Popular films such as Hidden Figures and Mercury 13 revealed the social exclusion that has historically existed in NASA. With the use of Augmented Reality (AR) software, Media Production and Design Professor Victoria McArthur is hoping to inform marginalized youth about the mission of, and careers within, space agencies.
“This project asks, how the storytelling affordances of AR be leveraged by researchers and museums to challenge barriers to participation in STEM fields,” says McArthur, who is part of the School of Journalism and Communication.
The project has won a Partnership Engage Grant for $25,000, which will enable McArthur to collaborate with the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, run by Ingenium Canada.
McArthur’s student research team will use AR software to create interactive animations, models and mini-games to teach Canadian youth about the International Space Station (ISS) and Canada’s role in its operations. It will also use avatars that reflect the diversity of the student body, with the hope of addressing “social inclusion via representation.”
The application will be available as a free download for Android devices.
Wednesday, October 30, 2019 in Communication and Media Studies, General, News
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