The document discusses educational uses of immersive learning environments. It begins by asking how immersive environments can expand the range of educational dynamics and subjects that online learning can provide. It then reviews several studies that used immersive virtual environments for topics like team dynamics training, sports tactics training for coaches, and entrepreneurship education for children. The document suggests immersive environments can be used to complement learning, simulate physical worlds, allow exploration of data and concepts, engage students through skills training and collaboration, provide augmented contexts and cultural experiences, and improve accessibility. It ends by volunteering to contribute to a tool called REDVILE that is being developed to integrate immersive learning research.

1. Educational uses of
immersive learning
environments
Leonel.Morgado@uab.pt

2. How can immersive environments
expand the range of educational
dynamics and subjects that online
learning can provide?
How can we have
widespread deployment
of immersive
environments?

3. Morgado & Beck (2020). Unifying protocols for conducting systematic scoping
reviews with application to Immersive Learning Research. To appear in iLRN 2020
Proceedings of the Immersive Learning Research Network conference. Piscataway,
NJ, USA: IEEE.
- combining contributions by Nilsson et al. and Agrawal et al.

4. Beck, Morgado, & O’Shea (2020). Finding the gaps about uses of immersive learning environments: a survey of surveys,
Journal of Universal Computer Science, 26, 1043-1073.
Complementing
* Emphasis
* Multimodal interaction
* Complement/Combine contexts, media or items
Simulating
* Simulate the physical world
* Logistics
Exploring
* Data collection
* Interactive manipulation and exploration
Engaging
* Skill training
* Engagement
* Collaboration
Experiencing
* Augmented context
* Emotional and cultural experiences
* Changing human behavior
Accessing
* Perspective switching
* Accessibility
* Seeing the invisible

5. Cruz et al. (2013) Designing User Learning Experience in Virtual Worlds: The
Young Europeans for Democracy Serious Application.
Team dynamics for traditional tasks

6. Cruz et al. (2013) Designing User Learning Experience in Virtual Worlds: The
Young Europeans for Democracy Serious Application.
Makings decisions in presence

7. Lopes et al. (2009) Use of a virtual world system in sports coach education for
reproducing team handball movements
Sports tactics training for coaches

8. Pinheiro et al. (2014) Development of a mechanical maintenance training simulator in
OpenSimulator for F-16 aircraft engines. Entertainment Computing
Team coordination training

9. Santos et al. (2008) A Version Control System as a tool and
methodology to foster children’s collaboration in spatial
configuration decision tasks
Creating and discussing versions of
space organization

10. Entrepreneurship Education in Primary
Schools – in contact with parents
Pereira et al. (2009) A virtual environment study in
entrepreneurship education of young children

11. Beck, Morgado, & O’Shea (2020). Finding the gaps about uses of immersive learning environments: a survey of surveys,
Journal of Universal Computer Science, 26, 1043-1073.
Complementing
* Emphasis
* Multimodal interaction
* Complement/Combine contexts, media or items
Simulating
* Simulate the physical world
* Logistics
Exploring
* Data collection
* Interactive manipulation and exploration
Engaging
* Skill training
* Engagement
* Collaboration
Experiencing
* Augmented context
* Emotional and cultural experiences
* Changing human behavior
Accessing
* Perspective switching
* Accessibility
* Seeing the invisible

12. Question Minimum example (1) Maximum example (5) Sample
How much time do you have available to plan and
create the activity?
I have one week available
I'm doing this with plenty of time, at
least a semester's margin.
1
Do you want to plan an activity just to raise
awareness or to learn in-depth?
I want students to acknowledge the value
or learning the content
I want them to know how to use and
apply the contents even in different or
diverse areas.
1
For the learners, will it be a short or long activity? Few sessions (lessons / hours etc.)
Plenty of time (projects, several weeks,
etc.)
2
Do learners have a little or a lot of experience with
the learning content?
They have never been in contact with the
content
They are very experienced, and seek
to complement their skills
3
Do learners have a little or a lot of experience with
immersive technology
They have never been in contact with
these technology
They are used to immersive technology 1
Do you want collaborative learning between
learners?
No, only individual activities
Yes, teamwork is essential throughout
the activity
4
What technological resources do learners have for
immersive activities?
Few (smartphones and not much more)
Virtual reality or advanced mixed reality
equipment (headsets and/or other
systems)
1
Do you have the means to place learners in the real
context of the content?
No, everything must take place in a
formative environment
Yes, we can do field trips or laboratory
activities
1
Do you have human resources with the capacity to
create rich stories for learning?
No, just some imagination.
Yes, I have experienced scriptwriters
or authors
1
Do you have human resources with the capacity to
develop graphics and/or animations for the activity?
No, just record videos, take photographs,
or make simple diagrams.
Yes, I have people to do 3D modelling
and animation or I already have the
materials ready
2
Are the expected results and objectives defined and
structured?
No
They are defined and structured at the
various levels of knowledge 4
Is the learning programme structured, with steps to
follow?
No, there is only a general idea
Yes, the programme is structured and
the steps are defined 1
Are the contents defined (notions, skills, messages
to convey)?
No, there are only a few intentions Yes, the contents are fully defined
5
What teaching-learning methodologies will be
adopted?
No methodologies were defined
The most appropriate methodologies
have been determined for each content
of the programme 3
Do you intend to evaluate the training? I only want to assess learner satisfaction
The quality of the training, the learning
outcomes and their impacts will be
assessed 4
Colour highlight threshold:
Uses of Immersive Learning Environments distance
Accessibility 0,5 0,96
Augmented Context to types of use Augmented Context 0,47
Changing human behavior Changing human behavior 0,34
Collaboration System: 0,69
Complement/Combine contexts, media or items 25% 0,64
Data collection Data collection 0,40
Emotional and cultural experiences Narrative: 0,77
Emphasis 29% 0,85
Engagement 0,72
Interactive manipulation and exploration Challenge: 1,01
Logistics 39% 0,95
Multimodal interaction 0,89
Perspective switching 1,10
Seeing the invisible 0,65
Simulate the physical world 0,79
Skill training 0,69
Colour highlight threshold:
Uses of Immersive Learning Environments distance
Accessibility 0,5 0,96
Augmented Context to types of use Augmented Context 0,47
Changing human behavior Changing human behavior 0,34
Collaboration System: 0,69
Complement/Combine contexts, media or items 25% 0,64
Data collection Data collection 0,40
Emotional and cultural experiences Narrative: 0,77
Emphasis 29% 0,85
Engagement 0,72
Interactive manipulation and exploration Challenge: 1,01
Logistics 39% 0,95
Multimodal interaction 0,89
Perspective switching 1,10
Seeing the invisible 0,65
Simulate the physical world 0,79
Skill training 0,69
Let’s try and contribute to the REDVILE
tool (under development)

14. Leonel.Morgado@uab.pt