Theses and Dissertations Collection

There is a divide between how virtual environments are designed and utilized between different academia and industries. This divide is most prevalent when looking at the comparisons between data visualization and video games. Virtual design discovery could become a means to bridge this gap and gives us an opportunity to explore something new. VDD could help us create a new social design process and environment, update outdated teaching mediums, minimize the misuse of new technologies, and prevent misrepresentation of data sets. This paper will look at how simplification and access to developing virtual environments could give way to many opportunities and improvements for current design practices. Virtual design discovery can be used as a medium to facilitate better social design practices and broaden learning opportunities as well. These opportunities stem from the inclusion of access to larger social groups, online communities, incorporation of active learning, and virtual environmental design.