Jeanelle Uy: Egg and Sperm VR Experience

Egg and Sperm is a virtual reality (VR) experience where students play an active role in the fertilization process from the perspective of a sperm cell. Students go on a simulated journey through the female reproductive tract and explore how the cervix, uterus, oviduct, and egg ensure the successful formation of a zygote. 

In this video, Jeanelle Uy introduces herself and the project:

VR Activity Samples

Small, but meaningful interactions allowed students to practice the learning goals kinesthetically. The activities help illustrate for the students how the reproductive system is working to filter the best quality sperm to get to the egg.  

students in xr lab wearing vr headsets
students and teachers wearing vr headsets

In this activity, students must push a button to initiate contractions in the uterus, helping sperm move more easily toward the oviducts. 

In this activity, students must close the zona pellucida in time to avoid polyspermy:

In this activity, students are asked to select an oviduct to go to according to the release of progesterone and prolactin and subtle temperature changes that signal the right direction. 

Impact and Collaboration with ATS  

In this video, Jeanelle speaks about how VR can give students hands-on experiences that would otherwise be impossible. She sees the impact on students in improved grades on test scores. Jeanelle also talks about how she had only used VR once before co-creating this experience with ATS, and encourages faculty who are interested in VR to reach out to the department.