scholarly journals The Development of a Virtual World Problem-Based Learning Tutorial and Comparison With Interactive Text-Based Tutorials

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trupti Jivram ◽  
Sheetal Kavia ◽  
Ella Poulton ◽  
Aurora Sésé Hernandez ◽  
Luke A. Woodham ◽  
...  

Collaborative learning through case-based or problem-based learning (PBL) scenarios is an excellent way to acquire and develop workplace knowledge associated with specific competencies. At St George's, University of London we developed an interactive online form of decision-based PBL (D-PBL) for our undergraduate medical course using web-based virtual patients (VPs). This method of delivery allowed students to consider options for clinical management, to take decisions and to explore the consequences of their chosen actions. Students had identified this as a more engaging type of learning activity compared to conventional paper-based/linear PBL and demonstrated improved exam performance in controlled trials. We explored the use of Second Life (SL), a virtual world and immersive 3D environment, as a tool to provide greater realism than our interactive image and text-based D-PBL patient cases. Eighteen separate tutorial groups were provided with their own experience of the same patient scenario in separate locations within the virtual world. The study found that whilst a minority of students reported that the Second Life experience felt more realistic, most did not. Students favored the simpler interaction of the web-based VPs, which already provided them with the essential learning needed for practice. This was in part due to the time proximity to exams and the extra effort required to learn the virtual world interface. Nevertheless, this study points the way towards a scalable process for running separate PBL sessions in 3D environments.

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Thomas Schwartz

Since January 2007, Music Academy Online , a web-based business dedicated to generating interest in classical music, has been developing a ‘Disney World for Classical Music’ in the virtual world of Second Life®. The virtual world provides a unique opportunity to teach classical music in an interdisciplinary fashion, the ability to reach out to a population that is hesitant to explore classical music, and a way for reaching out to those who have been disenfranchised by traditional educational paths. This has led to the development of iconography in Second Life that exploits the virtual world’s inherent ability to put seemingly disparate information together in a way that encourages questioning and discussion. But above all, this has led to the conclusion that the importance of human interaction and the Socratic method are the key elements in virtual world education.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 161-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz ◽  
Shannon Schipper

Abstract. The present study explored the influence of avatar appearance on cyber-harassment in a virtual world. Specifically, this research examined how avatar gender and sexualization were related to the experience of sex- and non-sex-related harassment. An international sample of Second Life users (N = 216) completed an online questionnaire about their avatar’s appearance and virtual world experiences. Objectification theory and the disinhibition effect were used as theoretical grounding for the study. Results revealed disparate virtual experiences for male and female avatars and indicated that avatar sexualization was related to experiences of cyber-harassment for female avatars. The implications of this research extend beyond virtual worlds like Second Life to other Web-based communication applications that utilize avatars.


Author(s):  
Tamoghna Biswas ◽  
Parijat Sen ◽  
Sujoy Dasgupta ◽  
Subhrashis Guha Niyogi ◽  
G. C. Ghosh ◽  
...  

This paper discusses an exploratory approach in creating stimulating medical education resources in the form of interactive conversational learning between medical students and facilitators who dissected a case previously published in BMJ to which the students do not have access, thus bringing out the learning points in an exploratory manner. Through these conversations, students discover the subject and learn actively along with a facilitator who gradually guides them through the case based problem. BMJ Case reports present a unique platform for this case based PBL (problem based learning) activity. In this illustrative example, students and facilitators perform problem based learning in a nearly asynchronous manner on a web based forum.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 7-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamoghna Biswas ◽  
Parijat Sen ◽  
Sujoy Dasgupta ◽  
Subhrashis Guha Niyogi ◽  
G. C. Ghosh ◽  
...  

This paper discusses an exploratory approach in creating stimulating medical education resources in the form of interactive conversational learning between medical students and facilitators who dissected a case previously published in BMJ to which the students do not have access, thus bringing out the learning points in an exploratory manner. Through these conversations, students discover the subject and learn actively along with a facilitator who gradually guides them through the case based problem. BMJ Case reports present a unique platform for this case based PBL (problem based learning) activity. In this illustrative example, students and facilitators perform problem based learning in a nearly asynchronous manner on a web based forum.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teodoro Rudolphi-Solero ◽  
Alberto Jimenez-Zayas ◽  
Rocio Lorenzo-Alvarez ◽  
Dolores Domínguez-Pinos ◽  
Miguel Jose Ruiz-Gomez ◽  
...  

Abstract Background A multi-user competitive game within the virtual world Second Life for undergraduate radiology learning was adapted for team participation. This study aimed to assess student perception, impact on learning, and eventual correlation of game results with post-exposure tests and course grades. Methods The game consisted of six weekly stages, dedicated to thoracic, abdominal, and musculoskeletal radiological anatomy and semiology. Participants had several days a week to review self-guided radiology educational content and then complete individual multiple-choice tests and solve team tasks to progress through the game's ranking. Additionally, they completed a cognitive load test, a questionnaire about the experience and a post-exposure knowledge test. Results Fifty-two students organised into 13 teams participated in the game and assessed different aspects of the experience with a mean score ≥ 7.8 on a 10-point scale, highlighting the participation of the teacher (9.3 ± 1.1), the educational contents (8.8 ± 1.4) and the usefulness for their education (8.7 ± 1.4). Participants obtained better post-exposure test results (p < 0.007) and better course grades (p < 0.021) than non-participants did. Conclusion A multi-user game adapted to team competition to learn radiology in Second Life was very positively perceived by third-year medical students, who highly valued its content, organisation, and usefulness for their training. Most of the participants agreed that they had collaborated as a team and that playing in competitive environments helps them learn better. The best post-exposure and academic results compared to non-participating students indicate the potential impact of the game on learning.


Author(s):  
Keith T. Shubeck ◽  
Scotty D. Craig ◽  
Xiangen Hu

Live-action training simulations with expert facilitators are considered by many to be the gold-standard in training environments. However, these training environments are expensive, provide many logistical challenges, and may not address the individual’s learning needs. Fortunately, advances in distance-based learning technologies have provided the foundation for inexpensive and effective learning environments that can simultaneously train and educate students on a much broader scale than live-action training environments. Specifically, intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) have been proven to be very effective in improving learning outcomes. The Virtual Civilian Aeromedical Evacuation Sustainment Training (VCAEST) interface takes advantage of both of these technologies by enhancing a virtual world with a web-based ITS, AutoTutor LITE (Learning in Interactive Training Environments). AutoTutor LITE acts as a facilitator in the virtual world by providing just-in-time feedback, presenting essential domain knowledge, and by utilizing tutoring dialogues that automatically assess user input. This paper will discuss the results of an experimental evaluation of the VCAEST environment compared to an expert-led live-action training simulation.


2009 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Yee ◽  
Liz Losh ◽  
Sarah Robbins-Bell

By being an online journal, the JVWR allows for the inclusion of some pieces that might not otherwise fit a standard journal. This was the thought behind bringing together a group of virtual world scholars to discuss a series of questions and share their thoughts. Meeting in Second Life, Nick Yee (PARC), Liz Losh (UC Irvine), and Sarah Robbins-Bell (Ball State University) were gracious enough to share their thoughts on the study of virtual worlds culture.


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