Go your own way: User preference in a time-based virtual heritage world

Abstract

Virtual reality, though still expensive, is becoming more common in museums. And while interactive games are touted as powerful learning tools, virtual worlds are places that can support a range of activities including, but not limited to, interactive games. The Virtual Sydney Rocks (VSR) is a prototype multi-modal time-based virtual heritage world. It was tested at the Rocks Discovery Museum in the historic Sydney Rocks district in Sydney, Australia. Users of the VSR had the option of playing a Game, taking a Tour and Exploring freely. The initial findings reveal that museum visitors liked to engage with the VSR via several of the available modes and that the game was the least popular. Individual users had clear preferences and each of the three interaction modes was the preferred mode for a significant minority of users. In conclusion, when it comes to learning users liked a combination of modes as they appreciated that each mode had particular strengths.