Enhancing Engagement through Digital Cultural Heritage: A Case Study about Senior Citizens using a Virtual Reality Museum

Abstract

As the use of Virtual Reality (VR) increases, museums have been using it to create simulations of their artefact collections. However, the level of accessibility, inclusiveness, and engagement of these simulations with senior citizens has been understudied. To address the problem, this case study presents the design of the "Pop-up VR Museum", a VR experience based on cultural heritage artefacts from the Design Museum in Helsinki that attempts to engage with audiences of wide age ranges. Users can interact with virtual artefacts and listen to stories contributed by different communities. The Pop-up VR Museum has been tested with 254 users at the museum and taken to several elderly care homes. Evaluation is based on users' gameplay data and their responses to post-experience questionnaires. Results indicate some variation in types of engagement based on users' age groups. Despite potential limitations, this study provides valuable insights for other museums to create inclusive VR experiences.