Designing a VR interaction authoring tool using constructivist practices

This paper describes the process of designing an authoring tool for virtual environments, using constructivist principles. The focus of the tool is on helping novice designers without coding experience to conceptualise and visualise the interactions of the virtual environment. According to constructivism, knowledge is constructed by people through interactions with their social and physical environments. Major aspects of this theory are explored, such as multiple representations, reflexivity, exploration, scaffolding and user control. Its practical application to the design of the tool is then described.