Lecture by Mikhail Fominykh at Technology-Enhanced Learning 2 [advanced] course, University of Oulu, Finland: 3D virtual worlds and collaborative learning, March 14, 2013

1. 3D Virtual Worlds and Collaborative
Learning
lecture
Mikhail Fominykh
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
Technology-Enhanced Learning 2 [advanced] course
University of Oulu, Finland
March, 14 2013
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2. Outline
o Definition
o Trends
o Rationale
o Examples
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3. What is a Virtual World?
En environment
1.Multiuser
2.Synchronous
3.Persistent
4.Facilitated by networked computers
o Three-dimensional graphical interphase
o Social Worlds/Game Worlds
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4. Trends
o Second Life?
o Variety and integration
o Virtual World platforms/engines
o Virtual Worlds on demand and for specific
purposes
o Simulations
o Merging virtual and real
o NVWN
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5. Second Life 2006–2009
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6. Second Life 2006–2012
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7. Variety and integration
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8. Virtual World platforms/engines
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9. Virtual Worlds on demand and for
specific purposes
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10. Virtual Worlds on demand and for
specific purposes
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11. Simulations: medical, military, and
corporate
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12. Merging virtual and real
MIT Media Lab http://www.media.mit.edu/
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13. Nordic Virtual Worlds Network
http://nordicworlds.net
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14. Rationale: Education in Second Life
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15. Rationale: affordances
o Comparing to web-based technologies
– Variety of methods (from real life e.g., role playing)
– Close to face-to-face Experience
– 3D representation
o Comparing to face-to-face
– High safety
– Low cost (for complex activities e.g., training simulation)
– Variety of activities (doing impossible things e.g., walking
in somebody’s shoes)
o Secondary affordances (e.g., motivation)
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16. Rationale: cost vs. affordances
Afford Cost
Afford
Cost Afford Cost
Obst. Obst.
*Values are very approximate
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17. Examples of R&D projects
o 3D Educational Visualizations as
Constructionist Learning
o Training Cultural Awareness in Military
Operations
o 3D Virtual Recording in vAcademia
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18. Example 1: 3D Educational
Visualizations and Constructionism
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19. 3D Educational Visualizations
Research Questions
o Why is it worth using?
o How to describe, analyze and evaluate?
o How to design facilitating environments
and tools?
o How to support learning communities?
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20. 3D Visualizations of research areas,
projects, and curriculum concepts
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21. 3D Educational Visualizations Formal
Outcomes
o Methodology for Teaching with 3D
Visualizations
o Frameworks for designing tools and
environments
o Observation of learning community
support
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22. 3D Educational Visualizations
Interesting Outcomes
o Activities in Virtual Worlds attract interest
as exciting and unusual
o Students intensify collaboration when
facing a challenging learning space
o Collaborative construction requires time
and effort, but provides learning
o Serious activities in Virtual Worlds need
additional support
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23. Example 2: Training Cultural Awareness
in Military Operations
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24. Cultural Awareness in Military
Operations: Goals
o Create an inexpensive and flexible
simulation for training cultural awareness
among military personnel
o Explore the advantages and limitations
of 3D virtual worlds in this context
o Create methodological guidelines and
tools for developing 3D educational
simulations
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25. Cultural Awareness in Military
Operations (CAMO)
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26. Cultural Awareness in Military
Operations: Study Settings
o 14 cadets from Norwegian Army War
Academy
o Eight students and teachers from
Norwegian Defense Language and
Intelligence School
o Pre- and posttests, interviews,
observations
o Two walk-throughs, three debriefs
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27. Cultural Awareness in Military
Operations: Major Outcomes
o Cadets are positive to the use of 3D
virtual worlds for training cultural
awareness
o Learning outcomes related to the major
topics in the scenarios
o Learning from taking different
perspectives, facing dilemmas, and
observing squad leader actions
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28. Example 3: Asynchronous Immersive
Experience in vAcademia
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29. Teaching tools
Real world vAcademia
Interactive
Chalk and board
white boards
Pointer Pointer for each
user
Slide show Slide show
presentations presentations
Web camera Web camera
sharing
Desktop Desktop sharing
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30. Synchronous/Asynchronous Challenge
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31. Synchronous/Asynchronous Proposal
live/online content
Synchronous class Asynchronous class
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32. 3D Recordings: easy to store
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33. 3D Recordings: easy to edit
R1 – 3D recordings of the class
t
x x R1
R2
R2 – a new 3D recording based on R1
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34. 3D Recordings: but still 3D
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35. 3D Recording for training scenario
implementation
Recording scenario
Teacher1 Teachern
Environment and bots
Play
TeacherR1 TeacherRn Learner1 Learnern
Environment and botsR Learner2
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36. 3D Recording training use cases
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37. Thank you!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Akershus%20Fortress/
http://slurl.com/secondlife/NTNU/
http://vacademia.com
Mikhail Fominykh
mikhail.fominykh@ntnu.no
http://www.idi.ntnu.no/~fominykh/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/fominykh
http://slideshare.net/mfominykh/
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