View the full "Dunhuang Band" project design document 
Instructional Design, Education, Cognitive Science, Secondary Research, VR
Student project for The Dunhuang Museum
Entire project management, researcher, designer
3 months
The Dunhuang Band Project (click for more details) is made for addressing the issue of passive learning and superficial knowledge in traditional history classes, and targets students aged 14-18 to create a more engaging, interactive, and effective learning experience. It integrates educational theories like Dual Coding and the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, combining visual and verbal elements to enhance comprehension and retention.
Traditional settings of history class often struggle to fully engage students and may fail to convey the complex, holistic aspect of historical events, cultures and perspectives. In these settings, teachers are the main resources of knowledge, with students being passive absorbers. The passive learning approach often leads students to memorize facts without gaining a deeper understanding or connection to the material (King, 1993). As a result, there can be a lack of interest, superficial knowledge, and a diminished capacity to critically analyze historical contexts.
Our group decided to develop an innovative digital platform that transforms the way traditional history class is taught, making it more engaging, interactive and effective. This platform with VR technology would deliver historical factual knowledge and immerse students in their learning experiences to promote active learning. By linking different pieces of historical knowledge, students can develop a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of history.
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
(1) Articulate the date and location of Dunhuang Murals;
(2) Describe the period, location, and general context of Mogao Cave;
(3) Explain the period and narrative context of the Dunhuang Band;
(4) Identify and describe the musical instruments and characters in the Dunhuang Band;
(5) Understand the general historical knowledge about The Silk Road, including its period, location, and trade objects.
In a 60-minute class, the instructor hooks students' attention with an image of Maroon 5's performance, prompting them to discuss the characters and infer a possible musical style. The instructor then contextualizes the image by revealing the band and linking it to a historical equivalent from the Tang Dynasty, generating excitement and curiosity. Students are provided with VR glasses to virtually explore Cave 112, where they encounter the Dunhuang Band mural. The VR system guides them to interact with the mural, providing detailed historical information and deepening their understanding of the instruments, attire, and patterns depicted.
As students engage with the VR experience, they are intrigued by an auto-playing animation that adds personality to the ancient musicians. Their curiosity grows as they explore the Dunhuang Band, leading to a deeper appreciation of the historical significance of each element. The lesson then shifts to analyzing the Silk Road's role in cultural exchange, particularly the reversed playing Pipa, a unique performance style highlighted in the murals. The class concludes with students selecting individual topics, fostering personal interest and encouraging in-depth exploration of the subject.
This entire class, within 60 minutes, has been separated into four parts: hook, factual knowledge about Mogao Caves and Dunhuang Band, connecting to the Silk Road, and expansion and future discussion.
In our project, our focus will be on explaining the content, scenes, and items of a specific Dunhuang cave—the 112th cave. Through this immersive VR experience, students will not only be able to visually learn about ancient musical instruments, clothing, and other cultural elements but also gain a deeper understanding of the history and cultural significance behind the mural.
The application of VR technology allows students to experience aspects of ancient life vividly, thereby enhancing their understanding and retention of the material. Additionally, this VR experience provides a unique perspective for students to compare Eastern and Western cultures. This comparison not only helps students appreciate the uniqueness of Dunhuang art but also fosters an awareness of the importance of cultural transmission and assimilation, thereby broadening their global perspective and cultural comprehension. This teaching method aims not only to impart knowledge but also to stimulate a deep understanding of cultural diversity and historical value among students.
Cognitive Load Theory: Cognitive load theory (CLT) optimizes instructional outcomes by managing intrinsic, extraneous, and relational cognitive load in instructional design (Moreno & Park, 2010). Our design combines Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) with VR and real-world classroom design to provide students with an interactive learning environment.
Learner Control: Learner control is one of the solutions to solve the overloaded problem, which is a specific application of the segmenting principle in multimedia learning (Mayer, R. E., & Pilegard, C., 2014). Virtual reality's immersive quality greatly improves the emotional component of learning. Deepening the impact of education requires creating an experience that is both emotionally resonant and vivid.
Dual Coding Theory: This theory suggests that information is easier to understand and remember when it is presented both verbally and visually, emphasizing the importance of the combination of verbal and visual information in enhancing the learning outcomes.
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