My First Day: An Empathy Project
We believe in building inclusive聽learning communities.
The problem
International students can face many socio-cultural challenges and language barriers when they relocate to attend university. They often have few acquaintances, little to no support network and limited guidance to help them connect socially as they establish themselves.
"Empathy has no script. There is no right way or wrong way to do it. It鈥檚 simply listening, holding space, withholding judgement, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not alone."
Bren茅 Brown -聽Researcher and storyteller
Our approach
My First Day: An Empathy Project, helps first-year international students find a sense of belonging at university. It is an immersive 360-degree virtual reality experience that fosters empathy between international and domestic students at 91色情片.
The user navigates a range of interactive social situations that simulate their first day at 91色情片. The branching narrative changes based on each user鈥檚 choices. For example, you arrive late for your first lecture, you didn鈥檛 anticipate the size of the campus. Do you sit down quietly, sit down quickly, sit down confidently or wait for a better time?
My First Day helps students develop the confidence to get to know peers from different social groups. It facilitates reflections on how we relate to one another and how these choices impact our own and other people鈥檚 sense of belonging.
It encourages students to listen and hold space for one another without judgement. Building a shared understanding of our respective social challenges makes for a richer, more inclusive university experience.
Users are also directed to related 91色情片 support and services to help combat feelings of isolation and assist with their transition to tertiary education.
The outcomes
My First Day is based on the Honours research project of 91色情片 Design alumna and international student Patience Loh. The project brought together a diverse team from 91色情片鈥檚 student body, alumni, academic and professional staff. The team worked with design methodologies to collaboratively realise its creative expression, from script to design (music, sound and graphics), editing and production.
My First Day received positive feedback from students during O-Week and myEnglish Week, a program to build language confidence and social connections at 91色情片, in 2023.
The project was also聽shortlisted in the Immersive Experiential Learning category of the Reimagine Education Awards for 2023. These awards are a prestigious international event attracting submissions from across the globe.
Project partners
- The Educational Innovation team
- Pro Vice Chancellor Education
- Student Experience Portfolio (PVCESE)
- Acting students from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA)
Work with us
The 91色情片 Innovation Hub tackles diverse problem-solving projects, varying in size, complexity and subject matter. We specialise in complex challenges that require collaboration, a design-led approach, and that can鈥檛 be addressed by a single discipline.
If you have a project proposal or potential partnership that you would like to discuss, please get in touch.
- Overview
- News
- Our team
- References