Flexible Virtual Environments: Gamifying Immersive Learning

This chapter provides an overview of information literacy needs of P-12 learners in virtual environments. As more of life is spent in global digital participatory culture, information literacy skills have moved from primarily print-based to include digital content evaluation, content curation, and a personal responsibility for digital citizenship. Using standards for 21st century learning from the American Library Association, examples highlight information literacy elements embedded in immersive learning environments, such as the Anne Frank simulation (a 3D replica of Amsterdam and the annex where Anne's family hid) and a digital citizenship game built by students in the game of Minecraft. Creators of immersive learning environments in virtual worlds must accurately depict historical eras and cite sources for authority and accuracy of information. These 3D simulations provide opportunities to teach information literacy in virtual spaces with a shared “sense of presence”. Learners in virtual environments have digital citizenship responsibilities from a very young age.

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Contemporary Theory for Immersive Worlds

Teaching and Learning in 3D Immersive Worlds ◽

10.4018/978-1-60960-517-9.ch014 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 248-270 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Eric B. Bauman ◽

I. Alex Games

Keyword(s):

Virtual Environments ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Historical Context ◽

Learning Theories ◽

Culturally Competent ◽

Contemporary Theory ◽

Immersive Environments ◽

Immersive Learning ◽

Educational Theories

This chapter will provide the reader with a historical context and introduction to contemporary learning theories for 3D and immersive environments being used for educational purposes. Many traditional educational theories predate the emergence of the multimedia literacy movement and do not adequately address the challenges of developing, delivering, and integrating multimedia based content such as game-based immersive environments into curricula. The authors place significant emphasis on the importance of relevant, accurate, and situated aspects of culture and diversity throughout the development, implementation, and evaluation phases of immersive learning environments. To this end, a new theory is introduced and discussed in detail. The Ecology of Culturally Competent Design has been developed to specifically address the rigors and challenges of accurately situating culture within virtual environments.

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Immersive Learning Explored: Subjective and Objective Factors Influencing Learning Outcomes in Immersive Educational Virtual Environments

2018 IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment, and Learning for Engineering (TALE) ◽

10.1109/tale.2018.8615281 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Andreas Dengel ◽

Jutta Magdefrau

Keyword(s):

Virtual Environments ◽

Learning Outcomes ◽

Immersive Learning ◽

Factors Influencing

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The sense of presence in virtual environments:

Zeitschrift für Medienpsychologie ◽

10.1026//1617-6383.15.2.69 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 69-71 ◽

Cited By ~ 84

Author(s):

Thomas W. Schubert

Keyword(s):

Virtual Environments ◽

Coding Theory ◽

Model Building ◽

Self Report ◽

Survey Study ◽

Spatial Presence ◽

Component Structure ◽

Sense Of Presence ◽

Being There ◽

Measure Sense

Abstract. The sense of presence is the feeling of being there in a virtual environment. A three-component self report scale to measure sense of presence is described, the components being sense of spatial presence, involvement, and realness. This three-component structure was developed in a survey study with players of 3D games (N = 246) and replicated in a second survey study (N = 296); studies using the scale for measuring the effects of interaction on presence provide evidence for validity. The findings are explained by the Potential Action Coding Theory of presence, which assumes that presence develops from mental model building and suppression of the real environment.

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Dreamlike and Playful Virtual Environments to Inspire Children’s Divergent Thinking

Journal of Media Psychology Theories Methods and Applications ◽

10.1027/1864-1105/a000279 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Jérôme Guegan ◽

Claire Brechet ◽

Julien Nelson

Keyword(s):

Virtual Environments ◽

Divergent Thinking ◽

Idea Generation ◽

Combined Processes ◽

Office Environment ◽

School Aged Children

Abstract. Computers have long been seen as possible tools to foster creativity in children. In this respect, virtual environments present an interesting potential to support idea generation but also to steer it in relevant directions. A total of 96 school-aged children completed a standard divergent thinking task while being exposed to one of three virtual environments: a replica of the headmistress’s office, a replica of their schoolyard, and a dreamlike environment. Results showed that participants produced more original ideas in the dreamlike and playful environments than in the headmistress’s office environment. Additionally, the contents of the environment influenced the selective exploration of idea categories. We discuss these results in terms of two combined processes: explicit references to sources of inspiration in the environment, and the implicit priming of specific idea categories.

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