Meet Jeff Thompson and Saravanan Sundaram
Jeff Thompson is a visionary educator in VR, coordinating the Virtual Reality Production Program at Conestoga College, Kitchener, Ontario. His mission? To immerse students from diverse backgrounds—be it coding, film, or game development—into the multifaceted world of XR (extended reality).
Zoe is an ideal tool for prototyping VR experiences, fostering creativity, and teaching interaction design without requiring coding expertise.
Prototyping Innovation
In Jeff’s program, creativity thrives through hands-on learning. Students design in pairs—one acting as the designer, the other as the client—collaborating to create VR prototypes. The process starts with low-fidelity concepts using tools like Tilt Brush and culminates in high-fidelity prototypes developed in Zoe.
Notable student creations include:
- Interactive skeleton assembly: Saravanan led the creation of an educational VR experience where learners piece together human anatomy. Users grab bones, attach them to a virtual skeleton, and learn about the functionality of each organ.
- Large-scale mazes: Students pushed Zoe's boundaries, incorporating assets via Sketchfab and Blender. One maze challenged users to navigate vast spaces, collect fruit, and feed a fox.
“Zoe empowers students to build interaction-rich experiences while skipping the steep coding curve.” — Saravanan Sundaram
Challenges and Discoveries
Jeff and Saravanan also explored unexpected features in Zoe:
- Physics-based skydiving simulation: Jeff created a breathtaking experience where users leaped from virtual heights, collecting objects mid-air.
- Gamified learning tools: A prototype involving animated emojis and trigger-based gameplay showcased how Zoe’s repeater functionality adds dynamic interactivity.
One experiment even overloaded a Quest 2 headset due to the sheer volume of imported assets—a testament to Zoe’s capabilities and students' ambition.
Transforming Education Through Interaction
For Jeff, the hallmark of a great VR project is affordance: designing intuitive interactions that let users experiment in unexpected ways. He compares this to the joy of exploration in games like Job Simulator.
Affordance makes VR more than a visual medium—it turns it into a playground of discovery.
Jeff also values Zoe’s collaborative features, allowing real-time interaction and feedback among students. Remarkably, even students prone to VR motion sickness found Zoe’s environment comfortable, enabling extended sessions of up to an hour.
Advice for Aspiring VR Enthusiasts
Both Jeff and Saravanan emphasize the importance of diving in. Jeff encourages educators to “nudge students into their headsets” and explore Zoe’s collaborative tools. Saravanan suggests leveraging Zoe’s unique capabilities to build projects that go beyond visual design into immersive interaction.
Key takeaways for educators:
- Start with simple prototypes and gradually build complexity.
- Focus on interaction to engage users deeply.
- Use Zoe’s tools to encourage creativity without the barrier of coding.
Looking Ahead
As Zoe continues to evolve, Jeff plans to challenge his students further, focusing on innovative uses of interaction. Saravanan, inspired by the possibilities Zoe unlocks, looks forward to creating more projects that blend creativity and functionality.
Zoe Immersive isn’t just a platform—it’s a catalyst for redefining education in VR. Whether you’re an educator, student, or creator, Zoe opens doors to uncharted creative landscapes.
Ready to bring your ideas to life in VR? Explore the Zoe platform today and start building the future. Apply for our Zoe Creator Program, which runs periodically throughout the year and is designed to take you through building your first immersive experience from the ground up.