@misc{CastroRojas, type = {Master Thesis}, author = {Castro Rojas, Diego Fernando}, title = {Participatory Virtual Reality. Immersion and presence in digital platforms for serious topics.}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, abstract = {Energy is one of the most important components of our lives. Nevertheless, it is still considered an abstract concept for a great majority of the population. Energy is also responsible for most of the environmental problems we are facing nowadays, therefore, we require more than ever, and by any necessary means, to bring this concept closer to our daily life, not only from a dimension of knowledge, also from those related to our behavior and attitude towards it. This study aims to explore Virtual Reality social platforms as a promising means of communication to address environmental issues. More specifically, to understand their potential to generate participation cultures around serious issues, understanding participation culture as the set of activities, through which people collectively shape a space for expression and learning. For this purpose, a research was conducted analyzing three Virtual Reality social apps (VRChat, Rec Room, and AltSpaceVR) to identify —under the perspective of Jenkins' Convergence Culture— the existing activities and behaviors shaping participatory cultures inside of the platforms. A second research was conducted based on the observation of the main components of the platforms to use them as a reference for the conceptual development of a VR app to present the strategic plan of the European Commission in a participatory environment.}, language = {en} }