Virtual game and collaborative learning for packaging design

This paper presents an application of VR game-based learning, VRGBL, for packaging technology. The VRGBL was divided into two steps, material packaging, MP and pattern packaging, PP. In the MP, students are selected an appropriate material of packages for each products from program randomly, and the selecting steps were controlled by the system in which students must selected a correct material of each product. If they can select correctly, the system will show the result and score increase. On the other hand, if students select a wrong material, the system will give the students a warning and their scores will be deducted. For the second game, the PP was designed to let students to practice their thinking by finding and matching a pattern model of an unknown package with a set of 3D packages with which are randomly selected from the system. If they cannot choose correctly, the score will be deducted from their total scores. In addition, the system also provides material and pattern packaging tutorial such as a material selecting and other information. After students pass the VRGBL game, they can understand in material packaging and can design the good pattern of packaging. Then this system was evaluated by five experts. The index of item objective congruence (IOC) is .82. The program was corrected and improved before trial with a target group. The target groups of this study consisted of 40 packaging students, and they were selected by simple random sampling. This paper describes some approaches to provide the VR game-based learning system, discusses problems, experiences and presents an outlook for the virtual game and collaborative learning of packaging design for students in the future. However, the result showed that students can select the good packaging material and design the pattern in a good level. Finally, the assessments of the performance of the program are presented.