Two departments in the Ateneo de Manila University have developed a virtual reality (VR) escape room intended to immerse and teach players about the Martial Law era of the Philippines half a century ago.
“Heritage Hero: Secrets of the ‘Golden Era'” is a collaboration between the college’s Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality (VAMR) Laboratory and the Ateneo Martial Law Museum and Library.
Both departments seek to bridge the gap between knowing and understanding the hard-earned lessons of the Martial Law era to younger generations, spark curiosity, and deepen engagement about this complex part of Philippine history.
The game incorporates storytelling and hands-on interaction that contribute to immersive historical learning through an active process of discovery, leaving those who finish to reflect how so-called promises by the administration then contained controversies and contradictions.
“We believe that human learning benefits greatly from embodied cognition, as some forms of thinking are deeply rooted in bodily interactions such as writing and playing, as opposed to just reading or listening,” said VAMR technical head Eric Cesar E. Vidal Jr., PhD.
“Heritage Hero: Secrets of the ‘Golden Era'” is set across three rooms and takes up to an hour to play. It is ideally meant for players between the ages 15 and 25 years old. Players will find themselves inside an abandoned mansion linked to the regime of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., interacting with objects and solving puzzles that unearth facts, hopes, and fears about life during the Martial Law era.
In one room, players put themselves in the shoes of the underground resistance fighting for press freedom by operating a printing press and assembling propaganda materials.
In the bedroom, players look at construction blueprints and government contracts of controversial infrastructure projects, while players try to make Nutribuns in the kitchen. Nutribuns are ready-to-eat breads distributed in public schools during the Martial Law era as part of the feeding program aimed at combatting child malnutrition.
Ateneo students tested out the game and gave positive feedback, feeling engaged and involved with features, as well as expressing interest in learning about the historical issues brought up while playing.
“Immersive technologies can provide the scaffolding that helps a student begin learning complex historical topics, with interactions that add an element of fun and engagement while gently assuaging students’ fears, distress, or skepticism,” Vidal also said.