Understanding design skills of the Generation Y: An exploration through the VR-KiDS project

As university instructors prepare to teach the current generation (Generation Y), a dire need exists to continue learning and acquiring effective tools in teaching design to reach a different generation, since most instructors grew up in the Baby Boomer Generation and the Generation X cultures. The Virtual Reality for Kids interested in Design Studies (VR-KiDS) project is an exploratory study to understand design skills of Generation Y within a digital environment, specifically virtual reality. Using the Second Life interface and the multiple intelligence frame work students between the ages of 11 and 16 participated in the design of a virtual zoo. The project outlines the conception, application and evaluation of design skills within this interface.