Exploring enjoyment while playing “Temple Lego”- A virtual reality cultural heritage serious game for architecture students. 

Abstract

This study presents the design, development, and evaluation of a Virtual reality (VR) based serious game for learning about Dravidian temple architecture using Brihadeshwara temple as an example. The design and development are conducted using the LM-GM framework, which is found suitable for designing games based on cognitive and affective learning outcomes. The immersive experience engages the gamified content and enables learning activities through exploratory play. Players are required to assemble back a broken temple complex in VR environment to learn spatial, factual, and operating knowledge. We conducted various user studies to understand the learning effectiveness and enjoyment playing with Temple Lego-VR game and explore its influence on learning outcomes. We discuss the findings and pedagogical implications that can be applied to developing serious VR games to learn about similar historical structures and contexts.