Lift-Off

The Lift-Off project is a joy for us, it sets out from the start to be something that really engages with new or prospective students in a way that reinforces the UNSW values while the players reflect on their own ideals and preferences in a very fun and interactive VR experience.

Imagine a class of high school students or new uni students at 0week in their VR headsets, they are helping a set of strange little critters as they prepare to set out in their balloon. The game-like experience brings in thoughtful questions and the fun of throwing the little characters around in virtual reality.

 

Project Details

The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) team here at UNSW go on the road to engage with High School students around the state on what their future might look like. Our immersive team began this exciting collaboration with EDI to create a VR game-like experience that would reinforce other activities done on these road trips. We are also expanding the experience so it will work as a fun 'Welcome to UNSW' experience for new students too.

TECHNOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT

The active design and development of the project continues and more involved testing with students has started. The staff developers are using the Unity game engine to bring together all the elements and deliver the VR experience using our Meta Quest 3 headsets. 

Credits

“The VR collaboration enabled us to provide High School students from Gateway schools a fun, highly interactive way to encounter aspects of the UNSW campus while discovering more about themselves and what they value. It is a challenging task to strike the balance of fun and informative, but the Liftoff EDI project did just this!”
Jonny Wouters, Learning Experiences Officer, Access and Equity (Students), EDI

Key Stakeholders

Josephine Perry (Learning Experiences Manager, Access, Equity & Inclusion, EDI) 
Jonny Wouters (Learning Experiences Officer, Access and Equity (Students), EDI) 
Mick Warren (Strategic Initiatives Manager, Access, Equity and Inclusion, EDI)

Design & Development

Paul Dyer (Immersive Technologies Specialist & Developer)
Tim Dodds (Immersive Technologies Specialist & Developer)
Ashley Hall (Immersive Technologies Specialist & Developer)
Graham Hannah (Manager of Immersive Technologies)

Get Involved

There are internal Teams Channels and working groups covering the development collaboration with the EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) Team. To find out more, join the team, get a demo or have your class or promotion use-case included just get in touch.