Learning as Immersive Experience

2011 ◽  
pp. 15-30
Author(s):  
Sara de Freitas ◽  
Ian Dunwell ◽  
Genaro Rebolledo-Mendez
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Technology Enhanced Learning ◽  
Online Learners ◽  
Immersive Learning ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Uk

As virtual worlds come of age, their potential for applications supporting teaching and learning is becoming increasingly recognised. This chapter outlines a transition of learning, centring on the uptake of new tools for supporting Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) in universities and colleges. In particular, the use of technologies such as virtual worlds is increasing the pedagogic toolkit of teachers and tutors, providing unique opportunities to support and enhance teaching and learning. In particular, the use of virtual worlds to reach remote, distance, and online learners is creating new opportunities for face-to-face engagement and motivation with difficult-to-reach groups. To evidence and explore this potential, this chapter documents the main findings from several studies which focus upon defining and examining the key components which contribute towards the efficacy of an ‘immersive learning experience’. This includes the main findings of the UK JISC-funded MyPlan project, wherein Second Life, a desktop virtual world, was used to support career decisions and educational choices among two groups of learners, the first from a college and the second from a university. These findings are compared to those arising from the UK Technology Strategy Board-funded Serious Games: Engaging Training Solutions (SG-ETS) project, which sought to develop and assess three high-fidelity serious games. The chapter focuses upon four specific components of virtual worlds and immersive learning techniques: personalisation through learner modelling, integrative feedback, intrinsic motivational quality, and what the authors term ‘social interactive learning’. These four criteria are discussed with respect to the study, providing a basis for future ongoing studies that explore the efficacy of immersive virtual worlds as an alternative for, and supplement to, traditional learning environments.

The Future of Immersive Instructional Design for the Global Knowledge Economy

2012 ◽  
pp. 115-135
Author(s):  
Lia DiBello ◽  
Whit Missildine
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Design ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Knowledge Economy ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Global Knowledge ◽  
Immersive Learning ◽  
High Level ◽  
And Training

Instructional design has not kept pace with the growth of the globalized knowledge economy. In the area of project management, a volatile global economy requires immersive learning and training exercises targeted to expert learners that have not yet been widely adopted. The authors developed a 16-hour, immersive collective learning experience for mid- to high-level project managers. The exercise was carried out in the Second Life Virtual Worlds platform and aimed to accelerate learning among participants. In addition, the authors tested a number of questions about the capacity of Virtual Worlds to be used for running complex, immersive learning and training. Results indicate that participants experienced high levels of engagement with exercise and, in the second iteration, were able to achieve goals within the exercise. Various technological breakdowns pointed to both the downsides as well as the opportunities for Virtual Worlds to be used for immersive rehearsal engagements.

The Future of Immersive Instructional Design for the Global Knowledge Economy

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 14-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lia DiBello ◽  
Whit Missildine
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Design ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Knowledge Economy ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Global Knowledge ◽  
Immersive Learning ◽  
High Level ◽  
And Training

Instructional design has not kept pace with the growth of the globalized knowledge economy. In the area of project management, a volatile global economy requires immersive learning and training exercises targeted to expert learners that have not yet been widely adopted. The authors developed a 16-hour, immersive collective learning experience for mid- to high-level project managers. The exercise was carried out in the Second Life Virtual Worlds platform and aimed to accelerate learning among participants. In addition, the authors tested a number of questions about the capacity of Virtual Worlds to be used for running complex, immersive learning and training. Results indicate that participants experienced high levels of engagement with exercise and, in the second iteration, were able to achieve goals within the exercise. Various technological breakdowns pointed to both the downsides as well as the opportunities for Virtual Worlds to be used for immersive rehearsal engagements.

Using Blended Learning and Emerging Technologies to Transform the Adult Learning Experience

2018 ◽  
pp. 2140-2165
Author(s):  
Leslie Cordie ◽  
Maria Martinez Witte ◽  
James E. Witte
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Adult Learning ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Emerging Technologies ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Online Learners ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Definition Of

Faculty are increasing the use of emerging technologies in their classrooms and are recognizing the value of blending face-to-face and online learning to meet educational needs. Blended learning is defined as combining face-to-face and online learning formats. This chapter discusses the definition of blended learning and how it is affecting adult learning experiences and classroom settings. This chapter also addresses faculty and instructional design practices that can be used for blended learning and to continue promoting a positive teaching and learning environment for both face-to-face and online learners. Future research efforts can be focused on faculty development and academic support to continue fostering blended learning and meeting the needs of today's learners.

scholarly journals Learning spaces in virtual worlds: bringing our distance students home

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari Carmen Gil Ortega ◽  
Liz Falconer
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
Pedagogical Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Postgraduate Students

Purpose – Distance learning (DL) programmes are becoming increasingly popular in higher education. Overcoming feelings of isolation that may occur due to the reduced support available, the few possibilities of social interaction and the non-existent campus atmosphere in online courses, have become one of the major challenges of designers and instructors of DL programmes. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This paper provides an example of how the authors can create and use virtual world (VW) learning spaces that not only match the face-to-face learning experience, but also enhance it. Innovation@UWE Island in Second Life, home of the MA education in virtual worlds, is an example of pedagogical innovation that capitalises on what VWs have to offer to social aspects of teaching and learning. In this programme the authors use a three-dimensional virtual space to provide postgraduate students – physically located in diverse geographical areas of the world – with a sense of community and connectedness that matches the sense of belonging that often accompanies the on-campus learning experience. Findings – The paper provides examples of students engaging in an environment where traditional conceptions of both “teaching” and “learning” do not apply, where the four-walled classroom is not the only setting where learning happens, where everyone in the group can potentially be an instructor or a peer, an expert or a novice, and learn from each other in a meaningful way. Originality/value – This paper introduces the rationale behind the choice of architecture of the learning environment as well as the instructional design of the programme to enhance co-presence and place presence, to build a true community of practice and to foster collaboration for reflective learning.

Using Blended Learning and Emerging Technologies to Transform the Adult Learning Experience

2018 ◽  
pp. 2198-2223
Author(s):  
Leslie Cordie ◽  
Maria Martinez Witte ◽  
James E. Witte
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Adult Learning ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Emerging Technologies ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Online Learners ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Definition Of

Faculty are increasing the use of emerging technologies in their classrooms and are recognizing the value of blending face-to-face and online learning to meet educational needs. Blended learning is defined as combining face-to-face and online learning formats. This chapter discusses the definition of blended learning and how it is affecting adult learning experiences and classroom settings. This chapter also addresses faculty and instructional design practices that can be used for blended learning and to continue promoting a positive teaching and learning environment for both face-to-face and online learners. Future research efforts can be focused on faculty development and academic support to continue fostering blended learning and meeting the needs of today's learners.

Using Blended Learning and Emerging Technologies to Transform the Adult Learning Experience

2016 ◽  
pp. 329-353
Author(s):  
Leslie Cordie ◽  
Maria Martinez Witte ◽  
James E. Witte
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Adult Learning ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Emerging Technologies ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Online Learners ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Definition Of

Faculty are increasing the use of emerging technologies in their classrooms and are recognizing the value of blending face-to-face and online learning to meet educational needs. Blended learning is defined as combining face-to-face and online learning formats. This chapter discusses the definition of blended learning and how it is affecting adult learning experiences and classroom settings. This chapter also addresses faculty and instructional design practices that can be used for blended learning and to continue promoting a positive teaching and learning environment for both face-to-face and online learners. Future research efforts can be focused on faculty development and academic support to continue fostering blended learning and meeting the needs of today's learners.

Immersive Virtual Worlds for (E-) Learning

2013 ◽  
pp. 238-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Rehm ◽  
Ulla Konnerup
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Information Society ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Context Aware ◽  
Collaborative Environments ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Current State ◽  
E Learning

Virtual worlds are becoming more popular and important for the information society, allowing people to meet “face-to-face” and at the same time be distributed across different places. This offers numerous possibilities of revolutionizing the way learning is realized over long distances and at a given location. However, current uses of environments like Second Life make it very clear that there is a lack of interaction, and the learning concepts that are tailored to these kinds of collaborative environments result more or less in the replication of “always the same,” but this time in a virtual world. An example is a typical lecture that is now available as an in-world podcast. This chapter examines current state-of-the-art approaches of learning in and with virtual worlds in relation to the features of such environments and then proposes a research agenda tailored to making the learning experience truly interactive, collaborative, multi modal, and situation- and context-aware.

scholarly journals Second Life as a research environment: avatar-based focus groups (AFG)

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eman Gadalla ◽  
Ibrahim Abosag ◽  
Kathy Keeling
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Marketing Research ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages

Purpose – This study aims to examine the nature and the potential use of avatar-based focus groups (AFGs) (i.e. focus groups conducted in three-dimensional [3D] virtual worlds [VWs]) as compared to face-to-face and online focus groups (OFGs), motivated by the ability of VWs to stimulate the realism of physical places. Over the past decade, there has been a rapid increase in using 3D VWs as a research tool. Design/methodology/approach – Using a two-phase reflective approach, data were collected first by using traditional face-to-face focus groups, followed by AFGs. In Phase 2, an online, semi-structured survey provided comparison data and experiences in AFGs, two-dimensional OFGs and traditional face-to-face focus groups. Findings – The findings identify the advantages and disadvantages of AFGs for marketing research. There is no evident difference in data quality between the results of AFGs and face-to-face focus groups. AFG compensates for some of the serious limitations associated with OFGs. Practical implications – The paper reflects on three issues, data quality, conduct of AFGs (including the moderator reflection) and participant experience, that together inform one’s understanding of the characteristics, advantages and limitations of AFG. Originality/value – This is the first paper to compare between AFGs, traditional face-to-face focus groups and OFGs. AFG holds many advantages over OFGs and even, sometimes, over face-to-face focus groups, providing a suitable environment for researchers to collect data.

scholarly journals Design for learning – a case study of blended learning in a science unit

F1000Research ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 898
Author(s):  
Roslyn Gleadow ◽  
Barbara Macfarlan
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Scientific Practice ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Learning Management

Making material available through learning management systems is standard practice in most universities, but this is generally seen as an adjunct to the ‘real’ teaching, that takes place in face-to-face classes. Lecture attendance is poor, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to engage students, both in the material being taught and campus life. This paper describes the redevelopment of a large course in scientific practice and communication that is compulsory for all science students studying at our Melbourne and Malaysian campuses, or by distance education. Working with an educational designer, a blended learning methodology was developed, converting the environment provided by the learning management system into a teaching space, rather than a filing system. To ensure focus, topics are clustered into themes with a ‘question of the week’, a pre-class stimulus and follow up activities. The content of the course did not change, but by restructuring the delivery using educationally relevant design techniques, the content was contextualised resulting in an integrated learning experience. Students are more engaged intellectually, and lecture attendance has improved. The approach we describe here is a simple and effective approach to bringing this university’s teaching and learning into the 21st century.

scholarly journals DE LA PRESENCIALIDAD A LA INTERACCION VIRTUAL 3D (FROM PRESENTIALITY TO THE 3D VIRTUAL INTERACTION)

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-53
Author(s):  
Eduardo Campazzo ◽  
Alejandra Guzmán ◽  
Marcelo Martínez ◽  
Andrea Aguero
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Independent Learning ◽  
National University ◽  
Nuevas Tecnologías ◽  
Technology And Communication ◽  
La Rioja ◽  
The Impact

La necesidad de actualización y adecuación permanente de nuestras prácticas educativas en el ámbito de la Universidad Nacional de La Rioja, la transferencia de conocimientos adquiridos y la evolución tecnológica dinámica a la que nos enfrentamos en las nuevas metodologías de enseñanza-aprendizaje, son aspectos fundamentales que aseguran el impacto de las acciones formativas futuras.- A través del uso adecuado de las nuevas Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación es posible  generar  entornos educativos más creativos e innovadores que permitan que los alumnos continúen desarrollando un aprendizaje autónomo a través de la educación a distancia, en entornos de inmersión que apliquen tecnologías multiusuario de los mundos virtuales, pudiendo reproducir y ampliar los límites físicos del aula. Palabras clave: Trabajo Colaborativo, Mundos Inmersivos 3D, Interactividad, Moodle, Sloodle, Second Life, Virtualidad,  Enseñanza-Aprendizaje. AbstractThe need for constant updating and adaptation of our educational practices in the area of the National University of La Rioja, knowledge transfer and technological change dynamics that we face in the new methodologies of teaching and learning are key aspects ensure the impact of training initiatives for the future .- Through the appropriate use of new Information Technology and Communication is possible to create educational environments more creative and innovative to enable students to further develop independent learning through distance education In immersive environments to implement technologies, multi-user virtual worlds can replicate and expand the physical boundaries of the classroom.Keywords: Collaborative Work, immersive worlds 3D, Interactivity, Moodle, Sloodle, Second Life, Virtuality, Teaching and Learning.

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