Empirical Study of Virtual Reality to Promote Intergenerational Communication: Taiwan Traditional Glove Puppetry as Example

• Published in: Sustainability Vol. 14; no. 6; p. 3213
• Main Authors: Chou, Wen-Huei, Li, Yi-Chun, Chen, Ya-Fang, Ohsuga, Mieko, Inoue, Tsuyoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.03.2022
• Subjects: Aging; Communication; Computer applications; COVID-19; Cultural heritage; Cultural resources; Culture; Design; Digital technology; Families & family life; Games; Generations; Intergenerational relationships; Learning; Medical technology; Mental health; Older people; Puppetry; Quality of life; Smartphones; Social networks; Technology; Virtual reality; Taiwan
• ISSN: 2071-1050; 2071-1050
• DOI: 10.3390/su14063213

Based on glove puppetry, a traditional cultural pursuit of Taiwan, this study designed a virtual reality (VR) intergenerational game to bring together the elderly and young participants. In the game, a system of cooperation and sharing was constructed which would lead to an exchange between experience and knowledge of traditional culture and digital technology and result in intergenerational interaction and communication learning. Through interviews with eight subjects after the empirical study, this study explored the operation and experience of this game, the perception of interaction and dialogue, and the cultural heritage and learning. According to the research findings, VR game cultural elements and technology learning positively influence intergenerational relations and communication. Key factors of VR intergenerational games include the following: (1) the game content must be attractive for the elderly; (2) the operating procedure of the game and affordance of the interface for the elderly must be simplified; and (3) the game must establish a sense of achievement for players.