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A Deeper Look
What can VR communicate that traditional classroom materials sometimes cannot?
As someone who teaches Grade 9 truth and reconciliation, I’m always thinking about ways to get students to be empathetic. We show documentaries and we have guest speakers, but this experience is so unique.
What conversations did your team have around ethics and emotional safety while developing William?
A lot of care was taken in the development of William. It was researched like a documentary. There were Elders involved. I really appreciated the authenticity. But who is creating it? Who owns this? These are questions of major concern for other virtual reality projects.
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Were there production choices that helped make William accessible to users across different regions and languages?
When you put on the headset, you’re an observer, but people are interacting with you as if you are this child. Nish Media wanted it to be applicable for all areas of Canada, so when the child arrives at the residential school, the priests and nuns speak a made-up language so it would sound foreign to any user.
How accessible is VR for diverse learners?
Students don’t need to be at a particular reading level to feel what the experience is like. In Portage la Prairie, Man., there’s a residential school that’s been turned into a museum. William is a great way for students who go to schools that can’t afford a bus to take them [to the museum] or students who have mobility issues to access some of the same learning.
Has any feedback stood out to you?
Some adults — especially people who weren’t born in Canada — cannot believe what happened in residential schools. They have a lot of ideas about how Canada is presented on the international stage, so learning the true history is quite shocking for them.
How does first-person storytelling deepen public understanding?
You can learn about statistics, but when you experience it, you get this sense that William is a child who doesn’t know what’s happening. In Episode 2, he’s taken from his home, and when the priest knocks on the door, he hides under the table. You also see his parents’ reactions. It’s powerful.
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