Arizona State University || Gaspee VR Experience
Background
Immersive technologies like VR and AR can be powerful learning tools.
They transport students into different worlds - past, present or future - and
They transport students into different worlds - past, present or future - and
give them a first-hand experience that's otherwise impossible, difficult or expensive.
As the leading university in innovation in the US, Arizona State University was looking
for a partner to kick off a ground-breaking VR project for their new online high school -
ASU Prep Digital.
The Gaspee VR Experience
The goal of Gaspee VR was to dramatise the events leading up to the American Revolution
through an engaging, narrative-driven learning experience using mobile-based VR.
ASU's learning specialists set out clear learning objectives from courses
including American history, US government and science, and we transformed their
including American history, US government and science, and we transformed their
objectives into an immersive creative learning experience.
Seamless Integration With ASU’s Systems
Gaspee VR was designed to work seamlessly with ASU’s
learning management system.
Administrators get data on each student’s individual progress
and mastery of the subject matter - which means teachers are able
to provide individualised support to each student.
One of the main considerations for the project was accessibility.
To cater for distance learners, the VR experience needed to be
available for students without access to high-end technology -
which is why we chose Google Cardboard. It’s the most accessible VR
platform because it runs on most smartphones.
Working Smarter With True Time Rendering
Although most animation is approached in a linear way, this amount
of content required a more strategic approach. Gaspee VR
was easily the longest script we’d tackled - the storyboard alone
was 100 pages long, and there were hours of animated content
to make for the VR experience.
Because of the sheer size of the project, we needed to find a solution
Because of the sheer size of the project, we needed to find a solution
that allowed us to recycle and reuse assets across the deliverables.
Developing the True Time Rendering workflow provided a much more
streamlined way to create bankable scenes, props and characters.
It also allowed us to slash 3D rendering time - a huge boon
for a project this size. To bring a project of this size in under budget
without it would have been impossible.
Results
Being on the forefront of innovation is something ASU
prides themselves on - and we’re thrilled to have been a part of it.
The Gaspee VR project was an invaluable experience, pushing us
beyond our comfort zone and forcing us to develop entirely
new processes and technologies.
As a result of the success of the Gaspee VR Experience, we’ve picked
up other VR projects in the education space - stay tuned to hear more.
Interested in talking about innovative learning experiences?
Get in touch with our experts today.
Credits
Creative Strategist/Producer - Stefano Marrone
Executive Producer - Adam Blumenthal
Creative Director - Ryan Lovelock
Head of Production - Camilla Zucchi
Producers - Arianne Edwards, Marion Ratie
Technical Director - Maciej Zasada
3D/Tech Lead - Ted Wallace-Williams
Animators - Joao Leal, Rob Scott
Illustrator - Nathalie Brough-Pizarro
Developers - Karol Goreczny, Maja Matusiak
Copywriter - Eduardo Jauregui (Book on a Tree)
Account Manager - Beatriz Pizarro
