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Virtual 3D Learning – Floristry

March to June, 2013

Application development for interactive virtual reality training facility

  • Floristry selected as focus vocational training area for pilot project
  • Development and testing with ITE students and staff over a three-month placement
  • Showcase of completed project at WorldSkills Leipzig 2013
  • Roll-out in Floristry courses at ITE for 2013-14 academic year

ITE Singapore hosted our very first WorldSkills Innovation Lab, offering a three-month placement to two young WorldSkills Web Design Champions – Natã Barbosa from Brazil (below right; Gold medal at WorldSkills London 2011), and Wouter Niekus from the Netherlands (below left; Medallion for Excellence at WorldSkills Shizuoka 2007). The pair joined ITE’s Academic Pedagogy Innovation team to develop a Virtual 3D training application for Floristry, to be used by teachers and students in the brand new virtual reality ‘Icube’ classroom. This facility was formally unveiled by Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in November 2013.

Outcomes

Our team designed a virtual reality beach wedding environment, allowing the learner to walk through a field of flowers and select from the range of species growing around their feet. Individual flowers can then be 'exploded' in the 3D space in front of the learner, allowing them to examine floral anatomy in magnified detail, answer questions on the flower type, and complete tasks relating to it. Once this stage is cleared, the flower is unlocked and can be used in a range of colours to decorate the surrounding beach wedding scene.

ITE Floristry Lecturer Joyce Goh worked closely with Natã and Wouter on the design of the training application during their three-month stay in Singapore:

 

"The best things about this experience include the opportunity to face new technical challenges, to learn every day, and being given freedom to be creative and have suggestions and ideas accepted… we have been given the chance to create our own workflows and approaches, and apply them to the technology (Virtual Reality and 3D) that we are experiencing for the very first time. It is an opportunity to create something new, resulting in innovation and successful learning experiences for others." 

– Natã Barbosa (Brazil) – Innovation Lab intern

"The Innovation Lab highlights exciting opportunities for Skills Champions, and ITE Singapore is proud to be the pioneer in hosting the first Innovation Lab. We have chosen to make use of our state-of-the-art 3D Virtual Reality Lab at our new ITE College Central. This Virtual Reality Lab allows WorldSkills Champions to experiment with new technology, while ITE explores innovative teaching methods using 3D modelling and virtual reality." 

– Bruce Poh, CEO, ITE Singapore

Resources

Job description and project outline (posted December 2012)