This powerpoint describes the affordances of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality with respect to their use in education and give examples based on its use in teaching and learning in a secondary school in Singapore.

1. Affordances of an ICT Tool
- Virtual & Augmented Reality
By Pang Choon Guan
and its use in Teaching and Learning

2. Affordances are actionable
properties that exist between an
object and an actor
(Gibson, 1979).
It is the perceived affordances not
the real ones that determine how the
object could possibly be used
(Norman, 1999).
Affordances can also be classified
into pedagogical, social and
technical affordances
(Wang, Woo & Chai, 2010).
What are Affordances?

3. Pedagogical or educational affordances
are characteristics of a resource that show
how a particular learning behaviour could
be enacted within the context.
Social affordances are aspects of the
learning environment that provide context
relevant to the learner’s social interaction.
Technical affordances are linked to
usability, ease, efficiency and capacity of
the tool to be used on various platforms
and ability to adapt to bandwidth of
connection (Bower, 2008)
What are Affordances?

4. What is Virtual &
Augmented Reality
(VR/AR)?

5. What is Virtual &
Augmented Reality
(VR/AR)?
VR is an immersive media experience that
replicates either a real or imagined environment
and allows users to interact with this world in
ways that feel as if they are there
(Owen et al, 2015).

6. 3 Is - Immersion, Interactivity and
Information Intensity are affordances
of VR systems (Heim, 2008)
Immersion enhances learning by
enabling multiple perspectives,
situated learning, transfer of learning.
Dede (2009) elaborates that immersive
interfaces can foster educational
experiences based situated learning
(Lave and Wenger, 1991), where
learners interact with virtual entities.
Pedagogical Affordances of VR/AR

7. For example, immersion and
interactivity are key affordances of
a VR software called ‘The Climb’.
The student has the opportunity to
to experience mountain climbing
in a realistic manner by actions
such as gripping and chalking
(technical affordance).
This is done in a safe environment
and encouraged by peers and
values such as perseverance can
be taught (social affordance).
Pedagogical Affordances of VR/AR

8. Pedagogical Affordances of VR/AR
VR software provides 3D
visualisation and can assist
students to avoid 2D
‘imagination-caused spatial
misunderstanding’
(Cai, 2013).
Interactions between users
and virtual objects provide
realistic and dynamic
processes to enhance
learning.
In-Depth Learning Framework for VR applications (Cai, 2013)
(to deepen learning through
Immersive & Interactive Learning)
3D enabled
Visual
Learning
3D enabled
Simulation-
based
learning
3D enabled
Constructivist
Learning
3D enabled
Engaged
Learning

9. Students gain fresh
perspectives by going into the
virtual cell and manipulating its
organelles.
This facilitates students’
thinking of cellular structures
and functions through 3D
visualisation.
InCell VR game - students move
along a protein structure to try
to reach the nucleus faster than
invading viruses.
Pedagogical Affordances of VR/AR

10. Students are placed in a virtual
lab environment to manipulate
enzyme and substrate molecules.
This facilitates students’
understanding about enzyme
action at the molecular level.
They use VR controls (technical
affordances) to change variables
such as enzyme, substrate
concentration, pH levels, to see
the effect on enzymes.
Pedagogical Affordances of VR/AR

11. VR systems use a variety of intuitive
controls such as haptic and optical to
simulate presence and realism and
enable perceptible affordances.
Most current VR software are
designed on the premise that
knowledge is constructed by the
learner (Moore, 1995).
Gaver (1991) emphasizes the
importance of making affordances
perceptible through metaphors and
modalities such as tactile information
and sound to enable active
exploration of users.
Design of Affordances in VR/AR

12. In the Enzyme VR software, the
student opens a haptic left hand
control to intuitively change the
pH of the medium.
The student sees in real time
that the enzyme molecule
becomes enlarged and its active
site becomes denatured.
That aids in knowledge
construction to understand why
enzymes cannot work in highly
acidic or alkaline conditions.
Design of Affordances in VR/AR

13. In the Cells VR software, the
student opens a menu to
navigate which part of the cell
that she wants to find out more.
The perceived affordance of
autonomy aids in promoting
engagement and ownership of
learning.
For example, the student ‘holds’
and turns a cell membrane from
different angles in 3D space and
is able to better visualise the
components of cell membrane.
Design of Affordances in VR/AR

14. Lesson Design based on Affordances of VR/AR

15. • Lesson context - students
shown a video on 2003
SARS episode
• AR immersion - observe the
3D ‘crown’ structure of the
SARS coronavirus & compare
virus and cells
• 3D technology – see animation
of virus replication on 3D LED
TV screens.
Lesson Design based on Affordances of VR/AR

16. Lesson Design based on Affordances of VR/AR

17. Lesson Design based on Affordances of VR/AR

18. Comments by students on how VR enhances learning
• “When we used the 3D glasses to explore the cells on
the walls, we could see them clearly”
• “The VR experience was the best as it helped me to
better visualise the cell.”
• When we did research as a group and presented it. it
allowed me to find out more about the SARS disease.
• When the other groups presented their research, it
helped me know more about the disease.
Lesson Design based on Affordances of VR/AR

19. Development of Technical Affordances
Immersive learning
environments
for VR/AR experiences
The world’s first
head-mounted
VR system
(Sutherland,
1968)

20. A key affordance of VR is that it allows multi-sensory interaction and learners can
construct meaning from experience.
It makes the teaching of complex or abstract ideas useful as it provides a means
of visualization and allows natural hypothesis making (Christou, 2010).
VR offers the capabilities of dynamic representation of microscopic worlds such
as cells, molecules that can give rise to a more accurate reasoning to explain
scientific phenomena.
Playing with multiple representations in a virtual environment can help support
students’ learning in the domain of molecular and cell biology
(Ryan et al, 2018 in press).
Discussion

21. Discussion
Dalgarno and Lee, 2010