The affordances of studying in a virtual world. Learn, Teach and Play in 3D Virtual Worlds City University March 18,2009 Trevor Barker Dept. Computer Science University of Hertfordshire

Contents of presentation Introduction Past Research Current Research Empirical study on the group working in virtual environments and affordances of studying in virtual worlds Conclusion

Introduction

Past Research

Current Research

Empirical study on the group working in virtual environments and affordances of studying in virtual worlds

Conclusion

Second Life: A virtual campus

Some issues Living in a virtual world is not the same as living in a real world When you turn a virtual corner, the world moves and you stand still Desktop virtual reality imposes new challenges Navigation Location Orientation It requires new life skills and rule sets Practical Social Communication Will this disadvantage learners who cannot meet these challenges?

Living in a virtual world is not the same as living in a real world

When you turn a virtual corner, the world moves and you stand still

Desktop virtual reality imposes new challenges

Navigation

Location

Orientation

It requires new life skills and rule sets

Practical

Social

Communication

Will this disadvantage learners who cannot meet these challenges?

Previous Research My PhD student Eyal Haik spent four years looking into problems of performing tasks in desktop virtual environments Our research showed that individual differences were crucial in understanding how people Interact Learn Perform tasks Remember information Move around Find objects

My PhD student Eyal Haik spent four years looking into problems of performing tasks in desktop virtual environments

Our research showed that individual differences were crucial in understanding how people

Interact

Learn

Perform tasks

Remember information

Move around

Find objects

Virtual Variables

Some tools developed and tested Figure 2. Tool 2 (simple map and arrows) –Clicking on the arrows that appear in the environment provides guided navigation. General navigation is also enabled by mouse movements. Figure 3. Tool 3 (navigation map) – Clicking on the map provides the user with targeted navigation.

Results Eyal Haik, Investigation into Effective Navigation in Desktop Virtual Interfaces

Interpretation: Post hoc analysis Users could perform the tasks significantly quicker by using the assistive maps Information was not remembered any better in test condition (with assistive map) than the control Information about the location of rooms was remembered worse in test conditions than in the control

Users could perform the tasks significantly quicker by using the assistive maps

Information was not remembered any better in test condition (with assistive map) than the control

Information about the location of rooms was remembered worse in test conditions than in the control

Second Life as a social network Some findings from these studies are important in the context of social networking: Task performance is more efficient in worlds where there is greater assistance The more you assist learners, the more constrained they feel and the less they remember about their world This suggests that in highly assisted environments, learners are less immersed and interact less with the environment

Some findings from these studies are important in the context of social networking:

Task performance is more efficient in worlds where there is greater assistance

The more you assist learners, the more constrained they feel and the less they remember about their world

This suggests that in highly assisted environments, learners are less immersed and interact less with the environment

Studying in Virtual Worlds: Team work An important component of software development is the requirement to work in teams Team working has always proven difficult on software development courses, not least due to difficulty in arranging face to face meetings In the past we have tried video conferencing and text chat with some limited success This year a group of 80+ final year students have undertaken their group project work using SL In order to support this, the following has been established in SL

An important component of software development is the requirement to work in teams

Team working has always proven difficult on software development courses, not least due to difficulty in arranging face to face meetings

In the past we have tried video conferencing and text chat with some limited success

This year a group of 80+ final year students have undertaken their group project work using SL

In order to support this, the following has been established in SL

Group project work Induction sessions Secure area for group working Meeting areas Online resources within study areas in second life Lecture notes Audio files PowerPoint presentations Note taking and recording facilities Online lectures Asynchronous Synchronous Avatar Real life video-based

Induction sessions

Secure area for group working

Meeting areas

Online resources within study areas in second life

Lecture notes

Audio files

PowerPoint presentations

Note taking and recording facilities

Online lectures

Asynchronous

Synchronous

Avatar

Real life video-based

Induction To set up user accounts on Second Life www.secondlife.com

To set up user accounts on Second Life

www.secondlife.com

Create an account

Last names?

Induction – part 2 You all should have an account by now You should be members of the AMMIS group You should have completed the training Log in and explore the world Locate the AMMIS group area Look at the lecture resources Notes, podcasts and powerpoints

You all should have an account by now

You should be members of the AMMIS group

You should have completed the training

Log in and explore the world

Locate the AMMIS group area

Look at the lecture resources

Notes, podcasts and powerpoints

Finding your area

Voila

Lecture resources

HCI Lecture 17 This lecture

Audio resources

Group meetings

Small Lecture room

Lecture Theatre

REC ME (UCase)

Recording meetings

Copy to a doc

Report of meeting

Help documentation

Help documentation

Lectures: Avatar

Lectures: Streamed video

Data collection We are using qualitative and quantitative research methods in order to assess the efficacy of this approach These include: Individual and group reflective reports Screen capture and data logging Questionnaire and focus group sessions Results of group projects quality of process and product Comparison with previous cohorts

We are using qualitative and quantitative research methods in order to assess the efficacy of this approach

These include:

Individual and group reflective reports

Screen capture and data logging

Questionnaire and focus group sessions

Results of group projects

quality of process and product

Comparison with previous cohorts

Reflective reports

Reflective report part A

Reflective report part B

Reflective report part C

Teachers How do we get teachers to use SECOND Life in their normal teaching? Useful Simple Robust: It must never let you down in front of students Pedagogical benefit

How do we get teachers to use SECOND Life in their normal teaching?

Useful

Simple

Robust: It must never let you down in front of students

Pedagogical benefit

Problems for the experts: Skype record

Ah no!

Some questions being answered What are the affordances of virtual worlds for teaching learning? How can we engage learners and teachers? What is the true cost / benefit? More research on factors such as the educational benefits of social interaction in virtual worlds is necessary. What are the pedagogical benefits of teaching and learning in a virtual world? What about Accessibility? Exclusion? Are any disadvantaged (teachers?, students?)

What are the affordances of virtual worlds for teaching learning?

How can we engage learners and teachers?

What is the true cost / benefit?

More research on factors such as the educational benefits of social interaction in virtual worlds is necessary.

What are the pedagogical benefits of teaching and learning in a virtual world?

What about Accessibility? Exclusion?

Are any disadvantaged (teachers?, students?)