Design and Development of e-MARZ: A Practical Guide to Implementing Cost-effective VR Experiences for Music Education

Abstract

The study introduces e-MARZ, a Virtual Reality (VR) software designed to tackle challenges faced by music educators in enhancing music appreciation lessons within the Malaysian lower secondary school music curriculum. The research aims to improve student engagement, provide immersive and interactive learning experiences, and develop a user-friendly VR application. A video production process was employed to create 360-degree music performance videos, which were integrated into the e-MARZ software via interactive modules. This article mainly discusses the development and evaluation aspects, utilising the modified ADDIE Instructional model, m-ADDIE, during the development phase. The e-MARZ prototype underwent evaluation using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ) for quantitative data collection and analysis to assess usability, with a sample of five music education experts and 82 secondary school music students. Limitations of the study include the use of 360 media of live performances tailored for secondary school students' music appreciation and employing 3DOF (degrees of freedom) instead of the more advanced 6DOF, potentially impacting the generalisability of findings and the scope of achievable VR experiences. Despite these limitations, the high usability scores obtained during the evaluation, as measured by SUS and PSSUQ, indicate the software's effectiveness in addressing its intended challenges. The e-MARZ software offers an immersive, user-friendly VR experience that is cost-effective and compatible with various devices. This research provides insights into producing cost-effective, user-friendly VR applications using 360 media, promoting accessible VR application development in education. As a result, the study transforms students' engagement with music appreciation, fostering a more immersive, interactive, and enjoyable learning experience.