At Punahou School, an independent college preparatory day school in Honolulu, Hawai’i, the students are learning traditional ocean navigation using stars. But instead of navigating on the ocean at night, they are using virtual reality to let students learn in the safety of their classrooms. The VR app is called Kilo Hökü, or Navigation the stars. The lessons are part of Voyaging at Punahou, a Design Technology and Engineering program.
With the virtual reality application Kilo Hökü, or Navigating the Stars, students of Punahou School on Hawai’i, USA, can set sail on a virtual canoe modeled after the traditional Höküle’a. Once on the virtual ocean students can explore the stars and constellations at sea. They can also learn about traditional star navigation methods to develop their navigation skills, without ever leaving their classroom.
Tradition ocean navigation using VR
“The VR program puts students out at sea,” Taryn Loveman, director of Design Technology and Engineering, explained. “You can control the time of year and latitude, navigate to different places, and advance time to see the stars change.” Currently, the program is being tested by students in a Voyaging elective class, ninth grade social studies students and seniors in a capstone class.
A computer science graduate from the University of Hawai’i initially created the program by mapping NASA star images onto a VR sphere model. The VR app is further developed with the help of Punahou faculty-members. They have guided software programmers from the university to make updates based on what will be most beneficial for students in the classroom. Also, the program was made publicly accessible for anyone with a VR headset.
Benefit the community
According to Loveman, the collaboration between the Punahou teachers and local experts is an initiative that can benefit the community. More endeavors should take shape within the future of Emergent Technology Center, which is located within the new Academy Learning Commons. “Our intention with this project is to bridge traditional knowledge with new technology while maintaining the important teacher-student relationship and also expanding access to this valuable experience and knowledge,” Loveman said.
