This document discusses using virtual worlds and 3D visualizations for learning. It outlines how virtual worlds can be used to visualize complex objects and environments, create emotions, simulate activities, and make unseen things visible. Examples are provided of virtual worlds that simulate physics and sorting algorithms. The document also discusses using virtual worlds to inform and analyze data through immersive information visualization. Overall, the document argues that 3D virtual worlds can support understanding, learning, and analysis in new ways compared to traditional 2D methods, though challenges remain in development complexity and costs.

1. V I RT U A L W O R L D S F O R
3 D V I S U A L I S AT I O N S
J O H A N N A P I R K E R , C H R I S T I A N G Ü T L
J P I R K E R @ M I T. E D U
G R A Z U N I V E R S I T Y O F T E C H N O L O G Y
D I S C U S S I O N I D E A S A N D T R E N D S
I L R N 2 0 1 5
@ J O E Y P R I N K

2. A D VA N C E D M O T I VAT I O N A L M E D I A
T E C H N O L O G I E S G R O U P
• Games and Gamification
• Gaming tools and components
• e-Education and e-Assessment
• Virtual learning environments
• Automated assessment tools
• Multimedia IR and NLP
• Access to learning repositories
• Pre-processing of content
• Social Network and Media Analysis
• Social Network and Data Technologies
• Digital Libraries
• Open Content
• Virtual Environments & Setups
• Virtual 3D World Infrastructure
• End device (immersive … mobile)

3. M O T I VAT I O N : V R F O R E V E RY O N E

4. I M M E R S I V E 3 D V I S U A L I S AT I O N S . .
• … to visualise objects and environments
• … to create emotions
• … to simulate activities
• … to make unseen things seen
• … to teach
• … to raise awareness
• … to show off
• …

5. V I S U A L E X P E R I E N C E S &
O B J E C T / E N V I R O N M E N T V I S U A L I S AT I O N S

8. C R E AT E E M O T I O N S

9. http://jpirker.com/run/
• Split-screen game designed to create the emotion you
had while playing tag - fun, hiding, fear, running,
excitement..

10. Frauenhofer Graz, http://www.cgv.tugraz.at/Dave

11. S C I E N T I F I C V I S U A L I S AT I O N S

12. S U P P O R T U N D E R S TA N D I N G O F
C O M P L E X C O N C E P T S

13. M A K E T H E U N S E E N S E E N .
or..

14. U N D E R S TA N D I N G C O M P U T E R S C I E N C E -
S I M U L AT I N G S O R T I N G A L G O R I T H M

15. V I R T U A L W O R L D S F O R L E A R N I N G
P H Y S I C S W I T H P H Y S I C S S I M U L AT I O N S

16. L E A R N I N G & W O R K I N G I N V W S
• Provision of different communication channels (verbal & non-verbal)
• Activity-based interactions support the motivation and autonomy of
the users
• Increased social awareness
• Feeling of presence in the virtual environment
• Awareness of other avatars, the environment
• Belonging to a social community which creates a virtual social space
• Facilitated collaboration through different tools
• Visualizations and simulations of learning content via 2d and 3d
artifacts
• Personal motivation through active participation and co-creation of
the world

17. I N F O R M AT I O N V I S U A L I S AT I O N

18. I N F O R M AT I O N V I S U A L I S AT I O N I S
B E A U T I F U L
!

19. • Data analysis
• Explore data
• Gain new insights
• “Data is the new oil”
• “Let my dataset change your mindset.”
• …

21. I N F O R M AT I O N V I S U A L I S AT I O N I S
I M M E R S I V E
?

22. • The experience of standing in the center of the
pollution data mapping instead of looking at a bar
chart

24. • (a) advantages and disadvantages compared to other
visualisation methods such as 2D map based
visualisations
• (b) would users like to walk through visualisations
• (c) does the immersive character change the user’s
perception of the visualisation
• (d) would users benefit from the collaborative multi-
user capabilities.
R E S E A R C H Q U E S T I O N S

25. S U M M A RY
• Visualisation for discovery and understanding
• 3D Visualisations can support other forms of emotions,
understanding, learning, and analysing
• VR, new forms of haptic interfaces, and 3D Web is coming
• 3D worlds support interactive, collaborative, and
immersive simulations
• Other insights and new forms of analysis compared to 2D
• Web-browser data visualisations (e.g. Unity)

26. S U M M A RY
• Identify good & reasonable visualisation opportunities
• Still complicated & more expensive compared to 2D
• Target group?
• VR, new forms of haptic interfaces, and 3D Web is
coming -> we still wait
• Should provide new insights and not new challenges

27. T H A N K Y O U F O R Y O U R
AT T E N T I O N .
J O H A N N A P I R K E R , J P I R K E R @ M I T. E D U , W W W. J P I R K E R . C O M , @ J O E Y P R I N K