An exploration of projects completed at UNE and the unique benefits of 3D in teaching & learning. As educators and university professionals, we continually seek innovative ways to enhance the learning experience for students. Among the emerging tools, 3D learning media stands out for its ability to present complex concepts in engaging and interactive ways.
From 3D images and videos to real-time rendered experiences like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), these tools provide unique advantages for teaching and learning. Here, we’ll explore how 3D media benefits students in ways traditional methods can’t, supported by examples developed through partnerships between UNE academics and the Learning Media Team.
Why 3D?
Unlike 2D visuals or text-based explanations, 3D media engages students by immersing them in the content, fostering deeper understanding and retention. It goes beyond static representation, allowing learners to interact, manipulate, and experience learning materials dynamically. This interactivity taps into spatial reasoning and visual learning in ways that are particularly effective for abstract or complex subjects.
.
Completed projects
Let’s look at some examples of projects completed at UNE, and the unique benefits they bring to the table.
AR Model of the Antikythera Mechanism
The Antikythera mechanism, an ancient Greek astronomical device, is often difficult to conceptualize through descriptions or images. With our AR model, students can view, rotate, and explore it in their physical space, fostering:
- Tactile Engagement: The ability to manipulate the model in AR mimics hands-on learning, which is proven to enhance understanding.
- Historical Context: By exploring the mechanism’s complexity, students gain a richer appreciation of ancient engineering and its impact.
Created in collaboration with the UNE Museum of Antiquities. Project lead: Bronwyn Hopwood
Project link ↗️ or scan the QR code to view the model in AR
Soil Cross-sections
Our 3D soil models showcase cross-sections with mineral deposits and water and nutrient movement through layers. These models help students:
- Grasp Scale and Detail: The ability to view below the topsoil provides a granular understanding of soil composition and functions, and relative scale of deposits and soil horizons.
- Understand Systems Thinking: Seeing nutrient and water flow clarifies the soil’s role within larger ecosystems.
Created in collaboration with the school of science and technology. Project lead: Ivanah Oliver. View the project here ↗️
Clay Crystal Structures
Our 3D models of clay crystal structures allow students to rotate and animate different soil types, showing how they are constructed. This experience provides:
- Detailed Visualization: Students can see the microscopic arrangements of clay crystals and their variations across soil types.
- Dynamic Understanding: Animations demonstrate how these structures influence soil properties such as water retention and nutrient availability.
Created in collaboration with the school of science and technology. Project lead: Ivanah Oliver. View the project here ↗️
3D Videos of Mechanical Elements
Mechanical elements like ratchets, cranks, and gears come alive in 3D videos, allowing engineering students to:
- See Mechanisms in Motion: Understanding how components work together is easier when observed in a simplified 3D form.
- Practice Application: Students can visualize how these elements would translate into real-world designs.
Created in collaboration with the UNE Museum of Antiquities. Project lead: Bronwyn Hopwood
Virtual Tour of a Recording Studio
For users new to recording technology, our 3D tour provides:
- Familiarity Before Practice: They can explore and understand equipment layouts before stepping into the studio.
- Interactive Learning: Hotspots explain functions, empowering users to feel confident and prepared.
Created for the UNE Media Studios Project lead: Greg Dorrian. View the project here ↗️
Recreating Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
Our 3D-rendered recreations of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre include evolving understandings of its structure and history. These models lets students:
- Visualize Historical Change: Iterative updates to the Globe’s appearance illustrate how historical knowledge evolves.
- Engage with Context: Students gain a tangible sense of how space and architecture influenced performance.
Created in collaboration with the UNE Museum of Antiquities Project lead: Bronwyn Hopwood. View all links and read an overview here ↗️
Virtual Tour of plant, animal and bacterial cells
In our virtual tour of cells, students can rotate the models and click on hotspots that trigger 3D-rendered videos explaining the organelles’ functions and interrelations. This experience helps students:
- Visualize Relationships: Unlike static diagrams, the 3D models dynamically demonstrate how organelles interact within the cell’s structure.
- Retain Complex Information: The immersive format aids memory by associating content with spatial and visual cues.
For biology students, this means moving beyond rote memorization to truly understanding the cell as a living, interconnected system. Created in collaboration with the school of science and technology. Academic staff: Nick Andronicos (project lead), Sinead Henderson, Adrienne Burns
360 Virtual Field Trip
Our 360 image rendering of a Geography field trip, incorporating drill down viewpoints ranging from drone shots in the air, on the ground shots & 3D models of example samples expected to be found during the trip. This experience
- Increases Accessibility: to a learning environment no longer available or difficult to access.
- Encourage Seeing the Bigger Picture: this activity allows viewpoints, less common in physical field trips, urging alternative conceptions for students.
By preserving this field trip digitally, students will have access to a vital site for teaching how volcanism affects geology for years to come, allowing assessment and learning objectives to be reached despite the future inaccessibility of the site physically. Created in collaboration with Luke Milan & the School of Earth Sciences
Scanned artefact libraries
Continual 3D digitisation of the collections at UNE has elevated the already vast & distinctively UNE based teaching resources into a more accessible digital version.
- 24/7 Access: internet dependent access to teaching resources, that is traditionally only available during lessons & intensive schools.
- Non-destructive analysis: by placing these digital simulacra of these teaching collections, we enable thousands of measurements, movements & lighting conditions that otherwise placed artefacts at risk.
These digital versions enhance our student’s interactions with learning materials, by enabling accessible means to engage at their own pace. Created in collaboration with various collections managers across UNE. Browse artefact libraries ↗️
3D printing
Our team does not offer 3D printing services, however we create and refine models to prepare them for 3D printing.
The Unique Advantages of 3D Learning Media
- Interactivity: Engaging directly with 3D models fosters active rather than passive learning.
- Enhanced Spatial Understanding: 3D media helps students grasp spatial relationships, crucial in fields like biology, engineering, and history.
- Personalized Pacing: Students can revisit and manipulate models as needed, accommodating diverse learning styles.
- Real-World Connection: Tools like AR bridge the gap between virtual and physical worlds, making learning more relevant.
Conclusion
The transition from traditional media to 3D learning tools isn’t just an upgrade-it’s a transformation. By creating immersive, interactive, and engaging experiences, 3D media equips students with a deeper understanding of complex topics, preparing them for academic and professional success. At the Learning Media Team, we’re excited to continue collaborating with our academics, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, one model at a time.