as a green burial provider located in Alachua County, FL. 

·         Discuss how their own end-of-life choices affect their community, their loved ones, and the planet.

3. Content

-          Describe the unit content:

The VR video content consists of a variety of still images, 360-video, and accompanying audio narration describing two major themes.  The first theme describes the specifics of Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery, including its nonprofit status, mission, location, operating hours, and allowable activities within the preserve.  The second discusses green burial and what sets it apart from conventional burial options, as well as the cemetery’s dual purpose to conserve land and the interpersonal benefits of loved ones’ involvement in a green burial.     

In addition to these themes, the content of the video demonstrates the variety of ecosystems present within the cemetery and some sample gravesites, including both unadorned and those that have been hand-decorated.  The 360-video portion includes walks down two of the cemetery’s main walking trails and a variety of vantage points whereby viewers can observe numerous gravesites. 

4. Instructional Strategies

-          Delivery format:

The VR video will be hosted by YouTube, with full captioning, and made available on the developers’ personal websites as well as Prairie Creek’s website.  Though it can be viewed without VR, it is best viewed on a headset with full VR capabilities.  The length of the video, just over three minutes, is meant to hold the viewers’ attention and convey the educational message in a succinct fashion, but also offers greater opportunities for exploration for those who are interested in more fully exploring the site. 

-          Teaching methods:

Keywords will be used to steer viewers toward the video, and traffic/views can be monitored to determine viewership.  With a small budget, it could be advertised more widely via social media to potential constituents with demographics most attuned to the video’s themes.  After viewing, an embedded link to a short survey (e.g., hosted by Google Forms or Survey Monkey) can assess whether the video’s learning objectives were met.  In addition, the survey can ask interested parties for their contact information if they would like to receive more information on green burial and/or Prairie Creek.    

5. Assessment of learning outcomes

As described above, summative assessment will be utilized to determine whether the learning objectives were met.  Viewers will be assessed on their understanding of green burial, their awareness of the existence of Prairie Creek, and their willingness to consider the impacts of their own end-of-life choices.  Correct answers will be offered for any questions missed, and respondents can choose to leave their contact information for follow-up. 

6. Follow-up Research

The objective of this project is to widen the audience of Prairie Creek and deepen awareness of green burial.  The most straightforward measures of success will be viewership statistics and survey completion.  Given the considerable labor and cost increases associated with VR production as compared to conventional videography, an important question is whether the VR format is more effective at achieving the learning objectives than a standard video.  Given VR’s capacity for a more immersive experience, there is the possibility that this format could be more engaging for many viewers and hence improve interest and motivation.  That possibility could be tested in a straightforward manner by comparing two videos of similar content, one with and one without VR capabilities.  The videos could be compared in terms of views, engagement, and survey responses.