Predicting Virtual World User Population Fluctuations with Deep Learning

PubMed Central

Park, Nuri; Zhang, Qimeng; Kim, Jun Gi; Kang, Shin Jin; Kim, Chang Hun

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a system for predicting increases in virtual world user actions. The virtual world user population is a very important aspect of these worlds; however, methods for predicting fluctuations in these populations have not been well documented. Therefore, we attempt to predict changes in virtual world user populations with deep learning, using easily accessible online data, including formal datasets from Google Trends, Wikipedia, and online communities, as well as informal datasets collected from online forums. We use the proposed system to analyze the user population of EVE Online, one of the largest virtual worlds. PMID:27936009

Predicting Virtual World User Population Fluctuations with Deep Learning.

PubMed

Kim, Young Bin; Park, Nuri; Zhang, Qimeng; Kim, Jun Gi; Kang, Shin Jin; Kim, Chang Hun

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a system for predicting increases in virtual world user actions. The virtual world user population is a very important aspect of these worlds; however, methods for predicting fluctuations in these populations have not been well documented. Therefore, we attempt to predict changes in virtual world user populations with deep learning, using easily accessible online data, including formal datasets from Google Trends, Wikipedia, and online communities, as well as informal datasets collected from online forums. We use the proposed system to analyze the user population of EVE Online, one of the largest virtual worlds.

An Investigation into Cooperative Learning in a Virtual World Using Problem-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parson, Vanessa; Bignell, Simon

2017-01-01

Three-dimensional multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) have the potential to provide experiential learning qualitatively similar to that found in the real world. MUVEs offer a pedagogically-driven immersive learning opportunity for educationalists that is cost-effective and enjoyable. A family of digital virtual avatars was created within…

Learning in the Wild of a Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aurilio, Suzanne

2009-01-01

This study took place in the online 3D virtual world Second Life[R], a recreational environment designed for world-building and socializing, and intended for individuals 18 years old and older. It described learning from the perspective of Second Life[R] Residents and focused on their world-building activities. As a virtual ethnographer, my avatar…

Students' First Impression of Second Life: A Case from the United Arab Emirates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdallah, Salam; Douglas, Jamal

2010-01-01

Emerging 3D virtual worlds such as Second Life can offer students with opportunities to enhance learning using rich collaborative asynchronous media. Virtual worlds are believed to impact the future of higher education and therefore, universities across the world are immersing themselves inside virtual worlds to establish a unique learning and…

Ethical Considerations for Educational Research in a Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Girvan, C.; Savage, T.

2012-01-01

The combination of features in virtual worlds provides an opportunity to implement and research unique learning experiences. With increasing interest and activity from the educational research community, exploring virtual worlds for teaching and learning, there is a need to identify and understand the ethical implications of conducting research in…

Facilitating Exploratory Learning in Schools through Virtual Worlds: Experiences from a Course Run at a School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iqbal, Ahmer

2012-01-01

The following paper examines the results of a research study in which a virtual world, Quest Atlantis (QA), was used to engage students in exploratory learning to teach about water quality issues. The main aim of the research was to find out how new digital learning environments and educational technology, such as virtual worlds, can be introduced…

The Benefits and Barriers of Using Virtual Worlds to Engage Healthcare Professionals on Distance Learning Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hack, Catherine Jane

2016-01-01

Using the delivery of a large postgraduate distance learning module in bioethics to health professionals as an illustrative example, the type of learning activity that could be enhanced through delivery in an immersive virtual world (IVW) was explored. Several activities were repurposed from the "traditional" virtual learning environment…

iSee: Teaching Visual Learning in an Organic Virtual Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, Hsiao-Cheng

2017-01-01

This paper presents a three-year participatory action research project focusing on the graduate level course entitled Visual Learning in 3D Animated Virtual Worlds. The purpose of this research was to understand "How the virtual world processes of observing and creating can best help students learn visual theories". The first cycle of…

Virtual Labs and Virtual Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boehler, Ted

2006-12-01

Virtual Labs and Virtual Worlds Coastline Community College has under development several virtual lab simulations and activities that range from biology, to language labs, to virtual discussion environments. Imagine a virtual world that students enter online, by logging onto their computer from home or anywhere they have web access. Upon entering this world they select a personalized identity represented by a digitized character (avatar) that can freely move about, interact with the environment, and communicate with other characters. In these virtual worlds, buildings, gathering places, conference rooms, labs, science rooms, and a variety of other “real world” elements are evident. When characters move about and encounter other people (players) they may freely communicate. They can examine things, manipulate objects, read signs, watch video clips, hear sounds, and jump to other locations. Goals of critical thinking, social interaction, peer collaboration, group support, and enhanced learning can be achieved in surprising new ways with this innovative approach to peer-to-peer communication in a virtual discussion world. In this presentation, short demos will be given of several online learning environments including a virtual biology lab, a marine science module, a Spanish lab, and a virtual discussion world. Coastline College has been a leader in the development of distance learning and media-based education for nearly 30 years and currently offers courses through PDA, Internet, DVD, CD-ROM, TV, and Videoconferencing technologies. Its distance learning program serves over 20,000 students every year. sponsor Jerry Meisner

What People Talk About in Virtual Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maher, Mary Lou

This chapter examines what people talk about in virtual worlds, employing protocol analysis. Each of two scenario studies was developed to assess the impact of virtual worlds as a collaborative environment for a specific purpose: one for learning and one for designing. The first designed a place in Active Worlds for a course on Web Site Design, having group learning spaces surrounded by individual student galleries. Student text chat was analyzed through a coding scheme with four major categories: control, technology, learning, and place. The second studied expert architects in a Second Life environment called DesignWorld that combined 3D modeling and sketching tools. Video and audio recordings were coded in terms of four categories of communication content (designing, representation of the model, awareness of each other, and software features), and in terms of synthesis comparing alternative designs versus analysis of how well the proposed solution satisfies the given design task. Both studies found that people talk about their avatars, identity, and location in the virtual world. However, the discussion is chiefly about the task and not about the virtual world, implying that virtual worlds provide a viable environment for learning and designing that does not distract people from their task.

The Best of All Worlds: Immersive Interfaces for Art Education in Virtual and Real World Teaching and Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grenfell, Janette

2013-01-01

Selected ubiquitous technologies encourage collaborative participation between higher education students and educators within a virtual socially networked e-learning landscape. Multiple modes of teaching and learning, ranging from real world experiences, to text and digital images accessed within the Deakin studies online learning management…

Pre-Service Teachers Designing Virtual World Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacka, Lisa; Booth, Kate

2012-01-01

Integrating Information Technology Communications in the classroom has been an important part of pre-service teacher education for over a decade. The advent of virtual worlds provides the pre-service teacher with an opportunity to study teaching and learning in a highly immersive 3D computer-based environment. Virtual worlds also provide a place…

Games as Distributed Teaching and Learning Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gee, Elisabeth; Gee, James Paul

2017-01-01

Background: Videogames and virtual worlds have frequently been studied as learning environments in isolation; that is, scholars have focused on understanding the features of games or virtual worlds as separate from or different than "real world" environments for learning. Although more recently, scholars have explored the teaching and…

Learning in Virtual Worlds: Using Communities of Practice to Explain How People Learn from Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, Martin; Carr, Diane

2009-01-01

Although there is interest in the educational potential of online multiplayer games and virtual worlds, there is still little evidence to explain specifically what and how people learn from these environments. This paper addresses this issue by exploring the experiences of couples that play "World of Warcraft" together. Learning outcomes were…

Future Game Developers within a Virtual World: Learner Archetypes and Team Leader Attributes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franetovic, Marija

2016-01-01

This case study research sought to understand a subset of the next generation in reference to virtual world learning within a game development course. The students completed an ill-structured team project which was facilitated using authentic learning strategies within a virtual world over a period of seven weeks. Research findings emerged from…

Designing and Developing Game-Like Learning Experience in Virtual Worlds: Challenges and Design Decisions of Novice Instructional Designers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yilmaz, Turkan Karakus; Cagiltay, Kursat

2016-01-01

Many virtual worlds have been adopted for implementation within educational settings because they are potentially useful for building effective learning environments. Since the flexibility of virtual worlds challenges to obtain effective and efficient educational outcomes, the design of such platforms need more attention. In the present study, the…

Exploring Factors of Media Characteristic Influencing Flow in Learning through Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Beomkyu; Baek, Youngkyun

2011-01-01

This study aims to find out factors of media characteristic which are considered to influence flow in learning through virtual worlds. One hundred ninety eight elementary students who are eleven to twelve years old participated in this study. After the exploratory factor analysis, to extract media characteristics of virtual worlds, seventy-eight…

GEARS a 3D Virtual Learning Environment and Virtual Social and Educational World Used in Online Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barkand, Jonathan; Kush, Joseph

2009-01-01

Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are becoming increasingly popular in online education environments and have multiple pedagogical advantages over more traditional approaches to education. VLEs include 3D worlds where students can engage in simulated learning activities such as Second Life. According to Claudia L'Amoreaux at Linden Lab, "at…

"This above All: To Thine Own Self Be True"--Ethical Considerations and Risks in Conducting Higher Education Learning Activities in the Virtual World "Second Life" [TM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Childs, Mark; Schnieders, H. Lori; Williams, Gweno

2012-01-01

Using virtual worlds as media for learning and teaching gives rise to the potential for many unique ethical problems. Some of these arise due to the nature of the engagement with these virtual worlds, in which the students create a virtual representation, called an avatar, which may enable a sense of embodiment, and hence exposure, within the…

Undergraduate Student Self-Efficacy and Perceptions of Virtual World Learning Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanton, Lorraine May

2017-01-01

Virtual worlds are innovative teaching and learning methods that can provide immersive and engaging learning experiences (Lu, 2010). Though they have potential benefits, students sometimes experience a steep learning curve and discomfort with the technology (Warburton, 2009). This study explored how students in two American Studies classes using…

Interaction Design and Usability of Learning Spaces in 3D Multi-user Virtual Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minocha, Shailey; Reeves, Ahmad John

Three-dimensional virtual worlds are multimedia, simulated environments, often managed over the Web, which users can 'inhabit' and interact via their own graphical, self-representations known as 'avatars'. 3D virtual worlds are being used in many applications: education/training, gaming, social networking, marketing and commerce. Second Life is the most widely used 3D virtual world in education. However, problems associated with usability, navigation and way finding in 3D virtual worlds may impact on student learning and engagement. Based on empirical investigations of learning spaces in Second Life, this paper presents design guidelines to improve the usability and ease of navigation in 3D spaces. Methods of data collection include semi-structured interviews with Second Life students, educators and designers. The findings have revealed that design principles from the fields of urban planning, Human- Computer Interaction, Web usability, geography and psychology can influence the design of spaces in 3D multi-user virtual environments.

The Use of Virtual Ethnography in Distance Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uzun, Kadriye; Aydin, Cengiz Hakan

2012-01-01

3D virtual worlds can and have been used as a meeting place for distance education courses. Virtual worlds allow for group learning of the kind enjoyed by students gathered in a virtual classroom, where they know they are in a communal space, they are aware of the social process of learning and are affected by the presence and behaviour of their…

Selecting a Virtual World Platform for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robbins, Russell W.; Butler, Brian S.

2009-01-01

Like any infrastructure technology, Virtual World (VW) platforms provide affordances that facilitate some activities and hinder others. Although it is theoretically possible for a VW platform to support all types of activities, designers make choices that lead technologies to be more or less suited for different learning objectives. Virtual World…

Issues and Challenges of Teaching and Learning in 3D Virtual Worlds: Real Life Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pfeil, Ulrike; Ang, Chee Siang; Zaphiris, Panayiotis

2009-01-01

We aimed to study the characteristics and usage patterns of 3D virtual worlds in the context of teaching and learning. To achieve this, we organised a full-day workshop to explore, discuss and investigate the educational use of 3D virtual worlds. Thirty participants took part in the workshop. All conversations were recorded and transcribed for…

Integrating Virtual Worlds with Tangible User Interfaces for Teaching Mathematics: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Guerrero, Graciela; Ayala, Andrés; Mateu, Juan; Casades, Laura; Alamán, Xavier

2016-10-25

This article presents a pilot study of the use of two new tangible interfaces and virtual worlds for teaching geometry in a secondary school. The first tangible device allows the user to control a virtual object in six degrees of freedom. The second tangible device is used to modify virtual objects, changing attributes such as position, size, rotation and color. A pilot study on using these devices was carried out at the "Florida Secundaria" high school. A virtual world was built where students used the tangible interfaces to manipulate geometrical figures in order to learn different geometrical concepts. The pilot experiment results suggest that the use of tangible interfaces and virtual worlds allowed a more meaningful learning (concepts learnt were more durable).

In-World Behaviors and Learning in a Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nadolny, Larysa; Childs, Mark

2014-01-01

Educational virtual worlds can give students opportunities that would not otherwise be possible in face-to-face settings. The SciEthics Interactive simulations allow learners to conduct scientific research and practice ethical decision-making within a virtual world. This study examined the in-world behaviors that identify students who perceive…

Barriers and Enablers to the Use of Virtual Worlds in Higher Education: An Exploration of Educator Perceptions, Attitudes and Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregory, Sue; Scutter, Sheila; Jacka, Lisa; McDonald, Marcus; Farley, Helen; Newman, Chris

2015-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds have been used for more than a decade in higher education for teaching and learning. Since the 1980s, academics began using virtual worlds as an exciting and innovative new technology to provide their students with new learning experiences that were difficult to provide any other way. But since that time,…

Coming down to Earth: Helping Teachers Use 3D Virtual Worlds in Across-Spaces Learning Situations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muñoz-Cristóbal, Juan A.; Prieto, Luis P.; Asensio-Pérez, Juan I.; Martínez-Monés, Alejandra; Jorrín-Abellán, Iván M.; Dimitriadis, Yannis

2015-01-01

Different approaches have explored how to provide seamless learning across multiple ICT-enabled physical and virtual spaces, including three-dimensional virtual worlds (3DVW). However, these approaches present limitations that may reduce their acceptance in authentic educational practice: The difficulties of authoring and sharing teacher-created…

Faculty Perspectives of Faculty Persona in a Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackmon, Stephanie J.

2013-01-01

Immersive virtual worlds provide a new way to deliver online courses or parts of online and face-to-face courses. There is a growing body of research on online learning, and the data on virtual worlds is also increasing. However, literature concerning professors' experiences with specific aspects of virtual worlds is limited. For example,…

Brave New (Interactive) Worlds: A Review of the Design Affordances and Constraints of Two 3D Virtual Worlds as Interactive Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickey, Michele D.

2005-01-01

Three-dimensional virtual worlds are an emerging medium currently being used in both traditional classrooms and for distance education. Three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds are a combination of desk-top interactive Virtual Reality within a chat environment. This analysis provides an overview of Active Worlds Educational Universe and Adobe…

Bringing the Real World in: Reflection on Building a Virtual Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mundkur, Anuradha; Ellickson, Cara

2012-01-01

We reflect on translating participatory and experiential learning methodologies into an online teaching environment through a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) that simulates the "real-world" contexts of international development in order to develop an applied critical understanding of gender analysis and gender mainstreaming. Rather than being…

Digging Deeper: Learning and Re-Learning with Student and Teacher Minecraft Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodgson, David

2017-01-01

Minecraft has become well established in the world of education. Around the world, the game is being used in a variety of educational settings for virtual project work and as a virtual world for collaboration and social interaction. Minecraft is an activity players want to talk about. It is a game they want to learn more about. In order to do…

Integrating Virtual Worlds with Tangible User Interfaces for Teaching Mathematics: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Guerrero, Graciela; Ayala, Andrés; Mateu, Juan; Casades, Laura; Alamán, Xavier

2016-01-01

This article presents a pilot study of the use of two new tangible interfaces and virtual worlds for teaching geometry in a secondary school. The first tangible device allows the user to control a virtual object in six degrees of freedom. The second tangible device is used to modify virtual objects, changing attributes such as position, size, rotation and color. A pilot study on using these devices was carried out at the “Florida Secundaria” high school. A virtual world was built where students used the tangible interfaces to manipulate geometrical figures in order to learn different geometrical concepts. The pilot experiment results suggest that the use of tangible interfaces and virtual worlds allowed a more meaningful learning (concepts learnt were more durable). PMID:27792132

Computational Scientific Inquiry with Virtual Worlds and Agent-Based Models: New Ways of Doing Science to Learn Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobson, Michael J.; Taylor, Charlotte E.; Richards, Deborah

2016-01-01

In this paper, we propose computational scientific inquiry (CSI) as an innovative model for learning important scientific knowledge and new practices for "doing" science. This approach involves the use of a "game-like" virtual world for students to experience virtual biological fieldwork in conjunction with using an agent-based…

Attitude and Self-Efficacy Change: English Language Learning in Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zheng, Dongping; Young, Michael F.; Brewer, Robert A.; Wagner, Manuela

2009-01-01

This study explored affective factors in learning English as a foreign language in a 3D game-like virtual world, Quest Atlantis (QA). Through the use of communication tools (e.g., chat, bulletin board, telegrams, and email), 3D avatars, and 2D webpage navigation tools in virtual space, nonnative English speakers (NNES) co-solved online…

Investigating Various Application Areas of Three-Dimensional Virtual Worlds for Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghanbarzadeh, Reza; Ghapanchi, Amir Hossein

2018-01-01

Three-dimensional virtual world (3DVW) have been adopted extensively in the education sector worldwide, and there has been remarkable growth in the application of these environments for distance learning. A wide variety of universities and educational organizations across the world have utilized this technology for their regular learning and…

The role of cognitive apprenticeship in learning science in a virtual world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramdass, Darshanand

2012-12-01

This article extends the discussion started by Margaret Beier, Leslie Miller, and Shu Wang's (2012) paper, Science games and the development of possible selves. In this paper, I suggest that a theoretical framework based on a sociocultural theory of learning is critical in learning in a virtual environment. I will discuss relevant research on the application of various components of the sociocultural perspective of learning in classroom environments and the potential for applying them in virtual worlds. I propose that research in science education should explore the processes underlying cognitive apprenticeship and determine how these processes can be used in virtual environments to help students learn science successfully.

Creative Writing, Problem-Based Learning, and Game-Based Learning Principles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trekles, Anastasia M.

2012-01-01

This paper examines how virtual worlds and other advanced social media can be married with problem-based learning to encourage creativity and critical thinking in the English/Language Arts classroom, particularly for middle school, high school, and undergraduate college education. Virtual world experiences such as "Second Life," Jumpstart.com, and…

Understanding Presence, Affordance and the Time/Space Dimensions for Language Learning in Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nocchi, Susanna; Blin, Françoise

2013-01-01

Notwithstanding their potential for novel approaches to language teaching and learning, Virtual Worlds (VWs) present numerous technological and pedagogical challenges that require new paradigms if the language learning experience and outcomes are to be successful. In this presentation, we argue that the notions of presence and affordance, together…

"The Evolution of e-Learning in the Context of 3D Virtual Worlds"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotsilieris, Theodore; Dimopoulou, Nikoletta

2013-01-01

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) offer new approaches towards knowledge acquisition and collaboration through distance learning processes. Web-based Learning Management Systems (LMS) have transformed the way that education is conducted nowadays. At the same time, the adoption of Virtual Worlds in the educational process is of great…

Design of Learning Spaces in 3D Virtual Worlds: An Empirical Investigation of "Second Life"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minocha, Shailey; Reeves, Ahmad John

2010-01-01

"Second Life" (SL) is a three-dimensional (3D) virtual world, and educational institutions are adopting SL to support their teaching and learning. Although the question of how 3D learning spaces should be designed to support student learning and engagement has been raised among SL educators and designers, there is hardly any guidance or…

Parallel-distributed mobile robot simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okada, Hiroyuki; Sekiguchi, Minoru; Watanabe, Nobuo

1996-06-01

The aim of this project is to achieve an autonomous learning and growth function based on active interaction with the real world. It should also be able to autonomically acquire knowledge about the context in which jobs take place, and how the jobs are executed. This article describes a parallel distributed movable robot system simulator with an autonomous learning and growth function. The autonomous learning and growth function which we are proposing is characterized by its ability to learn and grow through interaction with the real world. When the movable robot interacts with the real world, the system compares the virtual environment simulation with the interaction result in the real world. The system then improves the virtual environment to match the real-world result more closely. This the system learns and grows. It is very important that such a simulation is time- realistic. The parallel distributed movable robot simulator was developed to simulate the space of a movable robot system with an autonomous learning and growth function. The simulator constructs a virtual space faithful to the real world and also integrates the interfaces between the user, the actual movable robot and the virtual movable robot. Using an ultrafast CG (computer graphics) system (FUJITSU AG series), time-realistic 3D CG is displayed.

When "Teaching a Class of Daemons, Dragons and Trainee Teachers"--Learning the Pedagogy of the Virtual Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woollard, John

2012-01-01

Virtual worlds can offer opportunities to further extend the experience, skills and understanding of professionals, in this case pre-service teachers. Based on the empirical evidence provided by professional, pre-service teachers, this paper describes the social and emotional aspects of being and learning in a virtual world and the implications…

Design Concerns in the Engineering of Virtual Worlds for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rapanotti, Lucia; Hall, Jon G.

2011-01-01

The convergence of 3D simulation and social networking into current multi-user virtual environments has opened the door to new forms of interaction for learning in order to complement the face-to-face and Web 2.0-based systems. Yet, despite a growing user community, design knowledge for virtual worlds remains patchy, particularly when it comes to…

Teaching and Learning Logic Programming in Virtual Worlds Using Interactive Microworld Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vosinakis, Spyros; Anastassakis, George; Koutsabasis, Panayiotis

2018-01-01

Logic Programming (LP) follows the declarative programming paradigm, which novice students often find hard to grasp. The limited availability of visual teaching aids for LP can lead to low motivation for learning. In this paper, we present a platform for teaching and learning Prolog in Virtual Worlds, which enables the visual interpretation and…

Virtual Worlds for Language Learning: From Theory to Practice. Telecollaboration in Education. Volume 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadler, Randall

2012-01-01

This book focuses on one area in the field of Computer-Mediated Communication that has recently exploded in popularity--Virtual Worlds. Virtual Worlds are online multiplayer three-dimensional environments where avatars represent their real world counterparts. In particular, this text explores the potential for these environments to be used for…

Simulating Geriatric Home Safety Assessments in a Three-Dimensional Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrade, Allen D.; Cifuentes, Pedro; Mintzer, Michael J.; Roos, Bernard A.; Anam, Ramanakumar; Ruiz, Jorge G.

2012-01-01

Virtual worlds could offer inexpensive and safe three-dimensional environments in which medical trainees can learn to identify home safety hazards. Our aim was to evaluate the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of virtual worlds for geriatric home safety assessments and to correlate performance efficiency in hazard identification with…

Developing a Second Life Virtual Field Trip for University Students: An Action Research Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathews, Shane; Andrews, Lynda; Luck, Edwina

2012-01-01

Background: Integrating 3D virtual world technologies into educational subjects continues to draw the attention of educators and researchers alike. The focus of this study is the use of a virtual world, Second Life, in higher education teaching. In particular, it explores the potential of using a virtual world experience as a learning component…

Digital Natives: Back to the Future of Microworlds in a Corporate Learning Organization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cabanero-Johnson, Paz Susan; Berge, Zane

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide description and an analysis of two worlds colliding where real-world roles or ideas play out in a virtual dimension. Inhabited by digital natives, the virtual world in a learning organization is a journey back to the future of microworlds where the only limitation is one's imagination.…

TSI-Enhanced Pedagogical Agents to Engage Learners in Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leung, Steve; Virwaney, Sandeep; Lin, Fuhua; Armstrong, AJ; Dubbelboer, Adien

2013-01-01

Building pedagogical applications in virtual worlds is a multi-disciplinary endeavor that involves learning theories, application development framework, and mediated communication theories. This paper presents a project that integrates game-based learning, multi-agent system architecture (MAS), and the theory of Transformed Social Interaction…

Design and Implementation of a 3D Multi-User Virtual World for Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ibanez, Maria Blanca; Garcia, Jose Jesus; Galan, Sergio; Maroto, David; Morillo, Diego; Kloos, Carlos Delgado

2011-01-01

The best way to learn is by having a good teacher and the best language learning takes place when the learner is immersed in an environment where the language is natively spoken. 3D multi-user virtual worlds have been claimed to be useful for learning, and the field of exploiting them for education is becoming more and more active thanks to the…

Unpacking Frames of Reference to Inform the Design of Virtual World Learning in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wimpenny, Katherine; Savin-Baden, Maggi; Mawer, Matt; Steils, Nicole; Tombs, Gemma

2012-01-01

In the changing context of globalised higher education, a series of pedagogical shifts have occurred, and with them, a number of interactive learning approaches have emerged. This article reports on findings taken from a large-scale study that explored the socio-political impact of virtual world learning on higher education in the UK, specifically…

Using SecondLife Online Virtual World Technology to Introduce Educators to the Digital Culture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jamison, John

2008-01-01

The rapidly changing culture resulting from new technologies and digital gaming has created an increasing language gap between traditional educators and today's learners (Natkin, 2006; Seely-Brown, 2000). This study seeks to use the online virtual world of SecondLife.com as a tool to introduce educators to this new environment for learning. This study observes the activities and perceptions of a group of educators given unscripted access to this virtual environment. The results 'suggest that although serious technology limitations do currently exist, the potential of this virtual world environment as a learning experience for educators is strong.

Establishing a virtual learning environment: a nursing experience.

PubMed

Wood, Anya; McPhee, Carolyn

2011-11-01

The use of virtual worlds has exploded in popularity, but getting started may not be easy. In this article, the authors, members of the corporate nursing education team at University Health Network, outline their experience with incorporating virtual technology into their learning environment. Over a period of several months, a virtual hospital, including two nursing units, was created in Second Life®, allowing more than 500 nurses to role-play in a safe environment without the fear of making a mistake. This experience has provided valuable insight into the best ways to develop and learn in a virtual environment. The authors discuss the challenges of installing and building the Second Life® platform and provide guidelines for preparing users and suggestions for crafting educational activities. This article provides a starting point for organizations planning to incorporate virtual worlds into their learning environment. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

Corporate Learning in a Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Anne; Berge, Zane L.

2009-01-01

Corporate training professionals led the explosion of e-learning solutions in the 1990s. Yet in 2008, as new generations of technology-savvy, computer games-oriented employees are entering the workforce, corporate training departments are far behind universities in exploring the use of virtual worlds like Second Life or Protosphere as platforms…

Situating Pedagogies, Positions and Practices in Immersive Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savin-Baden, Maggi; Gourlay, Lesley; Tombs, Cathy; Steils, Nicole; Tombs, Gemma; Mawer, Matt

2010-01-01

Background: The literature on immersive virtual worlds and e-learning to date largely indicates that technology has led the pedagogy. Although rationales for implementing e-learning have included flexibility of provision and supporting diversity, none of these recommendations has helped to provide strong pedagogical location. Furthermore, there is…

A Virtual World for Collaboration: The AETZone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheney, Amelia W.; Sanders, Robert L.; Matzen, Nita J.; Bronack, Stephen C.; Riedl, Richard E.; Tashner, John H.

2009-01-01

Participation in learning communities, and the construction of knowledge in communities of practice, are important considerations in the use of 3D immersive worlds. This article describes the creation of this type of learning environment in AETZone, an immersive virtual environment in use within graduate programs at Appalachian State University…

Meaningful Learning and Creativity in Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Rebecca

2011-01-01

Virtual worlds open new possibilities for learners, prompting a reconsideration of how learning takes place, and setting education in a context of playfulness, delight and creativity. They provide environments in which it is not only possible but also necessary to generate and try out ideas. They therefore offer opportunities to explore new…

The Commercial Side of Virtual Play Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kargin, Tolga

2018-01-01

In recent years, virtual play spaces have become enormously popular among young children around the world. As yet, though, there has been relatively little research into the ways in which children interact on such sites and what they learn in the process. This article describes a study of kids' experiences with one such virtual world, Club…

Avatars Talking: The Use of Virtual Worlds within Communication Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarachan, Jeremy; Burk, Nanci; Day, Kenneth; Trevett-Smith, Matthew

2013-01-01

Virtual worlds have become an invaluable space for online learning and the exploration of digital cultures. Communication departments can benefit from using these spaces to educate their students in the logistics of virtual worlds and as a way to better understand how the process of interpersonal and global communication functions in both online…

Collaborative Virtual Gaming Worlds in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitton, Nicola; Hollins, Paul

2008-01-01

There is growing interest in the use of virtual gaming worlds in education, supported by the increased use of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) and massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs) for collaborative learning. However, this paper argues that collaborative gaming worlds have been in use much longer and are much wider…

Application of Virtual World Technologies to Undersea Warfare Learning

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-08-20

Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 Virtual World Technologies (VWTs) “Using Virtual Worlds To Shape the Future” by Dr. Susan U. Stucky, IBM Almaden Research...JUAN HSI US MIL ANDS AIR FORCE USS SKIPJACK11 Beavertail Lighthouse iTP TP ObsF ObsE Coordinated Military Presence NAVY AIR FORCE ARMYMARINES & OTHER

Situated Learning in Virtual Simulations: Researching the Authentic Dimension in Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falconer, Liz

2013-01-01

This paper describes and discusses a case study of postgraduate students undertaking accident investigation and risk assessment exercises in an online virtual world as part of their course curriculum. These exercises were constructed to overcome the ethical and practical barriers inherent in real-world exercises. In particular this paper focusses…

Managing Multimodal Data in Virtual World Research for Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palomeque, Cristina; Pujolà, Joan-Tomàs

2018-01-01

The study of multimodality in communication has attracted the attention of researchers studying online multimodal environments such as virtual worlds. Specifically, 3D virtual worlds have especially attracted the interest of educators and academics due to the multiplicity of verbal channels, which are often comprised of text and voice channels, as…

Teaching Literature in Virtual Worlds: Immersive Learning in English Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Allen, Ed.

2011-01-01

What are the realities and possibilities of utilizing on-line virtual worlds as teaching tools for specific literary works? Through engaging and surprising stories from classrooms where virtual worlds are in use, this book invites readers to understand and participate in this emerging and valuable pedagogy. It examines the experience of high…

Affordances and Constraints of Scaffolded Learning in a Virtual World for Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Rebecca W.; Reich, Stephanie M.

2011-01-01

In recent years there has been a marked increase in the number of virtual worlds aimed at populations between the ages of 6 to14 years. This article examines the content and design of one such site, Webkinz World, as a sociocultural context for informal learning. Focusing on the design and activities of this site sheds light on the ways in which…

Synchronous Learning Best Practices: An Action Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warden, Clyde A.; Stanworth, James O.; Ren, Jian Biao; Warden, Antony R.

2013-01-01

Low cost and significant advances in technology now allow instructors to create their own virtual learning environments. Creating social interactions within a virtual space that emulates the physical classroom remains challenging. While students are familiar with virtual worlds and video meetings, they are inexperienced as virtual learners. Over a…

Learning in Serious Virtual Worlds: Evaluation of Learning Effectiveness and Appeal to Students in the E-Junior Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wrzesien, Maja; Raya, Mariano Alcaniz

2010-01-01

The objective of this study is to present and to evaluate the E-Junior application: a serious virtual world (SVW) for teaching children natural science and ecology. E-Junior was designed according to pedagogical theories and curricular objectives to help children learn about the Mediterranean Sea and its environmental issues while playing. In this…

Second Life for Distance Language Learning: A Framework for Native/Non-Native Speaker Interactions in a Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tusing, Jennifer; Berge, Zane L.

2010-01-01

This paper examines a number of theoretical principles governing second language teaching and learning and the ways in which these principles are being applied in 3D virtual worlds such as Second Life. Also examined are the benefits to language learning afforded by the Second Life interface, including access, the availability of native speakers of…

Go with the Flow: Examining the Effects of Engagement Using Flow Theory and Its Relationship to Achievement and Performance in the 3-Dimensional Virtual Learning Environment of Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Karen E.

2009-01-01

Virtual Worlds have become an attractive platform for work, play, and learning. Businesses, including the public sector and academia, are increasingly investing their time, money, and attention to understanding the value of virtual worlds as a productivity tool. For example, educators are leading the way with research in Second Life, one of the…

Designing Virtual Worlds for Use in Mathematics Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winn, William; Bricken, William

Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer generated, multi-dimensional, inclusive environment that can build axioms of algebra into the behavior of the world. This paper discusses the use of VR to represent part of the algebra curriculum in order to improve students' classroom experiences in learning algebra. Students learn to construct their knowledge…

Virtual Worlds: Relationship between Real Life and Experience in Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anstadt, Scott P.; Bradley, Shannon; Burnette, Ashley; Medley, Lesley L.

2013-01-01

Due to the unique applications of virtual reality in many modern contexts, Second Life (SL) offers inimitable opportunities for research and exploration and experiential learning as part of a distance learning curriculum assignment. A review of current research regarding SL examined real world social influences in online interactions and what the…

Cotton Island: Students' Learning Motivation Using a Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyss, Jamie; Lee, Seung-Eun; Domina, Tanya; MacGillivray, Maureen

2014-01-01

As technology advances, it is important for teachers to seamlessly integrate technology into their innovative teaching techniques. Using virtual worlds is one alternative to traditional teaching methods that can provide rich learning experiences. The purpose of this article is twofold: (a) to present Cotton Island, an avatar-based 3-D virtual…

Learning to Teach in Second Life: A Novice Adventure in Virtual Reality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Maureen; Anderson, Patricia

2011-01-01

Second Life (SL) is a social virtual world, which emphasizes the general use of immersive worlds for supporting a variety of human activities and interactions, presenting a plethora of new opportunities and challenges for enriching how we learn, work and play (Boulos, Hetherington & Wheeler, 2007; Prasolova-Førland, Sourin & Sourina,…

Eventedness and Disjuncture in Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, David; Le Cornu, Alison

2010-01-01

Background: Many of the potential benefits of using virtual worlds for teaching and learning are difficult to define and often become overly focused on the functionality of the technology or on its ability to support informal or "social" forms of learning. Purpose: The aim of the paper is to highlight the experiential nature of virtual…

Virtual Reality and Computer-Enhanced Training Applied to Wheeled Mobility: An Overview of Work in Pittsburgh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Rory A.; Ding, Dan; Simpson, Richard; Fitzgerald, Shirley G.; Spaeth, Donald M.; Guo, Songfeng; Koontz, Alicia M.; Cooper, Rosemarie; Kim, Jongbae; Boninger, Michael L.

2005-01-01

Some aspects of assistive technology can be enhanced by the application of virtual reality. Although virtual simulation offers a range of new possibilities, learning to navigate in a virtual environment is not equivalent to learning to navigate in the real world. Therefore, virtual reality simulation is advocated as a useful preparation for…

Real Learning in a Virtual World: A Case Study of the School of Information Studies' Learning Centre in Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hay, Lyn; Pymm, Bob

2011-01-01

Following a review of the online delivery of distance education programs within the School of Information Studies (SIS) program at Charles Sturt University, a team of academics worked with an external consultant to design a purpose built SIS Learning Centre in Second Life (SL), a 3D virtual world environment in which people (via their avatars) may…

An Evaluation of the Use of Voice Boards, E-Book Readers and Virtual Worlds in a Postgraduate Distance Learning Applied Linguistics and TESOL Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogerson-Revell, Pamela; Nie, Ming; Armellini, Alejandro

2012-01-01

We researched the incorporation of three learning technologies (voice boards, i.e. voice-based discussion boards, e-book readers, and Second Life virtual world), into the Master's Programme in Applied Linguistics and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages offered by distance learning at the University of Leicester. This small-scale study…

A Case Study of the Experiences of Instructors and Students in a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) with Different Cultural Backgrounds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Keol; Kim, Mi Hwa

2015-01-01

The use of virtual learning environments (VLEs) has become more common and educators recognized the potential of VLEs as educational environments. The learning community in VLEs can be a mixture of people from all over the world with different cultural backgrounds. However, despite many studies about the use of virtual environments for learning,…

Perceptions of the Usefulness of Virtual Learning Environments in Accounting Education: A Comparative Evaluation of Undergraduate Accounting Students in Spain and England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

López Gavira, Rosario; Omoteso, Kamil

2013-01-01

As the power of the virtual world continues to manifest itself in people's quality of life and capabilities (including learning), this paper aims to assess accounting students' perceptions of the usefulness of Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) to their learning experiences. It also considers the factors that may influence students' preferences…

Working Collaboratively in Virtual Learning Environments: Using Second Life with Korean High School Students in History Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Mi Hwa

2013-01-01

The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate the impact of the use of a virtual environment for learning Korean history on high school students' learning outcomes and attitudes toward virtual worlds (collaboration, engagement, general use of SL [Second Life], and immersion). In addition, this experiment examined the relationships…

What about the Firewall? Creating Virtual Worlds in a Public Primary School Using Sim-on-a-Stick

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacka, Lisa; Booth, Kate

2012-01-01

Virtual worlds are highly immersive, engaging and popular computer mediated environments being explored by children and adults. Why then aren't more teachers using virtual worlds in the classroom with primary and secondary school students? Reasons often cited are the learning required to master the technology, low-end graphics cards, poor…

Virtual Reality: A New Learning Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferrington, Gary; Loge, Kenneth

1992-01-01

Discusses virtual reality (VR) technology and its possible uses in military training, medical education, industrial design and development, the media industry, and education. Three primary applications of VR in the learning process--visualization, simulation, and construction of virtual worlds--are described, and pedagogical and moral issues are…

Supporting Authors in the Development of Task-Based Learning in Serious Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellotti, Francesco; Berta, Riccardo; De Gloria, Alessandro; Primavera, Ludovica

2010-01-01

Serious virtual worlds (SVWs) represent a great opportunity for learning and should embed a lot of high-quality contextualised information so that the player can take the most from his or her exploration of the environment. This requires defining new methodologies and tools for effective production. We have investigated this issue in implementing…

Analysing the Suitability of Virtual Worlds for Direct Instruction and Individual Learning Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zarraonandia, Telmo; Francese, Rita; Passero, Ignazio; Diaz, Paloma; Tortora, Genoveffa

2014-01-01

Despite several researchers reporting evidence that 3D Virtual Worlds can be used to effectively support educational processes in recent years, the integration of this technology in real learning processes is not as commonplace as in other educational technologies. Instructional designers have to balance the cost associated with the development of…

Virtual Representations in 3D Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shonfeld, Miri; Kritz, Miki

2013-01-01

This research explores the extent to which virtual worlds can serve as online collaborative learning environments for students by increasing social presence and engagement. 3D environments enable learning, which simulates face-to-face encounters while retaining the advantages of online learning. Students in Education departments created avatars…

A Virtual World with Real Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Katherine L.; Golann, Joanne Wang

2008-01-01

This article describes how students learn invaluable job-readiness and academic skills by setting up and running their own businesses in a virtual world. Virtual Enterprises (VE) International is a high school career and technical education (CTE) program that teaches students about business by having a class create and operate its own virtual…

Learning to Drive a Wheelchair in Virtual Reality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inman, Dean P.; Loge, Ken; Cram, Aaron; Peterson, Missy

2011-01-01

This research project studied the effect that a technology-based training program, WheelchairNet, could contribute to the education of children with physical disabilities by providing a chance to practice driving virtual motorized wheelchairs safely within a computer-generated world. Programmers created three virtual worlds for training. Scenarios…

Educating Avatars: On Virtual Worlds and Pedagogical Intent

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Tsung Juang

2011-01-01

Virtual world technology is now being incorporated into various higher education programs, often with enthusiastic claims about the improvement of students' abilities to experience learning problems and tasks in computer-mediated virtual reality through the use of computer-generated personal agents or avatars. The interactivity of the avatars with…

Virtual Learning Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Follows, Scott B.

1999-01-01

Illustrates the possibilities and educational benefits of virtual learning environments (VLEs), based on experiences with "Thirst for Knowledge," a VLE that simulates the workplace of a major company. While working in this virtual office world, students walk through the building, attend meetings, read reports, receive e-mail, answer the telephone,…

Virtual Jupiter - Real Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruzhitskaya, Lanika; Speck, A.; Laffey, J.

2010-01-01

How many earthlings went to visit Jupiter? None. How many students visited virtual Jupiter to fulfill their introductory astronomy courses’ requirements? Within next six months over 100 students from University of Missouri will get a chance to explore the planet and its Galilean Moons using a 3D virtual environment created especially for them to learn Kepler's and Newton's laws, eclipses, parallax, and other concepts in astronomy. The virtual world of Jupiter system is a unique 3D environment that allows students to learn course material - physical laws and concepts in astronomy - while engaging them into exploration of the Jupiter's system, encouraging their imagination, curiosity, and motivation. The virtual learning environment let students to work individually or collaborate with their teammates. The 3D world is also a great opportunity for research in astronomy education to investigate impact of social interaction, gaming features, and use of manipulatives offered by a learning tool on students’ motivation and learning outcomes. Use of 3D environment is also a valuable source for exploration of how the learners’ spatial awareness can be enhanced by working in 3-dimensional environment.

Virtual Worlds, Virtual Literacy: An Educational Exploration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoerger, Sharon

2008-01-01

Virtual worlds enable students to learn through seeing, knowing, and doing within visually rich and mentally engaging spaces. Rather than reading about events, students become part of the events through the adoption of a pre-set persona. Along with visual feedback that guides the players' activities and the development of visual skills, visual…

Investigating Learners' Attitudes toward Virtual Reality Learning Environments: Based on a Constructivist Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Hsiu-Mei; Rauch, Ulrich; Liaw, Shu-Sheng

2010-01-01

The use of animation and multimedia for learning is now further extended by the provision of entire Virtual Reality Learning Environments (VRLE). This highlights a shift in Web-based learning from a conventional multimedia to a more immersive, interactive, intuitive and exciting VR learning environment. VRLEs simulate the real world through the…

Learning, Teaching and Ambiguity in Virtual Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, Diane; Oliver, Martin; Burn, Andrew

What might online communities and informal learning practices teach us about virtual world pedagogy? In this chapter we describe a research project in which learning practices in online worlds such as World of Warcraft and Second LifeTM (SL) were investigated. Working within an action research framework, we employed a range of methods to investigate how members of online communities define the worlds they encounter, negotiate the terms of participation, and manage the incremental complexity of game worlds. The implications of such practices for online pedagogy were then explored through teaching in SL. SL eludes simple definitions. Users, or "residents", of SL partake of a range of pleasures and activities - socialising, building, creating and exhibiting art, playing games, exploring, shopping, or running a business, for instance. We argue that the variable nature of SL gives rise to degrees of ambiguity. This ambiguity impacts on inworld social practices, and has significant implications for online teaching and learning.

Learning to Communicate in a Virtual World: The Case of a JFL Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yamazaki, Kasumi

2015-01-01

The proliferation of online simulation games across the globe in many different languages offers Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) researchers an opportunity to examine how language learning occurs in such virtual environments. While there has recently been an increase in the number of exploratory studies involving learning experiences of…

Treasure hunt of mineral resources: a serious game in a virtual world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boniello, Annalisa

2015-04-01

This posterdescribes a geoscience activities on mineral resources for students of 14-18 years old. The activities are created as a treasure hunt of mineral resources, students must pass test and solve questions, search mineral in different environments: near a volcanos, in the river, in a lake, in a cave, under the sea and on a mountain. The activity is created using a virtual environment a virtual world built with a software, Opensim, a opensource software. In this virtual world every student as avatar, a virtual rapresentation of himself, search information, objects, mineral as in a serious game, a digital serious game. In the serious game buit as a treasure hunt, students interact with environment in a learning by doing, and they interact with other students in a cooperative learning and a collaborative environment. In the hunt there is a challenge that student must overcome: understanding what is a mineral resource collecting data on mineral analyzing environments where they are created so the students can improve motivation and learn, and improve scientific skills.

3D Virtual Worlds as Art Media and Exhibition Arenas: Students' Responses and Challenges in Contemporary Art Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Lilly

2013-01-01

3D virtual worlds (3D VWs) are considered one of the emerging learning spaces of the 21st century; however, few empirical studies have investigated educational applications and student learning aspects in art education. This study focused on students' responses to and challenges with 3D VWs in both aspects. The findings show that most participants…

The Overlapping Worlds View: Analvzing Identity Transformation in Real and Virtual Worlds and the Effects on Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Michael A.; Wang, Feihong

2008-01-01

Of late, digital game-based learning has attracted game designers, researchers and educators alike. Immersion in the virtual 3D environment of a game may have positive effects on K-12 students' cultivation of self (Dodge et al., 2006). Currently, two opposing views related to game-based identity formation are presented in the literature: the…

A "Second Life" for Gross Anatomy: Applications for Multiuser Virtual Environments in Teaching the Anatomical Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, April; Hazzard, Matthew; Challman, Sandra D.; Morgenstein, Aaron M.; Brueckner, Jennifer K.

2011-01-01

This article describes the emerging role of educational multiuser virtual environments, specifically Second Life[TM], in anatomical sciences education. Virtual worlds promote inquiry-based learning and conceptual understanding, potentially making them applicable for teaching and learning gross anatomy. A short introduction to Second Life as an…

An Interdisciplinary Design Project in Second Life: Creating a Virtual Marine Science Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Triggs, Riley; Jarmon, Leslie; Villareal, Tracy A.

2010-01-01

Virtual environments can resolve many practical and pedagogical challenges within higher education. Economic considerations, accessibility issues, and safety concerns can all be somewhat alleviated by creating learning activities in a virtual space. Because of the removal of real-world physical limitations like gravity, durability and scope,…

Active Learning through the Use of Virtual Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayrose, James

2012-01-01

Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) has seen explosive growth over the last decade. Immersive VR attempts to give users the sensation of being fully immersed in a synthetic environment by providing them with 3D hardware, and allowing them to interact with objects in virtual worlds. The technology is extremely effective for learning and exploration, and…

Investigating Research Approaches: Classroom-Based Interaction Studies in Physical and Virtual Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartwick, Peggy

2018-01-01

This article investigates research approaches used in traditional classroom-based interaction studies for identifying a suitable research method for studies in three-dimensional virtual learning environments (3DVLEs). As opportunities for language learning and teaching in virtual worlds emerge, so too do new research questions. An understanding of…

Walk, Fly, or Teleport to Learning: Virtual Worlds in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoder, Maureen Brown

2009-01-01

For educators looking for new ways to engage their students, multiuser virtual environments (MUVEs) offer a great opportunity for creative teaching and learning. MUVEs teach students social, technical, and practical life skills in a setting that is engaging and playful. One might be surprised how much these virtual environments teach students…

Relating Narrative, Inquiry, and Inscriptions: Supporting Consequential Play

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barab, Sasha A.; Sadler, Troy D.; Heiselt, Conan; Hickey, Daniel; Zuiker, Steven

2007-02-01

In this paper we describe our research using a multi-user virtual environment, Quest Atlantis, to embed fourth grade students in an aquatic habitat simulation. Specifically targeted towards engaging students in a rich inquiry investigation, we layered a socio-scientific narrative and an interactive rule set into a multi-user virtual environment gaming engine to establish a virtual world through which students learned about science inquiry, water quality concepts, and the challenges in balancing scientific and socio-economic factors. Overall, students were clearly engaged, participated in rich scientific discourse, submitted quality work, and learned science content. Further, through participation in this narrative, students developed a rich perceptual, conceptual, and ethical understanding of science. This study suggests that multi-user virtual worlds can be effectively leveraged to support academic content learning.

Erratum to: Relating Narrative, Inquiry, and Inscriptions: Supporting Consequential Play

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barab, Sasha A.; Sadler, Troy D.; Heiselt, Conan; Hickey, Daniel; Zuiker, Steven

2010-08-01

In this paper we describe our research using a multi-user virtual environment, Quest Atlantis, to embed fourth grade students in an aquatic habitat simulation. Specifically targeted towards engaging students in a rich inquiry investigation, we layered a socio-scientific narrative and an interactive rule set into a multi-user virtual environment gaming engine to establish a virtual world through which students learned about science inquiry, water quality concepts, and the challenges in balancing scientific and socio-economic factors. Overall, students were clearly engaged, participated in rich scientific discourse, submitted quality work, and learned science content. Further, through participation in this narrative, students developed a rich perceptual, conceptual, and ethical understanding of science. This study suggests that multi-user virtual worlds can be effectively leveraged to support academic content learning.

Enhance Learning on Software Project Management through a Role-Play Game in a Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maratou, Vicky; Chatzidaki, Eleni; Xenos, Michalis

2016-01-01

This article presents a role-play game for software project management (SPM) in a three-dimensional online multiuser virtual world. The Opensimulator platform is used for the creation of an immersive virtual environment that facilitates students' collaboration and realistic interaction, in order to manage unexpected events occurring during the…

Combining Face-to-Face Learning with Online Learning in Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berns, Anke; Gonzalez-Pardo, Antonio; Camacho, David

2012-01-01

This paper focuses on the development of videogame-like applications in a 3D virtual environment as a complement to the face-to-face teaching and learning. With the changing role of teaching and learning and the increasing use of "blended learning," instructors are increasingly expected to explore new ways to attend to the needs of their…

Virtual Worlds as the Next Asset of Virtual Learning Environments for Students in Business?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pelet, Jean-Eric; Lecat, Benoît

2012-01-01

The authors' research examines the effectiveness of a web-based virtual learning environment (VLE) in the context of management studies. This article provides two main contributions. First, an exploratory study introduces and describes the concept of VLE applied to the training of seven students in an "interactivity design" (IS) course.…

3D Virtual Learning Environments in Education: A Meta-Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reisoglu, I.; Topu, B.; Yilmaz, R.; Karakus Yilmaz, T.; Göktas, Y.

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to investigate recent empirical research studies about 3D virtual learning environments. A total of 167 empirical studies that involve the use of 3D virtual worlds in education were examined by meta-review. Our findings show that the "Second Life" platform has been frequently used in studies. Among the reviewed…

Virtual Reality Enhanced Instructional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nachimuthu, K.; Vijayakumari, G.

2009-01-01

Virtual Reality (VR) is a creation of virtual 3D world in which one can feel and sense the world as if it is real. It is allowing engineers to design machines and Educationists to design AV [audiovisual] equipment in real time but in 3-dimensional hologram as if the actual material is being made and worked upon. VR allows a least-cost (energy…

Can Virtual Science Foster Real Skills? A Study of Inquiry Skills in a Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodds, Heather E.

2013-01-01

Online education has grown into a part of the educational market answering the demand for learning at the learner's choice of time and place. Inquiry skills such as observing, questioning, collecting data, and devising fair experiments are an essential element of 21st-century online science coursework. Virtual immersive worlds such as Second Life…

Involving People with Autism in Development of Virtual World for Provision of Skills Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Politis, Yurgos; Olivia, Louis; Olivia, Thomas; Sung, Connie

2017-01-01

This paper presents the development phase of the of the Virtual World that is going to be used by the Virtual Learning for People with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (VL4ASD) project, which aims to create training materials on conversation skills. This project is geared towards addressing the communication deficits of ASD populations, by exploring the…

Command and Control in Virtual Environments: Using Contingency Theory to Understand Organization in Virtual Worlds

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-01

organization in the WoW virtual world. Unlike the real world guilds of olden days (e.g., stone masons, leather workers, apothecaries) and unions of current...oriented sports teams (e.g., football, hockey, rugby ). This is the case in particular with player-vs- player combat. Fourth, organizational learning is...Microsystems  Telecom Italia  Telus Mobility  Text 100  Toyota  Trades Union Congress  Union Network International  New Unionism

Open Virtual Worlds as Pedagogical Research Tools: Learning from the Schome Park Programme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Twining, Peter; Peachey, Anna

This paper introduces the term Open Virtual Worlds and argues that they are ‘unclaimed educational spaces’, which provide a valuable tool for researching pedagogy. Having explored these claims the way in which Teen Second Life® virtual world was used for pedagogical experimentation in the initial phases of the Schome Park Programme is described. Four sets of pedagogical dimensions that emerged are presented and illustrated with examples from the Schome Park Programme.

Virtual K-12 Learning: New Learning Frontiers for State Education Agencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Natale, Catherine Fisk; Cook, Janet

2012-01-01

This article explores the role of state education agencies in three states that have embarked on ambitious kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) virtual learning initiatives: Alabama, Florida, and Idaho. Subject to a rapidly changing environment influenced by factors beyond the jurisdiction of many state departments of education, the world of…

Productive confusions: learning from simulations of pandemic virus outbreaks in Second Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cárdenas, Micha; Greci, Laura S.; Hurst, Samantha; Garman, Karen; Hoffman, Helene; Huang, Ricky; Gates, Michael; Kho, Kristen; Mehrmand, Elle; Porteous, Todd; Calvitti, Alan; Higginbotham, Erin; Agha, Zia

2011-03-01

Users of immersive virtual reality environments have reported a wide variety of side and after effects including the confusion of characteristics of the real and virtual worlds. Perhaps this side effect of confusing the virtual and real can be turned around to explore the possibilities for immersion with minimal technological support in virtual world group training simulations. This paper will describe observations from my time working as an artist/researcher with the UCSD School of Medicine (SoM) and Veterans Administration San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) to develop trainings for nurses, doctors and Hospital Incident Command staff that simulate pandemic virus outbreaks. By examining moments of slippage between realities, both into and out of the virtual environment, moments of the confusion of boundaries between real and virtual, we can better understand methods for creating immersion. I will use the mixing of realities as a transversal line of inquiry, borrowing from virtual reality studies, game studies, and anthropological studies to better understand the mechanisms of immersion in virtual worlds. Focusing on drills conducted in Second Life, I will examine moments of training to learn the software interface, moments within the drill and interviews after the drill.

Popularisation of Physics in the Wild

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boccardi, Beatrice; Fragona, Michela; Parolini, Giovanna

Science popularisation is important to inform tax payers on how their money is used and to inform the general public of the progresses of research. The web 2.0, comprising the 3D virtual worlds, offers science and physics popularisation new communication channels and tools constituting, as a whole, a large part of "learning in the wild", with the consequent citizen science projects. Tags: physics popularisation, informal learning, web 2.0, virtual worlds, Second Life.

The Evolution of Constructivist Learning Environments: Immersion in Distributed, Virtual Worlds.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dede, Chris

1995-01-01

Discusses the evolution of constructivist learning environments and examines the collaboration of simulated software models, virtual environments, and evolving mental models via immersion in artificial realities. A sidebar gives a realistic example of a student navigating through cyberspace. (JMV)

Conversational Agents in Virtual Worlds: Bridging Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veletsianos, George; Heller, Robert; Overmyer, Scott; Procter, Mike

2010-01-01

This paper examines the effective deployment of conversational agents in virtual worlds from the perspective of researchers/practitioners in cognitive psychology, computing science, learning technologies and engineering. From a cognitive perspective, the major challenge lies in the coordination and management of the various channels of information…

Managing in the Virtual World: How Second Life is Rewriting the Rules of "Real Life" Business

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyld, David C.

In this paper, we will explore the growth of virtual worlds - one of the most exciting and fast-growing concepts in the Web 2.0 era. We will see that while there has been significant growth across all demographic groups, online gaming in MMOGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Games) are finding particular appeal in today's youth - the so-called "digital native" generation. We then overview the today's virtual world marketplace, both in the youth and adult-oriented markets. Second Life is emerging as the most important virtual world today, due to the intense interest amongst both large organizations and individual entrepreneurs to conduct real business in the virtual environment. Due to its prominence today and its forecasted growth over the next decade, we take a look at the unscripted world of Second Life, examining the corporate presence in-world, as well as the economic, technical, legal, ethical and security issues involved for companies doing business in the virtual world. In conclusion, we present an analysis of where we stand in terms of virtual world development today and a projection of where we will be heading in the near future. Finally, we present advice to management practitioners and academicians on how to learn about virtual worlds and explore the world of opportunities in them.

Game-Like Language Learning in 3-D Virtual Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berns, Anke; Gonzalez-Pardo, Antonio; Camacho, David

2013-01-01

This paper presents our recent experiences with the design of game-like applications in 3-D virtual environments as well as its impact on student motivation and learning. Therefore our paper starts with a brief analysis of the motivational aspects of videogames and virtual worlds (VWs). We then go on to explore the possible benefits of both in the…

Emerging CAE technologies and their role in Future Ambient Intelligence Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noor, Ahmed K.

2011-03-01

Dramatic improvements are on the horizon in Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) and various simulation technologies. The improvements are due, in part, to the developments in a number of leading-edge technologies and their synergistic combinations/convergence. The technologies include ubiquitous, cloud, and petascale computing; ultra high-bandwidth networks, pervasive wireless communication; knowledge based engineering; networked immersive virtual environments and virtual worlds; novel human-computer interfaces; and powerful game engines and facilities. This paper describes the frontiers and emerging simulation technologies, and their role in the future virtual product creation and learning/training environments. The environments will be ambient intelligence environments, incorporating a synergistic combination of novel agent-supported visual simulations (with cognitive learning and understanding abilities); immersive 3D virtual world facilities; development chain management systems and facilities (incorporating a synergistic combination of intelligent engineering and management tools); nontraditional methods; intelligent, multimodal and human-like interfaces; and mobile wireless devices. The Virtual product creation environment will significantly enhance the productivity and will stimulate creativity and innovation in future global virtual collaborative enterprises. The facilities in the learning/training environment will provide timely, engaging, personalized/collaborative and tailored visual learning.

The Effect of the Use of the 3-D Multi-User Virtual Environment "Second Life" on Student Motivation and Language Proficiency in Courses of Spanish as a Foreign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pares-Toral, Maria T.

2013-01-01

The ever increasing popularity of virtual worlds, also known as 3-D multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) or simply virtual worlds provides language instructors with a new tool they can exploit in their courses. For now, "Second Life" is one of the most popular MUVEs used for teaching and learning, and although "Second Life"…

Knowledge-Driven Design of Virtual Patient Simulations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vergara, Victor; Caudell, Thomas; Goldsmith, Timothy; Panaiotis; Alverson, Dale

2009-01-01

Virtual worlds provide unique opportunities for instructors to promote, study, and evaluate student learning and comprehension. In this article, Victor Vergara, Thomas Caudell, Timothy Goldsmith, Panaiotis, and Dale Alverson explore the advantages of using virtual reality environments to create simulations for medical students. Virtual simulations…

Learning in the Virtual World: The Pedagogical Potentials of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Tao Wang

2009-01-01

A much more attractive way to use the internet was discovered. Users are represented by avatars in the fantasy persistent 3D world, and the avatars apparently come to occupy a special place in the hearts of their creators (Castronova, 2001). At present, millions of people worldwide have accounts to some kind of virtual environments. Virtual world…

SciEthics Interactive: Science and Ethics Learning in a Virtual Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nadolny, Larysa; Woolfrey, Joan; Pierlott, Matthew; Kahn, Seth

2013-01-01

Learning in immersive 3D environments allows students to collaborate, build, and interact with difficult course concepts. This case study examines the design and development of the TransGen Island within the SciEthics Interactive project, a National Science Foundation-funded, 3D virtual world emphasizing learning science content in the context of…

The Influences of the 2D Image-Based Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality on Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liou, Hsin-Hun; Yang, Stephen J. H.; Chen, Sherry Y.; Tarng, Wernhuar

2017-01-01

Virtual reality (VR) learning environments can provide students with concepts of the simulated phenomena, but users are not allowed to interact with real elements. Conversely, augmented reality (AR) learning environments blend real-world environments so AR could enhance the effects of computer simulation and promote students' realistic experience.…

Designing Interactive and Collaborative Learning Tasks in a 3-D Virtual Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berns, Anke; Palomo-Duarte, Manuel; Fernández, David Camacho

2012-01-01

The aim of our study is to explore several possibilities to use virtual worlds (VWs) and game-applications with learners of the A1 level (CEFR) of German as a foreign language. Our interest focuses especially on designing those learning tools which increase firstly, learner motivation towards online-learning and secondly, enhance autonomous…

The Role of Cognitive Apprenticeship in Learning Science in a Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramdass, Darshanand

2012-01-01

This article extends the discussion started by Margaret Beier, Leslie Miller, and Shu Wang's (2012) paper, "Science games and the development of possible selves". In this paper, I suggest that a theoretical framework based on a sociocultural theory of learning is critical in learning in a virtual environment. I will discuss relevant research on…

Virtual Terrorism and the Internet E-Learning Options

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, David R.

2007-01-01

E-learning on the Internet is constituted by the options that this global technology gives the user. This article explores these options in terms of the lifestyle choices and decisions that the learner will make about the virtual worlds, textual meanings and cultural groupings that they will find as they learn online. This is a non-linear process…

Considerations for Adaptive Tutoring Within Serious Games: Authoring Cognitive Models and game Interfaces

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

character skills correspond to real- world player skills (transfer). In games such as World of Warcraft , "grinding" behaviors are popular (boring...reflecting on a recent emphasis on self-directed learning using game-based simulations and virtual worlds , the authors considered key challenges in...transforming serious games and virtual worlds into adaptive training tools. This article reflects specifically on the challenges and potential of cognitive

Simulating geriatric home safety assessments in a three-dimensional virtual world.

PubMed

Andrade, Allen D; Cifuentes, Pedro; Mintzer, Michael J; Roos, Bernard A; Anam, Ramanakumar; Ruiz, Jorge G

2012-01-01

Virtual worlds could offer inexpensive and safe three-dimensional environments in which medical trainees can learn to identify home safety hazards. Our aim was to evaluate the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of virtual worlds for geriatric home safety assessments and to correlate performance efficiency in hazard identification with spatial ability, self-efficacy, cognitive load, and presence. In this study, 30 medical trainees found the home safety simulation easy to use, and their self-efficacy was improved. Men performed better than women in hazard identification. Presence and spatial ability were correlated significantly with performance. Educators should consider spatial ability and gender differences when implementing virtual world training for geriatric home safety assessments.

Motivational interviewing workshop in a virtual world: learning as avatars.

PubMed

Shershneva, Marianna; Kim, Ji-Hye; Kear, Cynthia; Heyden, Robin; Heyden, Neil; Lee, Jay; Mitchell, Suzanne

2014-04-01

Limited research has been done to understand outcomes of continuing medical education offered in three-dimensional, immersive virtual worlds. We studied a case of a virtual world workshop on motivational interviewing (MI) applied to smoking cessation counseling and its educational impact. To facilitate content development and evaluation, we specified desired MI competencies. The workshop consisted of three sessions, which included lectures, practice with standardized patients, and chat interactions. Data were collected from 13 primary care physicians and residents through workshop observation, and pre- and 3-month post-workshop telephone/Skype interviews and interactions with standardized patients. Interactions with standardized patients were assessed by an expert using a validated MI tool and by standardized patients using a tool developed for this study. For 11 participants who attended two or three sessions, we conducted paired-samples t tests comparing mean differences between the competency scores before and after the workshop. Expert assessment showed significant improvement on six of seven MI competencies. All participants reported learning new knowledge and skills, and nine described incorporating new learning into their clinical practice. Practicing MI with standardized patients and/or observing others' practice appeared to be the most helpful workshop component. The evaluated workshop had positive impact on participants' competencies and practice as related to MI applied to smoking cessation counseling. Our findings support further exploration of three-dimensional virtual worlds as learning environments for continuing medical education.

The Virtual Reality Roving Vehicle Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winn, William

1995-01-01

Describes the Virtual Reality Roving Vehicle project developed at the University of Washington to teach students in grades 4 through 12 about virtual reality. Topics include teacher workshops; virtual worlds created by students; learning outcomes compared with traditional instruction; and the effect of student characteristics, including gender, on…

Factors Affecting Training Effectiveness in Synchronous, Dispersed Virtual Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

technology to its technical training programs. Specifically, a distance learning model with instruction provided through 3-D virtual worlds could...ABSTRACT The U.S. Navy is investigating the feasibility of incorporating distance learning technology to its technical training programs. Specifically...15 A. TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL

Exploring Approaches to Teaching in Three-Dimensional Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Englund, Claire

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how teachers' approaches to teaching and conceptions of teaching and learning with educational technology influence the implementation of three-dimensional virtual worlds (3DVWs) in health care education. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected through thematic interviews with eight…

Building a Collaborative Online Literary Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Essid, Joe; Wilde, Fran

2011-01-01

Effective virtual simulations can embed participants in imaginary worlds. Researchers working in virtual worlds and gaming often refer to "immersion," a state in which a participant or player loses track of time and becomes one with the simulation. Immersive settings have been shown to deepen learning. Ken Hudson's work with students…

Second Life in Higher Education: Assessing the Potential for and the Barriers to Deploying Virtual Worlds in Learning and Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warburton, Steven

2009-01-01

"Second Life" (SL) is currently the most mature and popular multi-user virtual world platform being used in education. Through an in-depth examination of SL, this article explores its potential and the barriers that multi-user virtual environments present to educators wanting to use immersive 3-D spaces in their teaching. The context is set by…

Knowledge Building by Full Integration with Virtual Reality Environments and Its Effects on Personal and Social Life.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fialho, Francisco Antonio Pereira; Catapan, Araci Hack

1999-01-01

Argues that the creation of distributed environments for constructivist learning is a challenge which requires a multidisciplinary development and support team. Outlines recommended strategies for the collective creation of virtual worlds which can improve learning. Contains 11 references. (Author/WRM)

Learning the Virtual Life: Public Pedagogy in a Digital World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trifonas, Peter Pericles, Ed.

2011-01-01

Digital technologies have transformed cultural perceptions of learning and what it means to be literate, expanding the importance of experience alongside interpretation and reflection. "Living the Virtual Life" offers ways to consider the local and global effects of digital media on educational environments, as well as the cultural transformations…

VILLAGE--Virtual Immersive Language Learning and Gaming Environment: Immersion and Presence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Yi Fei; Petrina, Stephen; Feng, Francis

2017-01-01

3D virtual worlds are promising for immersive learning in English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Unlike English as a Second Language (ESL), EFL typically takes place in the learners' home countries, and the potential of the language is limited by geography. Although learning contexts where English is spoken is important, in most EFL courses at the…

Predicting Students' Attitudes towards Advertising on a University Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogba, Ike-Elechi; Saul, Neil; Coates, Nigel F.

2012-01-01

Most if not all UK universities and many in other parts of the world support their student learning via a virtual learning environment (VLE). Online resources are going to be increasingly important to students as the internet is very much part of their lives. However, the VLE will require ongoing investment to keep pace with technological…

More Technology, Better Learning Resources, Better Learning? Lessons from Adopting Virtual Microscopy in Undergraduate Medical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helle, Laura; Nivala, Markus; Kronqvist, Pauliina

2013-01-01

The adoption of virtual microscopy at the University of Turku, Finland, created a unique real-world laboratory for exploring ways of reforming the learning environment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the students' reactions and the impact of a set of measures designed to boost an experimental group's understanding of abnormal histology…

A Higher Education Case: Millennial Experience toward Learning in a Virtual World Designed as an Authentic Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franetovic, Marija

2012-01-01

Current educational initiatives encourage the use of authentic learning environments to realistically prepare students for jobs in a constantly changing world. Many students of the Millennial generation may be social media savvy. However, what can be said about learning conditions and student readiness for active, reflective and collaborative…

Immersive Virtual Worlds in University-Level Human Geography Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dittmer, Jason

2010-01-01

This paper addresses the potential for increased deployment of immersive virtual worlds in higher geographic education. An account of current practice regarding popular culture in the geography classroom is offered, focusing on the objectification of popular culture rather than its constitutive role vis-a-vis place. Current e-learning practice is…

Negotiation for Action: English Language Learning in Game-Based Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zheng, Dongping; Young, Michael F.; Wagner, Manuela Maria; Brewer, Robert A.

2009-01-01

This study analyzes the user chat logs and other artifacts of a virtual world, "Quest Atlantis" (QA), and proposes the concept of Negotiation for Action (NfA) to explain how interaction, specifically, avatar-embodied collaboration between native English speakers and nonnative English speakers, provided resources for English language acquisition.…

We Learn as We Go: What Five Years Playing with Virtual Worlds Has Taught Us

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schutt, Stefan; Linegar, Dale

2013-01-01

The authors' team has been working with virtual worlds since 2006, deploying them in diverse contexts including secondary schools, special schools, vocational education and training, higher education and the community sector. Here the authors outline their operational experience of the complex web of interrelated factors involved in running…

Art Treasure Quests in Second Life: A Multi-Literacy Adventure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stokrocki, Mary

2014-01-01

Treasure quests in virtual worlds can help students develop multi-literacy communication skills and promote community, offering insights about art teaching and learning. As part of the new media literacy, students explore the offerings of Second Life (SL), a virtual world, as a series of quests. Multi-literacy involves communication. Through their…

13 Tips for Virtual World Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Villano, Matt

2008-01-01

Multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) are gaining momentum as the latest and greatest learning tool in the world of education technology. How does one get started with them? How do they work? This article shares 13 secrets from immersive education experts and educators on how to have success in implementing these new tools and technologies on…

A Theoretical Cybernetic Macro-Script to Articulate Collaborative Interactions of Cyber Entities in Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pellas, Nikolaos

2014-01-01

Nowadays, the dissemination and exploitation of three-dimensional (3D) multi-user virtual worlds in higher education have been disclosed from their widespread acceptance as candidate learning platforms. However, it is still lacking a theoretical cybernetic macro-script to elaborate the coordination of multiple complex interactions among…

Feasibility Pilot Study: Training Soft Skills in Virtual Worlds.

PubMed

Abshier, Patricia

2012-04-01

In a world where funding is limited, training for healthcare professionals is turning more and more to distance learning in an effort to maintain a knowledgeable and skilled work force. In 2010, Cicatelli Associates, Inc. began exploring the feasibility of using games and virtual worlds as an alternative means to teach skills-training in a distance-learning environment. The pilot study was conducted with six individuals familiar with general counseling and communication skills used by the healthcare industry to promote behavior change. Participants reported that the venue, although challenging at first, showed great potential for use with healthcare providers, as it allowed for more interaction and activities than traditional Webinars. However, there are significant limitations that must be overcome in order for this healthcare training modality to be utilized on a large scale. These limitations included a lack of microgestures and issues regarding the technology being used. In spite of the limitations, however, the potential use of virtual worlds for the training of healthcare providers exists and should be researched further. This article discusses the need and intended benefits of virtual world training as well as the results and conclusions of the pilot study.

The Components of Effective Teacher Training in the Use of Three-Dimensional Immersive Virtual Worlds for Learning and Instruction Purposes: A Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nussli, Natalie; Oh, Kevin

2014-01-01

The overarching question that guides this review is to identify the key components of effective teacher training in virtual schooling, with a focus on three-dimensional (3D) immersive virtual worlds (IVWs). The process of identifying the essential components of effective teacher training in the use of 3D IVWs will be described step-by-step. First,…

Motivational Interviewing Workshop in a Virtual World: Learning as Avatars

PubMed Central

Shershneva, Marianna; Kim, Ji-Hye; Kear, Cynthia; Heyden, Robin; Heyden, Neil; Lee, Jay; Mitchell, Suzanne

2015-01-01

Background Limited research has been done to understand outcomes of continuing medical education offered in three-dimensional, immersive virtual worlds. Objectives We studied a case of a virtual world workshop on motivational interviewing (MI) applied to smoking cessation counseling and its educational impact. Methods To facilitate content development and evaluation, we specified desired MI competencies. The workshop consisted of three sessions, which included lectures, practice with standardized patients, and chat interactions. Data were collected from 13 primary care physicians and residents through workshop observation, and pre- and three-month post-workshop telephone/Skype interviews and interactions with standardized patients. Interactions with standardized patients were assessed by an expert using a validated MI tool, and by standardized patients using a tool developed for this study. For 11 participants who attended two or three sessions, we conducted paired-samples t-tests comparing mean differences between the competency scores pre- and post-event. Results Expert assessment showed significant improvement on six of seven MI competencies (p< .05). All participants reported learning new knowledge and skills, and nine described incorporating new learning into their clinical practice. Practicing MI with standardized patients and/or observing others' practice appeared to be the most helpful workshop component. Conclusions The evaluated workshop had positive impact on participants' competencies and practice as related to MI applied to smoking cessation counseling. Our findings support further exploration of three-dimensional virtual worlds as learning environments for continuing medical education. PMID:24788420

A Virtual Walk through London: Culture Learning through a Cultural Immersion Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shih, Ya-Chun

2015-01-01

Integrating Google Street View into a three-dimensional virtual environment in which users control personal avatars provides these said users with access to an innovative, interactive, and real-world context for communication and culture learning. We have selected London, a city famous for its rich historical, architectural, and artistic heritage,…

Designing Virtual Worlds for Use in Mathematics Education: The Example of Experiential Algebra.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winn, William; Bricken, William

1992-01-01

Discussion of the use of virtual reality (VR) to help students learn highlights the use of VR with elementary algebra. Learning theory is examined, including knowledge construction; knowledge representation is discussed, including the symbol systems of algebra; and spatial algebra is described and illustrated. (34 references) (LRW)

"Homo Virtualis": Virtual Worlds, Learning, and an Ecology of Embodied Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jarmon, Leslie

2010-01-01

This article previews the emergence of "homo virtualis." Drawing on data from seven research studies, peer-reviewed published research articles, and selected excerpts of 30 months of field notes taken in Second Life [SL], the article examines virtual learning environments and embodiment through the lens of interactions of avatars with…

In Search of a Method to Assess Dispositional Behaviours: The Case of Otago Virtual Hospital

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loke, Swee-Kin; Blyth, Phil; Swan, Judith

2012-01-01

While the potentials of virtual worlds to support experiential learning in medical education are well documented, assessment of student learning within these environments is relatively scarce and often incongruent. In this article, a conceptual framework is proposed for formatively assessing dispositional behaviours in scenario-based learning…

Evaluating Technology-Based Educational Interventions: A Review of Two Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adamo-Villani, Nicoletta; Dib, Hazar

2013-01-01

The article discusses current evaluation methodologies used to assess the usability, user enjoyment, and pedagogical efficacy of virtual learning environments (VLEs) and serious games. It also describes the evaluations of two recently developed projects: a virtual learning environment that employs a fantasy 3D world to engage deaf and hearing…

Can virtual science foster real skills? A study of inquiry skills in a virtual world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodds, Heather E.

Online education has grown into a part of the educational market answering the demand for learning at the learner's choice of time and place. Inquiry skills such as observing, questioning, collecting data, and devising fair experiments are an essential element of 21st-century online science coursework. Virtual immersive worlds such as Second Life are being used as new frontiers in science education. There have been few studies looking specifically at science education in virtual worlds that foster inquiry skills. This quantitative quasi-experimental nonrandomized control group pretest and posttest study explored what affect a virtual world experience had on inquiry skills as measured by the TIPS (Test of Integrated Process Skills) and TIPS II (Integrated Process Skills Test II) instruments. Participants between the ages of 18 and 65 were recruited from educator mailing lists and Second Life discussion boards and then sorted into the experimental group, which received instructions to utilize several displays in Mendelian genetics at the Genome Island location within Second Life, or the control group, which received text-based PDF documents of the same genetics course content. All participants, in the form of avatars, were experienced Second Life residents to reduce any novelty effect. This study found a greater increase in inquiry skills in the experimental group interacting using a virtual world to learn science content (0.90 points) than a control group that is presented only with online text-based content (0.87 points). Using a mixed between-within ANOVA (analysis of variance), with an alpha level of 0.05, there was no significant interaction between the control or experimental groups and inquiry skills, F (1, 58) = .783, p = .380, partial eta squared = .013, at the specified .05 alpha level suggesting no significant difference as a result of the virtual world exercise. However, there is not enough evidence to state that there was no effect because there was a greater increase in scores for the group that experienced a virtual world exercise. This study adds to the increasing body of knowledge about virtual worlds and inquiry skills, particularly with adult learners.

Ubiquitous health in practice: the interreality paradigm.

PubMed

Gaggioli, Andrea; Raspelli, Simona; Grassi, Alessandra; Pallavicini, Federica; Cipresso, Pietro; Wiederhold, Brenda K; Riva, Giuseppe

2011-01-01

In this paper we introduce a new ubiquitous computing paradigm for behavioral health care: "Interreality". Interreality integrates assessment and treatment within a hybrid environment, that creates a bridge between the physical and virtual worlds. Our claim is that bridging virtual experiences (fully controlled by the therapist, used to learn coping skills and emotional regulation) with real experiences (allowing both the identification of any critical stressors and the assessment of what has been learned) using advanced technologies (virtual worlds, advanced sensors and PDA/mobile phones) may improve existing psychological treatment. To illustrate the proposed concept, a clinical scenario is also presented and discussed: Daniela, a 40 years old teacher, with a mother affected by Alzheimer's disease.

Design and evaluation of a simulation for pediatric dentistry in virtual worlds.

PubMed

Papadopoulos, Lazaros; Pentzou, Afroditi-Evaggelia; Louloudiadis, Konstantinos; Tsiatsos, Thrasyvoulos-Konstantinos

2013-10-29

Three-dimensional virtual worlds are becoming very popular among educators in the medical field. Virtual clinics and patients are already used for case study and role play in both undergraduate and continuing education levels. Dental education can also take advantage of the virtual world's pedagogical features in order to give students the opportunity to interact with virtual patients (VPs) and practice in treatment planning. The objective of this study was to design and evaluate a virtual patient as a supplemental teaching tool for pediatric dentistry. A child VP, called Erietta, was created by utilizing the programming and building tools that online virtual worlds offer. The case is about an eight-year old girl visiting the dentist with her mother for the first time. Communication techniques such as Tell-Show-Do and parents' interference management were the basic elements of the educational scenario on which the VP was based. An evaluation of the simulation was made by 103 dental students in their fourth year of study. Two groups were formed: an experimental group which was exposed to the simulation (n=52) and a control group which did not receive the simulation (n=51). At the end, both groups were asked to complete a knowledge questionnaire and the results were compared. A statistically significant difference between the two groups was found by applying a t test for independent samples (P<.001), showing a positive learning effect from the VP. The majority of the participants evaluated the aspects of the simulation very positively while 69% (36/52) of the simulation group expressed their preference for using this module as an additional teaching tool. This study demonstrated that a pediatric dentistry VP built in a virtual world offers significant learning potential when used as a supplement to the traditional teaching techniques.

[Cognitive research about the use of virtual worlds among the students enrolled to the faculty of medicine and surgery "Campus Bio-Medico University" in Rome].

PubMed

Tambone, V; Alessi, A; Macchi, I; Milighetti, S; Muzii, L

2009-01-01

The main difference between a virtual reality and a generic representation is to be directly involved into the action you are performing. As a matter of fact, within the shift from real to virtual world, our biological physique does not mutate but is amplified and connected to the virtual world by technological interfaces. Training using a virtual reality simulator is an option to supplement (or replace) standard training. One of the two main goals of our study is to test, at first, how much students enrolled to the Faculty of Medicine at "University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome" are familiar with synthetic worlds, how long they have been using them and how they would like their Avatar to look like. Moreover, the second aim is to collect students' opinion about the use of virtual, interactive environments to enable learning and participation in dynamic, problem based, clinical, virtual simulations. Simulations might be used to allow learners to make mistakes safely in lieu of real life situations, learn from those mistakes and ultimately to improve performances by subsequent avoidance of those mistakes. The selected approach to the study is based on a semi-structured questionnaire made of 14 questions administered to all the medical students. Most of the students appear not to be very confident with virtual worlds mostly because of a lack of interest. However, a large majority of them are likely to use a virtual world for fun or escaping from reality. Students would select and customize their Avatar by giving her/him the same sexual identity, same figure, same social class but different employment. It is important to notice that a wide majority of the students is interested in practicing on a virtual world in order to manage new experiences and being able to face them; their willing is to get benefits from the ability to make mistakes in a safe environment as well as to record a positive impact on their understanding.

Applying a 3D Situational Virtual Learning Environment to the Real World Business--An Extended Research in Marketing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shwu-huey

2012-01-01

In order to understand (1) what kind of students can be facilitated through the help of three-dimensional virtual learning environment (3D VLE), and (2) the relationship between a conventional test (ie, paper and pencil test) and the 3D VLE used in this study, the study designs a 3D virtual supermarket (3DVS) to help students transform their role…

Virtual Gaming Simulation in Nursing Education: A Focus Group Study.

PubMed

Verkuyl, Margaret; Hughes, Michelle; Tsui, Joyce; Betts, Lorraine; St-Amant, Oona; Lapum, Jennifer L

2017-05-01

The use of serious gaming in a virtual world is a novel pedagogical approach in nursing education. A virtual gaming simulation was implemented in a health assessment class that focused on mental health and interpersonal violence. The study's purpose was to explore students' experiences of the virtual gaming simulation. Three focus groups were conducted with a convenience sample of 20 first-year nursing students after they completed the virtual gaming simulation. Analysis yielded five themes: (a) Experiential Learning, (b) The Learning Process, (c) Personal Versus Professional, (d) Self-Efficacy, and (e) Knowledge. Virtual gaming simulation can provide experiential learning opportunities that promote engagement and allow learners to acquire and apply new knowledge while practicing skills in a safe and realistic environment. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(5):274-280.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

Learning in a virtual world: experience with using second life for medical education.

PubMed

Wiecha, John; Heyden, Robin; Sternthal, Elliot; Merialdi, Mario

2010-01-23

Virtual worlds are rapidly becoming part of the educational technology landscape. Second Life (SL) is one of the best known of these environments. Although the potential of SL has been noted for health professions education, a search of the world's literature and of the World Wide Web revealed a limited number of formal applications of SL for this purpose and minimal evaluation of educational outcomes. Similarly, the use of virtual worlds for continuing health professional development appears to be largely unreported. We designed and delivered a pilot postgraduate medical education program in the virtual world, Second Life. Our objectives were to: (1) explore the potential of a virtual world for delivering continuing medical education (CME) designed for physicians; (2) determine possible instructional designs using SL for CME; (3) understand the limitations of SL for CME; (4) understand the barriers, solutions, and costs associated with using SL, including required training; and (5) measure participant learning outcomes and feedback. We trained and enrolled 14 primary care physicians in an hour-long, highly interactive event in SL on the topic of type 2 diabetes. Participants completed surveys to measure change in confidence and performance on test cases to assess learning. The post survey also assessed participants' attitudes toward the virtual learning environment. Of the 14 participant physicians, 12 rated the course experience, 10 completed the pre and post confidence surveys, and 10 completed both the pre and post case studies. On a seven-point Likert scale (1, strongly disagree to 7, strongly agree), participants' mean reported confidence increased from pre to post SL event with respect to: selecting insulin for patients with type 2 diabetes (pre = 4.9 to post = 6.5, P= .002); initiating insulin (pre = 5.0 to post = 6.2, P= .02); and adjusting insulin dosing (pre = 5.2 to post = 6.2, P= .02). On test cases, the percent of participants providing a correct insulin initiation plan increased from 60% (6 of 10) pre to 90% (9 of 10) post (P= .2), and the percent of participants providing correct initiation of mealtime insulin increased from 40% (4 of 10) pre to 80% (8 of 10) post (P= .09). All participants (12 of 12) agreed that this experience in SL was an effective method of medical education, that the virtual world approach to CME was superior to other methods of online CME, that they would enroll in another such event in SL, and that they would recommend that their colleagues participate in an SL CME course. Only 17% (2 of 12) disagreed with the statement that this potential Second Life method of CME is superior to face-to-face CME. The results of this pilot suggest that virtual worlds offer the potential of a new medical education pedagogy to enhance learning outcomes beyond that provided by more traditional online or face-to-face postgraduate professional development activities. Obvious potential exists for application of these methods at the medical school and residency levels as well.

Student Perceptions of Constructivist Concepts in Classes Using Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowers, K. Westmoreland

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify constructivist concepts that are important to student-perceived learning outcomes in college courses that use a virtual world, such as Second Life, as an educational tool. Identification of these concepts will help instructors to make the best use of their course design efforts in mediated environments.…

ESL Teacher Training in 3D Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kozlova, Iryna; Priven, Dmitri

2015-01-01

Although language learning in 3D Virtual Worlds (VWs) has become a focus of recent research, little is known about the knowledge and skills teachers need to acquire to provide effective task-based instruction in 3D VWs and the type of teacher training that best prepares instructors for such an endeavor. This study employs a situated learning…

The Use of Virtual Worlds in Management Education: An Investigation of Current Practices in Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Amarolinda Zanela; Freitas, Angilberto; Machado, Lisiane; da Silva Freitas, José Carlos, Jr.; Graziola, Paulo Gaspar; Schlemmer, Eliane

2014-01-01

Frequently, research on management education does not take into account the role of Information Technology as a key resource to support teaching and learning processes. In this article, the authors explore the current applications of Three Dimensional Virtual Worlds (3DVW) for Management education. The authors researched the educational…

The World Bank's Africa Virtual University Project: A Revisit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nafukho, Fredrick M.; Muyia, Machuma Helen

2013-01-01

Purpose: The main purpose of using technology in the delivery of virtual learning programs in higher education in Africa is to ensure access and equity as a strategy to develop human resources. Examining how specific educational innovations in higher education are working is necessary. The purpose of this study is to examine the World Bank's…

Virtual World Learning Spaces: Developing a Second Life Operating Room Simulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerald, Stephanie; Antonacci, David M.

2009-01-01

User-created virtual worlds, such as Second Life, are a hot topic in higher education. Thousands of educators are currently exploring and using Second Life, and hundreds of colleges and universities have purchased and developed their own private islands in Second Life, including the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC). Because it is so easy…

Virtual Worlds and Social and Educational Inclusion: Case Study at Secondary Education Institute Cal Gravat

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castañeda Quintero, Linda; Román García, María del Mar; Barlam Aspasch, Ramón

2015-01-01

This article presents a case study with the goal of becoming familiar with and understanding the incorporation of one virtual learning world--Espurnik--in a curricular diversification classroom with students in a situation of educational exclusion or academic failure. This investigation was carried out from an interpretive paradigm with a…

Toward Educational Virtual Worlds: Should Identity Federation Be a Concern?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cruz, Gonçalo; Costa, António; Martins, Paulo; Gonçalves, Ramiro; Barroso, João

2015-01-01

3D Virtual Worlds are being used for education and training purposes in a cross-disciplinary way. However, its widespread adoption, particularly in formal learning contexts, is far from being a reality due a broad range of technological challenges. In this reflection paper, our main goal is to argue why and how identity federation should be…

Evaluation of the cognitive effects of travel technique in complex real and virtual environments.

PubMed

Suma, Evan A; Finkelstein, Samantha L; Reid, Myra; V Babu, Sabarish; Ulinski, Amy C; Hodges, Larry F

2010-01-01

We report a series of experiments conducted to investigate the effects of travel technique on information gathering and cognition in complex virtual environments. In the first experiment, participants completed a non-branching multilevel 3D maze at their own pace using either real walking or one of two virtual travel techniques. In the second experiment, we constructed a real-world maze with branching pathways and modeled an identical virtual environment. Participants explored either the real or virtual maze for a predetermined amount of time using real walking or a virtual travel technique. Our results across experiments suggest that for complex environments requiring a large number of turns, virtual travel is an acceptable substitute for real walking if the goal of the application involves learning or reasoning based on information presented in the virtual world. However, for applications that require fast, efficient navigation or travel that closely resembles real-world behavior, real walking has advantages over common joystick-based virtual travel techniques.

Virtual Manipulatives in the K-12 Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moyer, Patricia S.; Bolyard, Johnna J.; Spikell, Mark A.

Innovations in technology, along with the growing prevalence of the Internet and its increasing availability in classrooms and homes throughout the world, have created a new class of manipulatives, virtual manipulatives. These "virtual manipulatives" offer a new, enhanced approach for teaching and learning mathematics using manipulatives and…

EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMS TRAINING IN PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS - THE SERIOUSNESS OF SERIOUS GAMES.

PubMed

Stanojevic, Vojislav; Stanojevic, Cedomirka

2016-07-01

The rapid development of multimedia technologies in the last twenty years has lead to the emergence of new ways of learning academic and professional skills, which implies the application of multimedia technology in the form of a software -" serious computer games". Three-Dimensional Virtual Worlds. The basis of this game-platform is made of the platform of three-dimensional virtual worlds that can be described as communication systems in which participants share the same three-dimensional virtual space within which they can move, manipulate objects and communicate through their graphical representatives- avatars. Medical Education and Training. Arguments in favor of these computer tools in the learning process are accessibility, repeatability, low cost, the use of attractive graphics and a high degree of adaptation to the user. Specifically designed avatars allow students to get adapted to their roles in certain situations, especially to those which are considered rare, dangerous or unethical in real life. Drilling of major incidents, which includes the need to create environments for training, cannot be done in the real world due to high costs'and necessity to utilize the extensive resources. In addition, it is impossible to engage all the necessary health personnel at the same time. New technologies intended for conducting training, which are also called "virtual worlds", make the following possible: training at all times depending on user's commitments; simultaneous simulations on multiple levels, in several areas, in different circumstances, including dozens of unique victims; repeated scenarios and learning from mistakes; rapid feedback and the development of non-technical skills which are critical for reducing errors in dynamic, high-risk environments. Virtual worlds, which should be the subject of further research and improvements, in the field of hospital emergency response training for mass casualty incidents, certainly have a promising future.

Investigating Student Attitudes toward a Synchronous, Online Graduate Course in a Multi-User Virtual Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Annetta, Leonard; Murray, Marshall; Gull Laird, Shelby; Bohr, Stephanie; Park, John

2008-01-01

This article describes a graduate distance education course at North Carolina State University, which combined science content and pedagogy with video game design. The course was conducted entirely in a synchronous, online, Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) through the ActiveWorlds[TM] platform. Inservice teachers enrolled as graduate students in…

A Model for the Design of Puzzle-Based Games Including Virtual and Physical Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melero, Javier; Hernandez-Leo, Davinia

2014-01-01

Multiple evidences in the Technology-Enhanced Learning domain indicate that Game-Based Learning can lead to positive effects in students' performance and motivation. Educational games can be completely virtual or can combine the use of physical objects or spaces in the real world. However, the potential effectiveness of these approaches…

Brave New (Virtual) World: Transforming Language Learning into Cultural Studies through Online Learning Environments (MOOs).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Jeffrey; von der Emde, Silke

2000-01-01

Describes an online approach through using a MOO, a computer program that allows students to share text-based virtual reality. The goal of the program was to build an environment that both enabled practice in the target language and sustained reflection on the processes of cultural production and reception. (Author/VWL)

Computer-Assisted Culture Learning in an Online Augmented Reality Environment Based on Free-Hand Gesture Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Mau-Tsuen; Liao, Wan-Che

2014-01-01

The physical-virtual immersion and real-time interaction play an essential role in cultural and language learning. Augmented reality (AR) technology can be used to seamlessly merge virtual objects with real-world images to realize immersions. Additionally, computer vision (CV) technology can recognize free-hand gestures from live images to enable…

The Learning Outcomes of Mentoring Library Science Students in Virtual World Reference: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Purpur, Geraldine; Morris, Jon Levi

2015-01-01

This article reports on the cognitive and affective development of students being mentored in virtual reference interview skills by professional librarians. The authors present a case study which examines the impact on student learning resulting from librarian mentor participation and collaboration with students on a course assignment. This study…

SLurtles: Supporting Constructionist Learning in "Second Life"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Girvan, Carina; Tangney, Brendan; Savage, Timothy

2013-01-01

Constructionism places an emphasis on the process of constructing shareable artefacts. Many virtual worlds, such as "Second Life", provide learners with tools for the construction of objects and hence may facilitate in-world constructionist learning experiences. However, the construction tools available present learners with a significant barrier…

The Way Ahead in Game-Based Learning

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-08-01

Mostly Hype…NOT science  Lack of guidelines Opportunity to exploit technology is tremendous! World of Warcraft Blizzard Games Civilization 4 2K Games...Second Life Linden Labs SimCity 4 EA Maxis 5 Background  Definitions: Game Serious game  Simulation vs Virtual World vs Game The Binary Game Cisco...learn in context by interacting with objects in a complex world .  Consistent with anchored, experiential learning, learners can make connections

Scenario-Based Spoken Interaction with Virtual Agents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morton, Hazel; Jack, Mervyn A.

2005-01-01

This paper describes a CALL approach which integrates software for speaker independent continuous speech recognition with embodied virtual agents and virtual worlds to create an immersive environment in which learners can converse in the target language in contextualised scenarios. The result is a self-access learning package: SPELL (Spoken…

Increasing Accessibility to the Blind of Virtual Environments, Using a Virtual Mobility Aid Based On the "EyeCane": Feasibility Study

PubMed Central

Maidenbaum, Shachar; Levy-Tzedek, Shelly; Chebat, Daniel-Robert; Amedi, Amir

2013-01-01

Virtual worlds and environments are becoming an increasingly central part of our lives, yet they are still far from accessible to the blind. This is especially unfortunate as such environments hold great potential for them for uses such as social interaction, online education and especially for use with familiarizing the visually impaired user with a real environment virtually from the comfort and safety of his own home before visiting it in the real world. We have implemented a simple algorithm to improve this situation using single-point depth information, enabling the blind to use a virtual cane, modeled on the “EyeCane” electronic travel aid, within any virtual environment with minimal pre-processing. Use of the Virtual-EyeCane, enables this experience to potentially be later used in real world environments with identical stimuli to those from the virtual environment. We show the fast-learned practical use of this algorithm for navigation in simple environments. PMID:23977316

Testing communication strategies to convey genomic concepts using virtual reality technology.

PubMed

Kaphingst, Kimberly A; Persky, Susan; McCall, Cade; Lachance, Christina; Beall, Andrew C; Blascovich, Jim

2009-06-01

Health professionals need to be able to communicate information about genomic susceptibility in understandable and usable ways, but substantial challenges are involved. We developed four learning modules that varied along two factors: (1) learning mode (active learning vs. didactic learning) and (2) metaphor (risk elevator vs. bridge) and tested them using a 2 x 2 between-subjects, repeated measures design. The study used an innovative virtual reality technology experimental platform; four virtual worlds were designed to convey the concept that genetic and behavioral factors interact to affect common disease risk. The primary outcome was comprehension (recall, transfer). Study participants were 42 undergraduates aged 19-23. The results indicated that the elevator metaphor better supported learning of the concept than the bridge metaphor. Mean transfer score was significantly higher for the elevator metaphor (p < 0.05). Mean change in recall was significantly higher for didactic learning than active learning (p < 0.05). Mean ratings for variables posited to be associated with better learning (e.g., motivation), however, were generally higher for the active learning worlds. The results suggested that active learning might not always be more effective than didactic learning in increasing comprehension of health information. The findings also indicated that less complex metaphors might convey abstract concepts more effectively.

Testing Communication Strategies to Convey Genomic Concepts Using Virtual Reality Technology

PubMed Central

Kaphingst, Kimberly A.; Persky, Susan; McCall, Cade; Lachance, Christina; Beall, Andrew C.; Blascovich, Jim

2009-01-01

Health professionals need to be able to communicate information about genomic susceptibility in understandable and usable ways, but substantial challenges are involved. We developed four learning modules that varied along two factors: (1) learning mode (active learning vs. didactic learning) and (2) metaphor (risk elevator vs. bridge) and tested them using a 2×2 between-subjects, repeated measures design. The study used an innovative virtual reality technology experimental platform; four virtual worlds were designed to convey the concept that genetic and behavioral factors interact to affect common disease risk. The primary outcome was comprehension (recall, transfer). Study participants were 42 undergraduates aged 19–23. The results indicated that the elevator metaphor better supported learning of the concept than the bridge metaphor. Mean transfer score was significantly higher for the elevator metaphor (p<0.05). Mean change in recall was significantly higher for didactic learning than active learning (p<0.05). However, mean ratings for variables posited to be associated with better learning (e.g., motivation) were generally higher for the active learning worlds. The results suggested that active learning might not always be more effective than didactic learning in increasing comprehension of health information. The findings also indicated that less complex metaphors might convey abstract concepts more effectively. PMID:19466649

Exploring the Educational Potential of Three-Dimensional Multi-User Virtual Worlds for STEM Education: A Mixed-Method Systematic Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pellas, Nikolaos; Kazanidis, Ioannis; Konstantinou, Nikolaos; Georgiou, Georgia

2017-01-01

The present literature review builds on the results of 50 research articles published from 2000 until 2016. All these studies have successfully accomplished various learning tasks in the domain of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education using three-dimensional (3-D) multi-user virtual worlds for Primary, Secondary and…

Teaching an Aerospace Engineering Design Course via Virtual Worlds: A Comparative Assessment of Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okutsu, Masataka; DeLaurentis, Daniel; Brophy, Sean; Lambert, Jason

2013-01-01

To test the concept of multiuser 3D virtual environments as media to teach semester-long courses, we developed a software prototype called Aeroquest. An aerospace design course--offered to 135 second-year students for university credits in Fall 2009--was divided into two groups: the real-world group attending lectures, physically, in a campus hall…

Language Learning in Virtual Worlds: Designing for Languaging, the Role of Affordances

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nocchi, Susanna

2014-01-01

This article will utilise data collected during SLItaliano, an Italian language course run in the Virtual World (VW) of Second Life® (SL®) in 2012. The course was offered to third level students of Italian as a Foreign Language (FL) in an Irish college, the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT). It was designed and coordinated by the researcher and…

An Exploration of Higher Education Teaching in Second Life in the Context of Blended Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ata, Ridvan

2016-01-01

This study explores teaching experiences of educators within the virtual world of Second Life (SL) and pedagogical practices adopted. A blended approach is applied by using physical classrooms, BlackboardTM, web-based resources, and the virtual world of SL in an Information Literacy (IL) class for 1st year undergraduate students at an institution…

Virtual Worlds and Gamification to Increase Integration of International Students in Higher Education: An Inclusive Design Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Bo; Robb, Nigel; Eyerman, Joe; Goodman, Lizbeth

2017-01-01

In response to the growing trend of internationalisation in education, it is important to consider approaches to help international students integrate in their new settings. One possible approach involves the use of e-Learning tools, such as virtual worlds and gamification. To maximise the potential effectiveness of such tools, it may be…

Learning in a Virtual World: Experience With Using Second Life for Medical Education

PubMed Central

Heyden, Robin; Sternthal, Elliot; Merialdi, Mario

2010-01-01

Background Virtual worlds are rapidly becoming part of the educational technology landscape. Second Life (SL) is one of the best known of these environments. Although the potential of SL has been noted for health professions education, a search of the world’s literature and of the World Wide Web revealed a limited number of formal applications of SL for this purpose and minimal evaluation of educational outcomes. Similarly, the use of virtual worlds for continuing health professional development appears to be largely unreported. Methods We designed and delivered a pilot postgraduate medical education program in the virtual world, Second Life. Our objectives were to: (1) explore the potential of a virtual world for delivering continuing medical education (CME) designed for physicians; (2) determine possible instructional designs using SL for CME; (3) understand the limitations of SL for CME; (4) understand the barriers, solutions, and costs associated with using SL, including required training; and (5) measure participant learning outcomes and feedback. We trained and enrolled 14 primary care physicians in an hour-long, highly interactive event in SL on the topic of type 2 diabetes. Participants completed surveys to measure change in confidence and performance on test cases to assess learning. The post survey also assessed participants’ attitudes toward the virtual learning environment. Results Of the 14 participant physicians, 12 rated the course experience, 10 completed the pre and post confidence surveys, and 10 completed both the pre and post case studies. On a seven-point Likert scale (1, strongly disagree to 7, strongly agree), participants’ mean reported confidence increased from pre to post SL event with respect to: selecting insulin for patients with type 2 diabetes (pre = 4.9 to post = 6.5, P= .002); initiating insulin (pre = 5.0 to post = 6.2, P= .02); and adjusting insulin dosing (pre = 5.2 to post = 6.2, P= .02). On test cases, the percent of participants providing a correct insulin initiation plan increased from 60% (6 of 10) pre to 90% (9 of 10) post (P= .2), and the percent of participants providing correct initiation of mealtime insulin increased from 40% (4 of 10) pre to 80% (8 of 10) post (P= .09). All participants (12 of 12) agreed that this experience in SL was an effective method of medical education, that the virtual world approach to CME was superior to other methods of online CME, that they would enroll in another such event in SL, and that they would recommend that their colleagues participate in an SL CME course. Only 17% (2 of 12) disagreed with the statement that this potential Second Life method of CME is superior to face-to-face CME. Conclusions The results of this pilot suggest that virtual worlds offer the potential of a new medical education pedagogy to enhance learning outcomes beyond that provided by more traditional online or face-to-face postgraduate professional development activities. Obvious potential exists for application of these methods at the medical school and residency levels as well. PMID:20097652

Learning Application of Astronomy Based Augmented Reality using Android Platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maleke, B.; Paseru, D.; Padang, R.

2018-02-01

Astronomy is a branch of science involving observations of celestial bodies such as stars, planets, nebular comets, star clusters, and galaxies as well as natural phenomena occurring outside the Earth’s atmosphere. The way of learning of Astronomy is quite varied, such as by using a book or observe directly with a telescope. But both ways of learning have shortcomings, for example learning through books is only presented in the form of interesting 2D drawings. While learning with a telescope requires a fairly expensive cost to buy the equipment. This study will present a more interesting way of learning from the previous one, namely through Augmented Reality (AR) application using Android platform. Augmented Reality is a combination of virtual world (virtual) and real world (real) made by computer. Virtual objects can be text, animation, 3D models or videos that are combined with the actual environment so that the user feels the virtual object is in his environment. With the use of the Android platform, this application makes the learning method more interesting because it can be used on various Android smartphones so that learning can be done anytime and anywhere. The methodology used in making applications is Multimedia Lifecycle, along with C # language for AR programming and flowchart as a modelling tool. The results of research on some users stated that this application can run well and can be used as an alternative way of learning Astronomy with more interesting.

On the Changing Nature of Learning Context: Anticipating the Virtual Extensions of the World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westera, Wim

2011-01-01

Contextual learning starts from the premise that learning cannot take place in a vacuum, but should somehow be connected with real world attributes to make sense to learners. Today, digital media tend to bring about new dimensions of context: internet connections and mobile devices enable learners to overcome restrictions of time and location, and…

Virtual reality in the treatment of persecutory delusions: randomised controlled experimental study testing how to reduce delusional conviction.

PubMed

Freeman, Daniel; Bradley, Jonathan; Antley, Angus; Bourke, Emilie; DeWeever, Natalie; Evans, Nicole; Černis, Emma; Sheaves, Bryony; Waite, Felicity; Dunn, Graham; Slater, Mel; Clark, David M

2016-07-01

Persecutory delusions may be unfounded threat beliefs maintained by safety-seeking behaviours that prevent disconfirmatory evidence being successfully processed. Use of virtual reality could facilitate new learning. To test the hypothesis that enabling patients to test the threat predictions of persecutory delusions in virtual reality social environments with the dropping of safety-seeking behaviours (virtual reality cognitive therapy) would lead to greater delusion reduction than exposure alone (virtual reality exposure). Conviction in delusions and distress in a real-world situation were assessed in 30 patients with persecutory delusions. Patients were then randomised to virtual reality cognitive therapy or virtual reality exposure, both with 30 min in graded virtual reality social environments. Delusion conviction and real-world distress were then reassessed. In comparison with exposure, virtual reality cognitive therapy led to large reductions in delusional conviction (reduction 22.0%, P = 0.024, Cohen's d = 1.3) and real-world distress (reduction 19.6%, P = 0.020, Cohen's d = 0.8). Cognitive therapy using virtual reality could prove highly effective in treating delusions. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016.

Virtual reality in the treatment of persecutory delusions: randomised controlled experimental study testing how to reduce delusional conviction

PubMed Central

Freeman, Daniel; Bradley, Jonathan; Antley, Angus; Bourke, Emilie; DeWeever, Natalie; Evans, Nicole; Černis, Emma; Sheaves, Bryony; Waite, Felicity; Dunn, Graham; Slater, Mel; Clark, David M.

2016-01-01

Background Persecutory delusions may be unfounded threat beliefs maintained by safety-seeking behaviours that prevent disconfirmatory evidence being successfully processed. Use of virtual reality could facilitate new learning. Aims To test the hypothesis that enabling patients to test the threat predictions of persecutory delusions in virtual reality social environments with the dropping of safety-seeking behaviours (virtual reality cognitive therapy) would lead to greater delusion reduction than exposure alone (virtual reality exposure). Method Conviction in delusions and distress in a real-world situation were assessed in 30 patients with persecutory delusions. Patients were then randomised to virtual reality cognitive therapy or virtual reality exposure, both with 30 min in graded virtual reality social environments. Delusion conviction and real-world distress were then reassessed. Results In comparison with exposure, virtual reality cognitive therapy led to large reductions in delusional conviction (reduction 22.0%, P = 0.024, Cohen's d = 1.3) and real-world distress (reduction 19.6%, P = 0.020, Cohen's d = 0.8). Conclusion Cognitive therapy using virtual reality could prove highly effective in treating delusions. PMID:27151071

Virtual environments special needs and evaluative methods.

PubMed

Brown, D J; Standen, P J; Cobb, S V

1998-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the development of the Learning in Virtual Environments programme (LIVE), carried out in special education over the last four years. It is more precisely a project chronology, so that the reader can sense the historical development of the programme rather than giving emphasis to any one particular feature or breakthrough, which are covered in other papers and available through the authors. The project conception in a special school in Nottingham is followed by a description of the development of experiential and communicational virtual learning environments. These are followed, in turn, by the results of our testing programmes which show that experience gained in a virtual environment can transfer to the real world and that their use can encourage self-directed activity in students with severe learning difficulties. Also included is a discussion of the role of virtual learning environments (VLEs) in special education and of its attributes in the context of contemporary educational theory.

On the potential for using immersive virtual environments to support laboratory experiment contextualisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machet, Tania; Lowe, David; Gütl, Christian

2012-12-01

This paper explores the hypothesis that embedding a laboratory activity into a virtual environment can provide a richer experimental context and hence improve the understanding of the relationship between a theoretical model and the real world, particularly in terms of the model's strengths and weaknesses. While an identified learning objective of laboratories is to support the understanding of the relationship between models and reality, the paper illustrates that this understanding is hindered by inherently limited experiments and that there is scope for improvement. Despite the contextualisation of learning activities having been shown to support learning objectives in many fields, there is traditionally little contextual information presented during laboratory experimentation. The paper argues that the enhancing laboratory activity with contextual information affords an opportunity to improve students' understanding of the relationship between the theoretical model and the experiment (which is effectively a proxy for the complex real world), thereby improving their understanding of the relationship between the model and reality. The authors propose that these improvements can be achieved by setting remote laboratories within context-rich virtual worlds.

Level of Abstraction and Feelings of Presence in Virtual Space: Business English Negotiation in Open Wonderland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Judy F.; Warden, Clyde A.; Tai, David Wen-Shung; Chen, Farn-Shing; Chao, Chich-Yang

2011-01-01

Virtual spaces allow abstract representations of reality that not only encourage student self-directed learning but also reinforce core content of the learning objective through visual metaphors not reproducible in the physical world. One of the advantages of such a space is the ability to escape the restrictions of the physical classroom, yet…

Employing Virtual Humans for Education and Training in X3D/VRML Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ieronutti, Lucio; Chittaro, Luca

2007-01-01

Web-based education and training provides a new paradigm for imparting knowledge; students can access the learning material anytime by operating remotely from any location. Web3D open standards, such as X3D and VRML, support Web-based delivery of Educational Virtual Environments (EVEs). EVEs have a great potential for learning and training…

At-Risk Students and Virtual Enterprise: Tourism and Hospitality Simulations in Applied and Academic Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borgese, Anthony

This paper discusses Virtual Enterprise (VE), a technology-driven business simulation program in which students conceive, create, and operate enterprises that utilize Web-based and other technologies to trade products and services around the world. The study examined the effects of VE on a learning community of at-risk students, defined as those…

Virtual biomedical universities and e-learning.

PubMed

Beux, P Le; Fieschi, M

2007-01-01

In this special issue on virtual biomedical universities and e-learning we will make a survey on the principal existing teaching applications of ICT used in medical Schools around the world. In the following we identify five types of research and experiments in this field of medical e-learning and virtual medical universities. The topics of this special issue goes from educational computer program to create and simulate virtual patients with a wide variety of medical conditions in different clinical settings and over different time frames to using distance learning in developed and developing countries program training medical informatics of clinicians. We also present the necessity of good indexing and research tools for training resources together with workflows to manage the multiple source content of virtual campus or universities and the virtual digital video resources. A special attention is given to training new generations of clinicians in ICT tools and methods to be used in clinical settings as well as in medical schools.

A Virtual World Workshop Environment for Learning Agile Software Development Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parsons, David; Stockdale, Rosemary

2012-01-01

Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) are the subject of increasing interest for educators and trainers. This article reports on a longitudinal project that seeks to establish a virtual agile software development workshop hosted in the Open Wonderland MUVE, designed to help learners to understand the basic principles of some core agile software…

Virtual Environments Supporting Learning and Communication in Special Needs Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cobb, Sue V. G.

2007-01-01

Virtual reality (VR) describes a set of technologies that allow users to explore and experience 3-dimensional computer-generated "worlds" or "environments." These virtual environments can contain representations of real or imaginary objects on a small or large scale (from modeling of molecular structures to buildings, streets, and scenery of a…

Virtual Simulations: A Creative, Evidence-Based Approach to Develop and Educate Nurses.

PubMed

Leibold, Nancyruth; Schwarz, Laura

2017-02-01

The use of virtual simulations in nursing is an innovative strategy that is increasing in application. There are several terms related to virtual simulation; although some are used interchangeably, the meanings are not the same. This article presents examples of virtual simulation, virtual worlds, and virtual patients in continuing education, staff development, and academic nursing education. Virtual simulations in nursing use technology to provide safe, as realistic as possible clinical practice for nurses and nursing students. Virtual simulations are useful for learning new skills; practicing a skill that puts content, high-order thinking, and psychomotor elements together; skill competency learning; and assessment for low-volume, high-risk skills. The purpose of this article is to describe the related terms, examples, uses, theoretical frameworks, challenges, and evidence related to virtual simulations in nursing.

A Descriptive Case Study of Writing Standards-Based Individualized Education Plan Goals via Problem-Based Learning in a Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blair, Peter J.

2017-01-01

The goal of this study was to examine the professional development experiences of two contrastive participants while they were creating standards-based individualized education plan (IEP) goals using a virtual world called TeacherSim. Two specific focuses of the study were on how special educators engaged with the task of creating standards-based…

The Implications of Virtual World Technology for K-12 Students in a Foreign Language Course of Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parrott, David L.

2014-01-01

The use of virtual world technology for language instruction is a recent development in education. The goal of this study was to provide a functioning 3D environment for German language students to experience as avatars. The student's impressions, attitudes, and perceptions of this learning activity would be recorded and analyzed to see if this…

Transforming the Classroom for Collaborative Learning in the 21st Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christen, Amy

2009-01-01

Today's hyper-connected students live in a world of instant interpersonal communications and virtually infinite access to information and educational resources. But this networked world, and the powerful learning tools it offers, has yet to penetrate the typical classroom. In many ways educational institutions are spinning their curricular wheels,…

Establishing a Virtual Community of Practice in Simulation: The Value of Social Media.

PubMed

Thoma, Brent; Brazil, Victoria; Spurr, Jesse; Palaganas, Janice; Eppich, Walter; Grant, Vincent; Cheng, Adam

2018-04-01

Professional development opportunities are not readily accessible for most simulation educators, who may only connect with simulation experts at periodic and costly conferences. Virtual communities of practice consist of individuals with a shared passion who communicate via virtual media to advance their own learning and that of others. A nascent virtual community of practice is developing online for healthcare simulation on social media platforms. Simulation educators should consider engaging on these platforms for their own benefit and to help develop healthcare simulation educators around the world. Herein, we describe this developing virtual community of practice and offer guidance to assist educators to engage, learn, and contribute to the growth of the community.

3D Virtual Reality for Teaching Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speck, Angela; Ruzhitskaya, L.; Laffey, J.; Ding, N.

2012-01-01

We are developing 3D virtual learning environments (VLEs) as learning materials for an undergraduate astronomy course, in which will utilize advances both in technologies available and in our understanding of the social nature of learning. These learning materials will be used to test whether such VLEs can indeed augment science learning so that it is more engaging, active, visual and effective. Our project focuses on the challenges and requirements of introductory college astronomy classes. Here we present our virtual world of the Jupiter system and how we plan to implement it to allow students to learn course material - physical laws and concepts in astronomy - while engaging them into exploration of the Jupiter's system, encouraging their imagination, curiosity, and motivation. The VLE can allow students to work individually or collaboratively. The 3D world also provides an opportunity for research in astronomy education to investigate impact of social interaction, gaming features, and use of manipulatives offered by a learning tool on students’ motivation and learning outcomes. Use of this VLE is also a valuable source for exploration of how the learners’ spatial awareness can be enhanced by working in 3D environment. We will present the Jupiter-system environment along with a preliminary study of the efficacy and usability of our Jupiter 3D VLE.

Virtual Worlds vs Books and Videos in History Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ijaz, Kiran; Bogdanovych, Anton; Trescak, Tomas

2017-01-01

In this paper, we investigate an application of virtual reality and artificial intelligence (AI) as a technological combination that has a potential to improve the learning experience and engage with the modern generation of students. To address this need, we have created a virtual reality replica of one of humanity's first cities, the city of…

Experiential Learning Using Second Life[R]: A Content Analysis of Student Reflective Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leggette, Holli R.; Witt, Christy; Dooley, Kim E.; Rutherford, Tracy; Murphrey, Theresa Pesl; Doerfert, David; Edgar, Leslie D.

2012-01-01

Experiential learning allows students to connect previous experiences with new ideas. Second Life (SL) is a virtual world that allows students to simulate real-world experiences. SL was utilized as an educational tool in an agricultural risk and crisis communications course. Weekly journal entries pertaining to the SL simulation were analyzed to…

Horseless Classrooms and Virtual Learning: Reshaping Our Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bossert, Philip J.

1997-01-01

Unlike the rest of the industrialized world, educational institutions were largely untouched by last century's transportation revolution. Teachers have been workhorses pulling students in instructional wagons along well-worn curricula. Since television and the Internet already provide "horseless" classrooms and virtual-learning…

Practicality in Virtuality: Finding Student Meaning in Video Game Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barko, Timothy; Sadler, Troy D.

2013-04-01

This paper looks at the conceptual differences between video game learning and traditional classroom and laboratory learning. It explores the notion of virtual experience by comparing a commonly used high school laboratory protocol on DNA extraction with a similar experience provided by a biotechnology themed video game. When considered conceptually, the notion of virtual experience is not limited to those experiences generated by computer aided technology, as with a video game or computer simulation. The notion of virtuality can apply to many real world experiences as well. It is proposed that the medium of the learning experience, be it video game or classroom, is not an important distinction to consider; instead, we should seek to determine what kinds of meaningful experiences apply for both classrooms and video games.

Architectures for Developing Multiuser, Immersive Learning Scenarios

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nadolski, Rob J.; Hummel, Hans G. K.; Slootmaker, Aad; van der Vegt, Wim

2012-01-01

Multiuser immersive learning scenarios hold strong potential for lifelong learning as they can support the acquisition of higher order skills in an effective, efficient, and attractive way. Existing virtual worlds, game development platforms, and game engines only partly cater for the proliferation of such learning scenarios as they are often…

Learning in Transformational Computer Games: Exploring Design Principles for a Nanotechnology Game

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masek, Martin; Murcia, Karen; Morrison, Jason; Newhouse, Paul; Hackling, Mark

2012-01-01

Transformational games are digital computer and video applications purposefully designed to create engaging and immersive learning environments for delivering specified learning goals, outcomes and experiences. The virtual world of a transformational game becomes the social environment within which learning occurs as an outcome of the complex…

Virtual Worlds; Real Learning: Design Principles for Engaging Immersive Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu (u. Sjarpm)

2012-01-01

The EMDT master's program at Full Sail University embarked on a small project to use a virtual environment to teach graduate students. The property used for this project has evolved our several iterations and has yielded some basic design principles and pedagogy for virtual spaces. As a result, students are emerging from the program with a better grasp of future possibilities.

E-Learning Application of Tarsier with Virtual Reality using Android Platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oroh, H. N.; Munir, R.; Paseru, D.

2017-01-01

Spectral Tarsier is a primitive primate that can only be found in the province of North Sulawesi. To study these primates can be used an e-learning application with Augmented Reality technology that uses a marker to confronted the camera computer to interact with three dimensions Tarsier object. But that application only shows tarsier object in three dimensions without habitat and requires a lot of resources because it runs on a Personal Computer. The same technology can be shown three dimensions’ objects is Virtual Reality to excess can make the user like venturing into the virtual world with Android platform that requires fewer resources. So, put on Virtual Reality technology using the Android platform that can make users not only to view and interact with the tarsiers but also the habitat. The results of this research indicate that the user can learn the Tarsier and habitat with good. Thus, the use of Virtual Reality technology in the e-learning application of tarsiers can help people to see, know, and learn about Spectral Tarsier.

Open Source Virtual Worlds and Low Cost Sensors for Physical Rehab of Patients with Chronic Diseases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romero, Salvador J.; Fernandez-Luque, Luis; Sevillano, José L.; Vognild, Lars

For patients with chronic diseases, exercise is a key part of rehab to deal better with their illness. Some of them do rehabilitation at home with telemedicine systems. However, keeping to their exercising program is challenging and many abandon the rehabilitation. We postulate that information technologies for socializing and serious games can encourage patients to keep doing physical exercise and rehab. In this paper we present Virtual Valley, a low cost telemedicine system for home exercising, based on open source virtual worlds and utilizing popular low cost motion controllers (e.g. Wii Remote) and medical sensors. Virtual Valley allows patient to socialize, learn, and play group based serious games while exercising.

Safety in numbers 3: Authenticity, Building knowledge & skills and Competency development & assessment: the ABC of safe medication dosage calculation problem-solving pedagogy.

PubMed

Weeks, Keith W; Meriel Hutton, B; Coben, Diana; Clochesy, John M; Pontin, David

2013-03-01

When designing learning and assessment environments it is essential to articulate the underpinning education philosophy, theory, model and learning style support mechanisms that inform their structure and content. We elaborate on original PhD research that articulates the design rationale of authentic medication dosage calculation problem-solving (MDC-PS) learning and diagnostic assessment environments. These environments embody the principles of authenticity, building knowledge and skills and competency assessment and are designed to support development of competence and bridging of the theory-practice gap. Authentic learning and diagnostic assessment environments capture the features and expert practices that are located in real world practice cultures and recreate them in authentic virtual clinical environments. We explore how this provides students with a safe virtual authentic environment to actively experience, practice and undertake MDC-PS learning and assessment activities. We argue that this is integral to the construction and diagnostic assessment of schemata validity (mental constructions and frameworks that are an individual's internal representation of their world), bridging of the theory-practice gap and cognitive and functional competence development. We illustrate these principles through the underpinning pedagogical design of two online virtual authentic learning and diagnostic assessment environments (safeMedicate and eDose™). Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Enhanced learning of natural visual sequences in newborn chicks.

PubMed

Wood, Justin N; Prasad, Aditya; Goldman, Jason G; Wood, Samantha M W

2016-07-01

To what extent are newborn brains designed to operate over natural visual input? To address this question, we used a high-throughput controlled-rearing method to examine whether newborn chicks (Gallus gallus) show enhanced learning of natural visual sequences at the onset of vision. We took the same set of images and grouped them into either natural sequences (i.e., sequences showing different viewpoints of the same real-world object) or unnatural sequences (i.e., sequences showing different images of different real-world objects). When raised in virtual worlds containing natural sequences, newborn chicks developed the ability to recognize familiar images of objects. Conversely, when raised in virtual worlds containing unnatural sequences, newborn chicks' object recognition abilities were severely impaired. In fact, the majority of the chicks raised with the unnatural sequences failed to recognize familiar images of objects despite acquiring over 100 h of visual experience with those images. Thus, newborn chicks show enhanced learning of natural visual sequences at the onset of vision. These results indicate that newborn brains are designed to operate over natural visual input.

Maker Culture and "Minecraft": Implications for the Future of Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niemeyer, Dodie J.; Gerber, Hannah R.

2015-01-01

Collaborative learning environments found with gaming communities can provide excellent structures to study the way that learners act within informal learning environments. For example, many of these gaming communities encourage gamers to create videogames and virtual world walkthroughs and commentaries. Walkthroughs and commentaries provide…

Fulfilling a European Vision through Flexible Learning and Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Margaret S. G.

2012-01-01

This article considers the value of flexibility and free choice in learning, and examines the increasing recognition of the evolving and wide range of appropriate environments for learning, such as the workplace, the home, the community, and the virtual world. This "Lifeplace Learning" is compared to the requirements and visions of the…

3D Technology Selection for a Virtual Learning Environment by Blending ISO 9126 Standard and AHP

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cetin, Aydin; Guler, Inan

2011-01-01

Web3D presents many opportunities for learners in a virtual world or virtual environment over the web. This is a great opportunity for open-distance education institutions to benefit from web3d technologies to create courses with interactive 3d materials. There are many open source and commercial products offering 3d technologies over the web…

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training by Avatars: A Qualitative Study of Medical Students' Experiences Using a Multiplayer Virtual World.

PubMed

Creutzfeldt, Johan; Hedman, Leif; Felländer-Tsai, Li

2016-12-16

Emergency medical practices are often team efforts. Training for various tasks and collaborations may be carried out in virtual environments. Although promising results exist from studies of serious games, little is known about the subjective reactions of learners when using multiplayer virtual world (MVW) training in medicine. The objective of this study was to reach a better understanding of the learners' reactions and experiences when using an MVW for team training of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Twelve Swedish medical students participated in semistructured focus group discussions after CPR training in an MVW with partially preset options. The students' perceptions and feelings related to use of this educational tool were investigated. Using qualitative methodology, discussions were analyzed by a phenomenological data-driven approach. Quality measures included negotiations, back-and-forth reading, triangulation, and validation with the informants. Four categories characterizing the students' experiences could be defined: (1) Focused Mental Training, (2) Interface Diverting Focus From Training, (3) Benefits of Practicing in a Group, and (4) Easy Loss of Focus When Passive. We interpreted the results, compared them to findings of others, and propose advantages and risks of using virtual worlds for learning. Beneficial aspects of learning CPR in a virtual world were confirmed. To achieve high participant engagement and create good conditions for training, well-established procedures should be practiced. Furthermore, students should be kept in an active mode and frequent feedback should be utilized. It cannot be completely ruled out that the use of virtual training may contribute to erroneous self-beliefs that can affect later clinical performance. ©Johan Creutzfeldt, Leif Hedman, Li Felländer-Tsai. Originally published in JMIR Serious Games (http://games.jmir.org), 16.12.2016.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training by Avatars: A Qualitative Study of Medical Students’ Experiences Using a Multiplayer Virtual World

PubMed Central

Hedman, Leif; Felländer-Tsai, Li

2016-01-01

Background Emergency medical practices are often team efforts. Training for various tasks and collaborations may be carried out in virtual environments. Although promising results exist from studies of serious games, little is known about the subjective reactions of learners when using multiplayer virtual world (MVW) training in medicine. Objective The objective of this study was to reach a better understanding of the learners’ reactions and experiences when using an MVW for team training of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Methods Twelve Swedish medical students participated in semistructured focus group discussions after CPR training in an MVW with partially preset options. The students’ perceptions and feelings related to use of this educational tool were investigated. Using qualitative methodology, discussions were analyzed by a phenomenological data-driven approach. Quality measures included negotiations, back-and-forth reading, triangulation, and validation with the informants. Results Four categories characterizing the students’ experiences could be defined: (1) Focused Mental Training, (2) Interface Diverting Focus From Training, (3) Benefits of Practicing in a Group, and (4) Easy Loss of Focus When Passive. We interpreted the results, compared them to findings of others, and propose advantages and risks of using virtual worlds for learning. Conclusions Beneficial aspects of learning CPR in a virtual world were confirmed. To achieve high participant engagement and create good conditions for training, well-established procedures should be practiced. Furthermore, students should be kept in an active mode and frequent feedback should be utilized. It cannot be completely ruled out that the use of virtual training may contribute to erroneous self-beliefs that can affect later clinical performance. PMID:27986645

Get immersed in the Soil Sciences: the first community of avatars in the EGU Assembly 2015!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castillo, Sebastian; Alarcón, Purificación; Beato, Mamen; Emilio Guerrero, José; José Martínez, Juan; Pérez, Cristina; Ortiz, Leovigilda; Taguas, Encarnación V.

2015-04-01

Virtual reality and immersive worlds refer to artificial computer-generated environments, with which users act and interact as in a known environment by the use of figurative virtual individuals (avatars). Virtual environments will be the technology of the early twenty-first century that will most dramatically change the way we live, particularly in the areas of training and education, product development and entertainment (Schmorrow, 2009). The usefulness of immersive worlds has been proved in different fields. They reduce geographic and social barriers between different stakeholders and create virtual social spaces which can positively impact learning and discussion outcomes (Lorenzo et al. 2012). In this work we present a series of interactive meetings in a virtual building to celebrate the International Year of Soil to promote the importance of soil functions and its conservation. In a virtual room, the avatars of different senior researchers will meet young scientist avatars to talk about: 1) what remains to be done in Soil Sciences; 2) which are their main current limitations and difficulties and 3) which are the future hot research lines. The interactive participation does not require physically attend to the EGU Assembly 2015. In addition, this virtual building inspired in Soil Sciences can be completed with different teaching resources from different locations around the world and it will be used to improve the learning of Soil Sciences in a multicultural context. REFERENCES: Lorenzo C.M., Sicilia, M.A., Sánchez S. 2012. Studying the effectiveness of multi-user immersive environments for collaborative evaluation tasks. Computers & Education 59 (2012) 1361-1376 Schmorrow D.D. 2009. "Why virtual?" Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science 10(3): 279-282.

Tasks for Easily Modifiable Virtual Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swier, Robert

2014-01-01

Recent studies of learner interaction in virtual worlds have tended to select basic tasks involving open-ended communication. There is evidence that such tasks are supportive of language acquisition, however it may also be beneficial to consider more complex tasks. Research in task-based learning has identified features such as non-linguistic…

EduMOOs: Virtual Learning Centers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woods, Judy C.

1998-01-01

Multi-user Object Oriented Internet activities (MOOs) permit real time interaction in a text-based virtual reality via the Internet. This article explains EduMOOs (educational MOOs) and provides brief descriptions, World Wide Web addresses, and telnet addresses for selected EduMOOs. Instructions for connecting to a MOO and a list of related Web…

Emerging technologies in education and training: applications for the laboratory animal science community.

PubMed

Ketelhut, Diane Jass; Niemi, Steven M

2007-01-01

This article examines several new and exciting communication technologies. Many of the technologies were developed by the entertainment industry; however, other industries are adopting and modifying them for their own needs. These new technologies allow people to collaborate across distance and time and to learn in simulated work contexts. The article explores the potential utility of these technologies for advancing laboratory animal care and use through better education and training. Descriptions include emerging technologies such as augmented reality and multi-user virtual environments, which offer new approaches with different capabilities. Augmented reality interfaces, characterized by the use of handheld computers to infuse the virtual world into the real one, result in deeply immersive simulations. In these simulations, users can access virtual resources and communicate with real and virtual participants. Multi-user virtual environments enable multiple participants to simultaneously access computer-based three-dimensional virtual spaces, called "worlds," and to interact with digital tools. They allow for authentic experiences that promote collaboration, mentoring, and communication. Because individuals may learn or train differently, it is advantageous to combine the capabilities of these technologies and applications with more traditional methods to increase the number of students who are served by using current methods alone. The use of these technologies in animal care and use programs can create detailed training and education environments that allow students to learn the procedures more effectively, teachers to assess their progress more objectively, and researchers to gain insights into animal care.

Design and implementation of a virtual world training simulation of ICU first hour handover processes.

PubMed

Brown, Ross; Rasmussen, Rune; Baldwin, Ian; Wyeth, Peta

2012-08-01

Nursing training for an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a resource intensive process. High demands are made on staff, students and physical resources. Interactive, 3D computer simulations, known as virtual worlds, are increasingly being used to supplement training regimes in the health sciences; especially in areas such as complex hospital ward processes. Such worlds have been found to be very useful in maximising the utilisation of training resources. Our aim is to design and develop a novel virtual world application for teaching and training Intensive Care nurses in the approach and method for shift handover, to provide an independent, but rigorous approach to teaching these important skills. In this paper we present a virtual world simulator for students to practice key steps in handing over the 24/7 care requirements of intensive care patients during the commencing first hour of a shift. We describe the modelling process to provide a convincing interactive simulation of the handover steps involved. The virtual world provides a practice tool for students to test their analytical skills with scenarios previously provided by simple physical simulations, and live on the job training. Additional educational benefits include facilitation of remote learning, high flexibility in study hours and the automatic recording of a reviewable log from the session. To the best of our knowledge, we believe this is a novel and original application of virtual worlds to an ICU handover process. The major outcome of the work was a virtual world environment for training nurses in the shift handover process, designed and developed for use by postgraduate nurses in training. Copyright © 2012 Australian College of Critical Care Nurses Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Employing a Critical Lens on Instructor Perceptions of Learning Games: Introduction to a Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warren, Scott J.; Gratch, Jonathan S.

2013-01-01

Digital games like Where in the World is Carmen San Diego and Oregon Trail have been used to support learning since the 1980s. However, the last decade has seen games, simulations and virtual world use take firm hold of the academic imagination. There also has been a rapid expansion of sponsored, formal research, informal inquiry, and a growing…

Changelings and Shape Shifters? Identity Play and Pedagogical Positioning of Staff in Immersive Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savin-Baden, Maggi

2010-01-01

This paper presents a study that used narrative inquiry to explore staff experiences of learning and teaching in immersive worlds. The findings introduced issues relating to identity play, the relationship between pedagogy and play and the ways in which learning, play and fun were managed (or not). At the same time there was a sense of imposed or…

Studying the Effectiveness of Multi-User Immersive Environments for Collaborative Evaluation Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorenzo, Carlos-Miguel; Sicilia, Miguel Angel; Sanchez, Salvador

2012-01-01

Massively Multiuser On-line Learning (MMOL) Platforms, often called "virtual learning worlds", constitute a still unexplored context for communication-enhanced learning, where synchronous communication skills in an explicit social setting enhance the potential of effective collaboration. In this paper, we report on an experimental study of…

A Web-Based Virtual Classroom System Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adewale, Olumide S.; Ibam, Emmanuel O.; Alese, B. K.

2012-01-01

The population of students all over the world is growing without a proportionate increase in teaching/learning resources/infrastructure. There is also much quest for learning in an environment that provides equal opportunities to all learners. The need to provide an equal opportunity learning environment that will hitherto improve the system of…

Mobile Learning: At the Tipping Point

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franklin, Teresa

2011-01-01

Mobile technologies are interfacing with all aspects of our lives including Web 2.0 tools and applications, immersive virtual world environments, and online environments to present educational opportunities for 24/7 learning at the learner's discretion. Mobile devices are allowing educators to build new community learning ecosystems for and by…

Learning Competencies Used In the U.S. Navy’s Virtual Schoolhouse Learning Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

military applications. Most studies still focus on synchronous gaming in the virtual world and not an academic setting. Given this lack of research...Played a PC based video game ? Never Seldom Sometimes Frequently Often 2. Played a console video game system (e.g., XBox, PlayStation 3, Wii...etc…)? Never Seldom Sometimes Frequently Often 3. During an average week, how many hours will you spend playing video games ? < 1

Versatile, Immersive, Creative and Dynamic Virtual 3-D Healthcare Learning Environments: A Review of the Literature

PubMed Central

2008-01-01

The author provides a critical overview of three-dimensional (3-D) virtual worlds and “serious gaming” that are currently being developed and used in healthcare professional education and medicine. The relevance of this e-learning innovation for teaching students and professionals is debatable and variables influencing adoption, such as increased knowledge, self-directed learning, and peer collaboration, by academics, healthcare professionals, and business executives are examined while looking at various Web 2.0/3.0 applications. There is a need for more empirical research in order to unearth the pedagogical outcomes and advantages associated with this e-learning technology. A brief description of Roger’s Diffusion of Innovations Theory and Siemens’ Connectivism Theory for today’s learners is presented as potential underlying pedagogical tenets to support the use of virtual 3-D learning environments in higher education and healthcare. PMID:18762473

Versatile, immersive, creative and dynamic virtual 3-D healthcare learning environments: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Hansen, Margaret M

2008-09-01

The author provides a critical overview of three-dimensional (3-D) virtual worlds and "serious gaming" that are currently being developed and used in healthcare professional education and medicine. The relevance of this e-learning innovation for teaching students and professionals is debatable and variables influencing adoption, such as increased knowledge, self-directed learning, and peer collaboration, by academics, healthcare professionals, and business executives are examined while looking at various Web 2.0/3.0 applications. There is a need for more empirical research in order to unearth the pedagogical outcomes and advantages associated with this e-learning technology. A brief description of Roger's Diffusion of Innovations Theory and Siemens' Connectivism Theory for today's learners is presented as potential underlying pedagogical tenets to support the use of virtual 3-D learning environments in higher education and healthcare.

Physical and virtual laboratories in science and engineering education.

PubMed

de Jong, Ton; Linn, Marcia C; Zacharia, Zacharias C

2013-04-19

The world needs young people who are skillful in and enthusiastic about science and who view science as their future career field. Ensuring that we will have such young people requires initiatives that engage students in interesting and motivating science experiences. Today, students can investigate scientific phenomena using the tools, data collection techniques, models, and theories of science in physical laboratories that support interactions with the material world or in virtual laboratories that take advantage of simulations. Here, we review a selection of the literature to contrast the value of physical and virtual investigations and to offer recommendations for combining the two to strengthen science learning.

Mobile devices, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Digital Geoscience Education.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crompton, H.; De Paor, D. G.; Whitmeyer, S. J.; Bentley, C.

2016-12-01

Mobile devices are playing an increasing role in geoscience education. Affordances include instructor-student communication and class management in large classrooms, virtual and augmented reality applications, digital mapping, and crowd-sourcing. Mobile technologies have spawned the sub field of mobile learning or m-learning, which is defined as learning across multiple contexts, through social and content interactions. Geoscientists have traditionally engaged in non-digital mobile learning via fieldwork, but digital devices are greatly extending the possibilities, especially for non-traditional students. Smartphones and tablets are the most common devices but smart glasses such as Pivothead enable live streaming of a first-person view (see for example, https://youtu.be/gWrDaYP5w58). Virtual reality headsets such as Google Cardboard create an immersive virtual field experience and digital imagery such as GigaPan and Structure from Motion enables instructors and/or students to create virtual specimens and outcrops that are sharable across the globe. Whereas virtual reality (VR) replaces the real world with a virtual representation, augmented reality (AR) overlays digital data on the live scene visible to the user in real time. We have previously reported on our use of the AR application called FreshAiR for geoscientific "egg hunts." The popularity of Pokémon Go demonstrates the potential of AR for mobile learning in the geosciences.

Workbooks to virtual worlds: a pilot study comparing educational tools to foster a culture of safety and respect in Ontario.

PubMed

Mallette, Claire; Duff, Margaret; McPhee, Carolyn; Pollex, Heather; Wood, Anya

2011-01-01

Nurses frequently experience horizontal violence in their interactions with nursing colleagues within the workplace. By definition, horizontal violence includes such disrespectful behaviours as intimidation, coercion, bullying, criticism, exclusion or belittling. Educational programs addressing horizontal violence have been developed, but few have been evaluated with respect to knowledge acquisition and transfer. The purpose of this paper is to describe an experimental effectiveness study, using a pre/post design with a control group (total N=164). The research evaluated an innovative educational program in which nurses, using avatars, role-played strategies to address horizontal violence within a virtual nursing unit developed on the Second Life platform. The results of participating in this program were compared with more traditional educational methodologies, such as a workbook and a self-directed e-learning module. While all strategies were perceived by participants as beneficial, the findings from this study suggest that learning through the self-directed e-learning module followed with practice in a virtual world is an effective way of acquiring knowledge, skills and abilities to better address horizontal violence.

NASA Virtual Conferences and Instruction Over the Internet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leon, Mark; McCurdy, Andrea; Wood, Charles

1997-01-01

Distance learning is not new. Since the time that radio has embellished our culture distance learning has taken on may forms. With the onset of television, video tape and satellite link ups the world of multimedia has taken a presence in our remote learning environment. Now in the information age new models for bring the best education to people through out the world is in its early stages. Recent "Information Age" technological developments have made key advancements to distance learning through the greater bandwidths now available over the Internet and a broader communications infrastructure that extends to classrooms throughout the country and the world. Further, new software compression technology allows audio and video to be communicated over the Internet much more efficiently. Larger amounts of data can be transferred to remote sites at less cost. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the use of state-of-art technology in the educational community. The focus will be on virtual conferences, virtual instruction and remote education. The techniques herein have been developed by NASA and the University of North Dakota(UND) through the use of existing software and hardware purchased in the United States. NASA has awarded UND a grant for continued research in this area based on their pioneering effort to date. NASA has been conducting "Virtual Conferences" from Ames Research Center in order to make unique educational opportunities available to participants across the country and internationally. Through the use of this technical approach, hundreds of teachers have been able to attend events where physical or financial barriers traditionally prevented their attendance. This technique is currently being adopted by industry due to its scaleable merit.

Effects of Transformational and Transactional Leadership on Cognitive Effort and Outcomes during Collaborative Learning within a Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahai, Surinder; Jestire, Rebecca; Huang, Rui

2013-01-01

Computer-supported collaborative learning is a common e-learning activity. Instructors have to create appropriate social and instructional interventions in order to promote effective learning. We performed a study that examined the effects of two popular leadership interventions, transformational and transactional, on cognitive effort and outcomes…

Role of virtual reality for cerebral palsy management.

PubMed

Weiss, Patrice L Tamar; Tirosh, Emanuel; Fehlings, Darcy

2014-08-01

Virtual reality is the use of interactive simulations to present users with opportunities to perform in virtual environments that appear, sound, and less frequently, feel similar to real-world objects and events. Interactive computer play refers to the use of a game where a child interacts and plays with virtual objects in a computer-generated environment. Because of their distinctive attributes that provide ecologically realistic and motivating opportunities for active learning, these technologies have been used in pediatric rehabilitation over the past 15 years. The ability of virtual reality to create opportunities for active repetitive motor/sensory practice adds to their potential for neuroplasticity and learning in individuals with neurologic disorders. The objectives of this article is to provide an overview of how virtual reality and gaming are used clinically, to present the results of several example studies that demonstrate their use in research, and to briefly remark on future developments. © The Author(s) 2014.

The use of virtual reality simulation of head trauma in a surgical boot camp.

PubMed

Vergara, Victor M; Panaiotis; Kingsley, Darra; Alverson, Dale C; Godsmith, Timothy; Xia, Shan; Caudell, Thomas P

2009-01-01

Surgical "boot camps" provide excellent opportunities to enhance orientation, learning, and preparation of new surgery interns as they enter the clinical arena. This paper describes the utilization of an interactive virtual reality (VR) simulation and associated virtual patient (VP) as an additional tool for surgical boot camps. Complementing other forms of simulation, virtual patients (VPs) require less specialized equipment and can also provide a wide variety of medical scenarios. In this paper we discuss a study that measured the learning effectiveness of a real-world VP simulation used by a class of new surgery interns who operated it with a standard computer interface. The usability of the simulator as a learning tool has been demonstrated and measured. This study brings the use of VR simulation with VPs closer to wider application and integration into a training curriculum, such as a surgery intern boot camp.

Affective Load and Engagement in Second Life: Experiencing Urgent, Persistent, and Long-Term Information Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nahl, Diane

2010-01-01

New users of virtual environments face a steep learning curve, requiring persistence and determination to overcome challenges experienced while acclimatizing to the demands of avatar-mediated behavior. Concurrent structured self-reports can be used to monitor the personal affective and cognitive struggles involved in virtual world adaptation to…

Undergraduate Management Students' Perceptions of What Makes a Successful Virtual Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gapp, Rod; Fisher, Ron

2012-01-01

Purpose: There are a number of factors that are essential to understanding the pedagogy, learning and knowledge requirements of developing virtual platforms for delivering effective course interaction using the World Wide Web (the web). The purpose of this paper is to focus on web-based group work amongst undergraduate management students, during…

Third-Graders Learn about Fractions Using Virtual Manipulatives: A Classroom Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reimer, Kelly; Moyer, Patricia S.

2005-01-01

With recent advances in computer technology, it is no surprise that the manipulation of objects in mathematics classrooms now includes the manipulation of objects on the computer screen. These objects, referred to as "virtual manipulatives," are essentially replicas of physical manipulatives placed on the World Wide Web in the form of computer…

A "Second Life" for Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waters, John K.

2009-01-01

In this article, the author talks about the 3D virtual world known as Second Life and its potential as a learning platform. In the last few years, many colleges, universities, and libraries have established resources in what has become the preeminent multiuser virtual environment. Today, more than 100 Second Life "regions" are used for educational…

Colonel Mustard in the Library with the Knife...Experiencing Virtual Teaming.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roebuck, Deborah Britt

Virtual teaming has come to stay in the fast developing world of communication as it brings more value to customers, saves costs, accelerates competence, and leverages organizational learning. Therefore, students need to be educated about this new type of team and the tools that are available to facilitate communication and to enhance…

Virtual Classroom for Business Planning Formulation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osorio, J.; Rubio-Royo, E.; Ocon, A.

One of the most promising possibilities of the World Wide Web resides in its potential to support distance education. In 1996, the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria developed the "INNOVA Project" in order to promote Web-based training and learning. As a result, the Virtual Classroom Interface (IVA) was created. Several software…

The Virtual Campus: Technology and Reform in Higher Education. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report, Volume 25, No. 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Dusen, Gerald C.

The "virtual campus" is a metaphor for the electronic teaching, learning, and research environment created by the convergence of several relatively new technologies including, but not restricted to, the Internet, World Wide Web, computer-mediated communication, video conferencing, multi-media, groupware, video-on-demand, desktop…

The James Webb Space Telescope RealWorld-InWorld Design Challenge: Involving Professionals in a Virtual Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masetti, Margaret; Bowers, S.

2011-01-01

Students around the country are becoming experts on the James Webb Space Telescope by designing solutions to two of the design challenges presented by this complex mission. RealWorld-InWorld has two parts; the first (the Real World portion) has high-school students working face to face in their classroom as engineers and scientists. The InWorld phase starts December 15, 2010 as interested teachers and their teams of high school students register to move their work into a 3D multi-user virtual world environment. At the start of this phase, college students from all over the country choose a registered team to lead InWorld. Each InWorld team is also assigned an engineer or scientist mentor. In this virtual world setting, each team refines their design solutions and creates a 3D model of the Webb telescope. InWorld teams will use 21st century tools to collaborate and build in the virtual world environment. Each team will learn, not only from their own team members, but will have the opportunity to interact with James Webb Space Telescope researchers through the virtual world setting, which allows for synchronous interactions. Halfway through the challenge, design solutions will be critiqued and a mystery problem will be introduced for each team. The top five teams will be invited to present their work during a synchronous Education Forum April 14, 2011. The top team will earn scholarships and technology. This is an excellent opportunity for professionals in both astronomy and associated engineering disciplines to become involved with a unique educational program. Besides the chance to mentor a group of interested students, there are many opportunities to interact with the students as a guest, via chats and presentations.

Generating Contextual Descriptions of Virtual Reality (VR) Spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olson, D. M.; Zaman, C. H.; Sutherland, A.

2017-12-01

Virtual reality holds great potential for science communication, education, and research. However, interfaces for manipulating data and environments in virtual worlds are limited and idiosyncratic. Furthermore, speech and vision are the primary modalities by which humans collect information about the world, but the linking of visual and natural language domains is a relatively new pursuit in computer vision. Machine learning techniques have been shown to be effective at image and speech classification, as well as at describing images with language (Karpathy 2016), but have not yet been used to describe potential actions. We propose a technique for creating a library of possible context-specific actions associated with 3D objects in immersive virtual worlds based on a novel dataset generated natively in virtual reality containing speech, image, gaze, and acceleration data. We will discuss the design and execution of a user study in virtual reality that enabled the collection and the development of this dataset. We will also discuss the development of a hybrid machine learning algorithm linking vision data with environmental affordances in natural language. Our findings demonstrate that it is possible to develop a model which can generate interpretable verbal descriptions of possible actions associated with recognized 3D objects within immersive VR environments. This suggests promising applications for more intuitive user interfaces through voice interaction within 3D environments. It also demonstrates the potential to apply vast bodies of embodied and semantic knowledge to enrich user interaction within VR environments. This technology would allow for applications such as expert knowledge annotation of 3D environments, complex verbal data querying and object manipulation in virtual spaces, and computer-generated, dynamic 3D object affordances and functionality during simulations.

Distributed Administration of Online Learning Accounts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gamrat, Betsy

2004-01-01

Distance learning is a vital part of today's educational environment. Using complex technology, schools are able to connect instructors and students across geographic, physical, and temporal boundaries. Sophisticated software and world-wide connectivity create virtual classrooms that span the globe. These large, accessible, asynchronous,…

Transactional Distance and Second Life: The Effects of Video Game Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkinson, Mark

2013-01-01

As a subset of distance education, online learning takes place primarily in learning management systems through asynchronous interaction, that can cause transactional distance between instructor and learners. This study investigated how transactional distance may be affected by the use of Second Life, a 3-D virtual world, as a learning environment…

The Design of Motivational Agents and Avatars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baylor, Amy L.

2011-01-01

While the addition of an anthropomorphic interface agent to a learning system generally has little direct impact on learning, it potentially has a huge impact on learner motivation. As such agents become increasingly ubiquitous on the Internet, in virtual worlds, and as interfaces for learning and gaming systems, it is important to design them to…

Enhancing and Transforming Global Learning Communities with Augmented Reality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frydenberg, Mark; Andone, Diana

2018-01-01

Augmented and virtual reality applications bring new insights to real world objects and scenarios. This paper shares research results of the TalkTech project, an ongoing study investigating the impact of learning about new technologies as members of global communities. This study shares results of a collaborative learning project about augmented…

Evaluating a "Second Life" Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Demonstrator Project: What Can We Learn?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaumont, Chris; Savin-Baden, Maggi; Conradi, Emily; Poulton, Terry

2014-01-01

This article reports the findings of a demonstrator project to evaluate how effectively Immersive Virtual Worlds (IVWs) could support problem-based learning. The project designed, created and evaluated eight scenarios within "Second Life" (SL) for undergraduate courses in health care management and paramedic training. Evaluation was…

Using Tangible Companions for Enhancing Learning English Conversation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Yi Hsuan; Young, Shelley S.-C.; Jang, Jyh-Shing Roger

2013-01-01

In this study, the researchers attempted to extend the concept of learning companions from the virtual world to the real physical environment and made a breakthrough in technique development of tangible learning robots. The aim of this study was to explore an innovative way by combining the speech recognition technology with educational robots in…

Using Five Stage Model to Design of Collaborative Learning Environments in Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orhan, Sevil; Karaman, M. Kemal

2014-01-01

Specifically Second Life (SL) among virtual worlds draws attention of researchers to form collaborative learning environments (Sutcliffe & Alrayes, 2012) since it could be used as a rich platform to simulate a real environment containing many collaborative learning characteristics and interaction tools within itself. Five Stage Model (FSM)…

The Third Place in Second Life: Real Life Community in a Virtual World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peachey, Anna

In June 2006 The Open University (OU) purchased its first land in Second LifeTM (SL). Over a two and a half year period, the OU presence evolved and grew to a point where an average of between 150 and 250 unique users in any 7-day period are active in an OU area. This chapter charts the history of the development of the OU Second Life social community and considers the nature of that activity at a point of critical change, in January 2009, shortly before a new island is developed to provide a permanent home for the community. In order for the community to continue evolving it is necessary to understand the nature of the core activities of these users, and to consider this in a context of sustainable development. Through reference to aspects of socialisation and physical community, the author proposes that a virtual world environment can be described using the physical world concept of a Third Place in the information age, and considers the value of virtual space to a learning community. From a perspective of ethnography, this chapter captures a community development within SL and proposes that physical world concepts of community and Third Place are exhibited in a virtual world, and that there are equivalent benefits in the sense of support and belonging to a virtual world community.

Online Learning in Higher Education: Necessary and Sufficient Conditions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Cher Ping

2005-01-01

The spectacular development of information and communication technologies through the Internet has provided opportunities for students to explore the virtual world of information. In this article, the author discusses the necessary and sufficient conditions for successful online learning in educational institutions. The necessary conditions…

Using virtual worlds for role play simulation in child and adolescent psychiatry: an evaluation study

PubMed Central

Vallance, Aaron K.; Hemani, Ashish; Fernandez, Victoria; Livingstone, Daniel; McCusker, Kerri; Toro-Troconis, Maria

2014-01-01

Aims and method To develop and evaluate a novel teaching session on clinical assessment using role play simulation. Teaching and research sessions occurred sequentially in computer laboratories. Ten medical students were divided into two online small-group teaching sessions. Students role-played as clinician avatars and the teacher played a suicidal adolescent avatar. Questionnaire and focus-group methodology evaluated participants’ attitudes to the learning experience. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS, qualitative data through nominal-group and thematic analyses. Results Participants reported improvements in psychiatric skills/knowledge, expressing less anxiety and more enjoyment than role-playing face to face. Data demonstrated a positive relationship between simulator fidelity and perceived utility. Some participants expressed concern about added value over other learning methods and non-verbal communication. Clinical implications The study shows that virtual worlds can successfully host role play simulation, valued by students as a useful learning method. The potential for distance learning would allow delivery irrespective of geographical distance and boundaries. PMID:25285217

Quantum Drama: Transforming Consciousness through Narrative and Roleplay.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin-Smith, Alistair

1995-01-01

Suggests that, through practical understanding of quantum theory, teachers can develop new role-play and narrative strategies, arguing that describing fictional worlds through narrative and exploring virtual worlds through role play can transform children's consciousness. Applies the quantum theory metaphor to drama, learning, and self-image.…

Schools Open Doors to New E-Learning Rules, Ideas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Week, 2012

2012-01-01

The world of virtual schooling is experiencing a host of major policy shifts that are opening doors for its expansion, but at the same time holding it up to greater scrutiny. This special report, the first in a three-part 2012-2013 series on virtual education, examines how state policymakers, educators, and schools are rethinking and changing the…

Determinants of Presence in 3D Virtual Worlds: A Structural Equation Modelling Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chow, Meyrick

2016-01-01

There is a growing body of evidence that feeling present in virtual environments contributes to effective learning. Presence is a psychological state of the user; hence, it is generally agreed that individual differences in user characteristics can lead to different experiences of presence. Despite the fact that user characteristics can play a…

Issues in E-Research: Log In/Out Virtual Fields

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pangeni, Shesha Kanta

2017-01-01

Evolution of technology and its tremendous use in education has changed the ways of educational services in higher education around the world. There is worldwide access to higher education through virtual learning environments. This is a new avenue for 21st century education and within a short time, it has been able to establish new culture of…

Caring in the Dynamics of Design and Languaging: Exploring Second Language Learning in 3D Virtual Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zheng, Dongping

2012-01-01

This study provides concrete evidence of ecological, dialogical views of languaging within the dynamics of coordination and cooperation in a virtual world. Beginning level second language learners of Chinese engaged in cooperative activities designed to provide them opportunities to refine linguistic actions by way of caring for others, for the…

Collaborative Science Learning in Three-Dimensional Immersive Virtual Worlds: Pre-Service Teachers' Experiences in Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nussli, Natalie; Oh, Kevin; McCandless, Kevin

2014-01-01

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to help pre-service teachers experience and evaluate the potential of Second Life, a three-dimensional immersive virtual environment, for potential integration into their future teaching. By completing collaborative assignments in Second Life, nineteen pre-service general education teachers explored an…

Where's the Chicken? Virtual Reality Brings Poultry Science to the Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kloepper, Marcia Owens; Zweiacher, Ed; Curtis, Pat; Evert, Amanda

2010-01-01

This article highlights how two institutions--Redlands Community College (RCC) and Auburn University--teamed up to create a virtual world called Eagle Island, where learners enter to learn all they need to know about poultry science. Eagle Island, located in Second Life, provides an opportunity to tour a real-life food processing…

Exploring 3-D Virtual Reality Technology for Spatial Ability and Chemistry Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merchant, Z.; Goetz, E. T.; Keeney-Kennicutt, W.; Cifuentes, L.; Kwok, O.; Davis, T. J.

2013-01-01

We investigated the potential of Second Life® (SL), a three-dimensional (3-D) virtual world, to enhance undergraduate students' learning of a vital chemistry concept. A quasi-experimental pre-posttest control group design was used to conduct the study. A total of 387 participants completed three assignment activities either in SL or using…

Learning at the Interstices; Locating Practical Philosophies for Understanding Physical/Virtual Inter-Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savin-Baden, M.; Falconer, L.

2016-01-01

Virtual worlds are relatively recent developments, and so it is tempting to believe that they need to be understood through newly developed theories and philosophies. However, humans have long thought about the nature of reality and what it means to be "real." This paper examines the three persistent philosophical concepts of Metaxis,…

Immersive participation: Smartphone-Apps and Virtual Reality - tools for knowledge transfer, citizen science and interactive collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dotterweich, Markus

2017-04-01

In the last few years, the use of smartphone-apps has become a daily routine in our life. However, only a few approaches have been undertaken to use apps for transferring scientific knowledge to the public audience. The development of learning apps or serious games requires large efforts and several levels of simplification which is different to traditional text books or learning webpages. Current approaches often lack a connection to the real life and/or innovative gamification concepts. Another almost untapped potential is the use of Virtual Reality, a fast growing technology which replicates a virtual environment in order to simulate physical experiences in artificial or real worlds. Hence, smartphone-apps and VR provides new opportunities for capacity building, knowledge transfer, citizen science or interactive engagement in the realm of environmental sciences. This presentation will show some examples and discuss the advantages of these immersive approaches to improve the knowledge transfer between scientists and citizens and to stimulate actions in the real world.

Designing for Interaction, Thinking and Academic Achievement in a Tanzanian Undergraduate Chemistry Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Msonde, Sydney Enock; Van Aalst, Jan

2017-01-01

Virtual learning environments are used in higher education around the world to promote student learning. However, in many countries it has not yielded the expected effect on student interaction and learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the use of certain pedagogical approaches would promote student interaction,…

Articulate Bodies: The Value of a Somatic Curriculum in a Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larimer, Amy

2016-01-01

Despite the acknowledgment of kinesthetic processing as a recognized learning style, physical or experiential learning generally plays a minor role in the required curriculum of educational institutions. Although the body is addressed in education from a cerebral point of view, what is often missing is the opportunity for students to learn about…

SeaTouch: A Haptic and Auditory Maritime Environment for Non Visual Cognitive Mapping of Blind Sailors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simonnet, Mathieu; Jacobson, Dan; Vieilledent, Stephane; Tisseau, Jacques

Navigating consists of coordinating egocentric and allocentric spatial frames of reference. Virtual environments have afforded researchers in the spatial community with tools to investigate the learning of space. The issue of the transfer between virtual and real situations is not trivial. A central question is the role of frames of reference in mediating spatial knowledge transfer to external surroundings, as is the effect of different sensory modalities accessed in simulated and real worlds. This challenges the capacity of blind people to use virtual reality to explore a scene without graphics. The present experiment involves a haptic and auditory maritime virtual environment. In triangulation tasks, we measure systematic errors and preliminary results show an ability to learn configurational knowledge and to navigate through it without vision. Subjects appeared to take advantage of getting lost in an egocentric “haptic” view in the virtual environment to improve performances in the real environment.

School and Situated Knowledge: Travel or Tourism?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Damarin, Suzanne K.

1993-01-01

Examines issues related to situated cognition and learning, both in the classroom and in the world. Topics discussed include educational theories; the situated nature of knowledge; the perception of experts; and the role of technology in situated learning, including virtual reality, hypertext, and telecommunications. (26 references) (LRW)

Constructing Virtual Worlds: Tracing the Historical Development of Learner Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barab, Sasha A.; Hay, Kenneth E.; Barnett, Michael; Squire, Kurt

2001-01-01

Explored learning and instruction within a technology-rich, collaborative, participatory learning environment by tracking the emergence of shared understanding and products through student and teacher practices. Found that becoming knowledgeably skillful with respect to a particular practice or concept is a multigenerational process, evolving in…

The Reality of Virtual Reality Product Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dever, Clark

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are emerging areas of research and product development in enterprise companies. This talk will discuss industry standard tools and current areas of application in the commercial market. Attendees will gain insights into how to research, design, and (most importantly) ship, world class products. The presentation will recount the lessons learned to date developing a Virtual Reality tool to solve physics problems resulting from trying to perform aircraft maintenance on ships at sea.

A Pilot Study of Motivational Interviewing Training in a Virtual World

PubMed Central

Heyden, Robin; Heyden, Neil; Schroy, Paul; Andrew, Stephen; Sadikova, Ekaterina; Wiecha, John

2011-01-01

Background Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based, patient-centered counseling strategy proven to support patients seeking health behavior change. Yet the time and travel commitment for MI training is often a barrier to the adoption of MI by health care professionals. Virtual worlds such as Second Life (SL) are rapidly becoming part of the educational technology landscape and offer not only the potential to improve access to MI training but also to deepen the MI training experience through the use of immersive online environments. Despite SL’s potential for medical education applications, little work is published studying its use for this purpose and still less is known of educational outcomes for physician training in MI using a virtual-world platform. Objective Our aims were to (1) explore the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a virtual-world platform for delivering MI training designed for physicians and (2) pilot test instructional designs using SL for MI training. Methods We designed and pilot tested an MI training program in the SL virtual world. We trained and enrolled 13 primary care physicians in a two-session, interactive program in SL on the use of MI for counseling patients about colorectal cancer screening. We measured self-reported changes in confidence and clinical practice patterns for counseling on colorectal cancer screening, and acceptability of the virtual-world learning environment and the MI instructional design. Effectiveness of the MI training was assessed by coding and scoring tape-recorded interviews with a blinded mock patient conducted pre- and post-training. Results A total of 13 physicians completed the training. Acceptability ratings for the MI training ranged from 4.1 to 4.7 on a 5-point scale. The SL learning environment was also highly rated, with 77% (n = 10) of the doctors reporting SL to be an effective educational medium. Learners’ confidence and clinical practice patterns for colorectal cancer screening improved after training. Pre- to post-training mean confidence scores for the ability to elicit and address barriers to colorectal cancer screening (4.5 to 6.2, P = .004) and knowledge of decision-making psychology (4.5 to 5.7, P = .02) and behavior change psychology (4.9 to 6.2, P = .02) increased significantly. Global MI skills scores increased significantly and component scores for the MI skills also increased, with statistically significant improvements in 4 of the 5 component skills: empathy (3.12 to 3.85, P = .001), autonomy (3.07 to 3.85, P < .001), collaboration (2.88 to 3.46, P = .02), and evocative response (2.80 to 3.61, P = .008). Conclusions The results of this pilot study suggest that virtual worlds offer the potential for a new medical education pedagogy that will enhance learning outcomes for patient-centered communication skills training. PMID:21946183

Review of Interactive Video--Romanian Project Proposal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onita, Mihai; Petan, Sorin; Vasiu, Radu

2016-01-01

In the recent years, the globalization and massification of video education offer involved more and more eLearning scenarios within universities. This article refers to interactive video and proposes an overview of it. We analyze the background information, regarding the eLearning campus used in virtual universities around the world, the MOOC…

Speaking Personally--With John "Pathfinder" Lester

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaubois, Terry

2013-01-01

John Lester is currently the chief learning officer at ReactionGrid, a software company developing 3-D simulations and multiuser virtual world platforms. Lester's background includes working with Linden Lab on Second Life's education activities and neuroscience research. His primary focus is on collaborative learning and instructional…

Lost in Second Life: Virtual Embodiment and Language Learning via Multimodal Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pasfield-Neofitou, Sarah; Huang, Hui; Grant, Scott

2015-01-01

Increased recognition of the role of the body and environment in cognition has taken place in recent decades in the form of new theories of embodied and extended cognition. The growing use of ever more sophisticated computer-generated 3D virtual worlds and avatars has added a new dimension to these theories of cognition. Both developments provide…

A Web 2.0 Vision, Web 2.0 Project Management and Real-World Student Learning in a Website Redevelopment Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKeon, Kelly; Thompson, Ellen

2008-01-01

The Arts Libraries Society of Australia and New Zealand (Arlis/ANZ) recently implemented a new web presence. More than just a website, it was envisaged as a web "identity", a virtual clubhouse where the Society could conduct its "virtual business" and where members could "meet" and contribute to the activities of…

A Learning Game for Youth Financial Literacy Education in the Teen Grid of Second Life Three-Dimensional Virtual Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Chang; Franklin, Teresa; Shelor, Roger; Ozercan, Sertac; Reuter, Jarrod; Ye, En; Moriarty, Scott

2011-01-01

Game-like three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds have become popular venues for youth to explore and interact with friends. To bring vital financial literacy education to them in places they frequent, a multi-disciplinary team of computer scientists, educators, and financial experts developed a youth-oriented financial literacy education game in…

Determining Virtual Environment "Fit": The Relationship between Navigation Style in a Virtual Field Trip, Student Self-Reported Desire to Visit the Field Trip Site in the Real World, and the Purposes of Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tutwiler, M. Shane; Lin, Ming-Chao; Chang, Chun-Yen

2013-01-01

In this study, a follow-up analysis of the data reported in Lin et al. ("Learn Media Technol." doi: 10.1080/17439884.2011.629660 , 2011), we investigated the relationship between student use of a virtual field trip (VFT) system and the probability of students reporting wanting to visit the national park site upon which the VFT was modeled,…

Creating Online Content with Real World Application by Designing and Implementing Online Practicums for Virtual and Physical Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrett, Bob

2012-01-01

Universities need to assess student learning in order to determine if they are reaching the needs of the students, linking learning to course objectives, and determining if their courses have academic rigor. While many courses focus on the immediate course learning objectives, the use of final program projects and program assessments are becoming…

Scientific Habits of Mind in Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinkuehler, Constance; Duncan, Sean

2008-01-01

In today's increasingly "flat" world of globalization (Friedman 2005), the need for a scientifically literate citizenry has grown more urgent. Yet, by some measures, we have done a poor job at fostering "scientific habits of mind" in schools. Recent research on informal games-based learning indicates that such technologies and the communities they…

No Longer Conveyor but Creator: Developing an Epistemology of the World Wide Web.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trombley, Laura E. Skandera; Flanagan, William G.

2001-01-01

Discusses the impact of the World Wide Web in terms of epistemology. Topics include technological innovations, including new dimensions of virtuality; the accessibility of information; tracking Web use via cookies; how the Web transforms the process of learning and knowing; linking information sources; and the Web as an information delivery…

Virtual-Recitation: A World Wide Web Based Approach to Active Learning in Clinical Pharmacokinetics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodward, Donald K.

1998-01-01

Describes implementation, evaluation of World Wide Web-based component in a Rutgers University (New Jersey) advanced clinical pharmacokinetics course. Scheduling accommodated nontraditional students; each week Web pages providing review and supplementary material and an online quiz were posted after class. Comparison with the previous year's…

Bringing 21st Century Learning to the High School Classroom: Program Evaluation on Pedagogical Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Travis, Michael G.

2013-01-01

Children today are born into a world with endless amounts of information at their fingertips, the ability to instantly connect with others, and smartphones with an app for virtually everything. It is a world that is vastly different than that of their parents or grandparents. As these students sit in classrooms all over the world, their teachers…

Virtual worlds and avatars as the new frontier of telehealth care.

PubMed

Morie, J; Haynes, E; Chance, E; Purohit, D

2012-01-01

We are entering a new age where people routinely visit, inhabit, play in and learn within virtual worlds (VWs). One in eight people worldwide are VW participants, according to the latest 2011 figures from KZERO [1]. VWs are also emerging as a new and advanced form of telehealth care delivery. In addition to existing telehealth care advantages; VWs feature three powerful affordances that can benefit a wide range of physical and psychological issues. First, the highly social nature of VWs encourages social networking and the formation of essential support groups. Secondly, the type of spaces that have been proven in the physical world to promote psychological health and well-being can be virtually recreated. Finally, research suggests that embodied avatar representation within VWs can affect users psychologically and physically. These three aspects of VWs can be leveraged for enhanced patient-client interactions, spaces that promote healing and positive responses, and avatar activities that transfer real benefits from the virtual to the physical world. This paper explains the mounting evidence behind these claims and provides examples of VWs as an innovative and compelling form of telehealth care destined to become commonplace in the future.

Virtual reality, disability and rehabilitation.

PubMed

Wilson, P N; Foreman, N; Stanton, D

1997-06-01

Virtual reality, or virtual environment computer technology, generates simulated objects and events with which people can interact. Existing and potential applications for this technology in the field of disability and rehabilitation are discussed. The main benefits identified for disabled people are that they can engage in a range of activities in a simulator relatively free from the limitations imposed by their disability, and they can do so in safety. Evidence that the knowledge and skills acquired by disabled individuals in simulated environments can transfer to the real world is presented. In particular, spatial information and life skills learned in a virtual environment have been shown to transfer to the real world. Applications for visually impaired people are discussed, and the potential for medical interventions and the assessment and treatment of neurological damage are considered. Finally some current limitations of the technology, and ethical concerns in relation to disability, are discussed.

Incorporating "Virtual" and "Real World" Field Trips into Introductory Geography Modules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friess, Daniel A.; Oliver, Grahame J. H.; Quak, Michelle S. Y.; Lau, Annie Y. A.

2016-01-01

The "field trip" is a key pedagogical tool within geographical education to encourage deep learning, though they are increasingly difficult to implement due to reduced budgets, safety concerns and increasing class sizes. We incorporated three field-learning activities into a large introductory module. A traditional staff-led trip was the…

Learning Languages in 3D Worlds with Machinima

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Christel

2016-01-01

This paper, based on the findings of the EU funded CAMELOT project (2013-2015), explores the added value of Machinima (videos produced in 3D virtual environments) in language learning. The project research evaluated all stages, from developing to field testing Machinima. To achieve the best outcome, mixed methods were used for the research,…

Collaboration through Role Play among Graduate Students in Educational Leadership in Distance Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Barbara B.; McClannon, Terry W.; Wallace, Paul R.

2014-01-01

This project addresses the challenge of preparing educational leaders for future roles in administration in K-12 schools. Through a project-based learning scenario set in a 3-D virtual world, graduate students in school administration and instructional technology worked together in simulated school teams to develop proposals for integrating…

Blended Identities: Identity Work, Equity and Marginalization in Blended Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heikoop, Will

2013-01-01

This article is a theoretical study of the self-presentation strategies employed by higher education students online; it examines student identity work via profile information and avatars in a blended learning environment delivered through social networking sites and virtual worlds. It argues that students are faced with difficult choices when…

Designerly Talk in Non-Pedagogical Social Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Colin M.; Howard, Craig D.

2014-01-01

Students live and work in worlds where virtual communities, such as those created via social network sites (e.g. Facebook) may interplay with their formal learning, but scholars of design pedagogy know little about how these spaces can support design learning. In this study, we describe how a set of informal communications, encapsulated in five…

Virtual Learning Worlds as a Bridge between Arts and Humanities and Science and Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunning, Jeremy; Bhattacharya, Sunand; Daniels, David; Dunning, Katherine

2007-01-01

Science and technology, when applied to educational excellence, have become part of the arts and humanities of tomorrow. The interactive multimedia technology tools available to educators today provide an opportunity to build into the distance or traditional course through learning objects, highly interactive experiential exercises that allow the…

A Critical Analysis of Hypermedia and Virtual Learning Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, Kevin M.

The use of hypermedia in education is supported by cognitive flexibility theory which indicates transfer of knowledge to real-world settings is improved when that material is learned in a case-based, associative network emphasizing complexity and links to related information. Hypermedia is further assumed to benefit education, because it resembles…

Join the Flock!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Hadley

2010-01-01

A professional learning network (PLN) is a community of individuals around the world who are learning together. They can start out as strangers, people one couldn't pick out in a crowded room. But Twitter, the virtual meeting place where one's PLN comes together, helps these strangers come together to create a community built on communication and…

Travels towards Problem Based Learning in Medical Education (VPBL).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowdish, Bruce E.; Chauvin, Sheila W.; Kreisman, Norman; Britt, Mike

2003-01-01

Reports results of an investigation of the effectiveness of a prototype virtual problem-based learning (VPBL) exercise delivered via the World Wide Web to first year medical students. Compares the VPBL and a text-based version of the same exercise on students' achievement and examines instructional design issues including learner control and…

Earth Science Learning in SMALLab: A Design Experiment for Mixed Reality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birchfield, David; Megowan-Romanowicz, Colleen

2009-01-01

Conversational technologies such as email, chat rooms, and blogs have made the transition from novel communication technologies to powerful tools for learning. Currently virtual worlds are undergoing the same transition. We argue that the next wave of innovation is at the level of the computer interface, and that mixed-reality environments offer…

Mixed Reality Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marty, Jean-Charles; Carron, Thibault; Pernelle, Philippe; Talbot, Stéphane; Houzet, Gregory

2015-01-01

The authors' research work deals with the development of new game-based learning (gbl) environments. They think that the way of acquiring knowledge during a learning session is similar to following an adventure in a role-playing game and they apply the metaphor of exploring a virtual world, where each student embarks on a quest in order to collect…

Army Learning Concept 2015: These Are Not the Droids You Are Looking For

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-07

instruction, gaming, video , interactive multimedia instruction, virtual worlds, massively multiplayer online games, simulations, and others.” A wide...games, buying stuff on E-Bay and surfing the net for porn ? “These are not the “an” droids we are looking for…” 24 ALC 2015 should enhance learning

Second Life: Creating Worlds of Wonder for Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ocasio, Michelle A.

2016-01-01

This article describes Second Life, a three-dimensional virtual environment in which a user creates an avatar for the purpose of socializing, learning, developing skills, and exploring a variety of academic and social areas. Since its inception in 2003, Second Life has been used by educators to build and foster innovative learning environments and…

Linking Immersive Virtual Field Trips with an Adaptive Learning Platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruce, G.; Taylor, W.; Anbar, A. D.; Semken, S. C.; Buxner, S.; Mead, C.; El-Moujaber, E.; Summons, R. E.; Oliver, C.

2016-12-01

The use of virtual environments in science education has been constrained by the difficulty of guiding a learner's actions within the those environments. In this work, we demonstrate how advances in education software technology allow educators to create interactive learning experiences that respond and adapt intelligently to learner input within the virtual environment. This innovative technology provides a far greater capacity for delivering authentic inquiry-driven educational experiences in unique settings from around the world. Our immersive virtual field trips (iVFT) bring students virtually to geologically significant but inaccessible environments, where they learn through authentic practices of scientific inquiry. In one recent example, students explore the fossil beds in Nilpena, South Australia to learn about the Ediacaran fauna. Students interactively engage in 360° recreations of the environment, uncover the nature of the historical ecosystem by identifying fossils with a dichotomous key, explore actual fossil beds in high resolution imagery, and reconstruct what an ecosystem might have looked like millions of years ago in an interactive simulation. With the new capacity to connect actions within the iVFT to an intelligent tutoring system, these learning experiences can be tracked, guided, and tailored individually to the immediate actions of the student. This new capacity also has great potential for learning designers to take a data-driven approach to lesson improvement and for education researchers to study learning in virtual environments. Thus, we expect iVFT will be fertile ground for novel research. Such iVFT are currently in use in several introductory classes offered online at Arizona State University in anthropology, introductory biology, and astrobiology, reaching thousands of students to date. Drawing from these experiences, we are designing a curriculum for historical geology that will be built around iVFT-based exploration of Earth history.

The Effect of 3D Virtual Learning Environment on Secondary School Third Grade Students' Attitudes toward Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simsek, Irfan

2016-01-01

With this research, in Second Life environment which is a three dimensional online virtual world, it is aimed to reveal the effects of student attitudes toward mathematics courses and design activities which will enable the third grade students of secondary school (primary education seventh grade) to see the 3D objects in mathematics courses in a…

Experiencing Soil Science from your office through virtual experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beato, M. Carmen; González-Merino, Ramón; Campillo, M. Carmen; Fernández-Ahumada, Elvira; Ortiz, Leovigilda; Taguas, Encarnación V.; Guerrero, José Emilio

2017-04-01

Currently, numerous tools based on the new information and communication technologies offer a wide range of possibilities for the implementation of interactive methodologies in Education and Science. In particular, virtual reality and immersive worlds - artificially generated computer environments where users interact through a figurative individual that represents them in that environment (their "avatar") - have been identified as the technology that will change the way we live, particularly in educational terms, product development and entertainment areas (Schmorrow, 2009). Gisbert-Cervera et al. (2011) consider that the 3D worlds in education, among others, provide a unique training and exchange of knowledge environment which allows a goal reflection to support activities and achieve learning outcomes. In Soil Sciences, the experimental component is essential to acquire the necessary knowledge to understand the biogeochemical processes taking place and their interactions with time, climate, topography and living organisms present. In this work, an immersive virtual environment which reproduces a series of pits have been developed to evaluate and differentiate soil characteristics such as texture, structure, consistency, color and other physical-chemical and biological properties for educational purposes. Bibliographical material such as pictures, books, papers and were collected in order to classify the information needed and to build the soil profiles into the virtual environment. The programming language for the virtual recreation was Unreal Engine4 (UE4; https://www.unrealengine.com/unreal-engine-4). This program was chosen because it provides two toolsets for programmers and it can also be used in tandem to accelerate development workflows. In addition, Unreal Engine4 technology powers hundreds of games as well as real-time 3D films, training simulations, visualizations and it creates very realistic graphics. For the evaluation of its impact and its usefulness in teaching, a series of surveys will be presented to undergraduate students and teachers. REFERENCES: Gisbert-Cervera M, Esteve-Gonzalez V., Camacho-Marti M.M. (2011). Delve into the Deep: Learning Potential in Metaverses and 3D Worlds. eLearning (25) Papers ISSN: 1887-1542 Schmorrow D.D. (2009). Why virtual? Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science 10(3): 279-282.

The role of physicality in rich programming environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Allison S.; Schunn, Christian D.; Flot, Jesse; Shoop, Robin

2013-12-01

Computer science proficiency continues to grow in importance, while the number of students entering computer science-related fields declines. Many rich programming environments have been created to motivate student interest and expertise in computer science. In the current study, we investigated whether a recently created environment, Robot Virtual Worlds (RVWs), can be used to teach computer science principles within a robotics context by examining its use in high-school classrooms. We also investigated whether the lack of physicality in these environments impacts student learning by comparing classrooms that used either virtual or physical robots for the RVW curriculum. Results suggest that the RVW environment leads to significant gains in computer science knowledge, that virtual robots lead to faster learning, and that physical robots may have some influence on algorithmic thinking. We discuss the implications of physicality in these programming environments for learning computer science.

The virtues of the virtual world. Enhancing the technology/knowledge professional interface for life-long learning.

PubMed

Koerner, JoEllen Goertz

2003-01-01

Nurses are quintessential learners. Nested between the fields of science and technology, the professional mandate for life-long learning has never been greater. The expanding demands for performance and quality coupled with the reality of diminishing time and resources increasingly frustrate and challenge providers in the field. By blending the best of current training and education with the emerging potential of virtual learning, new models for enhancing clinical reasoning and performance will simplify the challenges of complexity, moving it to higher order. In this transition lies the key to restoring the joy and commitment of professional practice while enhancing the capacity to care with competence.

Innovation in weight loss programs: a 3-dimensional virtual-world approach.

PubMed

Johnston, Jeanne D; Massey, Anne P; Devaneaux, Celeste A

2012-09-20

The rising trend in obesity calls for innovative weight loss programs. While behavioral-based face-to-face programs have proven to be the most effective, they are expensive and often inaccessible. Internet or Web-based weight loss programs have expanded reach but may lack qualities critical to weight loss and maintenance such as human interaction, social support, and engagement. In contrast to Web technologies, virtual reality technologies offer unique affordances as a behavioral intervention by directly supporting engagement and active learning. To explore the effectiveness of a virtual-world weight loss program relative to weight loss and behavior change. We collected data from overweight people (N = 54) participating in a face-to-face or a virtual-world weight loss program. Weight, body mass index (BMI), percentage weight change, and health behaviors (ie, weight loss self-efficacy, physical activity self-efficacy, self-reported physical activity, and fruit and vegetable consumption) were assessed before and after the 12-week program. Repeated measures analysis was used to detect differences between groups and across time. A total of 54 participants with a BMI of 32 (SD 6.05) kg/m(2)enrolled in the study, with a 13% dropout rate for each group (virtual world group: 5/38; face-to-face group: 3/24). Both groups lost a significant amount of weight (virtual world: 3.9 kg, P < .001; face-to-face: 2.8 kg, P = .002); however, no significant differences between groups were detected (P = .29). Compared with baseline, the virtual-world group lost an average of 4.2%, with 33% (11/33) of the participants losing a clinically significant (≥5%) amount of baseline weight. The face-to-face group lost an average of 3.0% of their baseline weight, with 29% (6/21) losing a clinically significant amount. We detected a significant group × time interaction for moderate (P = .006) and vigorous physical activity (P = .008), physical activity self-efficacy (P = .04), fruit and vegetable consumption (P = .007), and weight loss self-efficacy (P < .001). Post hoc paired t tests indicated significant improvements across all of the variables for the virtual-world group. Overall, these results offer positive early evidence that a virtual-world-based weight loss program can be as effective as a face-to-face one relative to biometric changes. In addition, our results suggest that a virtual world may be a more effective platform to influence meaningful behavioral changes and improve self-efficacy.

Innovation in Weight Loss Programs: A 3-Dimensional Virtual-World Approach

PubMed Central

Massey, Anne P; DeVaneaux, Celeste A

2012-01-01

Background The rising trend in obesity calls for innovative weight loss programs. While behavioral-based face-to-face programs have proven to be the most effective, they are expensive and often inaccessible. Internet or Web-based weight loss programs have expanded reach but may lack qualities critical to weight loss and maintenance such as human interaction, social support, and engagement. In contrast to Web technologies, virtual reality technologies offer unique affordances as a behavioral intervention by directly supporting engagement and active learning. Objective To explore the effectiveness of a virtual-world weight loss program relative to weight loss and behavior change. Methods We collected data from overweight people (N = 54) participating in a face-to-face or a virtual-world weight loss program. Weight, body mass index (BMI), percentage weight change, and health behaviors (ie, weight loss self-efficacy, physical activity self-efficacy, self-reported physical activity, and fruit and vegetable consumption) were assessed before and after the 12-week program. Repeated measures analysis was used to detect differences between groups and across time. Results A total of 54 participants with a BMI of 32 (SD 6.05) kg/m2 enrolled in the study, with a 13% dropout rate for each group (virtual world group: 5/38; face-to-face group: 3/24). Both groups lost a significant amount of weight (virtual world: 3.9 kg, P < .001; face-to-face: 2.8 kg, P = .002); however, no significant differences between groups were detected (P = .29). Compared with baseline, the virtual-world group lost an average of 4.2%, with 33% (11/33) of the participants losing a clinically significant (≥5%) amount of baseline weight. The face-to-face group lost an average of 3.0% of their baseline weight, with 29% (6/21) losing a clinically significant amount. We detected a significant group × time interaction for moderate (P = .006) and vigorous physical activity (P = .008), physical activity self-efficacy (P = .04), fruit and vegetable consumption (P = .007), and weight loss self-efficacy (P < .001). Post hoc paired t tests indicated significant improvements across all of the variables for the virtual-world group. Conclusions Overall, these results offer positive early evidence that a virtual-world-based weight loss program can be as effective as a face-to-face one relative to biometric changes. In addition, our results suggest that a virtual world may be a more effective platform to influence meaningful behavioral changes and improve self-efficacy. PMID:22995535

Key Success Factors of eLearning in Education: A Professional Development Model to Evaluate and Support eLearning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

FitzPatrick, Thaddeus

2012-01-01

Technology has changed the way that we live our lives. Interaction across continents has become a forefront of everyday engagement. With ongoing enhancements of technology, people are now able to communicate and learn in a virtual environment similar to that of the real world interaction. These improvements are shared in the field of education,…

Teaching with technology: free Web resources for teaching and learning.

PubMed

Wink, Diane M; Smith-Stoner, Marilyn

2011-01-01

In this bimonthly series, the department editor examines how nurse educators can use Internet and Web-based computer technologies such as search, communication, collaborative writing tools; social networking, and social bookmarking sites; virtual worlds; and Web-based teaching and learning programs. In this article, the department editor and her coauthor describe free Web-based resources that can be used to support teaching and learning.

Implementation Fest: The Last Decade

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-01

architectures New Learning Technologies  Simulations, games, and virtual world  Mobile systems  Performance support, S1000D tech manuals  Intelligent...Darwars Ambush (ECS) Gator 6 (Will Interactive) Games Today 22 VBS2 Enhanced Learning Environment using Creative Technology – Bilateral Negotiations...5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Advanced Decision Learning (ADL),1901 N. Beauregard Street Suite 600

A Virtual Learning Environment for Part-Time MASW Students: An Evaluation of the WebCT

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Charles C.; Tsui, Ming-sum; Chan, Mandy Y. C.; Hong, Joe H.

2008-01-01

This study aims to evaluate the perception of a cohort of social workers studying for a part-time master's program in social work in using the popular Web-based learning platform--World Wide Web Course Tools (WebCT) as a complimentary method of teaching and learning. It was noted that social work profession began incorporating computer technology…

Evaluating the Usability of Pinchigator, a system for Navigating Virtual Worlds using Pinch Gloves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamilton, George S.; Brookman, Stephen; Dumas, Joseph D. II; Tilghman, Neal

2003-01-01

Appropriate design of two dimensional user interfaces (2D U/I) utilizing the well known WIMP (Window, Icon, Menu, Pointing device) environment for computer software is well studied and guidance can be found in several standards. Three-dimensional U/I design is not nearly so mature as 2D U/I, and standards bodies have not reached consensus on what makes a usable interface. This is especially true when the tools for interacting with the virtual environment may include stereo viewing, real time trackers and pinch gloves instead of just a mouse & keyboard. Over the last several years the authors have created a 3D U/I system dubbed Pinchigator for navigating virtual worlds based on the dVise dV/Mockup visualization software, Fakespace Pinch Gloves and Pohlemus trackers. The current work is to test the usability of the system on several virtual worlds, suggest improvements to increase Pinchigator s usability, and then to generalize about what was learned and how those lessons might be applied to improve other 3D U/I systems.

Children's Literature as a Springboard to Place-Based Embodied Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wason-Ellam, Linda

2010-01-01

Globalization makes living in the world more complex. Many children live as social cyborgs attached to the digital spaces of the virtual play worlds of television, video and computer games rather than connected to their own local places. The impact of this change may well be that children lack acquaintance with their local places and may never…

Motor learning from virtual reality to natural environments in individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

PubMed

Quadrado, Virgínia Helena; Silva, Talita Dias da; Favero, Francis Meire; Tonks, James; Massetti, Thais; Monteiro, Carlos Bandeira de Mello

2017-11-10

To examine whether performance improvements in the virtual environment generalize to the natural environment. we had 64 individuals, 32 of which were individuals with DMD and 32 were typically developing individuals. The groups practiced two coincidence timing tasks. In the more tangible button-press task, the individuals were required to 'intercept' a falling virtual object at the moment it reached the interception point by pressing a key on the computer. In the more abstract task, they were instructed to 'intercept' the virtual object by making a hand movement in a virtual environment using a webcam. For individuals with DMD, conducting a coincidence timing task in a virtual environment facilitated transfer to the real environment. However, we emphasize that a task practiced in a virtual environment should have higher rates of difficulties than a task practiced in a real environment. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Virtual environments can be used to promote improved performance in ?real-world? environments. Virtual environments offer the opportunity to create paradigms similar ?real-life? tasks, however task complexity and difficulty levels can be manipulated, graded and enhanced to increase likelihood of success in transfer of learning and performance. Individuals with DMD, in particular, showed immediate performance benefits after using virtual reality.

Immersive Environments - A Connectivist Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loureiro, Ana; Bettencourt, Teresa

We are conducting a research project with the aim of achieving better and more efficient ways to facilitate teaching and learning in Higher Level Education. We have chosen virtual environments, with particular emphasis to Second Life® platform augmented by web 2.0 tools, to develop the study. The Second Life® environment has some interesting characteristics that captured our attention, it is immersive; it is a real world simulator; it is a social network; it allows real time communication, cooperation, collaboration and interaction; it is a safe and controlled environment. We specifically chose tools from web 2.0 that enable sharing and collaborative way of learning. Through understanding the characteristics of this learning environment, we believe that immersive learning along with other virtual tools can be integrated in today's pedagogical practices.

Enhancing a Multi-body Mechanism with Learning-Aided Cues in an Augmented Reality Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh Sidhu, Manjit

2013-06-01

Augmented Reality (AR) is a potential area of research for education, covering issues such as tracking and calibration, and realistic rendering of virtual objects. The ability to augment real world with virtual information has opened the possibility of using AR technology in areas such as education and training as well. In the domain of Computer Aided Learning (CAL), researchers have long been looking into enhancing the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process by providing cues that could assist learners to better comprehend the materials presented. Although a number of works were done looking into the effectiveness of learning-aided cues, but none has really addressed this issue for AR-based learning solutions. This paper discusses the design and model of an AR based software that uses visual cues to enhance the learning process and the outcome perception results of the cues.

Using Web 2.0 Technology to Enhance, Scaffold and Assess Problem-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hack, Catherine

2013-01-01

Web 2.0 technologies, such as social networks, wikis, blogs, and virtual worlds provide a platform for collaborative working, facilitating sharing of resources and joint document production. They can act as a stimulus to promote active learning and provide an engaging and interactive environment for students, and as such align with the philosophy…

An Investigation of the Role of Background Music in IVWs for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards, Debbie; Fassbender, Eric; Bilgin, Ayse; Thompson, William Forde

2008-01-01

Empirical evidence is needed to corroborate the intuitions of gamers and game developers in understanding the benefits of Immersive Virtual Worlds (IVWs) as a learning environment and the role that music plays within these environments. We report an investigation to determine if background music of the genre typically found in computer-based…

Learning Anatomy via Mobile Augmented Reality: Effects on Achievement and Cognitive Load

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Küçük, Sevda; Kapakin, Samet; Göktas, Yüksel

2016-01-01

Augmented reality (AR), a new generation of technology, has attracted the attention of educators in recent years. In this study, a MagicBook was developed for a neuroanatomy topic by using mobile augmented reality (mAR) technology. This technology integrates virtual learning objects into the real world and allow users to interact with the…

Information Technology & Multimedia in English Language Teaching. Selected Papers from the ITMELT '99 Conference (Hong Kong, November 6-7, 1999).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Bruce, Ed.; Cruikshank, Don, Ed.; Gardner, David, Ed.; James, Jeff, Ed.; Keobke, Ken, Ed.

This edited volume of conference papers includes the following: "The Mystery Photo Album: Defining a CALL Paradigm" (Ken Keobke); "Lexicon-Driven Learning on the Internet: A Design Strategy for a World Wide Web 'Virtual Language Learning Classroom'" (Chris Greaves); "Giving Students Something To Do with Concordance…

Language Learning Effects through the Integration of Synchronous Online Communication: The Case of Video Communication and Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canto, Silvia; Jauregi Ondarra, Kristi

2017-01-01

This article attempts to shed some light on the possible learning benefits for language acquisition and intercultural development of authentic social interaction with expert peers through computer mediated communication (CMC) tools. The environments used in this study are video communication and the 3D virtual world "Second Life." For…

Learning Protein Structure with Peers in an AR-Enhanced Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Yu-Chien

2013-01-01

Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive system that allows users to interact with virtual objects and the real world at the same time. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore how AR, as a new visualization tool, that can demonstrate spatial relationships by representing three dimensional objects and animations, facilitates students to…

Learning Outcome, Presence and Satisfaction from a Science Activity in Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vrellis, Ioannis; Avouris, Nikolaos; Mikropoulos, Tassos A.

2016-01-01

Although problem-based learning (PBL) has many advantages, it often fails to connect to the real world outside the classroom. The integration with the laboratory setting and the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been proposed to address this deficiency. Multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) like Second Life (SL) are…

Content Analysis Study of E-Learning Literature Based on Scopus Record through 2013: With a Focus on the Place of Iran's Productions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asadzandi, Shadi; Rakhshani, Tayebeh; Mohammadi, Aeen

2017-01-01

Background: Topic of e-learning and virtual university in recent years is one of the important applications of information and communication technology in the world and most famous universities in the field of education development have done important steps. For as much as the importance of learning and development in every community, and to keep…

A Conceptual Framework of Virtual Interactive Teacher Training through Open and Distance Learning for the Remote Areas English Teachers of Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parvin, Irene

2017-01-01

Since we are living in the information age and the importance of the need for communication among people of different cultures is increasing day by day in the globalizing world, people need to learn the languages of different cultures, particularly English, which is the common language of this global communication. This need for learning English…

Learning to Argue in a Connected World: The Arc of Productive Disciplinary Engagement in a High School Academic Social Network

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teske, Paul Robert-John

2014-01-01

Calls to virtually break down school walls through connected and blended learning environments are ubiquitous as of late as technologies in service of learning evolve and as schools are under pressure to change. Within the subject area of English Language Arts, there is a dearth of research or information on how to facilitate these new, digitally…

3D Simulation as a Learning Environment for Acquiring the Skill of Self-Management: An Experience Involving Spanish University Students of Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cela-Ranilla, Jose María; Esteve-Gonzalez, Vanessa; Esteve-Mon, Francesc; Gisbert-Cervera, Merce

2014-01-01

In this study we analyze how 57 Spanish university students of Education developed a learning process in a virtual world by conducting activities that involved the skill of self-management. The learning experience comprised a serious game designed in a 3D simulation environment. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were used in the…

Not Just a Game … When We Play Together, We Learn Together: Interactive Virtual Environments and Gaming Engines for Geospatial Visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shipman, J. S.; Anderson, J. W.

2017-12-01

An ideal tool for ecologists and land managers to investigate the impacts of both projected environmental changes and policy alternatives is the creation of immersive, interactive, virtual landscapes. As a new frontier in visualizing and understanding geospatial data, virtual landscapes require a new toolbox for data visualization that includes traditional GIS tools and uncommon tools such as the Unity3d game engine. Game engines provide capabilities to not only explore data but to build and interact with dynamic models collaboratively. These virtual worlds can be used to display and illustrate data that is often more understandable and plausible to both stakeholders and policy makers than is achieved using traditional maps.Within this context we will present funded research that has been developed utilizing virtual landscapes for geographic visualization and decision support among varied stakeholders. We will highlight the challenges and lessons learned when developing interactive virtual environments that require large multidisciplinary team efforts with varied competences. The results will emphasize the importance of visualization and interactive virtual environments and the link with emerging research disciplines within Visual Analytics.

Effects of age on associating virtual and embodied toys.

PubMed

Okita, Sandra Y

2004-08-01

Technologies such as videos, toys, and video games are used as tools in delivering education to young children. Do children spontaneously transfer between virtual and real-world mediums as they learn? Fifty-six children learned facts about a toy dog presented through varying levels of technology and interactivity (e.g., video game, stuffed animal, picture books). They then met a similar dog character in a new embodiment (e.g., as a stuffed animal if first met the dog as video character). Would children spontaneously generalize the facts they learned about the dog character across mediums (dynamic and static environments)? Results indicate that younger children were more likely to generalize facts across mediums. Specific aspects of the level of technology and interactivity had little effect.

Abstract to Action: Targeted Learning System Theory Applied to Adaptive Flight Training

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-04-18

complete the VRLE trained task in the real world confirming a good transfer of spatial knowledge from VR to reality.39 A VRLE was also used in a...opportunities if the technology was customized to produce the necessary datasets for the required education or training outcomes. The TLST maximizes...the simulator staging area to confirm your Virtual Reality training times. Good Luck! ` 92 Pre-Virtual Reality (VR) Instructions You are

Simulation-Based Learning: Workshops for Researchers and Educators in the Western United States, and the Pacific Rim

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

Artificial Intelligence Walter Greenleaf, Greenleaf Medical Applications in Rehabilitation Medicine Workshop 4: 12/14-5/07 SUMMIT/TATRC...Applications in Medicine; 1-day Long Beach, CA – MMVR 118 people 1/25/05 2 MEDICAL-SURGICAL TRAINING WITH VIDEOGAMES ; ½-day Portland, OR...for Modeling Virtual Patients Parvati Dev " Intelligent " characters in Virtual World Lou Halamek, Stanford Debriefing- After Action Review

Motivation, Empowerment, and Innovation: Teachers' Beliefs about How Participating in the Edmodo Math Subject Community Shapes Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trust, Torrey

2017-01-01

Educators around the world participate in virtual communities, social media sites, and online networks in order to gain support and ideas for improving their practice. Many researchers have explored how and why teachers participate in these online spaces; however, there is limited research on how participation might impact teaching and learning.…

A Study of English Mobile Learning Applications at National Chengchi University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Che, Pei-Chun; Lin, Han-Yi; Jang, Hung-Chin; Lien, Yao-Nan; Tsai, Tzu-Chieh

2009-01-01

The pervasive popularity of the Internet in the past decade has changed the way many students live and learn, in part, because modern technology has made it possible for learners to access Real-Time Multimedia information on the Internet, or research any topic of interest to them from virtually any computer anywhere in the world. Students can also…

The Library of Birmingham Project: Lifelong Learning for the Digital Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blewitt, John; Gambles, Brian

2010-01-01

The Library of Birmingham (LoB) is a 193 million British pounds project designed to provide a new space for lifelong learning and knowledge growth, a physical and virtual portal for Birmingham's citizens to the wider world. In cooperation with a range of private, public, and third-sector bodies, as well as individual citizens, the library, due to…

Creating an Avatar to Become a "Spect-Actor" of One's Learning of English for Specific Purposes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Privas-Bréauté, Virginie

2016-01-01

In this article, we shall examine why the creation of avatars in virtual worlds facilitates the learning of business English. We are committed to determining the factors that enable students in a French business school to consolidate their skills in English (from linguistic, socio-linguistic and pragmatic standpoints) and to develop more general…

Teaching the blind to find their way by playing video games.

PubMed

Merabet, Lotfi B; Connors, Erin C; Halko, Mark A; Sánchez, Jaime

2012-01-01

Computer based video games are receiving great interest as a means to learn and acquire new skills. As a novel approach to teaching navigation skills in the blind, we have developed Audio-based Environment Simulator (AbES); a virtual reality environment set within the context of a video game metaphor. Despite the fact that participants were naïve to the overall purpose of the software, we found that early blind users were able to acquire relevant information regarding the spatial layout of a previously unfamiliar building using audio based cues alone. This was confirmed by a series of behavioral performance tests designed to assess the transfer of acquired spatial information to a large-scale, real-world indoor navigation task. Furthermore, learning the spatial layout through a goal directed gaming strategy allowed for the mental manipulation of spatial information as evidenced by enhanced navigation performance when compared to an explicit route learning strategy. We conclude that the immersive and highly interactive nature of the software greatly engages the blind user to actively explore the virtual environment. This in turn generates an accurate sense of a large-scale three-dimensional space and facilitates the learning and transfer of navigation skills to the physical world.

Overview of codes and tools for nuclear engineering education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakovlev, D.; Pryakhin, A.; Medvedeva, L.

2017-01-01

The recent world trends in nuclear education have been developed in the direction of social education, networking, virtual tools and codes. MEPhI as a global leader on the world education market implements new advanced technologies for the distance and online learning and for student research work. MEPhI produced special codes, tools and web resources based on the internet platform to support education in the field of nuclear technology. At the same time, MEPhI actively uses codes and tools from the third parties. Several types of the tools are considered: calculation codes, nuclear data visualization tools, virtual labs, PC-based educational simulators for nuclear power plants (NPP), CLP4NET, education web-platforms, distance courses (MOOCs and controlled and managed content systems). The university pays special attention to integrated products such as CLP4NET, which is not a learning course, but serves to automate the process of learning through distance technologies. CLP4NET organizes all tools in the same information space. Up to now, MEPhI has achieved significant results in the field of distance education and online system implementation.

Digital books.

PubMed

Wink, Diane M

2011-01-01

In this bimonthly series, the author examines how nurse educators can use the Internet and Web-based computer technologies such as search, communication, and collaborative writing tools; social networking and social bookmarking sites; virtual worlds; and Web-based teaching and learning programs. This article describes digital books.

Designing 3 Dimensional Virtual Reality Using Panoramic Image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan Abd Arif, Wan Norazlinawati; Wan Ahmad, Wan Fatimah; Nordin, Shahrina Md.; Abdullah, Azrai; Sivapalan, Subarna

The high demand to improve the quality of the presentation in the knowledge sharing field is to compete with rapidly growing technology. The needs for development of technology based learning and training lead to an idea to develop an Oil and Gas Plant Virtual Environment (OGPVE) for the benefit of our future. Panoramic Virtual Reality learning based environment is essential in order to help educators overcome the limitations in traditional technical writing lesson. Virtual reality will help users to understand better by providing the simulations of real-world and hard to reach environment with high degree of realistic experience and interactivity. Thus, in order to create a courseware which will achieve the objective, accurate images of intended scenarios must be acquired. The panorama shows the OGPVE and helps to generate ideas to users on what they have learnt. This paper discusses part of the development in panoramic virtual reality. The important phases for developing successful panoramic image are image acquisition and image stitching or mosaicing. In this paper, the combination of wide field-of-view (FOV) and close up image used in this panoramic development are also discussed.

Interreality in the management of psychological stress: a clinical scenario.

PubMed

Riva, Giuseppe; Raspelli, Simona; Pallavicini, Federica; Grassi, Alessandra; Algeri, Davide; Wiederhold, Brenda K; Gaggioli, Andrea

2010-01-01

The term "psychological stress" describes a situation in which a subject perceives that environmental demands tax or exceed his or her adaptive capacity. According to the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the best validated approach covering both stress management and stress treatment is the Cognitive Behavioral (CBT) approach. We aim to design, develop and test an advanced ICT based solution for the assessment and treatment of psychological stress that is able to improve the actual CBT approach. To reach this goal we will use the "interreality" paradigm integrating assessment and treatment within a hybrid environment, that creates a bridge between the physical and virtual worlds. Our claim is that bridging virtual experiences (fully controlled by the therapist, used to learn coping skills and emotional regulation) with real experiences (allowing both the identification of any critical stressors and the assessment of what has been learned) using advanced technologies (virtual worlds, advanced sensors and PDA/mobile phones) is the best way to address the above limitations. To illustrate the proposed concept, a clinical scenario is also presented and discussed: Paola, a 45 years old nurse, with a mother affected by progressive senile dementia.

An international virtual medical school (IVIMEDS): the future for medical education?

PubMed

Harden, R M; Hart, I R

2002-05-01

The introduction of new learning technologies, the exponential growth of Internet usage and the advent of the World Wide Web have the potential of changing the face of higher education. There are also demands in medical education for greater globalization, for the development of a common core curriculum, for improving access to training, for more flexible and student-centred training programmes including programmes with multi-professional elements and for maintaining quality while increasing student numbers and working within financial constraints. An international virtual medical school (IVIMEDS) with a high-quality education programme embodying a hybrid model of a blended curriculum of innovative e-learning approaches and the best of traditional face-to-face teaching is one response to these challenges. Fifty leading international medical schools and institutions are participating in a feasibility study. This is exploring: innovative thinking and approaches to the new learning technologies including e-learning and virtual reality; new approaches to curriculum planning and mapping and advanced instructional design based on the use of 'reusable learning objects'; an international perspective on medical education which takes into account the trend to globalization; a flexible curriculum which meets the needs of different students and has the potential of increasing access to medicine.

Virtual working systems to support R&D groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dew, Peter M.; Leigh, Christine; Drew, Richard S.; Morris, David; Curson, Jayne

1995-03-01

The paper reports on the progress at Leeds University to build a Virtual Science Park (VSP) to enhance the University's ability to interact with industry, grow its applied research and workplace learning activities. The VSP exploits the advances in real time collaborative computing and networking to provide an environment that meets the objectives of physically based science parks without the need for the organizations to relocate. It provides an integrated set of services (e.g. virtual consultancy, workbased learning) built around a structured person- centered information model. This model supports the integration of tools for: (a) navigating around the information space; (b) browsing information stored within the VSP database; (c) communicating through a variety of Person-to-Person collaborative tools; and (d) the ability to the information stored in the VSP including the relationships to other information that support the underlying model. The paper gives an overview of a generic virtual working system based on X.500 directory services and the World-Wide Web that can be used to support the Virtual Science Park. Finally the paper discusses some of the research issues that need to be addressed to fully realize a Virtual Science Park.

Science beyond fiction. A revolution of knowledge transfer in research, education, and practice is on the horizon.

PubMed

Ammann, Alexander

2016-01-01

"Digitality" (as opposed to "digitalization"--the conversion from the analog domain to the digital domain) will open up a whole new world that does not originate from the analog world. Contemporary research in the field of neural concepts and neuromorphic computing systems will lead to convergences between the world of digitality and the world of neuronality, giving the theme "Knowledge and Culture" a new meaning. The simulation of virtual multidimensional and contextual spaces will transform the transfer of knowledge from a uni- and bidirectional process into an interactive experience. We will learn to learn in a ubiquitous computing environment and will abandon conventional curriculum organization principles. The adaptation of individualized ontologies will result in the emergence of a new world of knowledge in which knowledge evolves from a cultural heritage into a commodity.

"I'm Not Much of an Expert, Myself": Situated Learning in an Informal Online Community of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boven, David T.

2014-01-01

This article represents an attempt to more fully understand the interactions of individuals in a specific community of practice on the World Wide Web. It attempts to answer questions about whether norms of participation and learning developed over time have been established in this virtual community of practice. It also explores how the perceived…

Collaborative Learning across Physical and Virtual Worlds: Factors Supporting and Constraining Learners in a Blended Reality Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bower, Matt; Lee, Mark J. W.; Dalgarno, Barney

2017-01-01

This article presents the outcomes of a pilot study investigating factors that supported and constrained collaborative learning in a blended reality environment. Pre-service teachers at an Australian university took part in a hybrid tutorial lesson involving a mixture of students who were co-located in the same face-to-face (F2F) classroom along…

Virtual Reality-Enhanced Extinction of Phobias and Post-Traumatic Stress.

PubMed

Maples-Keller, Jessica L; Yasinski, Carly; Manjin, Nicole; Rothbaum, Barbara Olasov

2017-07-01

Virtual reality (VR) refers to an advanced technological communication interface in which the user is actively participating in a computer-generated 3-dimensional virtual world that includes computer sensory input devices used to simulate real-world interactive experiences. VR has been used within psychiatric treatment for anxiety disorders, particularly specific phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder, given several advantages that VR provides for use within treatment for these disorders. Exposure therapy for anxiety disorder is grounded in fear-conditioning models, in which extinction learning involves the process through which conditioned fear responses decrease or are inhibited. The present review will provide an overview of extinction training and anxiety disorder treatment, advantages for using VR within extinction training, a review of the literature regarding the effectiveness of VR within exposure therapy for specific phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder, and limitations and future directions of the extant empirical literature.

Online learning: the brave new world of massive open online courses and the role of the health librarian.

PubMed

Spring, Hannah

2016-03-01

In a wired, virtual and information rich society, MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are leading us into a brave new world in which their key role is to support lifelong networked learning. This feature looks at the broad role of MOOCs and considers them within the context of health, and health librarianship. In particular, it provides examples of where health librarians have developed MOOCs and what opportunities there are in the future for health librarians to collaborate in the development and delivery of health MOOCs. H.S. © 2016 Health Libraries Group.

Learning That's Out of This World

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

NASA's Ames Research Center developed a new curriculum to educate the space explorers of tomorrow. The Mars Virtual Exploration CD-ROM is exclusively licensed to Modern School Supplies, Inc., of Bloomfield, Connecticut. The CD-ROM allows students to imagine they are residents of a research team at an advanced facility divided into four different domes. Students experience how scientists approach planetary exploration through interactive exercises in ExoPaleontology, Meteorology, Exobiology, and Volcanology. Once the students have learned the facts and have consulted with the experts, they select a potential landing site. Using QuickTimeVR(TM) software, the students get a 360-degree view of the potential landing terrain. They are then able to virtually explore the four available sites and select the one they feel is best for conducting research. The Mars Virtual Exploration CD-ROM comes complete with a printable teacher's guide and student logbook.

Advanced Networks in Dental Rich Online MEDiA (ANDROMEDA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elson, Bruce; Reynolds, Patricia; Amini, Ardavan; Burke, Ezra; Chapman, Craig

There is growing demand for dental education and training not only in terms of knowledge but also skills. This demand is driven by continuing professional development requirements in the more developed economies, personnel shortages and skills differences across the European Union (EU) accession states and more generally in the developing world. There is an excellent opportunity for the EU to meet this demand by developing an innovative online flexible learning platform (FLP). Current clinical online systems are restricted to the delivery of general, knowledge-based training with no easy method of personalization or delivery of skill-based training. The PHANTOM project, headed by Kings College London is developing haptic-based virtual reality training systems for clinical dental training. ANDROMEDA seeks to build on this and establish a Flexible Learning Platform that can integrate the haptic and sensor based training with rich media knowledge transfer, whilst using sophisticated technologies such as including service-orientated architecture (SOA), Semantic Web technologies, knowledge-based engineering, business intelligence (BI) and virtual worlds for personalization.

Evaluation of virtual simulation in a master's-level nurse education certificate program.

PubMed

Foronda, Cynthia; Lippincott, Christine; Gattamorta, Karina

2014-11-01

Master's-level, nurse education certificate students performed virtual clinical simulations as a portion of their clinical practicum. Virtual clinical simulation is an innovative pedagogy using avatars in Web-based platforms to provide simulated clinical experiences. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to evaluate nurse educator students' experience with virtual simulation and the effect of virtual simulation on confidence in teaching ability. Aggregated quantitative results yielded no significant change in confidence in teaching ability. Individually, some students indicated change of either increased or decreased confidence, whereas others exhibited no change in confidence after engaging in virtual simulation. Qualitative findings revealed a process of precursors of anxiety and frustration with technical difficulties followed by outcomes of appreciation and learning. Instructor support was a mediating factor to decrease anxiety and technical difficulties. This study served as a starting point regarding the application of a virtual world to teach the art of instruction. As the movement toward online education continues, educators should further explore use of virtual simulation to prepare nurse educators.

Evaluation of procedural learning transfer from a virtual environment to a real situation: a case study on tank maintenance training.

PubMed

Ganier, Franck; Hoareau, Charlotte; Tisseau, Jacques

2014-01-01

Virtual reality opens new opportunities for operator training in complex tasks. It lowers costs and has fewer constraints than traditional training. The ultimate goal of virtual training is to transfer knowledge gained in a virtual environment to an actual real-world setting. This study tested whether a maintenance procedure could be learnt equally well by virtual-environment and conventional training. Forty-two adults were divided into three equally sized groups: virtual training (GVT® [generic virtual training]), conventional training (using a real tank suspension and preparation station) and control (no training). Participants then performed the procedure individually in the real environment. Both training types (conventional and virtual) produced similar levels of performance when the procedure was carried out in real conditions. Performance level for the two trained groups was better in terms of success and time taken to complete the task, time spent consulting job instructions and number of times the instructor provided guidance.

Collaborative Cultural Studies over The Internet: Learning Cultures with Virtual Partners. A Project between Baylor University and Tokyo Institute of Polytechnics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okubo, Masamichi; Kumahata, Hajime

Since the fall semester of 1995, students at Baylor University (Waco, Texas) taking Japanese and students at Tokyo Institute of Polytechnics have had opportunities to communicate with each other and learn together in a real-world situation. Until the fall of 2000, the format limited them to e-mail communication; however other Internet tools are…

Using the Virtual World of Second Life in Veterinary Medicine: Student and Faculty Perceptions.

PubMed

Mauldin Pereira, Mary; Artemiou, Elpida; McGonigle, Dee; Conan, Anne; Sithole, Fortune; Yvorchuk-St Jean, Kathleen

2018-01-01

Virtual worlds are emerging technologies that can enhance student learning by encouraging active participation through simulation in immersive environments. At Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM), the virtual world of Second Life was piloted as an educational platform for first-semester students to practice clinical reasoning in a simulated veterinary clinical setting. Under the supervision of one facilitator, four groups of nine students met three times to process a clinical case using Second Life. In addition, three groups of four clinical faculty observed one Second Life meeting. Questionnaires using a 4-point Likert scale (1=strongly disagree to 4=strongly agree) and open-ended questions were used to assess student and clinical faculty perceptions of the Second Life platform. Perception scores of students (M=2.7, SD=0.7) and clinical faculty (M=2.7, SD=0.5) indicate that Second Life provides authentic and realistic learning experiences. In fact, students (M=3.4, SD=0.6) and clinical faculty (M=2.9, SD=1.0) indicate that Second Life should be offered to future students. Moreover, content analyses of open-ended responses from students and faculty support the use of Second Life based on reported advantages indicating that Second Life offers a novel and effective instructional method. Ultimately, results indicate that students and clinical faculty had positive educational experiences using Second Life, suggesting the need for further investigation into its application within the curriculum.

The cognitive apprenticeship theory for the teaching of mathematics in an online 3D virtual environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouta, Hara; Paraskeva, Fotini

2013-03-01

Research spanning two decades shows that there is a continuing development of 3D virtual worlds and investment in such environments for educational purposes. Research stresses the need for these environments to be well-designed and for suitable pedagogies to be implemented in the teaching practice in order for these worlds to be fully effective. To this end, we propose a pedagogical framework based on the cognitive apprenticeship for deriving principles and guidelines to inform the design, development and use of a 3D virtual environment. This study examines how the use of a 3D virtual world facilitates the teaching of mathematics in primary education by combining design principles and guidelines based on the Cognitive Apprenticeship Theory and the teaching methods that this theory introduces. We focus specifically on 5th and 6th grade students' engagement (behavioral, affective and cognitive) while learning fractional concepts over a period of two class sessions. Quantitative and qualitative analyses indicate considerable improvement in the engagement of the students who participated in the experiment. This paper presents the findings regarding students' cognitive engagement in the process of comprehending basic fractional concepts - notoriously hard for students to master. The findings are encouraging and suggestions are made for further research.

Teaching the Blind to Find Their Way by Playing Video Games

PubMed Central

Merabet, Lotfi B.; Connors, Erin C.; Halko, Mark A.; Sánchez, Jaime

2012-01-01

Computer based video games are receiving great interest as a means to learn and acquire new skills. As a novel approach to teaching navigation skills in the blind, we have developed Audio-based Environment Simulator (AbES); a virtual reality environment set within the context of a video game metaphor. Despite the fact that participants were naïve to the overall purpose of the software, we found that early blind users were able to acquire relevant information regarding the spatial layout of a previously unfamiliar building using audio based cues alone. This was confirmed by a series of behavioral performance tests designed to assess the transfer of acquired spatial information to a large-scale, real-world indoor navigation task. Furthermore, learning the spatial layout through a goal directed gaming strategy allowed for the mental manipulation of spatial information as evidenced by enhanced navigation performance when compared to an explicit route learning strategy. We conclude that the immersive and highly interactive nature of the software greatly engages the blind user to actively explore the virtual environment. This in turn generates an accurate sense of a large-scale three-dimensional space and facilitates the learning and transfer of navigation skills to the physical world. PMID:23028703

A Typology of Ethnographic Scales for Virtual Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boellstorff, Tom

This chapter outlines a typology of genres of ethnographic research with regard to virtual worlds, informed by extensive research the author has completed both in Second Life and in Indonesia. It begins by identifying four confusions about virtual worlds: they are not games, they need not be graphical or even visual, they are not mass media, and they need not be defined in terms of escapist role-playing. A three-part typology of methods for ethnographic research in virtual worlds focuses on the relationship between research design and ethnographic scale. One class of methods for researching virtual worlds with regard to ethnographic scale explores interfaces between virtual worlds and the actual world, whereas a second examines interfaces between two or more virtual worlds. The third class involves studying a single virtual world in its own terms. Recognizing that all three approaches have merit for particular research purposes, ethnography of virtual worlds can be a vibrant field of research, contributing to central debates about human selfhood and sociality.

Development of and feedback on a fully automated virtual reality system for online training in weight management skills.

PubMed

Thomas, J Graham; Spitalnick, Josh S; Hadley, Wendy; Bond, Dale S; Wing, Rena R

2015-01-01

Virtual reality (VR) technology can provide a safe environment for observing, learning, and practicing use of behavioral weight management skills, which could be particularly useful in enhancing minimal contact online weight management programs. The Experience Success (ES) project developed a system for creating and deploying VR scenarios for online weight management skills training. Virtual environments populated with virtual actors allow users to experiment with implementing behavioral skills via a PC-based point and click interface. A culturally sensitive virtual coach guides the experience, including planning for real-world skill use. Thirty-seven overweight/obese women provided feedback on a test scenario focused on social eating situations. They reported that the scenario gave them greater skills, confidence, and commitment for controlling eating in social situations. © 2014 Diabetes Technology Society.

Development of and Feedback on a Fully Automated Virtual Reality System for Online Training in Weight Management Skills

PubMed Central

Spitalnick, Josh S.; Hadley, Wendy; Bond, Dale S.; Wing, Rena R.

2014-01-01

Virtual reality (VR) technology can provide a safe environment for observing, learning, and practicing use of behavioral weight management skills, which could be particularly useful in enhancing minimal contact online weight management programs. The Experience Success (ES) project developed a system for creating and deploying VR scenarios for online weight management skills training. Virtual environments populated with virtual actors allow users to experiment with implementing behavioral skills via a PC-based point and click interface. A culturally sensitive virtual coach guides the experience, including planning for real-world skill use. Thirty-seven overweight/obese women provided feedback on a test scenario focused on social eating situations. They reported that the scenario gave them greater skills, confidence, and commitment for controlling eating in social situations. PMID:25367014

Cloud computing.

PubMed

Wink, Diane M

2012-01-01

In this bimonthly series, the author examines how nurse educators can use Internet and Web-based technologies such as search, communication, and collaborative writing tools; social networking and social bookmarking sites; virtual worlds; and Web-based teaching and learning programs. This article describes how cloud computing can be used in nursing education.

Optimizing use of library technology.

PubMed

Wink, Diane M; Killingsworth, Elizabeth K

2011-01-01

In this bimonthly series, the author examines how nurse educators can use the Internet and Web-based computer technologies such as search, communication, collaborative writing tools; social networking and social bookmarking sites; virtual worlds; and Web-based teaching and learning programs. This article describes optimizing the use of library technology.

[Web-based training in radiology - student course in the Virtual University of Bavaria].

PubMed

Grunewald, M; Gebhard, H; Jakob, C; Wagner, M; Hothorn, T; Neuhuber, W L; Bautz, W A; Greess, H R

2004-06-01

The ninth version of the licensing regulation for medical doctors (Approbation Regulation (AR)) sets a benchmark in terms of practical experience, interdigitation of preclinical and clinical studies, interdisciplinary approach, economic efficiency, independence of students, added new teaching and learning modalities, and ongoing evaluation of the progress of the medical students. It is the aim to implement these major points of the AR in a model course for diagnostic radiology and radiation protection within the scope of the Virtual University of Bavaria and test them in practice. In cooperation with residents and board certified radiologists, students developed the virtual course "Web-Based Training (WBT) Radiology" in diagnostic radiology and radiation protection for students in the first clinical semester. A representative target group taken from the student body was asked about the options to get access to the World Wide Web (Internet), and the satisfaction concerning configuration and content of the newly developed program. A comparison was made between the results of the final examination taken by students who made use of the virtual course in addition to conventional lessons and taken by students who did not subscribe to the virtual course and exclusively relied on conventional lessons. In addition, a pilot study was conducted in the winter semester 2002/03, which compared students taking either the traditional lessons or the new virtual course on the Internet. The virtual course-model had test results with a positive trend. All targeted students had Internet access. Constructive criticism was immediately implemented and contributed to rapid optimization. The learning success of the additive or alternative virtual course was in no way less than the learning success achieved with the conventional course. The learning success as measure of quality in teaching and the acceptance by students and teachers justify the continuation of this course model and its expansion. Besides enabling the learning in small study groups; the course "WBT Radiology" might not only help implementing the major points of the new AR but might also complement any deficiencies in the current education. Economic aspects may encourage their implementations.

Bringing Grand Canyon to the College Campus: Assessment of Student Learning in the Geosciences Through Virtual Field Trip Games for Mobile Smart-Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bursztyn, N.; Walker, A.; Shelton, B.; Pederson, J. L.

2015-12-01

Geoscience educators have long considered field trips to be the most effective way of attracting students into the discipline. A solution for bringing student-driven, engaging, kinesthetic field experiences to a broader audience lies in ongoing advances in mobile-communication technology. This NSF-TUES funded project developed three virtual field trip experiences for smartphones and tablets (on geologic time, geologic structures, and hydrologic processes), and then tested their performance in terms of student interest in geoscience as well as gains in learning. The virtual field trips utilize the GPS capabilities of smartphones and tablets, requiring the students to navigate outdoors in the real world while following a map on their smart device. This research, involving 873 students at five different college campuses, used analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multiple regression for statistical methods. Gains in learning across all participants are minor, and not statistically different between intervention and control groups. Predictors of gains in content comprehension for all three modules are the students' initial interest in the subject and their base level knowledge. For the Geologic Time and Structures modules, being a STEM major is an important predictor of student success. Most pertinent for this research, for Geologic Time and Hydrologic Processes, gains in student learning can be predicted by having completed those particular virtual field trips. Gender and race had no statistical impact, indicating that the virtual field trip modules have broad reach across student demographics. In related research, these modules have been shown to increase student interest in the geosciences more definitively than the learning gains here. Thus, future work should focus on improving the educational impact of mobile-device field trips, as their eventual incorporation into curricula is inevitable.

Fieldwork Skills in Virtual Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craven, Benjamin; Lloyd, Geoffrey; Gordon, Clare; Houghton, Jacqueline; Morgan, Daniel

2017-04-01

Virtual reality has an increasingly significant role to play in teaching and research, but for geological applications realistic landscapes are required that contain sufficient detail to prove viable for investigation by both inquisitive students and critical researchers. To create such virtual landscapes, we combine DTM data with digitally modelled outcrops in the game engine Unity. Our current landscapes are fictional worlds, invented to focus on generation techniques and the strategic and spatial immersion within a digital environment. These have proved very successful in undergraduate teaching; however, we are now moving onto recreating real landscapes for more advanced teaching and research. The first of these is focussed on Rhoscolyn, situated within the Ynys Mon Geopark on Anglesey, UK. It is a popular area for both teaching and research in structural geology so has a wide usage demographic. The base of the model is created from DTM data, both 1 m LiDAR and 5 m GPS point data, and manipulated with QGIS before import to Unity. Substance is added to the world via models of architectural elements (e.g. walls and buildings) and appropriate flora and fauna, including sounds. Texturing of these models is performed using 25 cm aerial imagery and field photographs. Whilst such elements enhance immersion, it is the use of digital outcrop models that fully completes the experience. From fieldwork, we have a library of photogrammetric outcrops that can be modelled into 3D features using free (VisualSFM and MeshLab) and non-free (AgiSoft Photoscan) tools. These models are then refined and converted in Maya to create models for better insertion into the Unity environment. The finished product is a virtual landscape; a Rhoscolyn `world' that is sufficiently detailed to provide a base not only for geological teaching and training but also for geological research. Additionally, the `Rhoscolyn World' represents a significant tool for those students who are unable to attend conventional field classes and really enhances their learning experience. This project is part of the larger Virtual Landscapes project, which is a collaboration between The University of Leeds and Leeds College of Art, UK. All our current virtual landscapes are freely available online at www.see.leeds.ac.uk/virtual-landscapes/.

iVirtualWorld: A Domain-Oriented End-User Development Environment for Building 3D Virtual Chemistry Experiments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhong, Ying

2013-01-01

Virtual worlds are well-suited for building virtual laboratories for educational purposes to complement hands-on physical laboratories. However, educators may face technical challenges because developing virtual worlds requires skills in programming and 3D design. Current virtual world building tools are developed for users who have programming…

Virtual Worlds for Virtual Organizing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhoten, Diana; Lutters, Wayne

The members and resources of a virtual organization are dispersed across time and space, yet they function as a coherent entity through the use of technologies, networks, and alliances. As virtual organizations proliferate and become increasingly important in society, many may exploit the technical architecture s of virtual worlds, which are the confluence of computer-mediated communication, telepresence, and virtual reality originally created for gaming. A brief socio-technical history describes their early origins and the waves of progress followed by stasis that brought us to the current period of renewed enthusiasm. Examination of contemporary examples demonstrates how three genres of virtual worlds have enabled new arenas for virtual organizing: developer-defined closed worlds, user-modifiable quasi-open worlds, and user-generated open worlds. Among expected future trends are an increase in collaboration born virtually rather than imported from existing organizations, a tension between high-fidelity recreations of the physical world and hyper-stylized imaginations of fantasy worlds, and the growth of specialized worlds optimized for particular sectors, companies, or cultures.

Wildcard: A wearable virtual reality storytelling tool for children with intellectual developmental disability.

PubMed

Gelsomini, Mirko; Garzotto, Franca; Montesano, Daniele; Occhiuto, Daniele

2016-08-01

Our research aims at supporting existing therapies for children with intellectual and developmental disorders (IDD). The personal and social autonomy is the desired end state to be achieved to enable a smooth integration in the real world. We developed and tested a framework for storytelling and learning activities that exploits an immersive virtual reality viewer to interact with target users. We co-designed our system with experts from the medical sector, identifying features that allow patients to stay focused on exercises to perform. Our approach triggers a learning process for a seamless assimilation of common behavioral skills useful in every day's life. This paper highlights the technologic challenges in healthcare and discusses cutting-edge interaction paradigms.

"Immersive Education" Submerges Students in Online Worlds Made for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Andrea L.

2007-01-01

Immersive Education is a multimillion-dollar project devoted to build virtual-reality software exclusively for education within commercial and nonprofit fantasy spaces like Second Life. The project combines interactive three-dimensional graphics, Web cameras, Internet-based telephony, and other digital media. Some critics have complained that…

Motivating Distance Learners in Online Gaming Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marvel, Michele D.

2012-01-01

Massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) have potential as educational tools. Existing literature shows that MMOG-based courses can foster a more immediate sense of community among students than traditional distance learning interfaces. The immersive technology of MMOGs opens the door for students to be able to virtually walk through the college…

Students Learn Programming Faster through Robotic Simulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Allison; Newsom, Jeff; Schunn, Chris; Shoop, Robin

2013-01-01

Schools everywhere are using robotics education to engage kids in applied science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities, but teaching programming can be challenging due to lack of resources. This article reports on using Robot Virtual Worlds (RVW) and curriculum available on the Internet to teach robot programming. It also…

Feminist Art Curriculum: Politicizing the Personal via Cyberpost Activism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Motter, Jennifer L.

2012-01-01

Exploring the theory the personal is political, this critical emancipatory case study seeks to empower women and disrupt virtual world discourses via women's intervention of voice and visibility in informal learning sites. Using critical emancipatory methodology, I worked with five women to develop strategic online social network…

Fighting Baddies and Collecting Bananas: Teachers' Perceptions of Games-Based Literacy Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerber, Hannah R.; Price, Debra P.

2013-01-01

This paper discusses how practicing teachers conceptualize commercial off the shelf (COTS) videogames within classroom-based English language arts instruction. Understanding how today's teachers perceive virtual worlds and videogames as an instructional tool for schema building within literacy development will help researchers better understand…

Virtual environments for motor rehabilitation: review.

PubMed

Holden, Maureen K

2005-06-01

In this paper, the current "state of the art" for virtual reality (VR) applications in the field of motor rehabilitation is reviewed. The paper begins with a brief overview of available equipment options. Next, a discussion of the scientific rationale for use of VR in motor rehabilitation is provided. Finally, the major portion of the paper describes the various VR systems that have been developed for use with patients, and the results of clinical studies reported to date in the literature. Areas covered include stroke rehabilitation (upper and lower extremity training, spatial and perceptual-motor training), acquired brain injury, Parkinson's disease, orthopedic rehabilitation, balance training, wheelchair mobility and functional activities of daily living training, and the newly developing field of telerehabilitation. Four major findings emerge from these studies: (1) people with disabilities appear capable of motor learning within virtual environments; (2) movements learned by people with disabilities in VR transfer to real world equivalent motor tasks in most cases, and in some cases even generalize to other untrained tasks; (3) in the few studies (n = 5) that have compared motor learning in real versus virtual environments, some advantage for VR training has been found in all cases; and (4) no occurrences of cybersickness in impaired populations have been reported to date in experiments where VR has been used to train motor abilities.

Conceptual Learning Outcomes of Virtual Experiential Learning: Results of Google Earth Exploration in Introductory Geoscience Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bitting, Kelsey S.; McCartney, Marsha J.; Denning, Kathy R.; Roberts, Jennifer A.

2018-06-01

Virtual globe programs such as Google Earth replicate real-world experiential learning of spatial and geographic concepts by allowing students to navigate across our planet without ever leaving campus. However, empirical evidence for the learning value of these technological tools and the experience students gain by exploration assignments framed within them remains to be quantified and compared by student demographics. This study examines the impact of a Google Earth-based exploration assignment on conceptual understanding in introductory geoscience courses at a research university in the US Midwest using predominantly traditional college-age students from a range of majors. Using repeated-measures ANOVA and paired-samples t tests, we test the significance of the activity using pretest and posttest scores on a subset of items from the Geoscience Concept Inventory, and the interactive effects of student gender and ethnicity on student score improvement. Analyses show that learning from the Google Earth exploration activity is highly significant overall and for all but one of the concept inventory items. Furthermore, we find no significant interactive effects of class format, student gender, or student ethnicity on the magnitude of the score increases. These results provide strong support for the use of experiential learning in virtual globe environments for students in introductory geoscience and perhaps other disciplines for which direct observation of our planet's surface is conceptually relevant.

Blended learning in health education: three case studies.

PubMed

de Jong, Nynke; Savin-Baden, Maggi; Cunningham, Anne Marie; Verstegen, Daniëlle M L

2014-09-01

Blended learning in which online education is combined with face-to-face education is especially useful for (future) health care professionals who need to keep up-to-date. Blended learning can make learning more efficient, for instance by removing barriers of time and distance. In the past distance-based learning activities have often been associated with traditional delivery-based methods, individual learning and limited contact. The central question in this paper is: can blended learning be active and collaborative? Three cases of blended, active and collaborative learning are presented. In case 1 a virtual classroom is used to realize online problem-based learning (PBL). In case 2 PBL cases are presented in Second Life, a 3D immersive virtual world. In case 3 discussion forums, blogs and wikis were used. In all cases face-to-face meetings were also organized. Evaluation results of the three cases clearly show that active, collaborative learning at a distance is possible. Blended learning enables the use of novel instructional methods and student-centred education. The three cases employ different educational methods, thus illustrating diverse possibilities and a variety of learning activities in blended learning. Interaction and communication rules, the role of the teacher, careful selection of collaboration tools and technical preparation should be considered when designing and implementing blended learning.

Learning Rationales and Virtual Reality Technology in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiou, Guey-Fa

1995-01-01

Defines and describes virtual reality technology and differentiates between virtual learning environment, learning material, and learning tools. Links learning rationales to virtual reality technology to pave conceptual foundations for application of virtual reality technology education. Constructivism, case-based learning, problem-based learning,…

Interreality: A New Paradigm for E-health.

PubMed

Riva, Giuseppe

2009-01-01

"Interreality" is a personalized immersive e-therapy whose main novelty is a hybrid, closed-loop empowering experience bridging physical and virtual worlds. The main feature of interreality is a twofold link between the virtual and the real world: (a) behavior in the physical world influences the experience in the virtual one; (b) behavior in the virtual world influences the experience in the real one. This is achieved through: (1) 3D Shared Virtual Worlds: role-playing experiences in which one or more users interact with one another within a 3D world; (2) Bio and Activity Sensors (From the Real to the Virtual World): They are used to track the emotional/health/activity status of the user and to influence his/her experience in the virtual world (aspect, activity and access); (3) Mobile Internet Appliances (From the Virtual to the Real One): In interreality, the social and individual user activity in the virtual world has a direct link with the users' life through a mobile phone/digital assistant. The different technologies that are involved in the interreality vision and its clinical rationale are addressed and discussed.

An augmented reality tool for learning spatial anatomy on mobile devices.

PubMed

Jain, Nishant; Youngblood, Patricia; Hasel, Matthew; Srivastava, Sakti

2017-09-01

Augmented Realty (AR) offers a novel method of blending virtual and real anatomy for intuitive spatial learning. Our first aim in the study was to create a prototype AR tool for mobile devices. Our second aim was to complete a technical evaluation of our prototype AR tool focused on measuring the system's ability to accurately render digital content in the real world. We imported Computed Tomography (CT) data derived virtual surface models into a 3D Unity engine environment and implemented an AR algorithm to display these on mobile devices. We investigated the accuracy of the virtual renderings by comparing a physical cube with an identical virtual cube for dimensional accuracy. Our comparative study confirms that our AR tool renders 3D virtual objects with a high level of accuracy as evidenced by the degree of similarity between measurements of the dimensions of a virtual object (a cube) and the corresponding physical object. We developed an inexpensive and user-friendly prototype AR tool for mobile devices that creates highly accurate renderings. This prototype demonstrates an intuitive, portable, and integrated interface for spatial interaction with virtual anatomical specimens. Integrating this AR tool with a library of CT derived surface models provides a platform for spatial learning in the anatomy curriculum. The segmentation methodology implemented to optimize human CT data for mobile viewing can be extended to include anatomical variations and pathologies. The ability of this inexpensive educational platform to deliver a library of interactive, 3D models to students worldwide demonstrates its utility as a supplemental teaching tool that could greatly benefit anatomical instruction. Clin. Anat. 30:736-741, 2017. © 2017Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A New Virtual and Remote Experimental Environment for Teaching and Learning Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lustigova, Zdena; Lustig, Frantisek

This paper describes how a scientifically exact and problem-solving-oriented remote and virtual science experimental environment might help to build a new strategy for science education. The main features are: the remote observations and control of real world phenomena, their processing and evaluation, verification of hypotheses combined with the development of critical thinking, supported by sophisticated relevant information search, classification and storing tools and collaborative environment, supporting argumentative writing and teamwork, public presentations and defense of achieved results, all either in real presence, in telepresence or in combination of both. Only then real understanding of generalized science laws and their consequences can be developed. This science learning and teaching environment (called ROL - Remote and Open Laboratory), has been developed and used by Charles University in Prague since 1996, offered to science students in both formal and informal learning, and also to science teachers within their professional development studies, since 2003.

Virtual reality training for health-care professionals.

PubMed

Mantovani, Fabrizia; Castelnuovo, Gianluca; Gaggioli, Andrea; Riva, Giuseppe

2003-08-01

Emerging changes in health-care delivery are having a significant impact on the structure of health-care professionals' education. Today it is recognized that medical knowledge doubles every 6-8 years, with new medical procedures emerging everyday. While the half-life of medical information is so short, the average physician practices 30 years and the average nurse 40 years. Continuing education thus represents an important challenge to face. Recent advances in educational technology are offering an increasing number of innovative learning tools. Among these, Virtual Reality represents a promising area with high potential of enhancing the training of health-care professionals. Virtual Reality Training can provide a rich, interactive, engaging educational context, thus supporting experiential learning-by-doing; it can, in fact, contribute to raise interest and motivation in trainees and to effectively support skills acquisition and transfer, since the learning process can be settled within an experiential framework. Current virtual training applications for health-care differ a lot as to both their technological/multimedia sophistication and to the types of skills trained, varying for example from telesurgical applications to interactive simulations of human body and brain, to virtual worlds for emergency training. Other interesting applications include the development of immersive 3D environments for training psychiatrists and psychologists in the treatment of mental disorders. This paper has the main aim of discussing the rationale and main benefits for the use of virtual reality in health-care education and training. Significant research and projects carried out in this field will also be presented, followed by discussion on key issues concerning current limitations and future development directions.

Virtual reality in autism: state of the art.

PubMed

Bellani, M; Fornasari, L; Chittaro, L; Brambilla, P

2011-09-01

Autism spectrum disorders are characterized by core deficits with regard to three domains, i.e. social interaction, communication and repetitive or stereotypic behaviour. It is crucial to develop intervention strategies helping individuals with autism, their caregivers and educators in daily life. For this purpose, virtual reality (VR), i.e. a simulation of the real world based on computer graphics, can be useful as it allows instructors and therapists to offer a safe, repeatable and diversifiable environment during learning. This mini review examines studies that have investigated the use of VR in autism.

Fish in the matrix: motor learning in a virtual world.

PubMed

Engert, Florian

2012-01-01

One of the large remaining challenges in the field of zebrafish neuroscience is the establishment of techniques and preparations that permit the recording and perturbation of neural activity in animals that can interact meaningfully with the environment. Since it is very difficult to do this in freely behaving zebrafish, I describe here two alternative approaches that meet this goal via tethered preparations. The first uses head-fixation in agarose in combination with online imaging and analysis of tail motion. In the second method, paralyzed fish are suspended with suction pipettes in mid-water and nerve root recordings serve as indicators for intended locomotion. In both cases, fish can be immersed into a virtual environment and allowed to interact with this virtual world via real or fictive tail motions. The specific examples given in this review focus primarily on the role of visual feedback~- but the general principles certainly extend to other modalities, including proprioception, hearing, balance, and somatosensation.

Fish in the matrix: motor learning in a virtual world

PubMed Central

Engert, Florian

2013-01-01

One of the large remaining challenges in the field of zebrafish neuroscience is the establishment of techniques and preparations that permit the recording and perturbation of neural activity in animals that can interact meaningfully with the environment. Since it is very difficult to do this in freely behaving zebrafish, I describe here two alternative approaches that meet this goal via tethered preparations. The first uses head-fixation in agarose in combination with online imaging and analysis of tail motion. In the second method, paralyzed fish are suspended with suction pipettes in mid-water and nerve root recordings serve as indicators for intended locomotion. In both cases, fish can be immersed into a virtual environment and allowed to interact with this virtual world via real or fictive tail motions. The specific examples given in this review focus primarily on the role of visual feedback~– but the general principles certainly extend to other modalities, including proprioception, hearing, balance, and somatosensation. PMID:23355810

Working Group Reports and Presentations: Virtual Worlds and Virtual Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

LAmoreaux, Claudia

2006-01-01

Scientists and engineers are continually developing innovative methods to capitalize on recent developments in computational power. Virtual worlds and virtual exploration present a new toolset for project design, implementation, and resolution. Replication of the physical world in the virtual domain provides stimulating displays to augment current data analysis techniques and to encourage public participation. In addition, the virtual domain provides stakeholders with a low cost, low risk design and test environment. The following document defines a virtual world and virtual exploration, categorizes the chief motivations for virtual exploration, elaborates upon specific objectives, identifies roadblocks and enablers for realizing the benefits, and highlights the more immediate areas of implementation (i.e. the action items). While the document attempts a comprehensive evaluation of virtual worlds and virtual exploration, the innovative nature of the opportunities presented precludes completeness. The authors strongly encourage readers to derive additional means of utilizing the virtual exploration toolset.

Theft of Virtual Property — Towards Security Requirements for Virtual Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beyer, Anja

The article is focused to introduce the topic of information technology security for Virtual Worlds to a security experts’ audience. Virtual Worlds are Web 2.0 applications where the users cruise through the world with their individually shaped avatars to find either amusement, challenges or the next best business deal. People do invest a lot of time but beyond they invest in buying virtual assets like fantasy witcheries, wepaons, armour, houses, clothes,...etc with the power of real world money. Although it is called “virtual” (which is often put on the same level as “not existent”) there is a real value behind it. In November 2007 dutch police arrested a seventeen years old teenager who was suspicted to have stolen virtual items in a Virtual World called Habbo Hotel [Reuters07]. In order to successfully provide security mechanisms into Virtual Worlds it is necessarry to fully understand the domain for which the security mechansims are defined. As Virtual Worlds must be clasified into the domain of Social Software the article starts with an overview of how to understand Web 2.0 and gives a short introduction to Virtual Worlds. The article then provides a consideration of assets of Virtual Worlds participants, describes how these assets can be threatened and gives an overview of appopriate security requirements and completes with an outlook of possible countermeasures.

Risks and Uncertainties in Virtual Worlds: An Educators' Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farahmand, Fariborz; Yadav, Aman; Spafford, Eugene H.

2013-01-01

Virtual worlds present tremendous advantages to cyberlearning. For example, in virtual worlds users can socialize with others, build objects and share them, customize parts of the world and hold lectures, do experiments, or share data. However, virtual worlds pose a wide range of security, privacy, and safety concerns. This may lead educators to…

Brave New Worlds: How Virtual Environments Can Augment Traditional Care in the Management of Diabetes

PubMed Central

Watson, Alice J.; Grant, Richard W.; Bello, Heather; Hoch, Daniel B.

2008-01-01

New technologies, such as online networking tools, offer innovative ways to engage patients in their diabetes care. Second Life (SL) is one such virtual world that allows patients to interact in a 3D environment with peers and healthcare providers. This article presents a framework that demonstrates how applications within SL can be constructed to meet the needs of patients with diabetes, allowing them to attend group visits, learn more about lifestyle changes, and foster a sense of support and emotional well-being. This experiential approach to education may prove more engaging, and therefore successful, than existing strategies. Addressing concerns relating to privacy and liability is a necessary first step to engage providers in this new approach to patient care. PMID:19885247

Confessions of a Second Life: Conforming in the Virtual World?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chicas, K.; Bailenson, J.; Stevenson Won, A.; Bailey, J.

2012-12-01

Virtual Worlds such as Second Life or World of Warcraft are increasingly popular, with people all over the world joining these online communities. In these virtual environments people break the barrier of reality every day when they fly, walk through walls and teleport places. It is easy for people to violate the norms and behaviors of the real world in the virtual environment without real world consequences. However, previous research has shown that users' behavior may conform to their digital self-representation (avatar). This is also known as the Proteus effect (Yee, 2007). Are people behaving in virtual worlds in ways that most people would not in the physical world? It's important to understand the behaviors that occur in the virtual world if they have an impact on how people act in the real world.

A Study Comparing the Pedagogical Effectiveness of Virtual Worlds and of Classical Methods

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. A Study Comparing the Pedagogical Effectiveness of Virtual Worlds and of Classical Methods...ABSTRACT A Study Comparing the Pedagogical Effectiveness of Virtual Worlds and of Classical Methods Report Title This experiment tests whether a virtual... PEDAGOGICAL EFFECTIVENESS OF VIRTUAL WORLDS AND OF TRADITIONAL TRAINING METHODS A Thesis by BENJAMIN PETERS

Exploring virtual worlds for scenario-based repeated team training of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in medical students.

PubMed

Creutzfeldt, Johan; Hedman, Leif; Medin, Christopher; Heinrichs, Wm LeRoy; Felländer-Tsai, Li

2010-09-03

Contemporary learning technologies, such as massively multiplayer virtual worlds (MMVW), create new means for teaching and training. However, knowledge about the effectiveness of such training is incomplete, and there are no data regarding how students experience it. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a field within medicine in high demand for new and effective training modalities. In addition to finding a feasible way to implement CPR training, our aim was to investigate how a serious game setting in a virtual world using avatars would influence medical students' subjective experiences as well as their retention of knowledge. An MMVW was refined and used in a study to train 12 medical students in CPR in 3-person teams in a repeated fashion 6 months apart. An exit questionnaire solicited reflections over their experiences. As the subjects trained in 4 CPR scenarios, measurements of self-efficacy, concentration, and mental strain were made in addition to measuring knowledge. Engagement modes and coping strategies were also studied. Parametric and nonparametric statistical analyses were carried out according to distribution of the data. The majority of the subjects reported that they had enjoyed the training, had found it to be suitable, and had learned something new, although several asked for more difficult and complex scenarios as well as a richer virtual environment. The mean values for knowledge dropped during the 6 months from 8.0/10 to 6.25/10 (P = .002). Self-efficacy increased from before to after each of the two training sessions, from 5.9/7 to 6.5/7 (P = .01) after the first and from 6.0/7 to 6.7/7 (P = .03) after the second. The mean perceived concentration value increased from 54.2/100 to 66.6/100 (P = .006), and in general the mental strain was found to be low to moderate (mean = 2.6/10). Using scenario-based virtual world team training with avatars to train medical students in multi-person CPR was feasible and showed promising results. Although we found no evidence of stimulated recall of CPR procedures in our test-retest study, the subjects were enthusiastic and reported increased concentration during the training. We also found that subjects' self-efficacy had increased after the training. Despite the need for further studies, these findings imply several possible uses of MMVW technology for future emergency medical training.

Virtual Laboratories to Achieve Higher-Order Learning in Fluid Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, A. S.; Gooseff, M. N.; Toto, R.

2009-12-01

Bloom’s higher-order cognitive skills (analysis, evaluation, and synthesis) are recognized as necessary in engineering education, yet these are difficult to achieve in traditional lecture formats. Laboratory components supplement traditional lectures in an effort to emphasize active learning and provide higher-order challenges, but these laboratories are often subject to the constraints of (a) increasing student enrollment, (b) limited funding for operational, maintenance, and instructional expenses and (c) increasing demands on undergraduate student credit requirements. Here, we present results from a pilot project implementing virtual (or online) laboratory experiences as an alternative to a traditional laboratory experience in Fluid Mechanics, a required third year course. Students and faculty were surveyed to identify the topics that were most difficult, and virtual laboratory and design components developed to supplement lecture material. Each laboratory includes a traditional lab component, requiring student analysis and evaluation. The lab concludes with a design exercise, which imposes additional problem constraints and allows students to apply their laboratory observations to a real-world situation.

Chemistry Teacher Candidates' Acceptance and Opinions about Virtual Reality Technology for Molecular Geometry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saritas, M. T.

2015-01-01

The meaningful knowledge creation about molecular geometry has always been the challenge of chemistry learning. In particular, microscopic world of chemistry science (example, atoms, molecules, structures) used in traditional two dimensional way of chemistry teaching can lead to such problem as students create misconceptions. In recent years,…

Just Ask the Avatar in the Front Row

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starkman, Neal

2007-01-01

Colleges and universities head into virtual worlds, and student learning and psychology are changed forever. For the past few years, Creighton University, a Jesuit institution of about 6,700 students has hosted GameFest (www2.creighton.edu/doit/gamefest), a 12-hour marathon of high-tech, interactive gaming sessions among Creighton students, using…

Spatial Learning Using Locomotion Interface to Virtual Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patel, K. K.; Vij, S.

2012-01-01

The inability to navigate independently and interact with the wider world is one of the most significant handicaps that can be caused by blindness, second only to the inability to communicate through reading and writing. Many difficulties are encountered when visually impaired people (VIP) need to visit new and unknown places. Current speech or…

Playing Modeling Games in the Science Classroom: The Case for Disciplinary Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sengupta, Pratim; Clark, Doug

2016-01-01

The authors extend the theory of "disciplinary integration" of games for science education beyond the virtual world of games, and identify two key themes of a practice-based theoretical commitment to science learning: (1) materiality in the classroom, and (2) iterative design of multiple, complementary, symbolic inscriptions (e.g.,…

The Ed Media Center: A Second Life Professional Development Model for Relational Aesthetics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Julian, June; Crooks, Julian Glynn

2014-01-01

The Ed Media Center in Second Life provides multiple professional development opportunities for art educators to explore the educational potential of virtual worlds together. Since it's launch in 2009, it has hosted numerous events that address contemporary students' learning preferences and that enable artists and art educators to become…

Leading Higher Education Professionals: Local, Connected, and Artful

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bathurst, Ralph; van Gelderen, Marco

2014-01-01

In this paper, we explore the work life of a scholar new to academia in her methods of leading informally. We discuss five vignettes that offer moments of learning and reflection, including reducing performance anxiety, privileging financial accountability, the rise of the virtual world, the impact of silence, and the potential for confrontation…

Educational Online Technologies in Blended Tertiary Environments: A Review of Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuapawa, Kimberley N.

2013-01-01

This is a review of the literature surrounding five popular media-rich educational online technologies (EOTs) currently being used by educationalists to support blended learning within tertiary environments. This review considers the following EOTs: 1) connective media, 2) interactive gaming, 3) virtual worlds, 4) web conferencing and 5) learning…

Gender and Power Issues in On-Line Learning Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Machanic, Mindy

The Internet (Net) and World Wide Web (WWW) have developed a variety of cultures and communities. Although most early users of the Net (mostly males) were well-intentioned and well-mannered, their social conventions (some blatantly sexist, others in the nature of macho posturing) have continued in many online chat rooms and virtual gaming…

Using VRML for Teaching and Training in Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dorner, Ralph; Schafer, Arno; Elcacho, Colette; Luckas, Volker

This paper shows how World Wide Web-based technology using VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) can be applied in an industrial education and training context. Following an introduction to the importance of lifelong learning and training in industry, the state of the art of VRML is discussed, including its features and integration into the Web…

Are Digital Natives a Myth or Reality? University Students' Use of Digital Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Margaryan, Anoush; Littlejohn, Allison; Vojt, Gabrielle

2011-01-01

This study investigated the extent and nature of university students' use of digital technologies for learning and socialising. The findings show that students use a limited range of mainly established technologies. Use of collaborative knowledge creation tools, virtual worlds, and social networking sites was low. "Digital natives" and students of…

Acquiring Software Project Specifications in a Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ng, Vincent; Tang, Zoe

2012-01-01

In teaching software engineering, it is often interesting to introduce real life scenarios for students to experience and to learn how to collect information from respective clients. The ideal arrangement is to have some real clients willing to spend time to provide their ideas of a target system through interviews. However, this arrangement…

Teaching Note-Teaching Student Interviewing Competencies through Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tandy, Cynthia; Vernon, Robert; Lynch, Darlene

2017-01-01

A prototype standardized client was created and programmed to respond to students in the 3D virtual world of Second Life. This automaton, called a "chatbot," was repeatedly interviewed by beginning MSW students in a practice course as a learning exercise. Initial results were positive and suggest the use of simulated clients in virtual…

Preparing Future Teachers for Inclusion Classrooms Using Virtual World Role-Play Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mirliss, Danielle Salomone

2014-01-01

Teacher preparation programs are exploring opportunities to better prepare pre-service teachers for the realities of managing inclusion classrooms. The ability to manage a classroom while meeting the learning needs of all students is critical to the success of a teacher. Research suggests that a teacher's positive attitudes toward inclusion and…

Using serious games and virtual worlds in pesticides transport teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payraudeau, Sylvain; Alvarez-Zaldivar, Pablo; van Dijk, Paul; Imfeld, Gwenaël

2017-04-01

Teaching environmental scenarios, such as the availability and transport of pesticides in catchments, may fail with traditional lectures and tutorials due to the complex and synergic interplay of soil, landuse, compounds properties, hydroclimatic forcing and biogeochemical processes. To tackle and pedagogically enter into this complexity, virtual worlds (i.e. computer-based simulated environment) and serious games (i.e. applied games with added pedagogical value) can efficiently improve knowledge and know-how of the future water management stakeholders and scientists. We have developed an e-learning teaching unit using virtual catchments and serious games by gradually adapting the level of complexity depending of the targeted public. The first targeted group is farmers in continuing education centers. We developed a distributed pesticide transport tool in a virtual agricultural catchment to highlight the specific risks of off-site pesticide transport along crop growing season. Students of this first group can interactively define and combine climatic, land-use and soil type scenarios with different pesticides to experiment the components of worst-case situations and to propose best-management practices depending of the involved environmental compartments, i.e. atmosphere, soil, surface water or groundwater. For Master's degree students, we added a level of complexity by adding a specific module focusing on pesticide degradation using cutting-edge approaches. With the compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) module students are able to link the 13C/12C signature of pesticides to the ongoing dissipation processes within the catchment. By using and interpreting CSIA data, students can thus efficiently understand the difference between non-destructive (e.g. sorption) and destructive (e.g. bio and abiotic degradation) processes occurring in a catchment. This CSIA tool applied to a virtual agricultural catchment will also allow to distinguish the dilution effect from the degradation effect in complex agricultural catchments receiving pesticides. We anticipate our e-learning teaching unit based on serious game and virtual catchments will help future scientists and stakeholders to better understand and manage pesticides transport within catchments.

Toward cognitive robotics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laird, John E.

2009-05-01

Our long-term goal is to develop autonomous robotic systems that have the cognitive abilities of humans, including communication, coordination, adapting to novel situations, and learning through experience. Our approach rests on the recent integration of the Soar cognitive architecture with both virtual and physical robotic systems. Soar has been used to develop a wide variety of knowledge-rich agents for complex virtual environments, including distributed training environments and interactive computer games. For development and testing in robotic virtual environments, Soar interfaces to a variety of robotic simulators and a simple mobile robot. We have recently made significant extensions to Soar that add new memories and new non-symbolic reasoning to Soar's original symbolic processing, which should significantly improve Soar abilities for control of robots. These extensions include episodic memory, semantic memory, reinforcement learning, and mental imagery. Episodic memory and semantic memory support the learning and recalling of prior events and situations as well as facts about the world. Reinforcement learning provides the ability of the system to tune its procedural knowledge - knowledge about how to do things. Mental imagery supports the use of diagrammatic and visual representations that are critical to support spatial reasoning. We speculate on the future of unmanned systems and the need for cognitive robotics to support dynamic instruction and taskability.

Towards a More Authentic Science Curriculum: The contribution of out-of-school learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braund, Martin; Reiss, Michael

2006-10-01

In many developed countries of the world, pupil attitudes to school science decline progressively across the age range of secondary schooling while fewer students are choosing to study science at higher levels and as a career. Responses to these developments have included proposals to reform the curriculum, pedagogy, and the nature of pupil discussion in science lessons. We support such changes but argue that far greater use needs to be made of out-of-school sites in the teaching of science. Such usage will result in a school science education that is more valid and more motivating. We present an “evolutionary model” of science teaching that looks at where learning and teaching take place, and draws together thinking about the history of science and developments in the nature of learning over the past 100 years or so. Our contention is that laboratory-based school science teaching needs to be complemented by out-of-school science learning that draws on the actual world (e.g., through fieldtrips), the presented world (e.g., in science centres, botanic gardens, zoos and science museums), and the virtual worlds that are increasingly available through information technologies.

Deploying Embodied AI into Virtual Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burden, David J. H.

The last two years have seen the start of commercial activity within virtual worlds. Unlike computer games where Non-Player-Character avatars are common, in most virtual worlds they are the exception — and until recently in Second Life they were non-existent. However there is real commercial scope for Als in these worlds — in roles from virtual sales staff and tutors to personal assistants. Deploying an embodied AI into a virtual world offers a unique opportunity to evaluate embodied Als, and to develop them within an environment where human and computer are on almost equal terms. This paper presents an architecture being used for the deployment of chatbot driven avatars within the Second Life virtual world, looks at the challenges of deploying an AI within such a virtual world, the possible implications for the Turing Test, and identifies research directions for the future.

Virtual Reality as an Educational and Training Tool for Medicine.

PubMed

Izard, Santiago González; Juanes, Juan A; García Peñalvo, Francisco J; Estella, Jesús Mª Gonçalvez; Ledesma, Mª José Sánchez; Ruisoto, Pablo

2018-02-01

Until very recently, we considered Virtual Reality as something that was very close, but it was still science fiction. However, today Virtual Reality is being integrated into many different areas of our lives, from videogames to different industrial use cases and, of course, it is starting to be used in medicine. There are two great general classifications for Virtual Reality. Firstly, we find a Virtual Reality in which we visualize a world completely created by computer, three-dimensional and where we can appreciate that the world we are visualizing is not real, at least for the moment as rendered images are improving very fast. Secondly, there is a Virtual Reality that basically consists of a reflection of our reality. This type of Virtual Reality is created using spherical or 360 images and videos, so we lose three-dimensional visualization capacity (until the 3D cameras are more developed), but on the other hand we gain in terms of realism in the images. We could also mention a third classification that merges the previous two, where virtual elements created by computer coexist with 360 images and videos. In this article we will show two systems that we have developed where each of them can be framed within one of the previous classifications, identifying the technologies used for their implementation as well as the advantages of each one. We will also analize how these systems can improve the current methodologies used for medical training. The implications of these developments as tools for teaching, learning and training are discussed.

Future Evolution of Virtual Worlds as Communication Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prisco, Giulio

Extensive experience creating locations and activities inside virtual worlds provides the basis for contemplating their future. Users of virtual worlds are diverse in their goals for these online environments; for example, immersionists want them to be alternative realities disconnected from real life, whereas augmentationists want them to be communication media supporting real-life activities. As the technology improves, the diversity of virtual worlds will increase along with their significance. Many will incorporate more advanced virtual reality, or serve as major media for long-distance collaboration, or become the venues for futurist social movements. Key issues are how people can create their own virtual worlds, travel across worlds, and experience a variety of multimedia immersive environments. This chapter concludes by noting the view among some computer scientists that future technologies will permit uploading human personalities to artificial intelligence avatars, thereby enhancing human beings and rendering the virtual worlds entirely real.

Virtual Worlds? "Outlook Good"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelton, AJ

2008-01-01

Many people believed that virtual worlds would end up like the eight-track audiotape: a memory of something no longer used (or useful). Yet today there are hundreds of higher education institutions represented in three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds such as Active Worlds and Second Life. The movement toward the virtual realm as a viable teaching…

Technical Problems Experienced in the Transformation of Virtual Worlds into an Education Environment and Coping Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coban, Murat; Karakus, Turkan; Karaman, Asiye; Gunay, Fatma; Goktas, Yuksel

2015-01-01

Research into virtual worlds demonstrates that to successfully use virtual world platforms in different disciplines, certain limitations and potential difficulties of these platforms must be overcome. The current study extends previous research by investigating problems in integrating virtual worlds in education with a longitudinal observation of…

Rapid prototyping, astronaut training, and experiment control and supervision: distributed virtual worlds for COLUMBUS, the European Space Laboratory module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freund, Eckhard; Rossmann, Juergen

2002-02-01

In 2004, the European COLUMBUS Module is to be attached to the International Space Station. On the way to the successful planning, deployment and operation of the module, computer generated and animated models are being used to optimize performance. Under contract of the German Space Agency DLR, it has become IRF's task to provide a Projective Virtual Reality System to provide a virtual world built after the planned layout of the COLUMBUS module let astronauts and experimentators practice operational procedures and the handling of experiments. The key features of the system currently being realized comprise the possibility for distributed multi-user access to the virtual lab and the visualization of real-world experiment data. Through the capabilities to share the virtual world, cooperative operations can be practiced easily, but also trainers and trainees can work together more effectively sharing the virtual environment. The capability to visualize real-world data will be used to introduce measured data of experiments into the virtual world online in order to realistically interact with the science-reference model hardware: The user's actions in the virtual world are translated into corresponding changes of the inputs of the science reference model hardware; the measured data is than in turn fed back into the virtual world. During the operation of COLUMBUS, the capabilities for distributed access and the capabilities to visualize measured data through the use of metaphors and augmentations of the virtual world may be used to provide virtual access to the COLUMBUS module, e.g. via Internet. Currently, finishing touches are being put to the system. In November 2001 the virtual world shall be operational, so that besides the design and the key ideas, first experimental results can be presented.

Introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahonen, Pasi; Alahuhta, Petteri; Daskala, Barbara; Delaitre, Sabine; Hert, Paul De; Lindner, Ralf; Maghiros, Ioannis; Moscibroda, Anna; Schreurs, Wim; Verlinden, Michiel

The brave new world of ambient intelligence is almost upon us. Ambient intelligence is the phrase coined to describe a world in which "intelligence" is embedded in virtually everything around us. It has been called an Internet of things, where radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are attached to all products. It is a world of smart dust with networked sensors and actuators so small as to be virtually invisible, where the clothes you wear, the paint on your walls, the carpets on your floor, and the paper money in your pocket have a computer communications capability. It is a 4G world where today's mobile phone is transformed into a terminal capable of receiving television, accessing the Internet, downloading music, reading RFIDs, taking pictures, enabling interactive video telephony, and much more. It is a world of convergence, where heterogeneous devices are able to communicate seamlessly across today's disparate networks, a world of machine learning and intelligent software, where computers monitor our activities, routines and behaviours to predict what we will do or want next. In the brave new world of ambient intelligence, we will never have to worry about losing track of our children because they will have a location device implanted under the skin or, if they are squeamish about that, then at least they will have one in their wristwatch.

A central role for the retrosplenial cortex in de novo environmental learning

PubMed Central

Auger, Stephen D; Zeidman, Peter; Maguire, Eleanor A

2015-01-01

With experience we become accustomed to the types of environments that we normally encounter as we navigate in the world. But how does this fundamental knowledge develop in the first place and what brain regions are involved? To examine de novo environmental learning, we created an ‘alien’ virtual reality world populated with landmarks of which participants had no prior experience. They learned about this environment by moving within it during functional MRI (fMRI) scanning while we tracked their evolving knowledge. Retrosplenial cortex (RSC) played a central and highly selective role by representing only the most stable, permanent features in this world. Subsequently, increased coupling was noted between RSC and hippocampus, with hippocampus then expressing knowledge of permanent landmark locations and overall environmental layout. Studying how environmental representations emerge from scratch provided a new window into the information processing underpinning the brain's navigation system, highlighting the key influence of the RSC. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09031.001 PMID:26284602

Mirror-image-induced magnetic modes.

PubMed

Xifré-Pérez, Elisabet; Shi, Lei; Tuzer, Umut; Fenollosa, Roberto; Ramiro-Manzano, Fernando; Quidant, Romain; Meseguer, Francisco

2013-01-22

Reflection in a mirror changes the handedness of the real world, and right-handed objects turn left-handed and vice versa (M. Gardner, The Ambidextrous Universe, Penguin Books, 1964). Also, we learn from electromagnetism textbooks that a flat metallic mirror transforms an electric charge into a virtual opposite charge. Consequently, the mirror image of a magnet is another parallel virtual magnet as the mirror image changes both the charge sign and the curl handedness. Here we report the dramatic modification in the optical response of a silicon nanocavity induced by the interaction with its image through a flat metallic mirror. The system of real and virtual dipoles can be interpreted as an effective magnetic dipole responsible for a strong enhancement of the cavity scattering cross section.

The use of virtual world-based cardiac rehabilitation to encourage healthy lifestyle choices among cardiac patients: intervention development and pilot study protocol.

PubMed

Brewer, LaPrincess C; Kaihoi, Brian; Zarling, Kathleen K; Squires, Ray W; Thomas, Randal; Kopecky, Stephen

2015-04-08

Despite proven benefits through the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and reduction of mortality, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) remains underutilized in cardiac patients. Underserved populations most affected by CVD including rural residents, low socioeconomic status patients, and racial/ethnic minorities have the lowest participation rates due to access barriers. Internet-and mobile-based lifestyle interventions have emerged as potential modalities to complement and increase accessibility to CR. An outpatient CR program using virtual world technology may provide an effective alternative to conventional CR by overcoming patient access limitations such as geographics, work schedule constraints, and transportation. The objective of this paper is to describe the research protocol of a two-phased, pilot study that will assess the feasibility (Phase 1) and comparative effectiveness (Phase 2) of a virtual world-based (Second Life) CR program as an extension of a conventional CR program in achieving healthy behavioral change among post-acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients. We hypothesize that virtual world CR users will improve behaviors (physical activity, diet, and smoking) to a greater degree than conventional CR participants. In Phase 1, we will recruit at least 10 patients enrolled in outpatient CR who were recently hospitalized for an ACS (unstable angina, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction) or who recently underwent elective PCI at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Rochester Campus in Rochester, MN with at least one modifiable, lifestyle risk factor target (sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, and current smoking). Recruited patients will participate in a 12-week, virtual world health education program which will provide feedback on the feasibility, usability, and design of the intervention. During Phase 2, we will conduct a 2-arm, parallel group, single-center, randomized controlled trial (RCT). Patients will be randomized at a 1:1 ratio to adjunct virtual world-based CR with conventional CR or conventional CR only. The primary outcome is a composite including at least one of the following (1) at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, (2) daily consumption of five or more fruits and vegetables, and (3) smoking cessation. Patients will be assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months. The Phase 1 feasibility study is currently open for recruitment which will be followed by the Phase 2 RCT. The anticipated completion date for the study is May 2016. While research on the use of virtual world technology in health programs is in its infancy, it offers unique advantages over current Web-based health interventions including social interactivity and active learning. It also increases accessibility to vulnerable populations who have higher burdens of CVD. This study will yield results on the effectiveness of a virtual world-based CR program as an innovative platform to influence healthy lifestyle behavior and self-efficacy.

Teaching in the Age of Electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Impey, C. D.

2002-12-01

Technology opens up a bewildering array of opportunities and options for faculty teaching courses to large groups of non-science majors. The trick is in understanding which modes of instruction increase the engagement and learning of students. Among the tools that show good potential for advancing learning in introductory astronomy classes are virtual worlds, exercises that use real astronomy data sets, expert systems, and content accessible by phone. Some of the capabilities of a new web site to assist astronomy instructors, www.astronomica.org, will be demonstrated.

Validation of virtual reality as a tool to understand and prevent child pedestrian injury.

PubMed

Schwebel, David C; Gaines, Joanna; Severson, Joan

2008-07-01

In recent years, virtual reality has emerged as an innovative tool for health-related education and training. Among the many benefits of virtual reality is the opportunity for novice users to engage unsupervised in a safe environment when the real environment might be dangerous. Virtual environments are only useful for health-related research, however, if behavior in the virtual world validly matches behavior in the real world. This study was designed to test the validity of an immersive, interactive virtual pedestrian environment. A sample of 102 children and 74 adults was recruited to complete simulated road-crossings in both the virtual environment and the identical real environment. In both the child and adult samples, construct validity was demonstrated via significant correlations between behavior in the virtual and real worlds. Results also indicate construct validity through developmental differences in behavior; convergent validity by showing correlations between parent-reported child temperament and behavior in the virtual world; internal reliability of various measures of pedestrian safety in the virtual world; and face validity, as measured by users' self-reported perception of realism in the virtual world. We discuss issues of generalizability to other virtual environments, and the implications for application of virtual reality to understanding and preventing pediatric pedestrian injuries.

The use of virtual reality in memory rehabilitation: current findings and future directions.

PubMed

Brooks, B M; Rose, F D

2003-01-01

There is considerable potential for using virtual reality (VR) in memory rehabilitation which is only just beginning to be realized. PC-based virtual environments are probably better suited for this purpose than more immersive virtual environments because they are relatively inexpensive and portable, and less frightening to patients. Those exploratory studies that have so far been performed indicate that VR involvement would be usefully directed towards improving assessments of memory impairments and in memory remediation using reorganization techniques. In memory assessment, the use of VR could provide more comprehensive, ecologically-valid, and controlled evaluations of prospective, incidental, and spatial memory in a rehabilitation setting than is possible using standardized assessment tests. The additional knowledge gained from these assessments could more effectively direct rehabilitation towards specific impairments of individual patients. In memory remediation, VR training has been found to promote procedural learning in people with memory impairments, and this learning has been found to transfer to improved real-world performance. Future research should investigate ways in which the procedural knowledge gained during VR interaction can be adapted to offset the many disabilities which result from different forms of memory impairment.

Opportunistic Behavior in Motivated Learning Agents.

PubMed

Graham, James; Starzyk, Janusz A; Jachyra, Daniel

2015-08-01

This paper focuses on the novel motivated learning (ML) scheme and opportunistic behavior of an intelligent agent. It extends previously developed ML to opportunistic behavior in a multitask situation. Our paper describes the virtual world implementation of autonomous opportunistic agents learning in a dynamically changing environment, creating abstract goals, and taking advantage of arising opportunities to improve their performance. An opportunistic agent achieves better results than an agent based on ML only. It does so by minimizing the average value of all need signals rather than a dominating need. This paper applies to the design of autonomous embodied systems (robots) learning in real-time how to operate in a complex environment.

Virtual Economies: Threats and Risks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thorpe, Christopher; Hammer, Jessica; Camp, Jean; Callas, Jon; Bond, Mike

In virtual economies, human and computer players produce goods and services, hold assets, and trade them with other in-game entities, in the same way that people and corporations participate in "real-world" economies. As the border between virtual worlds and the real world grows more and more permeable, privacy and security in virtual worlds matter more and more.

Collective Action Situated in Virtual Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blodgett, Bridget M.

2011-01-01

For the first time in the history of collective action, the offline world has experienced a virtually organized and enacted union strike. While this was the first publicly noticed political action in a virtual world, others have been going on for several years now. As virtual worlds continue to grow in popularity, this type of protest of action…

ED-Media 94--World Conference on Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, June 25-30, 1994). Panel Discussions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyle, Tom; And Others

Six conference panel discussions on uses of technology in education are presented. The first panel, "The Use of Hypermedia in the Teaching and Learning of Programming" (Tom Boyle, Chair, and others) discusses achievements in hypermedia-based instruction, design needs, and experiences. The second panel, "Virtual Clayoquot Video…

CSI Web Adventures: A Forensics Virtual Apprenticeship for Teaching Science and Inspiring STEM Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Leslie; Chang, Ching-I; Hoyt, Daniel

2010-01-01

CSI: The Experience, a traveling museum exhibit and a companion web adventure, was created through a grant from the National Science Foundation as a potential model for informal learning. The website was designed to enrich and complement the exhibit by modeling the forensic process. Substantive science, real-world lab techniques, and higher-level…

Augmenting Your Own Reality: Student Authoring of Science-Based Augmented Reality Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klopfer, Eric; Sheldon, Josh

2010-01-01

Augmented Reality (AR) simulations superimpose a virtual overlay of data and interactions onto a real-world context. The simulation engine at the heart of this technology is built to afford elements of game play that support explorations and learning in students' natural context--their own community and surroundings. In one of the more recent…

Alternate Reality Games as Learning Environments for Student Induction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitton, Nicola; Jones, Rosie; Wilson, Scott; Whitton, Peter

2014-01-01

Alternate reality games (ARGs) are a relatively new form of collaborative game that make use of both the virtual and real worlds to engage players in a series of challenges within a compelling narrative. The Alternate Reality Games for Orientation, Socialisation and Induction (ARGOSI) project aimed to use this game format to provide an alternative…

Hands-on Learning in the Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Branson, John; Thomson, Diane

2013-01-01

The U.S. military has long understood the value of immersive simulations in education. Before the Navy entrusts a ship to a crew, crew members must first practice and demonstrate their competency in a fully immersive, simulated environment. Why not teach students in the same way? K-12 educators in Pennsylvania, USA, recently did just that when…

Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER). The Future of Interprofessional Education Is Here!

PubMed

Kuo, Ming-Chuan; Ball, Marion; Skiba, Diane J; Marin, Heimar; Shaw, Toria; Chang, Polun

2018-01-01

This session will describe the TIGER Initiative journey, its evolution and accomplishments nationally and internationally. A powerful demonstration of the TIGER Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) will be highlighted along with case studies from around the world, with emphasis on global competencies and opportunities for engagement in all current TIGER activities and future plans.

Critical Perspectives on TEL: Art and Design Education, Theory, Communities and Space

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sclater, Madeleine; Lally, Vic

2016-01-01

This paper explores three themes, emerging from the Inter-Life project, an Art and Design education and social skills project set in a virtual world. We argue that they connect with the concerns raised by critical Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) researchers at the Alpine Rendezvous workshop entitled "TEL: the Crisis and the Response."…

Effectiveness of Virtual Worlds in Public Health Preparedness Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Earley, Elvia A.

2012-01-01

In emergency response training, it is essential that the learners are able to apply their classroom knowledge and implement the practical and critical thinking skills they learned. A quasi-experimental methodology with a non-randomized control group and a pretest-posttest was used in this study to evaluate the training level of satisfaction as a…

Development of Computer-Assisted Virtual Field Trips to Support Multidisciplinary Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobson, Astrid R.; Militello, Roberta; Baveye, Philippe C.

2009-01-01

Multidisciplinary courses are being developed at a number of US colleges and universities to highlight the connections between the rise or fall of world civilizations and the sustainable or unsustainable uses of soil and water resources. The content presented in these courses is complex because it includes concepts from disciplines as varied as…

Reimagining the Role of School Libraries in STEM Education: Creating Hybrid Spaces for Exploration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Subramaniam, Mega M.; Ahn, June; Fleischmann, Kenneth R.; Druin, Allison

2012-01-01

In recent years, many technological interventions have surfaced, such as virtual worlds, games, and digital labs, that aspire to link young people's interest in media technology and social networks to learning about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) areas. Despite the tremendous interest surrounding young people and STEM education,…

From First Life to Second Life: Evaluating Task-Based Language Learning in a New Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jee, Min Jung

2014-01-01

With its growing number of users, Second Life as one of the avatar-based 3D virtual worlds has received attention from educators and researchers in various fields to explore its pedagogical benefits. Given the increasing implementation of technologies broadly in much instruction, this study investigated how ESL students negotiated meanings in…

Gaining Modelling and Mathematical Experience by Constructing Virtual Sensory Systems in Maze-Videogames

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sacristán, Ana Isabel; Pretelín-Ricárdez, Angel

2017-01-01

This work is part of a research project that aims to enhance engineering students' learning of how to apply mathematics in modelling activities of real-world situations, through the construction (design and programming) of videogames. We want also for students to relate their mathematical knowledge with other disciplines (e.g., physics, computer…

The development of a virtual science museum for the public understanding of science in eastern China and in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delello, Julie Anne

2009-12-01

In 1999, the Chinese Academy of Sciences realized that there was a need for a better public understanding of science. For the public to have better accessibility and comprehension of China's significance to the world, the Computer Network Information Center (CNIC), under the direction of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, combined resources from thousands of experts across the world to develop online science exhibits housed within the Virtual Science Museum of China. Through an analysis of historical documents, this descriptive dissertation presents a research project that explores a dimension of the development of the Giant Panda Exhibit. This study takes the reader on a journey, first to China and then to a classroom within the United States, in order to answer the following questions: (1) What is the process of the development of a virtual science exhibit; and, (2) What role do public audiences play in the design and implementation of virtual science museums? The creation of a virtual science museum exhibition is a process that is not completed with just the building and design, but must incorporate feedback from public audiences who utilize the exhibit. To meet the needs of the museum visitors, the designers at CNIC took a user-centered approach and solicited feedback from six survey groups. To design a museum that would facilitate a cultural exchange of scientific information, the CNIC looked at the following categories: visitor insights, the usability of the technology, the educational effectiveness of the museum exhibit, and the cultural nuances that existed between students in China and in the United States. The findings of this study illustrate that the objectives of museum designers may not necessarily reflect the needs of the visitors and confirm previous research studies which indicate that museum exhibits need a more constructivist approach that fully engages the visitor in an interactive, media-rich environment. Even though the world has moved forwards with digital technology, classroom instruction in both China and in the United States continues to reflect traditional teaching methods. Students were shown to have a lack of experience with the Internet in classrooms and difficulty in scientific comprehension when using the virtual science museum---showing a separation between classroom technology and learning. Students showed a greater interest level in learning science with technology through online gaming and rich multimedia suggesting that virtual science museums can be educationally valuable and support an alternative to traditional teaching methods if designed with the end user in mind.

Effects of physical randomness training on virtual and laboratory golf putting performance in novices.

PubMed

Pataky, T C; Lamb, P F

2018-06-01

External randomness exists in all sports but is perhaps most obvious in golf putting where robotic putters sink only 80% of 5 m putts due to unpredictable ball-green dynamics. The purpose of this study was to test whether physical randomness training can improve putting performance in novices. A virtual random-physics golf-putting game was developed based on controlled ball-roll data. Thirty-two subjects were assigned a unique randomness gain (RG) ranging from 0.1 to 2.0-times real-world randomness. Putter face kinematics were measured in 5 m laboratory putts before and after five days of virtual training. Performance was quantified using putt success rate and "miss-adjustment correlation" (MAC), the correlation between left-right miss magnitude and subsequent right-left kinematic adjustments. Results showed no RG-success correlation (r = -0.066, p = 0.719) but mildly stronger correlations with MAC for face angle (r = -0.168, p = 0.358) and clubhead path (r = -0.302, p = 0.093). The strongest RG-MAC correlation was observed during virtual training (r = -0.692, p < 0.001). These results suggest that subjects quickly adapt to physical randomness in virtual training, and also that this learning may weakly transfer to real golf putting kinematics. Adaptation to external physical randomness during virtual training may therefore help golfers adapt to external randomness in real-world environments.

Using Virtual Reality to Provide Health Care Information to People With Intellectual Disabilities: Acceptability, Usability, and Potential Utility

PubMed Central

Conboy-Hill, Suzanne; Taylor, Dave

2011-01-01

Background People with intellectual disabilities have poor access to health care, which may be further compromised by a lack of accessible health information. To be effective, health information must be easily understood and remembered. People with intellectual disabilities learn better from multimodal information sources, and virtual reality offers a 3-dimensional (3D) computer-generated environment that can be used for providing information and learning. To date, research into virtual reality experiences for people with intellectual disabilities has been limited to skill-based training and leisure opportunities within the young to mid age ranges. Objective This study assessed the acceptability, usability, and potential utility of a virtual reality experience as a means of providing health care-related information to people with intellectual disabilities. We designed a prototype multimodal experience based on a hospital scenario and situated on an island in the Second Life 3D virtual world. We wanted to know how people of different ages and with varying levels of cognitive function would participate in the customized virtual environment, what they understood from being there, and what they remembered a week later. Methods The study drew on qualitative data. We used a participatory research approach that involved working alongside people with intellectual disabilities and their supporters in a community setting. Cognitive function was assessed, using the Matrix Analogies Test and the British Picture Vocabulary Scale, to describe the sample. Participants, supported by facilitators, were video recorded accessing and engaging with the virtual environment. We assessed recall 1 week later, using a specialized interview technique. Data were downloaded into NVivo 8 and analyzed using the framework analysis technique. Results Study participants were 20 people aged between 20 and 80 years with mild to severe intellectual disabilities. All participants were able to access the environment and voluntarily stayed there for between 23 and 57 minutes. With facilitator support, all participants moved the avatar themselves. Participants engaged with the scenario as if they were actually there, indicating cognitive presence. Some referred back to previous medical experiences, indicating the potential for experiential knowledge to become the foundation of new learning and retention of knowledge. When interviewed, all participants remembered some aspects of the environment. Conclusions A sample of adults with intellectual disabilities of all ages, and with varying levels of cognitive function, accessed and enjoyed a virtual-world environment that drew on a health care-related scenario, and remembered aspects of it a week later. The small sample size limits generalizability of findings, but the potential shown for experiential learning to aid retention of knowledge on which consent is based appears promising. Successfully delivering health care-related information in a non-National Health Service setting indicates potential for delivery in institutional, community, or home settings, thereby widening access to the information. PMID:22082765

Teachers' Perceptions of the Benefits and Challenges of Three-Dimensional Virtual Worlds for Social Skills Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nussli, Natalie; Oh, Kevin

2016-01-01

This case study describes how a systematic 7-Step Virtual Worlds Teacher Training Workshop guided the enculturation of 18 special education teachers into three-dimensional virtual worlds. The main purpose was to enable these teachers to make informed decisions about the usability of virtual worlds for students with social skills challenges, such…

Developing interprofessional health competencies in a virtual world

PubMed Central

King, Sharla; Chodos, David; Stroulia, Eleni; Carbonaro, Mike; MacKenzie, Mark; Reid, Andrew; Torres, Lisa; Greidanus, Elaine

2012-01-01

Background Virtual worlds provide a promising means of delivering simulations for developing interprofessional health skills. However, developing and implementing a virtual world simulation is a challenging process, in part because of the novelty of virtual worlds as a simulation platform and also because of the degree of collaboration required among technical and subject experts. Thus, it can be difficult to ensure that the simulation is both technically satisfactory and educationally appropriate. Methods To address this challenge, we propose the use of de Freitas and Oliver's four-dimensional framework as a means of guiding the development process. We give an overview of the framework and describe how its principles can be applied to the development of virtual world simulations. Results We present two virtual world simulation pilot projects that adopted this approach, and describe our development experience in these projects. We directly connect this experience to the four-dimensional framework, thus validating the framework's applicability to the projects and to the context of virtual world simulations in general. Conclusions We present a series of recommendations for developing virtual world simulations for interprofessional health education. These recommendations are based on the four-dimensional framework and are also informed by our experience with the pilot projects. PMID:23195649

Virtual VMASC: A 3D Game Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manepalli, Suchitra; Shen, Yuzhong; Garcia, Hector M.; Lawsure, Kaleen

2010-01-01

The advantages of creating interactive 3D simulations that allow viewing, exploring, and interacting with land improvements, such as buildings, in digital form are manifold and range from allowing individuals from anywhere in the world to explore those virtual land improvements online, to training military personnel in dealing with war-time environments, and to making those land improvements available in virtual worlds such as Second Life. While we haven't fully explored the true potential of such simulations, we have identified a requirement within our organization to use simulations like those to replace our front-desk personnel and allow visitors to query, naVigate, and communicate virtually with various entities within the building. We implemented the Virtual VMASC 3D simulation of the Virginia Modeling Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC) office building to not only meet our front-desk requirement but also to evaluate the effort required in designing such a simulation and, thereby, leverage the experience we gained in future projects of this kind. This paper describes the goals we set for our implementation, the software approach taken, the modeling contribution made, and the technologies used such as XNA Game Studio, .NET framework, Autodesk software packages, and, finally, the applicability of our implementation on a variety of architectures including Xbox 360 and PC. This paper also summarizes the result of our evaluation and the lessons learned from our effort.

World Reaction to Virtual Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

DRaW Computing developed virtual reality software for the International Space Station. Open Worlds, as the software has been named, can be made to support Java scripting and virtual reality hardware devices. Open Worlds permits the use of VRML script nodes to add virtual reality capabilities to the user's applications.

Evaluating Multiple Levels of an Interaction Fidelity Continuum on Performance and Learning in Near-Field Training Simulations.

PubMed

Bhargava, Ayush; Bertrand, Jeffrey W; Gramopadhye, Anand K; Madathil, Kapil C; Babu, Sabarish V

2018-04-01

With costs of head-mounted displays (HMDs) and tracking technology decreasing rapidly, various virtual reality applications are being widely adopted for education and training. Hardware advancements have enabled replication of real-world interactions in virtual environments to a large extent, paving the way for commercial grade applications that provide a safe and risk-free training environment at a fraction of the cost. But this also mandates the need to develop more intrinsic interaction techniques and to empirically evaluate them in a more comprehensive manner. Although there exists a body of previous research that examines the benefits of selected levels of interaction fidelity on performance, few studies have investigated the constituent components of fidelity in a Interaction Fidelity Continuum (IFC) with several system instances and their respective effects on performance and learning in the context of a real-world skills training application. Our work describes a large between-subjects investigation conducted over several years that utilizes bimanual interaction metaphors at six discrete levels of interaction fidelity to teach basic precision metrology concepts in a near-field spatial interaction task in VR. A combined analysis performed on the data compares and contrasts the six different conditions and their overall effects on performance and learning outcomes, eliciting patterns in the results between the discrete application points on the IFC. With respect to some performance variables, results indicate that simpler restrictive interaction metaphors and highest fidelity metaphors perform better than medium fidelity interaction metaphors. In light of these results, a set of general guidelines are created for developers of spatial interaction metaphors in immersive virtual environments for precise fine-motor skills training simulations.

Young Children's Literacy Practices in a Virtual World: Establishing an Online Interaction Order

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsh, Jackie

2011-01-01

This study examined the literacy practices of children ages 5-11 as they engaged in out-of-school use of virtual worlds. The purpose of the study was to explore the nature, purpose, and role of literacy in children's use of a virtual world. In this article, I reflect on how children's use of literacy practices in the virtual world constructed and…

Virtual hand: a 3D tactile interface to virtual environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogowitz, Bernice E.; Borrel, Paul

2008-02-01

We introduce a novel system that allows users to experience the sensation of touch in a computer graphics environment. In this system, the user places his/her hand on an array of pins, which is moved about space on a 6 degree-of-freedom robot arm. The surface of the pins defines a surface in the virtual world. This "virtual hand" can move about the virtual world. When the virtual hand encounters an object in the virtual world, the heights of the pins are adjusted so that they represent the object's shape, surface, and texture. A control system integrates pin and robot arm motions to transmit information about objects in the computer graphics world to the user. It also allows the user to edit, change and move the virtual objects, shapes and textures. This system provides a general framework for touching, manipulating, and modifying objects in a 3-D computer graphics environment, which may be useful in a wide range of applications, including computer games, computer aided design systems, and immersive virtual worlds.

Ethnography in a Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shumar, Wesley; Madison, Nora

2013-01-01

This article situates the discussion of virtual ethnography within the larger political/economic changes of twenty-first century consumer capitalism and suggests that increasingly our entire social world is a virtual world and that there were very particular utopian and dystopian framings of virtual community growing out of that history. The…

Sounds of silence: How to animate virtual worlds with sound

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Astheimer, Peter

1993-01-01

Sounds are an integral and sometimes annoying part of our daily life. Virtual worlds which imitate natural environments gain a lot of authenticity from fast, high quality visualization combined with sound effects. Sounds help to increase the degree of immersion for human dwellers in imaginary worlds significantly. The virtual reality toolkit of IGD (Institute for Computer Graphics) features a broad range of standard visual and advanced real-time audio components which interpret an object-oriented definition of the scene. The virtual reality system 'Virtual Design' realized with the toolkit enables the designer of virtual worlds to create a true audiovisual environment. Several examples on video demonstrate the usage of the audio features in Virtual Design.

Virtual World Currency Value Fluctuation Prediction System Based on User Sentiment Analysis.

PubMed

Kim, Young Bin; Lee, Sang Hyeok; Kang, Shin Jin; Choi, Myung Jin; Lee, Jung; Kim, Chang Hun

2015-01-01

In this paper, we present a method for predicting the value of virtual currencies used in virtual gaming environments that support multiple users, such as massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Predicting virtual currency values in a virtual gaming environment has rarely been explored; it is difficult to apply real-world methods for predicting fluctuating currency values or shares to the virtual gaming world on account of differences in domains between the two worlds. To address this issue, we herein predict virtual currency value fluctuations by collecting user opinion data from a virtual community and analyzing user sentiments or emotions from the opinion data. The proposed method is straightforward and applicable to predicting virtual currencies as well as to gaming environments, including MMORPGs. We test the proposed method using large-scale MMORPGs and demonstrate that virtual currencies can be effectively and efficiently predicted with it.

Virtual World Currency Value Fluctuation Prediction System Based on User Sentiment Analysis

PubMed Central

Kim, Young Bin; Lee, Sang Hyeok; Kang, Shin Jin; Choi, Myung Jin; Lee, Jung; Kim, Chang Hun

2015-01-01

In this paper, we present a method for predicting the value of virtual currencies used in virtual gaming environments that support multiple users, such as massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Predicting virtual currency values in a virtual gaming environment has rarely been explored; it is difficult to apply real-world methods for predicting fluctuating currency values or shares to the virtual gaming world on account of differences in domains between the two worlds. To address this issue, we herein predict virtual currency value fluctuations by collecting user opinion data from a virtual community and analyzing user sentiments or emotions from the opinion data. The proposed method is straightforward and applicable to predicting virtual currencies as well as to gaming environments, including MMORPGs. We test the proposed method using large-scale MMORPGs and demonstrate that virtual currencies can be effectively and efficiently predicted with it. PMID:26241496

What Virtual Reality Research in Addictions Can Tell Us about the Future of Obesity Assessment and Treatment

PubMed Central

Bordnick, Patrick S; Carter, Brian L; Traylor, Amy C

2011-01-01

Virtual reality (VR), a system of human–computer interaction that allows researchers and clinicians to immerse people in virtual worlds, is gaining considerable traction as a research, education, and treatment tool. Virtual reality has been used successfully to treat anxiety disorders such as fear of flying and post-traumatic stress disorder, as an aid in stroke rehabilitation, and as a behavior modification aid in the treatment of attention deficit disorder. Virtual reality has also been employed in research on addictive disorders. Given the strong evidence that drug-dependent people are highly prone to use and relapse in the presence of environmental stimuli associated with drug use, VR is an ideal platform from which to study this relationship. Research using VR has shown that drug-dependent people react with strong craving to specific cues (e.g., cigarette packs, liquor bottles) as well as environments or settings (e.g., bar, party) associated with drug use. Virtual reality has also been used to enhance learning and generalization of relapse prevention skills in smokers by reinforcing these skills in lifelike environments. Obesity researchers and treatment professionals, building on the lessons learned from VR research in substance abuse, have the opportunity to adapt these methods for investigating their own research and treatment questions. Virtual reality is ideally suited to investigate the link between food cues and environmental settings with eating behaviors and self-report of hunger. In addition, VR can be used as a treatment tool for enhancing behavior modification goals to support healthy eating habits by reinforcing these goals in life–like situations. PMID:21527092

Realistic terrain visualization based on 3D virtual world technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Fengru; Lin, Hui; Chen, Bin; Xiao, Cai

2009-09-01

The rapid advances in information technologies, e.g., network, graphics processing, and virtual world, have provided challenges and opportunities for new capabilities in information systems, Internet applications, and virtual geographic environments, especially geographic visualization and collaboration. In order to achieve meaningful geographic capabilities, we need to explore and understand how these technologies can be used to construct virtual geographic environments to help to engage geographic research. The generation of three-dimensional (3D) terrain plays an important part in geographical visualization, computer simulation, and virtual geographic environment applications. The paper introduces concepts and technologies of virtual worlds and virtual geographic environments, explores integration of realistic terrain and other geographic objects and phenomena of natural geographic environment based on SL/OpenSim virtual world technologies. Realistic 3D terrain visualization is a foundation of construction of a mirror world or a sand box model of the earth landscape and geographic environment. The capabilities of interaction and collaboration on geographic information are discussed as well. Further virtual geographic applications can be developed based on the foundation work of realistic terrain visualization in virtual environments.

Realistic terrain visualization based on 3D virtual world technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Fengru; Lin, Hui; Chen, Bin; Xiao, Cai

2010-11-01

The rapid advances in information technologies, e.g., network, graphics processing, and virtual world, have provided challenges and opportunities for new capabilities in information systems, Internet applications, and virtual geographic environments, especially geographic visualization and collaboration. In order to achieve meaningful geographic capabilities, we need to explore and understand how these technologies can be used to construct virtual geographic environments to help to engage geographic research. The generation of three-dimensional (3D) terrain plays an important part in geographical visualization, computer simulation, and virtual geographic environment applications. The paper introduces concepts and technologies of virtual worlds and virtual geographic environments, explores integration of realistic terrain and other geographic objects and phenomena of natural geographic environment based on SL/OpenSim virtual world technologies. Realistic 3D terrain visualization is a foundation of construction of a mirror world or a sand box model of the earth landscape and geographic environment. The capabilities of interaction and collaboration on geographic information are discussed as well. Further virtual geographic applications can be developed based on the foundation work of realistic terrain visualization in virtual environments.

Visualization of N-body Simulations in Virtual Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knop, Robert A.; Ames, J.; Djorgovski, G.; Farr, W.; Hut, P.; Johnson, A.; McMillan, S.; Nakasone, A.; Vesperini, E.

2010-01-01

We report on work to use virtual worlds for visualizing the results of N-body calculations, on three levels. First, we have written a demonstration 3-body solver entirely in the scripting language of the popularly used virtual world Second Life. Second, we have written a physics module for the open source virtual world OpenSim that performs N-body calculations as the physics engine for the server, allowing natural 3-d visualization of the solution as the solution is being performed. Finally, we give an initial report on the potential use of virtual worlds to visualize calculations which have previously been performed, or which are being performed in other processes and reported to the virtual world server. This work has been performed as part of the Meta-Institute of Computational Astrophysics (MICA). http://www.mica-vw.org

Virtual worlds to support patient group communication? A questionnaire study investigating potential for virtual world focus group use by respiratory patients.

PubMed

Taylor, Michael J; Taylor, Dave; Vlaev, Ivo; Elkin, Sarah

2017-01-01

Recent advances in communication technologies enable potential provision of remote education for patients using computer-generated environments known as virtual worlds. Previous research has revealed highly variable levels of patient receptiveness to using information technologies for healthcare-related purposes. This preliminary study involved implementing a questionnaire investigating attitudes and access to computer technologies of respiratory outpatients, in order to assess potential for use of virtual worlds to facilitate health-related education for this sample. Ninety-four patients with a chronic respiratory condition completed surveys, which were distributed at a Chest Clinic. In accordance with our prediction, younger participants were more likely to be able to use, and have access to a computer and some patients were keen to explore use virtual worlds for healthcare-related purposes: Of those with access to computer facilities, 14.50% expressed a willingness to attend a virtual world focus group. Results indicate future virtual world health education facilities should be designed to cater for younger patients, because this group are most likely to accept and use such facilities. Within the study sample, this is likely to comprise of people diagnosed with asthma. Future work could investigate the potential of creating a virtual world asthma education facility.

Virtual worlds to support patient group communication? A questionnaire study investigating potential for virtual world focus group use by respiratory patients

PubMed Central

Taylor, Michael J.; Taylor, Dave; Vlaev, Ivo; Elkin, Sarah

2015-01-01

Recent advances in communication technologies enable potential provision of remote education for patients using computer-generated environments known as virtual worlds. Previous research has revealed highly variable levels of patient receptiveness to using information technologies for healthcare-related purposes. This preliminary study involved implementing a questionnaire investigating attitudes and access to computer technologies of respiratory outpatients, in order to assess potential for use of virtual worlds to facilitate health-related education for this sample. Ninety-four patients with a chronic respiratory condition completed surveys, which were distributed at a Chest Clinic. In accordance with our prediction, younger participants were more likely to be able to use, and have access to a computer and some patients were keen to explore use virtual worlds for healthcare-related purposes: Of those with access to computer facilities, 14.50% expressed a willingness to attend a virtual world focus group. Results indicate future virtual world health education facilities should be designed to cater for younger patients, because this group are most likely to accept and use such facilities. Within the study sample, this is likely to comprise of people diagnosed with asthma. Future work could investigate the potential of creating a virtual world asthma education facility. PMID:28239187

Teaching with technology: automatically receiving information from the internet and web.

PubMed

Wink, Diane M

2010-01-01

In this bimonthly series, the author examines how nurse educators can use the Internet and Web-based computer technologies such as search, communication, and collaborative writing tools, social networking and social bookmarking sites, virtual worlds, and Web-based teaching and learning programs. This article presents information and tools related to automatically receiving information from the Internet and Web.

Utilising a Virtual World to Teach Performance Appraisal: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morse, Shona

2010-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to give a critical assessment of a study designed to investigate the potential of a new method for teaching HRD students about performance appraisal. It is argued that this approach is in the vanguard of developments in IT and learning. Design/methodology/approach: The paper takes the form of an explorative study…

The Creation of New International Networks in Education: The League of Nations and Educational Organizations in the 1920s

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuchs, Eckhardt

2007-01-01

There is hardly any doubt that the First World War interrupted most of the international educational relations that had reached their peak in the two decades before the outbreak of the war. In virtually all areas of education--the educational system, educational science, teaching and learning, child welfare, and the educational…

Use and Perceptions of Second Life by Distance Learners: A Comparison with Other Communication Media

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Jo-Anne; Littleton, Fiona; Dozier, Marshall

2015-01-01

Research has shown that the use of communication media in distance education can reduce feelings of distance and isolation from peers and tutors and provide opportunities for collaborative learning (Bates, 2005). The use of virtual worlds (VW) in education has increased in recent years, with Second Life (SL) being the most commonly used VW in…

Can Active Navigation Be as Good as Driving? A Comparison of Spatial Memory in Drivers and Backseat Drivers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

von Stulpnagel, Rul; Steffens, Melanie C.

2012-01-01

When driving a vehicle, either the driver or a passenger (henceforth: backseat driver) may be responsible for navigation. Research on active navigation, primarily addressed in virtual environments, suggests that controlling navigation is more central for spatial learning than controlling movement. To test this assumption in a real-world scenario,…

Forest restoration in landscapes: beyond planting trees

Treesearch

Don C. Bragg

2007-01-01

Global-scale climate change, a burgeoning human population, and the rapid expansion of the world’s economy have all placed incredible pressures on environmental systems to sustain their production of goods and services. Furthermore, our developable frontiers have virtually run out—we must learn to make due with the landscapes we have already exploited. To aid in this...

Information and Communication Technology in Foreign Language Teaching: Leveraging the Internet to Make Language Learning Real

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Etáin

2013-01-01

The internet is the largest communications network in the world. It has become the virtual backbone of all communication. Therefore, it seems natural to leverage it as a major tool in any education involving communication skills, especially language skills. This chapter outlines a practitioner's experience on how this can be done in a foreign…

The Role of Semantics in Next-Generation Online Virtual World-Based Retail Store

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Geetika; Anantaram, C.; Ghosh, Hiranmay

Online virtual environments are increasingly becoming popular for entrepreneurship. While interactions are primarily between avatars, some interactions could occur through intelligent chatbots. Such interactions require connecting to backend business applications to obtain information, carry out real-world transactions etc. In this paper, we focus on integrating business application systems with virtual worlds. We discuss the probable features of a next-generation online virtual world-based retail store and the technologies involved in realizing the features of such a store. In particular, we examine the role of semantics in integrating popular virtual worlds with business applications to provide natural language based interactions.

Teaching with Virtual Worlds: Factors to Consider for Instructional Use of Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayrath, Michael C.; Traphagan, Tomoko; Jarmon, Leslie; Trivedi, Avani; Resta, Paul

2010-01-01

Substantial evidence now supports pedagogical applications of virtual worlds; however, most research supporting virtual worlds for education has been conducted using researcher-developed Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVE). Second Life (SL) is a MUVE that has been adopted by a large number of academic institutions; however, little research has…

Teachers' perceptions of virtual worlds as a medium for social inclusion for adults with intellectual disability.

PubMed

Balandin, Susan; Molka-Danielsen, Judith

2015-01-01

The aim of this research was to explore educators' perceptions of a virtual world Second Life TM as an environment for social interaction and social inclusion for the Norwegian adult students with intellectual disability that they supported. Five educators who supported a total of 10 adult students with intellectual disability in computer classes in community Adult Education Centres participated in individual in-depth interviews. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a content analysis. Participants were positive about Second Life although they did not perceive that it offered a successful context for social interaction or inclusion. They identified a number of benefits to using a virtual world and for students participating in virtual world research. Barriers identified included language, literacy, and technology issues along with the complexity of participating independently in a virtual world. Some people with intellectual disability can use virtual worlds but the skills required need additional research. Virtual worlds may provide a stimulating, safe, and exciting context for a range of activities but the level of support required by many people is high and consequently expensive.

Undertaking qualitative health research in social virtual worlds.

PubMed

McElhinney, Evelyn; Cheater, Francine M; Kidd, Lisa

2014-06-01

This paper discusses the methodological challenges of using the 3D social virtual world Second Life for research and offers some solutions on a range of research issues including research ethics committee approval, gaining consent, recruitment of sample, data collection and engagement with 'in - world culture'. The attraction of social virtual worlds to researchers is their ability to mimic the physical world, as they, are seen as 'places' where people have a feeling of presence (being there) and social presence (being there with others) through the use of a 'customisable' avatar (digital self-representation). Emerging research demonstrating the persuasive nature of avatars on health behaviours through virtual worlds, online games and the 3D web has increased the use of and interest in these areas for delivering health information, advice and support. However, conducting research can be challenging in a 3D world where people are represented as anonymous avatars in an environment unlike any other online media. 25 semi-structured interviews were conducted in Second Life from September 2011-June 2012. Nurses wishing to undertake research in social virtual worlds should spend time in-world to acquire technical skills and gain an understanding of the culture of the world. Our experience of an interview-based study in virtual worlds indicates that researchers require several virtual world technical skills to create innovative tools to recruit, gain consent and collect data and an understanding of in-world culture, language and social norms to increase the chances of successful research. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Extending the Body to Virtual Tools Using a Robotic Surgical Interface: Evidence from the Crossmodal Congruency Task

PubMed Central

Sengül, Ali; van Elk, Michiel; Rognini, Giulio; Aspell, Jane Elizabeth; Bleuler, Hannes; Blanke, Olaf

2012-01-01

The effects of real-world tool use on body or space representations are relatively well established in cognitive neuroscience. Several studies have shown, for example, that active tool use results in a facilitated integration of multisensory information in peripersonal space, i.e. the space directly surrounding the body. However, it remains unknown to what extent similar mechanisms apply to the use of virtual-robotic tools, such as those used in the field of surgical robotics, in which a surgeon may use bimanual haptic interfaces to control a surgery robot at a remote location. This paper presents two experiments in which participants used a haptic handle, originally designed for a commercial surgery robot, to control a virtual tool. The integration of multisensory information related to the virtual-robotic tool was assessed by means of the crossmodal congruency task, in which subjects responded to tactile vibrations applied to their fingers while ignoring visual distractors superimposed on the tip of the virtual-robotic tool. Our results show that active virtual-robotic tool use changes the spatial modulation of the crossmodal congruency effects, comparable to changes in the representation of peripersonal space observed during real-world tool use. Moreover, when the virtual-robotic tools were held in a crossed position, the visual distractors interfered strongly with tactile stimuli that was connected with the hand via the tool, reflecting a remapping of peripersonal space. Such remapping was not only observed when the virtual-robotic tools were actively used (Experiment 1), but also when passively held the tools (Experiment 2). The present study extends earlier findings on the extension of peripersonal space from physical and pointing tools to virtual-robotic tools using techniques from haptics and virtual reality. We discuss our data with respect to learning and human factors in the field of surgical robotics and discuss the use of new technologies in the field of cognitive neuroscience. PMID:23227142

Extending the body to virtual tools using a robotic surgical interface: evidence from the crossmodal congruency task.

PubMed

Sengül, Ali; van Elk, Michiel; Rognini, Giulio; Aspell, Jane Elizabeth; Bleuler, Hannes; Blanke, Olaf

2012-01-01

The effects of real-world tool use on body or space representations are relatively well established in cognitive neuroscience. Several studies have shown, for example, that active tool use results in a facilitated integration of multisensory information in peripersonal space, i.e. the space directly surrounding the body. However, it remains unknown to what extent similar mechanisms apply to the use of virtual-robotic tools, such as those used in the field of surgical robotics, in which a surgeon may use bimanual haptic interfaces to control a surgery robot at a remote location. This paper presents two experiments in which participants used a haptic handle, originally designed for a commercial surgery robot, to control a virtual tool. The integration of multisensory information related to the virtual-robotic tool was assessed by means of the crossmodal congruency task, in which subjects responded to tactile vibrations applied to their fingers while ignoring visual distractors superimposed on the tip of the virtual-robotic tool. Our results show that active virtual-robotic tool use changes the spatial modulation of the crossmodal congruency effects, comparable to changes in the representation of peripersonal space observed during real-world tool use. Moreover, when the virtual-robotic tools were held in a crossed position, the visual distractors interfered strongly with tactile stimuli that was connected with the hand via the tool, reflecting a remapping of peripersonal space. Such remapping was not only observed when the virtual-robotic tools were actively used (Experiment 1), but also when passively held the tools (Experiment 2). The present study extends earlier findings on the extension of peripersonal space from physical and pointing tools to virtual-robotic tools using techniques from haptics and virtual reality. We discuss our data with respect to learning and human factors in the field of surgical robotics and discuss the use of new technologies in the field of cognitive neuroscience.

Case-Based Learning in Virtual Groups--Collaborative Problem Solving Activities and Learning Outcomes in a Virtual Professional Training Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kopp, Birgitta; Hasenbein, Melanie; Mandl, Heinz

2014-01-01

This article analyzes the collaborative problem solving activities and learning outcomes of five groups that worked on two different complex cases in a virtual professional training course. In this asynchronous virtual learning environment, all knowledge management content was delivered virtually and collaboration took place through forums. To…

The Cybathlon BCI race: Successful longitudinal mutual learning with two tetraplegic users

PubMed Central

Saeedi, Sareh; Schneider, Christoph; Millán, José del R.

2018-01-01

This work aims at corroborating the importance and efficacy of mutual learning in motor imagery (MI) brain–computer interface (BCI) by leveraging the insights obtained through our participation in the BCI race of the Cybathlon event. We hypothesized that, contrary to the popular trend of focusing mostly on the machine learning aspects of MI BCI training, a comprehensive mutual learning methodology that reinstates the three learning pillars (at the machine, subject, and application level) as equally significant could lead to a BCI–user symbiotic system able to succeed in real-world scenarios such as the Cybathlon event. Two severely impaired participants with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI), were trained following our mutual learning approach to control their avatar in a virtual BCI race game. The competition outcomes substantiate the effectiveness of this type of training. Most importantly, the present study is one among very few to provide multifaceted evidence on the efficacy of subject learning during BCI training. Learning correlates could be derived at all levels of the interface—application, BCI output, and electroencephalography (EEG) neuroimaging—with two end-users, sufficiently longitudinal evaluation, and, importantly, under real-world and even adverse conditions. PMID:29746465

The Cybathlon BCI race: Successful longitudinal mutual learning with two tetraplegic users.

PubMed

Perdikis, Serafeim; Tonin, Luca; Saeedi, Sareh; Schneider, Christoph; Millán, José Del R

2018-05-01

This work aims at corroborating the importance and efficacy of mutual learning in motor imagery (MI) brain-computer interface (BCI) by leveraging the insights obtained through our participation in the BCI race of the Cybathlon event. We hypothesized that, contrary to the popular trend of focusing mostly on the machine learning aspects of MI BCI training, a comprehensive mutual learning methodology that reinstates the three learning pillars (at the machine, subject, and application level) as equally significant could lead to a BCI-user symbiotic system able to succeed in real-world scenarios such as the Cybathlon event. Two severely impaired participants with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI), were trained following our mutual learning approach to control their avatar in a virtual BCI race game. The competition outcomes substantiate the effectiveness of this type of training. Most importantly, the present study is one among very few to provide multifaceted evidence on the efficacy of subject learning during BCI training. Learning correlates could be derived at all levels of the interface-application, BCI output, and electroencephalography (EEG) neuroimaging-with two end-users, sufficiently longitudinal evaluation, and, importantly, under real-world and even adverse conditions.

[Virtual reality in neurosurgery].

PubMed

Tronnier, V M; Staubert, A; Bonsanto, M M; Wirtz, C R; Kunze, S

2000-03-01

Virtual reality enables users to immerse themselves in a virtual three-dimensional world and to interact in this world. The simulation is different from the kind in computer games, in which the viewer is active but acts in a nonrealistic world, or on the TV screen, where we are passively driven in an active world. In virtual reality elements look realistic, they change their characteristics and have almost real-world unpredictability. Virtual reality is not only implemented in gambling dens and the entertainment industry but also in manufacturing processes (cars, furniture etc.), military applications and medicine. Especially the last two areas are strongly correlated, because telemedicine or telesurgery was originated for military reasons to operate on war victims from a secure distance or to perform surgery on astronauts in an orbiting space station. In medicine and especially neurosurgery virtual-reality methods are used for education, surgical planning and simulation on a virtual patient.