Abstract
Due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, online virtual gathering platforms have risen at all levels as alternatives to traditional videoconferencing. The implementation of physical distancing and limited capacity implemented to reduce the spread of COVID-19 changed how academic activities are conducted. For example, student outreach presents students with experiential learning opportunities and teamwork on campus. While video conferencing tools have thrived over the pandemic, these lack immersion and presence, lead to fatigue, and lack engagement. In this paper, we present the development and hosting of a Design Challenge employing the open-source virtual reality (VR) platform, Hubs by Mozilla. Usability perceptions from five out of ten participants were gathered and analyzed employing a simplified version of the System Usability Scale questionnaire. The process of developing the Mozilla Hubs environment allowed us to identify technical issues associated with performance and audio quality.
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Acknowledgments
The support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), [funding reference number RGPIN-2018-05917 to Dr. Uribe-Quevedo supporting Mr. Wood and Mr. Robern]. The support of the Sigma Lab from the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Sciences, participating high schools, and students is acknowledged.
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Brown, R. et al. (2022). Employing Mozilla Hubs as an Alternative Tool for Student Outreach: A Design Challenge Use Case. In: Auer, M.E., Tsiatsos, T. (eds) New Realities, Mobile Systems and Applications. IMCL 2021. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 411. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96296-8_20
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96296-8_20
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