Date of Award
Spring 6-10-2022
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Interdisciplinary Studies
First Advisor
Sam Close
Abstract
Many second-year college students have struggled to socially transition back to in-person schooling. After a significant period of enforced isolation, there is a need to aggregate loose connections activated or maintained online. Through conducting UX/ethnographic research on current second-year students who have lost out on major life milestones between the years 2019-2021, synthesizing research from fields of media studies, interpersonal communication, and art/design that incites self-disclosure, and collaborating with a group of student designers, I responded to this issue by creating Graduation Simulator (2022) over a period of 8 months. Graduation Simulator facilitates emotionally vulnerable discussion through a VR scavenger hunt for friends who did not have a traditional graduation and wish to reconnect.
Recommended Citation
Cohen, Dylan, "Graduation Simulator: A virtual reality conversation experience for second-year college students living through a pandemic" (2022). College of Communication Master of Arts Theses. 39.
https://via.library.depaul.edu/cmnt/39