3.1. Experimental Design
For the purposes of this research, the Oculus Rift, a type of VR headset, was used to display the VR environments. The user will have access to much more portable conditions when using this device. A VR model of a hypothetical class in Tehran was modeled using three-dimensional unity software. Unity is well known for its physics software and its animation options, which have been used to create realistic scenarios and life-like environments. To conduct a case study on students, different elements, parts, and assets have to be included within the modeled classroom environment on the Unity software. To define Unity assets, they are cases that can be used in games or projects. They may be created from a file composed of Unity software like a three-dimensional model, an audio file, an image file, or any other type of file that Unity supports.
To create a simulated environment similar to reality, objects, elements, and textures from the physical classroom environment in Tehran must be incorporated visually and graphically. Textures are video files or movies that exist in models or serious game elements and provide visual effects. The properties and capabilities of Unity must be closer to reality so the model can be more similar to how the classroom is in real life.
The floor is made from ceramic in the physical classroom environment, while half of the wall is composed of plaster and stone. Classrooms in Tehran commonly consist of these construction materials. Similarly, the model contains ceramic, plaster, and wall for a more realistic texture. The six benches used in the model are similar to the wooden benches used in Iranian schools. The body and frame of these benches are metal, and the seats and table of the bench are made of wood. Like Iranian benches, a metal box is under the bench surface. Some books, notebooks, pens, or pencils have been placed in front of the students. Each student’s backpack has been modeled beside the bench or above the ground.
Figure 2 illustrates a typical real classroom located in Tehran.
The students within the virtual model have supported the creation of a real classroom environment. All of them have been designed and modeled individually. As for their attributes, they have been given a blue uniform commonly seen in schools in Tehran. All aspects of their appearances are similar to those of real-life Iranian students. The student’s pants, belts, and shoes have been designed based on current Iranian fashion trends. There are six students in the virtual classroom, including the user. The teacher is a dummy taller than the students and is equipped with gray hair, a professional suit, and a handbag. To create a natural classroom environment, these items have been hung on the wall: pictures of famous people in Iran, a map of the world, the periodic table, a whiteboard, a clock, and wallpaper made by a student commemorating the anniversary of the Iranian Revolution. Other elements in the model include three heaters on the classroom’s wall, two bookshelves, garbage bins, two windows with a view of the city of Tehran, a teacher’s desk and table, a fluorescent light bulb, and other light bulbs. There is also a short platform for teachers and presenters in front of the class, with two standing bookshelves on top of the mentioned platform.
Two different scenarios have been designed and implemented in the virtual classroom model. In the first scenario, the user awaits the teacher’s entrance into the classroom while he or she is seated on a bench. Other students’ voices can be heard throughout the classroom at this time, and they are located on other benches where notebooks, books, and pencils have been designated for them. The students model realistic movements, such as looking at the box under the table or looking around the classroom, so the virtual model can simulate reality. The user can freely observe any area of the classroom, such as the teacher’s desk, benches, walls, windows, bookshelves, and other students, by moving around his or her head.
Underneath the virtual classroom, an engine room has been attached. At the end of the first scenario, a student falls into the engine room due to incorrect positioning.
Figure 3 depicts several scenes from the first scenario.
After the user looks at the door, the teacher enters the classroom with a bag in his hand. The classroom representative orders the students to stand out of courtesy and respect for the teacher. The user stands, too, and observes the classroom from a higher point of view. During this time, the teacher walks toward his desk, places the bag down, and tells the students to sit.
Next, the teacher gives instructions for the lesson: “Hello. Class, you may be seated now. If you remember the lesson from last week, we discussed why an earthquake occurs. Today, we will talk about preparing for the occurrence of an earthquake while in school. All of you should not exit the door simultaneously. Instead, the best action plan is to locate the safest areas in the classroom and take shelter there until the building stops shaking. An example of a safe spot is underneath the benches. Hide under the benches and hold the legs tightly, so it stops vibrating. If you are in the library, workshop, or laboratory and cannot escape because of obstruction, keep a safe distance from the shelves and look for shelter. Keep away from the school building if you are in the schoolyard”. These instructions are based on the guidelines of several organizations, namely the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [
57] in the United States, the New Zealand Civil Defense Organization [
26], and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) [
58].
While the teacher is lecturing, the other students listen eagerly. The user can move his or her head around to look at the students or the teacher. For a more realistic experience, the teacher incorporates body language into his mannerisms. For example, the teacher moves both hands forward when he instructs the students to sit down and points to the section below the desks when he discusses where to hide in the classroom.
When the teacher reaches the last sentence, an earthquake erupts. The user will witness and feel the vibrations within the virtual environment. During this scene, the students will start screaming, and the teacher will inform them that they must take shelter immediately. After the initial shock subsides, some students will begin to defy orders and act differently. The simulation has been designed to illustrate the consequences of safe and unsafe actions. Because of this, the user can distinguish which behaviors are appropriate during an earthquake; this will be elaborated on in the following sections.
As the scene continues, other visual techniques are employed to add to the effect of realism. Several books fall at the front of the classroom, and the fluorescent light bulb above the teacher’s head becomes detached from its wire. The teacher moves behind his desk, ordering students to stay calm and take shelter. Unfortunately, one of the bookshelves falls on top of the teacher, who screams out of pain.
Dust begins to cloud the atmosphere, and the students diversify in action. One of the students at the front of the classroom takes shelter under the door frame. Another student hides underneath a bench in the front row and puts his hands over his head. Immediately after the student does this, several chunks of the ceiling land on the bench. His quick and timely reactions show that the right choices can save a person’s life.
As the building collapses, two students at the back of the classroom take shelter under their benches. A student on the user’s right side, however, stands up from his bench and runs toward the front of the classroom. Plaster, soil, and bricks fall on top of the student and bury him, and the student stops moving. Various construction materials falling from the roof cause the floor to crack due to the weight of their impact. Consequently, the teacher warns students that the roof has collapsed and that students should not approach the area.
The user then stands up and proceeds to the middle of the classroom, where the damage to the floor is located. The floor’s structure has lost its strength and can no longer support any weight, so the user falls through and lands in the engine room on the lower story of the building. The scene ends after this incident.
Once again, the simulation highlights the consequences of not taking shelter properly. The user is allowed to experiment with his or her choices and thus becomes acquainted with the right and wrong decisions during an earthquake. Through visual and auditory learning, the user learns how to react correctly, whether in a classroom, library, or laboratory.
The second scenario begins right after the first one ends. In this scenario, the user can observe safe and unsafe locations within the previous setting. Secure areas, such as the space underneath the benches or the corners in the back of the class, are marked by a green cube. Hazardous areas, such as the area in front of the bookshelves, the door frame, or the center of the classroom, are labeled with a red cube. Photos from the second scenario are presented in
Figure 4. It should be mentioned that the user’s perspective in this scenario is in front of the classroom and besides the teacher’s desk.
3.3. Procedure
The research study consisted of two groups of 10 male students, all aged 20 to 25. The first group was educated on earthquake-related safety procedures in a physical environment that adhered to COVID-19 protocols. To keep the physical and virtual models consistent, the topics corresponded to the first scenario in the VR classroom; each sentence spoken in the physical classroom followed what the teacher said in the simulation by 10 s or less. The first group returned two weeks after the initial training date to complete their assessment tests.
The second group was similar to the first group in terms of size, background, and age. The students were asked to finish the DASS and BAI questionnaires in an undisturbed environment. Next, they played through the two virtual scenarios discussed in the previous sections on an Oculus Rift. It should be noted that none of the students had used an Oculus Rift before and that for safety purposes, all COVID-19 safety protocols were implemented at this time. After completing both scenarios, they were asked to resubmit the DASS and BAI questionnaires. Just like the first group, the students in the second group completed their assessment tests two weeks after the initial date. Unlike the first group, however, the second group was divided into two subsections of 5 students. The first subsection was informed of the earthquake within the first scenario, while the second subsection was informed of the first scenario without an earthquake. The results of the assessment tests between the two subsections will be analyzed in the next section.
As mentioned before, the goal of the study is to compare the two groups against each other and to determine which method of education, in-person or virtual, produces a better learning curve. The first group attended a physical classroom with COVID-19 safety measures in effect, and they were taught how to navigate the dangers of an earthquake in the safest way possible. The in-person earthquake training session is shown in
Figure 5. For the sake of consistency, the first group’s curriculum mirrored the one in the VR model.
The second group experienced the same training as the first group, except for some differences. The second group received training in a virtual classroom, and half of those students were not informed of an earthquake in the first scenario. All of the students were tested in one day.
Because VR is an immersive environment, the second group of participants was given a revolving chair to enhance their experience and allow their heads to move 360 degrees. The earthquake training session using virtual reality technology is shown in
Figure 6.