Karo K. Rasool
Current Organizations / Institutes
The organizations/institutes from the scholar's latest article
Karo K. Rasool has a total of 7 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:
- Akrivi Katifori
Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
1 shared publication - Kavi O. Ali
Cultural Heritage Organization (CHO), Sulaimani 46001, Iraq
1 shared publication - Maria Economou
University of Glasgow
1 shared publication - Niyan Hussein Ibrahim
Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, University College London (UCL), London WC1E 6BT, UK
1 shared publication - Roza Abdullatif Radha
Department of City Planning, Technical College of Engineering, Sulaimani Polytechnic University, Sulaimani 46001, Iraq
1 shared publication - Rozhen Kamal Mohammed-Amin
Kurdistan Institution for Strategic Studies & Scientific Research (KISSR), Sulaimani 46001, Iraq
1 shared publication
Latest Publications
- Open Access
Nobody’s Listening: Evaluating the Impact of Immersive VR for Engaging with Difficult Heritage and Human Rights
Immersive virtual reality (VR) offers promising approaches for engaging with difficult heritage and human rights issues, potentially fostering deeper emotional connections than traditional media. This paper presents a mixed-methods evaluation of Nobody’s Listening, a VR experience documenting the Yazidi genocide in Iraq (2014–2017). Employing a historical empathy framework, the study analyses pre- and post-experience surveys, interviews, and observational data from 127 non-Yazidi participants across five Iraqi cities. It contributes a replicable framework for evaluating immersive heritage experiences, assessing how VR can foster emotional engagement, raise human rights awareness, and inspire positive action. Findings reveal substantial impact across cognitive, emotional, and behavioral domains: 85% reported increased awareness of the genocide, 71% gained new knowledge of Yazidi culture, and over 80% experienced intense emotional reactions, including empathy, grief, and shock. When describing what impressed them most, 57% demonstrated historical empathy (including contextualization, perspective taking, and affective connection). Notably, 92% believed justice had not been served, with many expressing intentions to support advocacy. Our findings suggest that VR’s impact in post-conflict contexts stems not solely from immersion, but from resonance with participants’ own trauma histories—activating empathy through analogical recognition and collective memory. The study offers key design and ethical principles, including cultural specificity, survivor testimony, community consultation, and trauma-informed evaluation. These insights contribute to inclusive heritage interpretation, reconciliation, and human rights education.
Open AccessNobody’s Listening: Evaluating the Impact of Immersive VR for Engaging with Difficult Heritage and Human Rights
Immersive virtual reality (VR) offers promising approaches for engaging with difficult heritage and human rights issues, potentially fostering deeper emotional connections than traditional media. This paper presents a mixed-methods evaluation of Nobody’s Listening, a VR experience documenting the Yazidi genocide in Iraq (2014–2017). Employing a historical empathy framework, the study analyses pre- and post-experience surveys, interviews, and observational data from 127 non-Yazidi participants across five Iraqi cities. It contributes a replicable framework for evaluating immersive heritage experiences, assessing how VR can foster emotional engagement, raise human rights awareness, and inspire positive action. Findings reveal substantial impact across cognitive, emotional, and behavioral domains: 85% reported increased awareness of the genocide, 71% gained new knowledge of Yazidi culture, and over 80% experienced intense emotional reactions, including empathy, grief, and shock. When describing what impressed them most, 57% demonstrated historical empathy (including contextualization, perspective taking, and affective connection). Notably, 92% believed justice had not been served, with many expressing intentions to support advocacy. Our findings suggest that VR’s impact in post-conflict contexts stems not solely from immersion, but from resonance with participants’ own trauma histories—activating empathy through analogical recognition and collective memory. The study offers key design and ethical principles, including cultural specificity, survivor testimony, community consultation, and trauma-informed evaluation. These insights contribute to inclusive heritage interpretation, reconciliation, and human rights education.