Educational Time Machine: Capturing Learning in 3D Virtual worlds
37
Educational Time Machine Capturing Learning in 3D Virtual worlds Mikhail Fominykh Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway Mikhail Morozov and Alexey Gerasimov Mari State Technical University, Russia The Virtual Worlds Research Network Inaugural Conference 16–18 May 2012. University of Edinburgh, UK
-
Upload
mikhail-fominykh -
Category
Education
-
view
1.965 -
download
0
description
Paper presented at the VWRN conference http://www.vwrn.org/p/conference-details-2012.htmlIn this paper, we present a new approach to educational activities in 3D virtual worlds, which is based on a new vision of educational content and opens new possibilities for learning. Traditionally, the content in 3D virtual worlds was thought as interactive media objects embedded in a 3D environment, but there was no means for capturing life activities conducted in such environments, except for recording screen videos. At the same time, the most valuable characteristics of this technology are in the synchronous interaction and rich life experience, which disappear in flat video. Therefore, we argue that a mechanism that allows capturing synchronous activities in a 3D virtual world without losing such essential characteristics has great value. Such mechanism is implemented within the project Virtual Academia, which aims at developing an educational virtual world with a set of tools for collaborative learning (http://vacademia.com/). The virtual world vAcademia is currently under beta testing, which includes several cases from which the feedback is being collected. The main original feature of vAcademia is 3D recording, which allows capturing dynamically everything in a given location of the virtual world. The use of resultant 3D recordings is similar to time travelling. It allows a group of learners to experience a past class and collaborate there, recording it again if needed. In such a manner, vAcademia supports a new type of digital content – 3D recording or virtcast, which is created based on synchronous activities and opens new possibilities to explore.
Transcript of Educational Time Machine: Capturing Learning in 3D Virtual worlds
Educational Time Machine Capturing Learning in 3D Virtual worlds
Mikhail Fominykh Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
Mikhail Morozov and Alexey Gerasimov Mari State Technical University, Russia
The Virtual Worlds Research Network Inaugural Conference 16–18 May 2012. University of Edinburgh, UK
Virtual worlds
as learning environments
• Low cost and high safety
• Three-dimensional representation of learners and objects
• Interaction in simulated contexts
• Sense of presence
• Variety of tools
Synchronous - Asynchronous
Synchronous (online)
Asynchronous (offline)
Traditional Learning
Face-to-face classes Text books
Video recorded classes
2D e-Learning Webinars Recorded webinars
3D e-Learning Classes in virtual
worlds ?
Types of learning
Synchronous/live Asynchronous/content
2D e-Learning
Synchronous class
Asynchronous class
Face to face class
Webinar
CMS/LMS
live/online
content
3D e-Learning
Face to face class
Synchronous class
Asynchronous class
live/online
content
Synchronous (online)
Asynchronous (offline)
Traditional Learning
Face-to-face classes Text books
Video recorded classes
2D e-Learning Webinars Recorded webinars
3D e-Learning
Types of learning
Synchronous - Asynchronous
vAcademia
1. Starting a class in vAcademia
2. Press Recording button
3. Conducting a class in vAcademia
4. Press Stop button
5. New content – 3D recording of
the class
6. 3D recordings – course content
Teaching tools
Real world vAcademia
Chalk and board Interactive white boards
Pointer for each user
Pointer
Slide show presentations
Slide show presentations
Web camera sharing
Web camera
Desktop sharing Desktop
Teaching tools
Backchannel
Clicker tools
Text, graphic, and voice notes
Users may share their comments and impressions in the form of text, graphic, and voice notes.
Collection
Educational resources for both teachers and students may be uploaded into Collection.
Environment design
Users can organize learning space at any location of vAcademia by arranging the furniture in the way they like.
User’s 3D objects
Users can upload their own 3D objects in Collada format, which extends the possibilities for creating learning environments
Parallel time
Real time class
R0
R1
R1
R2
Recording
Replay
Recording
Real time class 1
Real time class 2
Real time class 3
Real time class 4
Parallel space
Time machine
t R1 R2
R3
R4
R5
Web-site support
New course
3D recordings
3D recording info
Scenarios of use
• Visiting a 3D recording
• by a group of learners • actively working inside • with almost the same presence effect
• Creating a new 3D recording being inside one • guiding learners only through some parts of
the original class • enhancing a class with additional discussions,
questions and comments • using text, graphic, and sound notes
Visiting a 3D recording
t
Live class
R1 – 3D recordings of the class
R1
3D recording without some of the parts
x x x
R2
R1 – 3D recordings of the class t
R1
R2 – shorter 3D recording based on R1
3D recording with additional and replaced parts
x x
R1 – 3D recordings of the class t
R3 – longer 3D recording based on R1
R1
R3
3D recording with enhanced with notes
x x
R1 – 3D recordings of the class t
R4 – 3D recording based on R1
R1
R4
Current usage
• Several IT courses at the Mari State Technical University, Russia
Current usage
• English for beginners at the Mukogawa Women's University in Japan
Current usage
• High school advanced chemistry course in Yoshkar-Ola, Russia
Future directions
• Additional functionality • custom learning environments • convenient environment and teaching tools
• Improving accessibility • different operating systems • mobile devices • browser-based client
• New learning scenarios • synchronous and asynchronous activities • Virtcast – new type of user-generated content
Thank you!
http://vacademia.com
http://www.facebook.com/vAcademia
@vacademia_info
http://www.slideshare.net/vacademia
Educational virtual world vAcademia [email protected]
presented by Mikhail Fominykh [email protected]
http://www.idi.ntnu.no/~fominykh/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/fominykh
http://slideshare.net/mfominykh/
http://vacademia.com/userprofile/show/id/808
