From Spatial Representation to Participatory Engagement: Designing a UCD–BDD Virtual Pilgrimage Environment

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

1) Overall, this paper’s discussion of the virtual Boudhanath Stupa environment project is well-structured and the introduction and literature review provide a solid overview of the theoretical, cultural, and methodological background for the project’s development. The development process is clearly summarized in Figure 1.

2) The paper would be strengthened with a more thorough discussion of the goals for the deployment of the virtual pilgrimage environment, including the intended audience(s), as design and implementation choices reflect those goals. The author provides a sound argument for the use of Minecraft as an accessible software platform for the virtual pilgrimage application. However, the deployment of the virtual pilgrimage environment via VR headset technology can be a limiting factor in dissemination that would need to be balanced with the high level of immersion the technology provides. If a more targeted audience and deployment is desired, such as in specific physical settings, the use of VR can be an engaging platform.

3) The analytical framework of four core dimensions of evaluation is well-thought out overall and is compelling as a mechanism for evaluation in virtual heritage platforms that attempt to capture qualitative aspects of cultural experience. A brief discussion of how these four elements of evaluation were chosen would also strengthen this section of the paper.

4) The author argues the fourth dimension of evaluation for virtual pilgrimage platforms- User control and freedom – “assesses whether users are provided with strong, moderate, or limited autonomy during the experience” (p. 4). Table 1 summarizes existing examples and how well they accomplish this dimension, and follows this definition in reviewing the selected projects. In Table 3, the evaluation of each of the four dimensions of the analytical framework applied to the Virtual Boudhanath Stupa project are summarized. The project is rated High for User Control and Freedom as discussed in the Results section (4.4), but Questions U1, U2, UQ1, UQ2 as noted in Table 3 do not seem to correspond directly to issues of autonomy and freedom, but rather general questions about the user’s perception of the experience and comments on strengths and weaknesses. Can the author more clearly articulate how user control and freedom were directly addressed in these survey questions?

5) Within the Results section, it would be helpful to include the range for scores in the Likert-scale questions, to better interpret the mean and SD values discussed in this section.

Author Response

請參閱附件。

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The chapter presents an innovative and well-structured contribution to the field of digital heritage and virtual religious environments, with a specific focus on the Boudhanath Stupa pilgrimage. The paper addresses an important contemporary issue: how digital technologies can democratize access to sacred spaces, enabling inclusive and meaningful ritual participation in an era of global mobility challenges.

One of the paper’s most notable strengths lies in its high level of clarity and logical organization. The introduction effectively frames the problem, situating the research within the broader context of virtual cultural heritage and participatory design methodologies. The methodology section clearly outlines the application of User-Centered Design (UCD) and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD), while the results and discussion sections provide a transparent account of achievements and potential improvements. Overall, the narrative is highly accessible, making complex technical and cultural concepts easy to understand without oversimplification.

The paper makes several significant contributions:

The application of BDD scenarios (Given–When–Then) to model ritual nodes is particularly noteworthy, providing a systematic way to design and test ritual interactions within a virtual environment. 

The author emphasises architectural and spatial accuracy, a crucial aspect for any reconstruction of tangible cultural heritage. The use of Minecraft as a platform is justified convincingly: despite its non-photorealistic style, it effectively conveys architectural concepts such as spatial circulation, building typologies, and functionality, which are essential for ritual immersion.

A key example of innovative solutions is the creation of an accessible interior chamber for lamp offerings, overcoming the physical inaccessibility of the stupa’s inner sanctum. This demonstrates how digital environments can enhance inclusivity and accessibility.

The mixed-methods evaluation with 50 participants, including two Tibetan Buddhist experts, provides robust feedback. The structured questionnaire addressed multiple dimensions—interaction mechanics, ritual dynamics, aesthetics, and user control—offering valuable insights into user experience. Addressing end user evaluation and self-assessment is an added value to any paper discussing digital products for CH. Furthermore, the study underscores the importance of continuous involvement of users and cultural stakeholders, ensuring cultural sensitivity and user satisfaction. 

While the paper does not require any improvements in my opinion, the author honestly and correctly acknowledges some limitations in the research itself: small sample size, short evaluation period, and lack of social interaction features. These are important considerations for future development, especially given the increasing role of social connectivity in digital pilgrimage experiences. 

Author Response

Commend:

The chapter presents an innovative and well-structured contribution to the field of digital heritage and virtual religious environments, with a specific focus on the Boudhanath Stupa pilgrimage. The paper addresses an important contemporary issue: how digital technologies can democratize access to sacred spaces, enabling inclusive and meaningful ritual participation in an era of global mobility challenges.

One of the paper’s most notable strengths lies in its high level of clarity and logical organization. The introduction effectively frames the problem, situating the research within the broader context of virtual cultural heritage and participatory design methodologies. The methodology section clearly outlines the application of User-Centered Design (UCD) and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD), while the results and discussion sections provide a transparent account of achievements and potential improvements. Overall, the narrative is highly accessible, making complex technical and cultural concepts easy to understand without oversimplification.

The paper makes several significant contributions:

The application of BDD scenarios (Given–When–Then) to model ritual nodes is particularly noteworthy, providing a systematic way to design and test ritual interactions within a virtual environment. 

The author emphasises architectural and spatial accuracy, a crucial aspect for any reconstruction of tangible cultural heritage. The use of Minecraft as a platform is justified convincingly: despite its non-photorealistic style, it effectively conveys architectural concepts such as spatial circulation, building typologies, and functionality, which are essential for ritual immersion.

A key example of innovative solutions is the creation of an accessible interior chamber for lamp offerings, overcoming the physical inaccessibility of the stupa’s inner sanctum. This demonstrates how digital environments can enhance inclusivity and accessibility.

The mixed-methods evaluation with 50 participants, including two Tibetan Buddhist experts, provides robust feedback. The structured questionnaire addressed multiple dimensions—interaction mechanics, ritual dynamics, aesthetics, and user control—offering valuable insights into user experience. Addressing end user evaluation and self-assessment is an added value to any paper discussing digital products for CH. Furthermore, the study underscores the importance of continuous involvement of users and cultural stakeholders, ensuring cultural sensitivity and user satisfaction. 

While the paper does not require any improvements in my opinion, the author honestly and correctly acknowledges some limitations in the research itself: small sample size, short evaluation period, and lack of social interaction features. These are important considerations for future development, especially given the increasing role of social connectivity in digital pilgrimage experiences. 

Response: 

We are deeply grateful for your exceptionally positive and encouraging feedback on our manuscript. Your comprehensive and thoughtful comments are sincerely appreciated and affirm the value of our research in the fields of digital heritage and virtual religious environments.

We are particularly pleased that you recognized the strengths and contributions of our work, including the clarity and logical organization of the paper, the innovative use of the BDD framework to model ritual interactions, and the successful application of an accessible Minecraft-VR platform. We also thank you for highlighting the significance of our mixed-methods evaluation, which included valuable input from Tibetan Buddhist experts to ensure cultural and spiritual authenticity.

We concur with your assessment of the study's limitations, particularly the small sample size, short evaluation period, and lack of social features. As you noted, we have honestly acknowledged these constraints in the manuscript, viewing them not as weaknesses but as important considerations for future development.

Thank you again for your valuable time and for your insightful review. Your support is immensely encouraging and will guide our continued work in this area.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript presents an innovative approach to virtual pilgrimage by combining Minecraft VR with Tibetan ritual practices. Its originality lies in translating ritual sequences into interactive nodes faithful to the Boudhanath Stupa, extending virtual sacred spaces (internal lamp offerings and a hidden Pure Land), and validating the design with Tibetan experts to ensure ritual and cultural authenticity. The authors employ User-Centered Design (UCD) to gather users’ needs, abilities, and cultural context, and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) to translate ritual practices into concrete, testable behaviors, ensuring consistency between design and interaction.

Among the main limitations, the study does not systematically assess the understanding of ritual meaning, particularly for non-Buddhist participants. The small sample size and short session duration reduce the generalizability of results and do not allow for evaluation of long-term effects on spiritual engagement or motivation for real-world pilgrimage. The absence of multi-user features limits collective experiences, and the block-based graphics, although enhanced with shaders, reduce perceptual realism.

Despite these limitations, the manuscript constitutes a significant contribution to digital heritage and the design of virtual religious experiences, demonstrating that rituality, user autonomy, and immersion can coexist in an accessible and scalable format. Future improvements could include longer sessions, collaborative features, additional educational content on rituals, and multi-user modes to enable shared experiences.

Author Response

Comment: The manuscript presents an innovative approach to virtual pilgrimage by combining Minecraft VR with Tibetan ritual practices. Its originality lies in translating ritual sequences into interactive nodes faithful to the Boudhanath Stupa, extending virtual sacred spaces (internal lamp offerings and a hidden Pure Land), and validating the design with Tibetan experts to ensure ritual and cultural authenticity. The authors employ User-Centered Design (UCD) to gather users’ needs, abilities, and cultural context, and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) to translate ritual practices into concrete, testable behaviors, ensuring consistency between design and interaction.

Among the main limitations, the study does not systematically assess the understanding of ritual meaning, particularly for non-Buddhist participants. The small sample size and short session duration reduce the generalizability of results and do not allow for evaluation of long-term effects on spiritual engagement or motivation for real-world pilgrimage. The absence of multi-user features limits collective experiences, and the block-based graphics, although enhanced with shaders, reduce perceptual realism.

Despite these limitations, the manuscript constitutes a significant contribution to digital heritage and the design of virtual religious experiences, demonstrating that rituality, user autonomy, and immersion can coexist in an accessible and scalable format. Future improvements could include longer sessions, collaborative features, additional educational content on rituals, and multi-user modes to enable shared experiences.

 

Response:  We sincerely thank the reviewer for the highly insightful and constructive feedback on our manuscript. We are pleased that the paper’s structure, methodology, and contributions, particularly the innovative use of BDD scenarios to model ritual interactions, the creation of an inclusive virtual sacred space, and the validation with Buddhist experts, were recognized. The reviewer's comprehensive summary accurately captures the core arguments and the significance of our work in the field of digital heritage. We also appreciate the reviewer's professional assessment of the study's limitations. We agree that a more systematic evaluation of non-Buddhist participants' understanding of ritual meaning would strengthen the findings, and this is a crucial area for future research.

Regarding the acknowledged limitations, such as the small sample size, short session duration, and the absence of multi-user features, we want to reiterate that our study served as a formative evaluation. The primary goal was to test the feasibility of our UCD-BDD framework and validate the core design with actual user feedback to inform future iterations. As noted in the manuscript, we have already identified these constraints and outlined a clear roadmap for future development, including longer-term studies, enhanced educational content, and the implementation of social interaction features.

We believe this approach demonstrates the project’s long-term vision and provides a valuable foundation for the academic community to build upon. We are grateful for the reviewer's valuable comments, which will undoubtedly help us in the next phase of our research.