Enhancing the Learning of History Through VR: The Thirteen Factories Icube Experience

Abstract

This paper explores the use of virtual reality (VR) for HH2013 Chinese Mandarins versus European Merchants, 1512-1911, which was offered to undergraduates at Nanyang Technology University in Singapore. The 22-minute VR version of the Thirteen Factories brought viewers through seven significant scenes reflecting the social, economic and judicial life in the Port of Canton. The visuals, recreated from 49 painting and lithographs of the time, were supported by narration in English, and presented in the EON IcubeTM mobile. The research questions were as follows: 1. What was the Icube Thirteen Factories experience like for the participants? 2. How would it fit in an undergraduate curriculum? Weekly seminars comprised short introductory lectures, discussion of the prescribed readings, visualisation exercises and presentations. Students were invited to view the VR version of the Thirteen Factories after they completed their seminars and assignments. Data collected from four participants included their immediate response to the Icube experience and an online survey. Those who presented the “Shopping in Canton” research were interviewed whether it further shaped their knowledge. Their professor who reviewed their assignments and project work was also interviewed. The findings suggest that the Icube experience was an engaging one, having added much to their understanding of life in the Thirteen Factories. It could be used to augment face-to-face teaching of History at the undergraduate level.