Blog 6: Creating a Learning Object with Virtual Worlds

CoBlocks in the Colony: Building an Interactive Jamestown VR World 

The goal of this project was to design a learning object that is reusable, accessible, and aligned with a clear instructional outcome. For this assignment, I created an interactive Jamestown VR world in Delightex that asks students to integrate vocabulary, historical content, and CoBlocks object coding. The purpose of this learning object is to help students identify and explain at least ten key Jamestown vocabulary terms by embedding them within a virtual settlement that they build, label, and narrate. This approach allows students to demonstrate their understanding of Jamestown through design choices, spatial placement, and coded interactive features.

The content of the learning object is based on our Social Studies Weekly articles and the printed Jamestown map and booklet activity. Students recreate the layout of the settlement by including structures such as the church, marketplace, guardhouse, storehouse, bunkhouses, and bulwarks. These locations become anchor points where they attach vocabulary terms, facts, and short narrative explanations. Students also write at least three lines of CoBlocks code, which allows them to program object actions such as movement, clickable narration, and vocabulary pop ups. This elevates the learning object beyond a simple digital model. It becomes an interactive space that responds to the viewer through coded triggers and audio narration.

The interactive features of this learning object are supported by research on AR and VR in K to 12 settings. Zhang et al. (2022) found that augmented reality improves learning outcomes when students work within structured and well supported tasks. This supports the specific vocabulary requirements and coding expectations built into the Jamestown project. Villena Taranilla et al. (2022) report that virtual reality activities in elementary classrooms lead to stronger learning outcomes compared with traditional methods. Their findings reinforce the value of allowing students to explore a virtual settlement rather than relying only on paper based maps. Nurbekova et al. (2022) describe virtual learning objects as digital units that are most effective when they include meaningful interactivity, clear learning goals, and reusability. Their work provides an important foundation for positioning the Jamestown VR world as a true learning object because students create embedded content, structure, and actions that others can interact with.

Delightex provides three dimensional modeling, AR and VR viewing options, and a beginner friendly CoBlocks coding system that fits the developmental level of fifth grade students. The platform also allows students to remix a teacher created world rather than beginning entirely from scratch. This feature significantly increases accessibility for lower level learners and students with IEPs who may need a more supported entry point. They can adjust structures, edit labels, customize coding, or add new narration while still working within a stable base model. The remix option makes the learning object reusable and adaptable across classes, supporting a wide range of learners through differentiated starting points and flexible design choices.

The final learning object is an interactive Jamestown environment that students can build, explore, and revise. It combines historical content, vocabulary learning, spatial reasoning, and beginner coding in one unified virtual experience. The project aligns with instructional design principles and current AR and VR research while providing a reusable model that future classes can use without rebuilding the core structure.

You may play the sample interactive world of Jamestown below or by clicking here.