BSC (HONS) IN COMPUTER SCIENCE DEGREE
FINAL YEAR PROJECT REPORT
WEBXR TO SUPPORT STUDENT
WELLBEING AND ANXIETY
Abstract
The research project was created due to the COVID-19 negative impact into the world, effecting a vast population’s mental health, that play a critical role into the spreading of the virus and the emotional distress that lead a percentage to harm themselves. On top of that population that are suffering from this impact are university students, which took a critical rising of numbers due to the pandemic and lockdown measurement.
The aim of the project is to focuses on investigating ways of designing an online system for self-assessment symptoms of anxiety based on which available support is provided in a personalized and emotionally engaging manner. The project builds and compares three types of prototypes: a conventional web site; a WebXR a single virtual human playing the student life advisor; and WebXR with more than one virtual humans interacting with the user aiming to study which system engages and assists vulnerable students more effectively engaging and contributes to a better user experience. The proposed research methodology for the project implementation is the agile methodology which takes into control the development side of the project, this then is been passed to the rigorous methodology, which takes into the testing phase and the gathering of the data for the conclusion purpose.
The data achieved from the three-prototype testing shows that the prototype two – WebXR One Virtual Human attained a higher satisfaction of the model, due to the high volume of positive data regarding the interaction, the expose of information, how the user takes the information regarding mental health and wellbeing and lastly how efficient is the prototype.
In conclusion the research project report describes the aims and objectives, the requirement, design, implementation and testing which are the background of the final product result.
The working progress paper is a result of my Computer Science dissertation.
Mental health is a topic very close to my heart, especially since this project took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when mental health issues, particularly among students, were significantly impacted.
WebXR is another area that fascinates me, and I believe that within a decade, it will become a central focus for many companies.
By combining these two fields, I envisioned a potential solution. With the guidance and supervision of Dr. Daphne Economou, who recognized the project's potential, this paper was created.
Introduction
Key Insight
Prototype Success: The WebXR One Virtual Human prototype demonstrated significant effectiveness in improving student engagement and comfort with mental health resources compared to other prototypes.
Virtual Interaction Benefits: Students found the virtual character interaction reassuring and effective, especially at a time when physical access to mental health services was limited due to the pandemic.
Skill Enhancement: The project journey significantly boosted the researcher's skills, particularly in programming languages such as JavaScript and C#.
Challenges Faced: Issues with text-to-speech translations, animation limitations due to lockdown restrictions, and other technical challenges were encountered during the project.
Future Development: Plans for future development involve enhancing translation features, incorporating video elements, refining animations, and adding warning signals for critical self-assessments across all prototypes to improve user experience.
Outcome
The working progress paper was accepted by the 7th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network (iLRN 2021). Due to COVID reasoning, the conference was conducted online in a virtual interactive space.
I had the opportunity to present the research paper and start the conversation about potential therapy via WebXR.
Gif of therapist introducing herself
Image of therapist in idle pose
Image of Secondary Character in idle pose
Video Demo
Following the publication of my working progress paper, I completed my dissertation.
Building on this research, I wrote my Master's dissertation for my degree in Human-Computer Interaction and Design (HCID), titled "Exploring the Perspectives of Mental Health Professionals on Virtual Reality Therapy vs. In-Person Therapy: A Comparative Study."
My research in mental health and VR/WebXR is ongoing, as one of my primary goals is to contribute to advancements in this field.