Enhancing Afrikan Visual Design Learning Through Virtual Reality

Abstract

As the world transitions from the information age to the experience age, Afrikan visual design learners
confront significant obstacles. Lou (2017) opines that the visual design traditional teaching approaches
are ineffective and not exciting to visual design students of the digital era. They are inert and indifferent;
therefore, learners fail to see the relevance of what they are learning in real-life settings. Additionally,
significant visual design abilities such as, abstract concept visualization, design thinking and creativity
are proving difficult to teach. It is consequently vital to prepare these design learners to fit in the evolving
world. Virtual reality allows for a simulated environment in which teachers and visual design students
can engage in hands-on learning, group projects, discussions, field trip and concept visualization, hence
it is a game-changer in solving these educational issues. Within the restrictions of system operation,
learners and instructors can create anything they want and then become a part of it. With an aim to
make up the deficiency of traditional training mode, this paper advocates for the integration of VR in the
visual design courses by constructivist learning. This will stimulate visual design students’ enthusiasm
for study and learning motivation, arouse visual design students’ imagination, creativity and sensibility
and improve visual design students’ overall design capability. Having a grasp at this method of learning,
the Afrikan digital learner will comfortably fit in the changing world. Thus, the research objectives are
to seek for virtual reality and allied systems, appropriate visual design learning paradigm, constructivism
and virtual reality for teaching visual designers and application of virtual reality in visual design learning.