Innovating Physics Lab Learning In Virtual Reality

The Novel Observations in Mixed Reality (NOMR) project at the University of Washington’s Department of Physics uses virtual reality to simulate fictitious physical phenomena, allowing students in 100- and 200-level physics labs to engage in the scientific process as a way of generating new knowledge. As part of a capstone project, our team, Team GravityFree, extended NOMR’s lab activities by introducing new content focused on advanced physical concepts for the sophomore-level course. This work was guided by close collaboration with key stakeholders in the Physics Department, including educators (NOMR team, instructors, TAs, and the Teaching Committee) and students. After defining the scope, we focused on developing new lab content around the topic of “particle decay” for the 200-level curriculum.

Duration | 6 months (Jan 2023 - June 2023)
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Team | Product Manager, 2 Designers

Research

Our team conducted two rounds of a field study for different lab sections; one for freshman level and one for sophomore level. We visited those VR lab sections to observe students’ current learning experiences and find out engagement patterns. We also conducted semi-structured interviews with seven current students to find more detailed answers to the questions raised by our field observations on their engagement patterns and learning experiences.

Final Designs

Let students think outside-the-box to uncover the invisible particle with math and logic
Students will observe “particle decay,” a process where one particle splits into two. However, we designed a small and invisible third particle as a puzzle. Students will need to measure, calculate, and discuss to reveal the hidden property.

Let student measure with ambiguity
Just like in real life, students manually measure variables, learning to handle ambiguous data for potential measurement errors by hand.

Design

Paper prototypes (to move on fast)

3D track poses greater challenge in measurement compared to 2D, but it offers better visualization and thus understanding.

Onboarding for role rotation
Optional tutorial pops out when the device is passed to another student to encourage role rotation.

Cross-platform comments
Non-operator can engage and communicate by putting key notes in VR environment from a computer.

Reflection

As I led user research on the NOMR capstone project, I conducted exploratory qualitative research—including ethnographic studies and user interviews—to inform the design of new VR lab activities for sophomore-level physics students. Our insights helped shift the focus from content delivery to student-centered learning, especially around complex topics like particle decay. One challenge was managing asynchronous collaboration during interview analysis; improving that workflow could enhance future projects. I'm proud that our work brought a human-centered perspective into a highly technical space, highlighting the value of designing VR learning environments around real student needs. Team GravityFree may not have defied actual physics, but we definitely broke free from traditional approaches to science education.