Myera Virtual Farm: Mini U Observation Report

This report is the second in a series of reports developed in partnership with Myera, Inc. If you missed the first report covering important literature on uses of VR to support Indigenous education, please take a look here.

During the months of July and August (2023), youth enrolled in the Brandon University Mini U program were taught how the Myera VR technology worked and were allotted time to explore the Myera Virtual Farm. Through these engagements, observations by the Brandon University (BU) researchers were made, and youth were granted the opportunity to provide feedback on the Myera Virtual Farm through administered surveys. The findings of these observations and surveys will be outlined in relation to each specific virtual space within the Myera Virtual Farm. Following this, a discussion on how this feedback applies to VR development with consideration to three development themes (the Guided Tour, Tutorials and Instruction; Gamification; and Unlocking Micro-Credentials) will be provided.

Suggested Citation:

Spence, S., Breedon, N., Lam, M., Poitras-Pratt, Y., Hardy, B., Forsythe, F., Hack, M., Kelly, W., Watson, E. (2024). Myera virtual farm: Mini U Observation Report. Brandon University Centre for Applied Research and Education in Indigenous, Rural, and Remote Settings (BU CARES). https://www.bucares.ca/publications/myera-virtual-farm-mini-u-observation-report

The Myera Project is a joint collaboration between Myera, Inc., Brandon University Centre for Applied Research and Education in Indigenous, Rural, and Remote Settings (BU CARES) and the Rural Development Institute. The intention of this collaboration is to explore the opportunities to develop culturally-relevant STEM curriculum and education initiatives that may leverage extended reality technologies to promote community development, wellness, and food sovereignty in Indigenous communities. This report seeks to identify recommendations for utilizing extended reality technologies in education.

• Myera Group

• Function Four Ltd

• Brandon University Mini University (Mini U) program

• The Center for Applied Research and Education in Indigenous Rural and Remote Settings (BU CARES)

• The Rural Development Institute (RDI)

• Dr. Yvonne Poitras Pratt, University of Calgary Research Excellence Chair

• Dr. Laura Forsythe, University of Winnipeg

This project would like to acknowledge funding from Myera Group, Inc., Brandon University, BU CARES, Rural Development Institute, Function Four, Ltd., an Indigenous software development firm, the Protein Innovations Supercluster, the Southeast Resource Development Council, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Challenge.