ICEVR

ICEVR translates live Arctic research into classroom stories. We partnered with three major EU research networks: CHARTER (mapping climate change in the Arctic), ECOTIP (studying ecosystem tipping points in warming regions), and FACE-IT (documenting rapid Arctic change). Their datasets, field observations, and findings became interactive chapters - meaning every visualization in ICEVR connects to real ongoing research by scientists working in the Arctic right now. In the 'Fjord in Flux' chapter, students see how glacier retreat and sea-ice loss alter kelp forests and wildlife, and how warmer-water species replace Arctic specialists - linking local change to global consequences. References to the underlying studies are included in-app, keeping the narrative accessible while staying faithful to the science.

Built for VR in the classroom, ICEVR uses controller-free hand tracking and gaze-based navigation to lower the barrier for first-time VR users. The journey is chapter-based: students start in the Arctic research base hub and launch focused exploration chapters from there.

Early sessions with educators highlighted how the chapter-based flow and hand-tracking make ICEVR easy to run with first-time VR users. Teachers appreciated the clear learning goals, simple onboarding, and narrative cues that keep students focused. Teachers at five Swedish upper-secondary schools tested the material and rated it 9.6 to 10 out of 10 on average.