Project: Learning in 3D Virtual Worlds, Enabling vAcademia in CAVE

Mikhail Fominykh Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway

Project conducted at University College London, UK

VisionAir Open Forum Poznan, Poland | February 4–6, 2014

Enabling vAcademia in CAVE

vAcademia 3D Virtual World

ReaCTor IPT / CAVE

Learning Threshold Concepts

Enabling vAcademia in CAVE

vAcademia 3D Virtual World

ReaCTor IPT / CAVE

Learning Threshold Concepts

Virtual Environments & Computer Graphics Group University College London http://vecg.cs.ucl.ac.uk/

Multimedia Systems Laboratory Volga State University of Technology

http://mmlab.ru/

vAcademia

Virtual Spaces LLC http://vacademia.com/

Molde University College http://himolde.no/

Norwegian University of Science and Technology http://ntnu.no/

Enabling vAcademia in CAVE

vAcademia 3D Virtual World

ReaCTor IPT / CAVE

Learning Threshold Concepts

Virtual Environments & Computer Graphics Group University College London http://vecg.cs.ucl.ac.uk/

Multimedia Systems Laboratory Volga State University of Technology

http://mmlab.ru/

vAcademia

Virtual Spaces LLC http://vacademia.com/

Molde University College http://himolde.no/

Norwegian University of Science and Technology http://ntnu.no/

Enabling vAcademia in CAVE

vAcademia 3D Virtual World

ReaCTor IPT / CAVE

Learning Threshold Concepts

Virtual Environments & Computer Graphics Group University College London http://vecg.cs.ucl.ac.uk/

Multimedia Systems Laboratory Volga State University of Technology

http://mmlab.ru/

vAcademia

Virtual Spaces LLC http://vacademia.com/

Molde University College http://himolde.no/

Norwegian University of Science and Technology http://ntnu.no/

Theoretical grounding

Threshold Concepts: parts of a knowledge domain that is most difficult for the learner to achieve* • How to ”think like an engineer/dentist/accountant”, the underlying game of a

knowledge domain • Requires a transformation in the learner, an ”unlearning” process preceded by a

state of liminality

* Meyer, J.H.F., and Land, R. (2006) Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge: Issues of Liminality.

Technology: Cave Automatic Virtual Environments

Unconstrained moving + good field view

Technology: vAcademia

Multiuser environment + 3D virtual recording

3D Virtual Recording Step 1. Clicking the Recording button

3D Virtual Recording Step 2. Conducting Activity

3D Virtual Recording Step 3. Clicking the Stop button

3D Virtual Recording Step 4. Re-immersing into the activity

3D Virtual Recording Step 4. Re-immersing into the activity

Recorded trainee

Live trainee

General Motivation: Learning Threshold Concepts in 3D Virtual Worlds

ThriVE initiative Threshold Concepts in Virtual Environments for Creativity and Learning

(work in progress)

Specific Motivation: Enabling the Educational 3D Virtual World vAcademia to work with the CAVE facility

The technical objective: explore the possibilities of an educational virtual world accessed through a CAVE interface The research objective: explore new ways of learning that stimulate and enhance the potential of human creativity The prototype design should consist of two development elements • Implementation of learning scenarios involving ‘Threshold Concepts’ • Integration of the capability of 3D virtual recording to be functional between

CAVE and vAcademia

3D virtual recording in a CAVE: Scenario examples

• Changing perspective – Conducting/Recording a session in vAcademia as a single user accessing via CAVE – Re-immersing into the recorded session as a group via desktop to discuss it

• Learning from reflection – Conducting/Recording a session in vAcademia with one user accessing via CAVE (+

possibly multiple users via desktop) – Re-immersing into the recorded session via CAVE to observe you own actions

Hypothesis

Using the 3D recording feature of vAcademia in the CAVE could potentially reveal patterns of (1) becoming aware of one's own reflective learning patterns and (2) deciding to use them consciously

Sequential interviews have been found to reveal this pattern*. The effect on learning of being able to replay one’s life-size avatar representation and see one’s previous actions would be investigated.

* Boyd E.M., Fales A.W.: Reflective Learning: Key to Learning from Experience. Journal of Humanistic Psychology 23 (2):99–117, (1983)

Method

TNA visit to UCL, UK

TNA Project 95: Learning in 3D Virtual Worlds, Enabling vAcademia in CAVE Mikhail Fominykh

mikhail.fominykh@ntnu.no