Published June 10, 2025
Written by Amberly 
The Challenge
CHIJ (Katong) Primary wanted to give students a more engaging way to learn about Singapore’s past. The school aimed to move beyond textbook learning by allowing students to explore old street scenes, interact with historical characters and experience vanishing occupations in a personal and memorable way. The experience needed to be immersive, interactive and meaningful, helping students understand the people, values and challenges that shaped early Singapore.
The Solution
A WebXR application that is accessible on both PC and VR was designed to let students explore a 3D heritage street featuring four iconic occupations from Singapore’s past: Samsui Woman, Street Hawker, Night Soil Collector and Letter Writer. Each character is interactive and brought to life through animations, voiceovers and storytelling. Students can engage with them to learn their stories, play mini-games and complete quizzes to reinforce key takeaways. The experience includes sound detection, tracing and drag and drop mechanics. These features enhance interactivity and are especially effective in VR, creating a more immersive and hands-on learning journey.
The Result
The application gave students a more engaging way to explore Singapore’s history beyond the textbook. By combining storytelling, interactive gameplay and immersive visuals, it turned learning into a hands-on cultural experience. Students gained a deeper appreciation for the heritage and contributions of early Singaporeans, while teachers noted stronger participation and enthusiasm in the learning process. The use of VR and interactive elements made lessons more enjoyable, memorable and meaningful.
