Author: mitcjan

Cahokia VR (Mitchell Jansen)

The Cahokia VR Tour app suffers somewhat from a problem of having a good concept for improving our ability to learn about such an old civilization and enriching our understanding of Native American cultures, yet struggling in its execution when it comes to inclusivity and accessibility. For example, while it serves as a supplement to what is already available to explore and learn at the site itself, it can be entirely unhelpful for those who may not even have the resources to be able to use the app at all, like individuals without access to smart devices. Additionally, the app assumes the ability of the user to be able to move around the site freely in order to take advantage of the augmented reality system as they travel throughout Cahokia Mounds. For those with impaired mobility or other similar disabilities, this could be more exclusionary than intended. It may be better to implement a sort of “virtual tour” in which physical movement is not necessary, which would allow for increased accessibility and inclusion.

Language accessibility is another concern to bring up, as the app may unintentionally be exclusionary to those whose first language is not English, even more so to those who do not speak English at all. While I do not know for sure if the app includes multilingual support, if the app were only made in English, that could mean a diminished experience for non-English speaking visitors to the site. Therefore, adding translations and other support for other languages in the app would be able to make for a more inclusive experience for all.

In all, while the Cahokia AR Tour app is a great template for a means for more people to learn about the history and culture of a fascinating civilization, there is still much room for improvement in making sure that this knowledge can be shared by as many individuals as possible.

Mitchell Jansen – Introducing Myself

Hello, I am Mitchell Jansen, and I am an intended computer science major, chess enthusiast, baseball connoisseur, self-proclaimed musician, and avid video game enjoyer. I moved to the Saint Louis area in the summer of 2024 to begin studying at SIUE after previously studying at the University of Washington in Seattle and briefly at SUNY Buffalo in New York. I guess you could say I’m pretty well-traveled! I spent most of my life growing up around the Seattle, Washington area and as such a lot of my entertainment and culture is derived from my experiences there. I do love Saint Louis though and I am eager to continue exploring what the city and the surrounding metro area have to offer. I’m particularly interested in the chess scene here, being a chess player myself, as the city I have heard is known as the “chess capital of the USA”, and I have participated in a handful of events at the Saint Louis Chess Club, which I hope to continue to do.

World Chess Hall of Fame located in Saint Louis, featuring the World’s Largest Chess Piece

I hope to be able to make many new memories and experiencing new things during my time here, and I hope that I can gain some new knowledge that will help me in pursuing my goal of becoming a software engineer.