My presentation at the Virtual Worlds Best Practice in Education Conference 2017 describing how our experiences in Second Life have influenced the development of Fieldscapes.

1. © 2014 www.daden.co.uk
David Burden, Daden
From Second Life to Fieldscapes

2. Who Are We?
 Immersive 3D learning and visualisation specialists
 Software and hardware based immersion
 Founded 2004, but 3D experience since late 1990s
 Award-winning:
 US Federal Virtual Worlds Challenge winner 2010
 Finalist 2013 Global Unity3D Awards
 Times Higher Education Winner 2009 & 2013
 Research-inspired – over a dozen R&D funded projects
 Based in Birmingham UK

3. What We Do….
3D/VR Immersive Learning
and Training
3D/VR Immersive
Data Visualisation
Natural Language/
AI Conversation
Systems
(Chatbots)

4. Daden in SL

5. Over 30 Immersive Learning Projects
Virtual Campus Apollo 11 - STEM Environmental Studies Disaster Management
Bereavement CareDisaster Management Paramedic Assessment Virtual Laboratory

6. PIVOTE Architecture
PIVOTE
Player
Web
Service
Layout and
Exercise
Definition
SQL
/XML
Inventory
Server
(contains
all
objects)
In-world scene
PIVOTE
Editor/Manager
(main user interface)
Immersive World Web/PC
Images
Student
Performance
Data
SQL/
XML
VLE/LMS
Control
Interface

7.  Virtual fieldtrip developed in
2013 by Daden for the
Open University
 Support physical field trips:
planning, on-site, revision,
unable to attend
 10km x 10km
 Walk, fly or teleport
navigation (with compass &
mini-map)
 6 geology study sites
 Avatar based, multi-user
Virtual Skiddaw

8.  18 months feasibility &
development
 Partners:
 Daden (lead)
 The Open University
 Field Studies Council
 DesignThinkersUK
 Technical, Pedagogic &
Commercial Aspects
 Service Design and Trials
with Schools, Universitys
and Home Educators
InnovateUK – Design for Impact

9.  Teacher planning/skills
 Student skills/planning
– maximise time-on-site
 On site meeting with
FSC staff
 Parent briefing
 Risk assessment
 General map skills
 Context setting
Virtual Fieldtrip Use Cases
Before During After
 Next-day planning
 “Virtual drone” on site
 Where we didn’t get to….
 Wet-weather programme
 Day review
 Data review
 Students who missed
trip
 Students who didn’t do
all tasks
 Comparative sites
 Translation tasks
 Revision
Not just Geography/Geology -> Biology, STEM, History, Languages

10. The Fieldscapes System
Non-VR
Explorer
(PC/Mac/iOS/
Android)
VR Explorer
(Cardboard/Oculus)
To/From
VLE/LMS
An assignment
management app to
manage classes and
learner analytics
A cloud-based
platform to share
3D landscapes
and locations
3D editor to let
anyone create and
share lessons,
exercises and
experiences
An Explorer app to let
students (and others)
experience the lessons
and exercises
Public cloud-based service
(or white-label)
Single-user or
multi-user
(hybrid) © 2017 Daden Limited

11. Student View

12. Teacher View

13. Editor View

14. Lesson Manager View

15. VR and 3D
Desktop/Laptop
Smartphone/Tablet
Mobile VR, e.g. Cardboard/Daydream
Tethered VR, e.g. Oculus Rift
Oculus Rift available at launch. Android, iOS, Mac and Cardboard support in 2Q17.

16. PIVOTE Authoring System
SET PROPS ACTORSSCRIPT
EXTRAS
The landscape/
environment
Create by any
means as long as
ends up as Unity
Asset Bundle
e.g. Lidar,
Photogrammetry,
Height Maps,
Contour shading,
Manual
Can include
animations/
overlays
Anything the user
directly interacts with
Touch/Detect/Collide/
Sit/Hear
Create by any means
as long as ends up as
Unity Asset Bundle
e.g. 3DS/SketchUp/
Collada/Maya etc
Generic PIVOTE code
Widgets – Custom
code/functions called
by PIVOTE
Event driven (inc Timer)
Forms/dropdown
based, no syntax!
Variables and Logic
Action list for each
available interaction
Variables can be
hidden or show to
users
Includes multiple-
choice questions,
images, audio etc
The user avatar
Third or first person
Can set/limit by script –
eg outfit, ability to
move/fly, camera etc
Muti-user (hybrid)
Non-player characters
Script controlled
Chatbot
Not yet implemented

17. Fieldscapes Beta Lessons
Carding Mill Valley
The Moon Ruell Vallis, MarsSpace
Oaker Wood
Tyneside Priory
Learning
Campus
Hospital
Ward
Porlock Bay
Industrial Site
River Measurements Tourism
Orienteering
Watershed Tour Inter-tidal Zones
Erosion Management
Apollo 11- Structured
Apollo 11- Explore
The Solar System
The Rosetta Mission
Mars Quiz & Facts
Mars Exploration
Navigation Skills
Orienteering
History of Monastries
Where would you like?
What could you write?
Naseby
Battle of Naseby
Office
Onboarder Training
Energy Awareness
Health & Safety Virtual Exhibition
Virtual Seminars
Nursing Procedures

18. Student Trials
Carding Mill
3D Model
VR
Carding Mill
Photosphere
VR
The Moon
3D Model
Laptop
Carding Mill
3D Model
Laptop

19. Student Trial Results
 Quantified survey
results from 18
students, from 27
forms submitted
“It was very detailed, real and
very easy to use”
“You could see where you
were going and you could find
out interesting facts about the
location”
“How realistic it was and all the sounds
made it feel real”
“There is zero chance that you can go to
the moon, but it was really cool to learn
about it and feel it”

20. Fieldscapes vs SL
 Scalability (Solo & hybrid)
 Mobile deployment (inc MobileVR)
 Simple, controlled student UI
 Easier authoring & placement
 Huge real-world terrains
 Offline playing and editing
 Teacher tools, e.g. “come here”
 100% student safe
 World independent exercises
“Enhancements” What we’ve not done
 Persistent single shard
 In-world object creation
 In-world terrain modelling
 LSL level scripting
 Marketplace (yet?)
 Avatar customisation (yet?)
 In-world browser (yet)
 In-world voice (yet)
 Animated NPCs (yet)
 Chatbots (yet)

21. Commercial Models
Teacher access is free
Landscape & Exercise creation
(by tutors) is free
Default is that all content is
shared
All teachers can use all shared,
non-premium content
Charged per student account
per year (tiered)
Can restrict content to own
institution or user group
IP with creator, but licensed to
the system
Landscape and exercise creator
“reward” based on usage by rest
of community
Premium content?
Standard Model Private Service
“Fieldscapes Inside”
Each a separate instance of
Fieldscapes
Client decides on access and
usage policies and charges
No need to use assignment model
– e.g. for direct public or
student/employee access
Branded to client
No sharing beyond client
Daden charge set-up and service
management fee (based on
standing charge + usage)
Host public facing, branded
content
Areas branded to client
No concept of assignments
No achievement tracking
Primarily free to end-
user/general public
Possibly some premium content
Daden charge set-up and
service management fee (based
on standing charge + usage)
Public Service

22. PIVOTE Draft Road Map
 Mac
 Android + Cardboard
All dates approximate
Student
Experience
Teacher/
Editor
Functions
Other
Functions
Devices
1H17 2H17 1H18 2H18
 iOS + Cardboard
 Daydream?
 HTC Vive?
 Gear VR?
 Hololens?
 WebGL?
 Launch
 Static NPCs
 Launch
 Launch
 Full multi-user
 Physics
 Chatbots
 Mobile NPCs
 MCQ Logic/Editing
 Exercise-Exercise
links
 Improved Class Mgt
 More Teacher
Functions
 More analytics
 Voice chat
 NPC Navigation
 In-world Notebook?
 Inventory
 Attachments
 In-world browser
 Avatar designer
 Exercise Catalogue
 xAPI support
 P2P file sharing
 Exercise socials

23. PIVOTE as iLearning Hub
PC Explorer
PC Editor
Mac Editor (Apr/May)
Mac Explorer (Apr/May)
Android (May) Cardboard (May)
iOS (Jul)Cardboard (Jul)
All dates approximate
PIVOTE XML
Samsung Gear VR
(2H17?)
Daydream
(2H17?)
Oculus Rift
Vive (2H17?)
Hololens (2018?)
Others?
- Audio Only?
- Sansar?
- AltSpaceVR?
Browser (2018?)

24. Questions & Demo
• Video and Wiki at www.fieldscapesvr.com
• VWBPE Virtual Virtual Fieldtrip:
• 4th April, 1pm SLT
• Email david.burden@daden.co.uk for access details
• Register and download before event
• Skype audio for voice chat
• Free on-going access post-event
• Fieldscapes open-beta live for educator use from 5th April!
Web: www.daden.co.uk
Email: david.burden@daden.co.uk
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/dadenmedia
Twitter: @fieldscapesvr
Facebook: fieldscapes

25. Web: www.daden.co.uk
Email: david.burden@daden.co.uk
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/dadenmedia
Twitter: @fieldscapesvr
Facebook: fieldscapes