Paleo-Games: Using AI and Gamification to Generate an Unguided Tour of an Open World Virtual Environment for STEM Education

This paper discusses a novel addition to Virtual Reality-based Learning Environments (VRLEs). Guiding user actions in these virtual models has been an obstacle in their usability in a classroom timeframe. This study focuses on the introduction of audio and visual cues as a method of indirect influence on user pathfinding through an open world virtual exhibit. This project utilizes a Virtual Reality simulation of an ancient Paleolithic environment now submerged underneath Lake Huron. The simulation was originally designed to help predict the location of ancient occupational remains of Ancient Paleo-Indians. The system has been repurposed to provide a more immersive cultural and anthropological experience for High School Stem Education. The impact of this methodology on the pathfinding efficiency of a sample group of students is analyzed with qualitative and quantitative metrics. These metrics include aspects of user engagement, immersion, and ease of navigation. The previous efforts in this area are then discussed and compared with the results produced here. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of potential new directions for the use of VR for STEM educational use.