Using Virtual Reality in a Case Study with Interdisciplinary Academic Projects for Reading Fluency Analysis and Assessment
摘要
At the Aeronautics Institute of Technology (ITA) in Brazil, an academic Interdisciplinary Problem-Based Learning (IPBL) case study was conducted named Fluency Assessment in Literacy on Real Time (FAL-RT). The current state of this academic project was the result of an incremental sequence of initiatives carried out since 2021 supported by courses offered for undergraduate and graduate programs. Its objective was to incorporate and improve new emerging technologies from the technological market based on a real and current problem. During the 2nd semester of 2024, just 12 undergrad and graduate students from four different courses of Electronic and Computer Engineering Programs were challenged to implement a 3D classroom environment using Virtual Reality (VR). This project aimed to enable the process of reading fluency analysis and assessment for elementary school students through the use of Meta Quest 3 VR headset devices. This initiative proposed to update the evaluation process used in earlier phases of this project using a more immersive and educational model. The project development process was supported by the Scrum method and its best practices concluded in just 16 academic weeks. It was completed with the delivery of a prototype computer system simulating a 3D classroom in a VR environment as its front-end. The system prototype was able to record, analyze, and evaluate students’ reading fluency levels. The main key technologies used in this academic project included Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, 3D development using the Unity platform, databases, cloud computing, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), and real-time embedded systems.