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<p>This study presents a user-centered co-design process for developing Newton’s Arena VR, an immersive virtual reality (IVR) serious game prototype intended to support the design of learning experiences for conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics in introductory Physics I courses for engineering students. Rather than providing empirical evidence of learning effectiveness, the study contributes a structured and traceable co-design framework for translating qualitative insights from instructors and students into educational VR game mechanics. The project involved seven physics professors and sixteen first-year engineering students from a Colombian public university who participated in five iterative phases: needs exploration, group discussions, thematic analysis, mechanics definition, and early prototype development. To establish a shared technological reference, participants interacted with a previously developed IVR game, Parabolic Basketball VR, prior to the co-design sessions. The participatory process resulted in three core mechanics addressing common learning difficulties: Snowball Trajectories VR, focused on projectile motion; Newton Skee-Ball VR, focused on forces, friction, and inclined planes; and Giant Marbles Collision VR, focused on momentum and collisions. Each mechanic was designed using real-world analogies, manipulable variables, and real-time feed-back to support embodied interaction, exploratory reasoning, and future class-room integration. The initial prototype, developed in Unity3D for Meta Quest 2, prioritized physical accuracy and conceptual fidelity over visual refinement, postponing advanced interfaces and audiovisual elements to enable early-stage validation. This prototype provides a foundation for future playtesting, usability evaluation, cognitive load analysis, and controlled learning assessment. The study highlights the importance of integrating professors’ pedagogical expertise with students’ motivational preferences to generate design requirements aligned with classroom needs. The findings suggest the potential of immersive environments to support conceptual exploration through embodied interaction, while also identifying challenges related to technical integration, accessibility, curricular alignment, and empirical validation. Limitations include the absence of learning outcome data, the exploratory nature of the prototype, and the need for broader validation across diverse educational contexts.</p>

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User-centered co-design of a serious game in immersive virtual reality to support conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics in engineering physics

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月16日

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  • Julian Felipe Villada Castillo,
  • Leonardo Bohórquez Santiago,
  • Nicolas Moreno Bolaños

摘要

This study presents a user-centered co-design process for developing Newton’s Arena VR, an immersive virtual reality (IVR) serious game prototype intended to support the design of learning experiences for conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics in introductory Physics I courses for engineering students. Rather than providing empirical evidence of learning effectiveness, the study contributes a structured and traceable co-design framework for translating qualitative insights from instructors and students into educational VR game mechanics. The project involved seven physics professors and sixteen first-year engineering students from a Colombian public university who participated in five iterative phases: needs exploration, group discussions, thematic analysis, mechanics definition, and early prototype development. To establish a shared technological reference, participants interacted with a previously developed IVR game, Parabolic Basketball VR, prior to the co-design sessions. The participatory process resulted in three core mechanics addressing common learning difficulties: Snowball Trajectories VR, focused on projectile motion; Newton Skee-Ball VR, focused on forces, friction, and inclined planes; and Giant Marbles Collision VR, focused on momentum and collisions. Each mechanic was designed using real-world analogies, manipulable variables, and real-time feed-back to support embodied interaction, exploratory reasoning, and future class-room integration. The initial prototype, developed in Unity3D for Meta Quest 2, prioritized physical accuracy and conceptual fidelity over visual refinement, postponing advanced interfaces and audiovisual elements to enable early-stage validation. This prototype provides a foundation for future playtesting, usability evaluation, cognitive load analysis, and controlled learning assessment. The study highlights the importance of integrating professors’ pedagogical expertise with students’ motivational preferences to generate design requirements aligned with classroom needs. The findings suggest the potential of immersive environments to support conceptual exploration through embodied interaction, while also identifying challenges related to technical integration, accessibility, curricular alignment, and empirical validation. Limitations include the absence of learning outcome data, the exploratory nature of the prototype, and the need for broader validation across diverse educational contexts.