Virtual Reality in Snowboarding Edu-experience for Beginners

Abstract

As snowboarding becomes increasingly popular worldwide, it has drawn more people to this thrilling and fashionable winter extreme sport. However, those who wish to experience snowboarding must bear the high learning costs, including economic costs, time investment, and learning pressure. This study aimed to create an educational experience in a virtual reality (VR) world tailored for snowboarding beginners to help reduce learning costs.

The research objectives included investigating the educational experience needs of snowboarding beginners, analyzing the feasibility of applying VR technology to their educational experiences, and designing and developing a VR educational experience to test its feasibility.

This study employed a mixed-methods approach, adhering to user-centered design principles based on the ADDIE Model. It incorporated Constructivist Learning Theory, Scenario Design Theory, and gamification concepts. This study conducted a literature review and field investigations at five selected ski resorts, collected 429 valid questionnaires, and interviewed several relevant experts. The research team then proceeded with the design and development. After an expert evaluation of the prototype, further improvements were made based on the feedback. Finally, 15 volunteers participated in testing, with assessments conducted by three professional snowboarding instructors, evaluating both the volunteers’ performance and the prototype.

The results were derived from user experience feedback, behavioral observations, user performance, and professional instructors’ evaluations of both the user performance and the prototype. All evaluations indicated positive outcomes, demonstrating the effectiveness of the prototype.

The findings indicate that VR art has significant potential for improving the educational experiences of snowboarding beginners. It can effectively reduce learning costs, help beginners quickly transition to real-world snowboarding skills, and promote the inheritance and development of the winter sports culture.

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