News
Coding Virtual Reality in 5th Grade
By the Integrated Learning and Information Science Department
Fifth graders created their own virtual reality (VR) games using Cospaces, a Web-based program that allows students to build their own 3D creations, animate them with code and explore them in virtual or augmented reality. Creating with CoSpaces helps students develop digital literacy, collaboration and coding skills and empowers them to become creators.
For this project, 5th graders created their own parkour games. Students designed and and programmed their parkour game using CoSpaces Edu and its visual block-based coding language, CoBlocks. Fifth grade students had some challenges: the player has to pass obstacles without touching the ground or students have to code a reset area—whenever the player falls, they must go back to the parkour’s start position and lose a life, etc. Students had to create code for all these components. Students also had to code their game so that if a player reaches the maximum number of lives, the game ends. They also coded a “winner” block so that if the player reaches the end goal before losing their lives, they win the game!
Fifth graders started out by designing the basics of their parkour games: static platforms, moving platforms, spinning cuboids, etc. Next, they programmed all these design components to move, as well as designed the reset area, the lives and the winning end. Fifth graders got creative with choosing different environments for their games and different design components like dinosaurs, oceanic adventure and others.
Once students had built and coded their games, they tested their games using virtual reality headsets known as Oculus Quests. After testing, students returned to their projects to tweak them again for successful game play.
The final step was for students to share out and play each other’s games. Please check out the photos and videos of this work. While the full virtual experience isn’t possible with a video, it gives a great idea of the fantastic work the 5th grade students designed.
Click here for photos and videos.
The final step was for students to share out and play each other’s games. Please check out the photos and videos of this work. While the full virtual experience isn’t possible with a video, it gives a great idea of the fantastic work the 5th grade students designed.
Click here for photos and videos.
Francis W. Parker School educates students to think and act with empathy, courage and clarity as responsible citizens and leaders in a diverse democratic society and global community.