Recognizing that traditional educational spaces often lacked accessible digital alternatives that respected bicultural collaborative practices, I collaborated with Māori communities to design and develop a virtual learning and workshop space known as a Wānanga. The challenge was to create a digital environment that was both technically advanced and culturally safe, honoring indigenous protocols.
I applied rigorous co-design methodologies to ensure the virtual environment authentically reflected Māori values and Tikanga, prototyping the space using VR/AR tools with a focus on inclusive design and active learning.
I successfully delivered a functional prototype of a virtual Wānanga that provided a culturally safe, immersive space for cross-cultural collaboration. This initiative represents a significant step in my commitment to inclusive and bicultural design, and I look forward to exploring how social VR can further simulate the ritualistic sense of physical collaborative spaces.