Empirical Comparison of 3-D Virtual World and Face-to-Face Classroom for Higher Education

2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 30-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaofeng Chen ◽  
Keng Siau ◽  
Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Instructional Strategy ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Perceived Learning ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Face To Face Learning

Many higher education institutions have set up virtual classrooms in the 3-D virtual world. In this research, the authors assess the relative effectiveness of a 3-D virtual world learning environment, Second Life, compared to traditional face-to-face learning environment. They also assess the effects of instructional strategies in these two learning environments on interactivity, perceived learning, and satisfaction. The authors’ findings suggest that learning environment interacts with instructional strategy to affect the learners’ perceived learning and satisfaction. Specifically, when interactive instructional strategy is used, there is no significant difference for perceived learning and satisfaction between the 3-D virtual world and face-to-face learning environment. However, when a direct instructional strategy is used, there is a significant difference for perceived learning and satisfaction. They also assessed whether or not technology helps increase learner and instructor interaction. The result suggests that in interactive instructional sessions, students experienced a higher level of classroom interactivity in Second Life than in face-to-face classroom.

Learning together apart: Distance education in a virtual world

First Monday ◽  
2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Holmberg ◽  
Isto Huvila
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Lower Threshold ◽  
Traditional Methods ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
Learning Together

A course in information studies was partly held in the virtual world of Second Life. Second Life was used as a platform to deliver lectures and as a place for organizing group assignments and having discussions. Students' opinions about Second Life were studied and compared to their opinions about more traditional methods in education. The results show a lower threshold for participation in lectures. According to the students, Second Life should not replace face-to-face education, but it could serve as an excellent addition to other more traditional methods and platforms used in education. The students also considered that lectures held in Second Life were much more "fun" than those using other methods. This particular aspect, and its effect on learning outcomes, requires further research. This research demonstrates that Second Life has potential as a learning environment in distance education.

E-learning in the era of Covid-19 Pandemic: the Challenges and Opportunities

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 3228-3232
Author(s):  
Nosheen Mehmood ◽  
Humera Akhlaq ◽  
Muhammad Nasir ◽  
Isma Sajjad ◽  
Sajid Hanif ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Female Dominance ◽  
P Value ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Face To Face Learning

Background: The current study aimed to determine the effectiveness of E-learning in Pakistan among the higher education students (both medical and non-medical) during the global pandemic. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a government university in Karachi, Pakistan between April 2020 to September 2021. All participants living in a region where COVID-19 is prevalent, having higher education status, who had access to the internet and were above 18 years of age were included in the study. All those who were younger than 18 years, those who were in primary and secondary education, and students who were already taking any online module before the Covid-19 pandemic were excluded. All findings were recorded in the semi – structured Proforma consisting of closed ended questions. Demographics of the study participant’s such as age, gender and occupation were recorded. Furthermore, information to assess the satisfaction towards the online learning were included. Results: Mean age of study participants was 21 years with female dominance. Overall mean scores for learning environment, face-to-face learning, and E-learning were 18.1 ± 4.6, 23.1 ± 6.5, and 15.4 ± 7.1, respectively. The scores for the learning environment were significantly higher for female students as compared to male counterparts (p<0.008). However, no statistical difference was observed between gender and scores on face-to face learning and E-learning. It was further indicated that face-to-face learning was significantly higher in medical students (p=0.0001) while non-medical students score significantly higher in E-learning with a p-value of 0.0002. Conclusion: The present study presented a comparison between modes of teaching (face-to-face learning versus E-learning) from the perspective of the students. The study indicated that medical students preferred face-to-face learning while other non-medical students preferred E-learning. If interactive classes are an option for students in which they can easily interact with the teacher and postulate questions, then E-learning could be as effective as face-to-face learning. However, this should be further explored using a larger sample population including remote areas of Pakistan as well. Keywords: E-LEARNING, COVID-19, PANDEMIC, LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

No Significant Difference in Service Learninng Online

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Y. McGorry
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Program Outcomes ◽  
Online Delivery ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Business Programs ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Significant Difference

Institutions of higher education are realizing the importance of service learning initiatives in developing awareness of students’ civic responsibilities, leadership and management skills, and social responsibility. These skills and responsibilities are the foundation of program outcomes in accredited higher education business programs at undergraduate and graduate levels. In an attempt to meet the needs of the student market, these institutions of higher education are delivering more courses online. This study addresses a comparison of traditional and online delivery of service learning experiences. Results demonstrate no significant difference in outcomes between the online and face-to-face models.

USE OF BLENDED LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION – SOME EXPERIENCES

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
R J Singh
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Face To Face Learning ◽  
Made In

This article reports on the use of blended learning in higher education. Blended learning has become popular in higher education in recent years. It is a move beyond traditional lecturing to incorporate face-to-face learning with e-learning, thereby creating a blend of learning experiences. The problem is that learning in higher education is complex and learning situations differ across contexts. Whilst there is face-to-face contact at some institutions, others offer distance learning or correspondence learning. In each context, the mode of learning may differ. The challenge is to cater for various learning opportunities through a series of learning interactions and to incorporate a blended approach. The aim of this study was to examine various ways of defining blended learning in different contexts. This was done through an examination of experiences of the use of blended learning in different higher education contexts. The study presents a case of blended learning in a postgraduate course. The experiences from all these cases are summarised and conclusions and recommendations are made in the context of blended learning in higher education in South Africa.

scholarly journals Longitudinal Student Research Competency: Comparing Online and Traditional Face-to-Face Learning Platforms

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jodi Constantine Brown ◽  
Hyun-Sun Park
Keyword(s):  
Research Methods ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Face To Face Learning ◽  
Face To Face Instruction

This exploratory research compares longitudinal research self-efficacy and retention between a completely asynchronous Master of Social Work (MSW) online cohort and its traditional face-to-face counterpart. This study used a non-equivalent comparison groups design with two groups: online instruction only (n=16) and traditional face-to-face instruction (n=32), with pretest (Time 1), posttest (Time 2) and follow-up (Time 3) standardized measures of practice evaluation knowledge (PEKS) and research self-efficacy (RSES) in a beginning research methods course. Results indicate that students’ knowledge and research self-efficacy improved between pretest and posttest and remained significantly improved at follow-up one year later, with no significant difference between online learners and traditional face-to-face students. Students gain and maintain confidence in research methods and evaluation regardless of the learning platform utilized.

More than just Logging In

2013 ◽  
pp. 149-160
Author(s):  
Kae Novak ◽  
Chris Luchs ◽  
Beth Davies-Stofka
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Content Delivery ◽  
Immersive Learning ◽  
Delivery Vehicles

This case study chronicles co-curricular activities held in the virtual world Second Life. The event activities included standard content delivery vehicles and those involving movement and presence. Several international content experts were featured and allowed students to meet and discuss ideas on a common ground with these experts. When developing these events, the researchers wondered, could an immersive learning environment be provide a deeper level of engagement? Was it possible to have students do more than just logging in? During the events, the students discovered a whole new way of learning. Chief among their discoveries was the realization that in these virtual world educational events, students, scholars, and faculty can all be mentors as well as learners. In virtual worlds, the expert-on-a-dais model of teaching is rapidly replaced by a matrix of discussion, collaboration, and movement that quickly generates a pool of ideas and knowledge.

Using Virtual World Technology as a Faculty Development Tool in Higher Education

2012 ◽  
pp. 149-160
Author(s):  
Linda W. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Faculty Development ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Faculty Perceptions ◽  
College Faculty ◽  
Teaching Tool ◽  
Development Tool ◽  
Virtual World Environments

Higher education institutions are constantly challenged with the task of educating a technology savvy generation of students. Colleges must be able and ready to meet the needs of these digital-age students. What are the perceptions of college faculty of using virtual world technology as a teaching tool in the classroom? The purpose of this chapter is to explore how virtual world environments can be used as a faculty development tool in order to encourage the use of virtual worlds as a teaching tool in the classroom. This chapter references research from a mixed methods study exploring college faculty perceptions of the adoption of virtual world technology into the classroom, which in turn, provides insight to the willingness of higher education faculty to adopt this type of technology. In addition, the final section of the chapter includes a suggested guide on how to create a virtual world faculty development workshop based in Linden Lab’s Second Life.

Adapting Three-Dimensional-Virtual World to Reach Diverse Learners in an MBA Program

2012 ◽  
pp. 1207-1219
Author(s):  
Rosalyn Rufer ◽  
Ruifang Hope Adams
Keyword(s):  
Learning Styles ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Instructional Strategy ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Diverse Learners ◽  
Multimedia Design ◽  
Teaching Pedagogy ◽  
Mba Program

The purpose of this chapter is to adapt instructional strategies to virtual world learning environment in Second Life and reach more diverse learners with different learning styles. Part of the approach will focus on learners who are visual as compared to auditory and kinesthetic. Additionally, the approach will examine how changes in pedagogical methods can be used to reach diverse learners with different learning styles in virtual learning environments. The major topics address how styles of learning were considered in designing an instructional strategy and how differences in learning styles were rationalized via learning in a virtual world. Thus student success can be correlated to teaching pedagogy, and hence modified to reach diverse learners. Suggestions are included for adapting a cognitive process combined with multimedia design principles in a virtual world.

Hybrid Learning

2016 ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
Nahed Abdelrahman ◽  
Beverly J. Irby
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Hybrid Learning ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Face ◽  
Face To Face Learning ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Higher Education Advancement

Hybrid learning has been utilized as a transitional learning method to make advantage of both face-to-face and online learning platforms. In this article, the authors explored how faculty members perceive using simultaneously multiple platforms in higher education such as face-to-face, online, and hybrid platforms in teaching. In this study, the authors examined how faculty members defined hybrid learning. They also explored how the participants perceive both hybrid and online learning as vehicles for higher education advancement as well as strategies to attract more students to higher education. The purpose of this research was to develop an analytical overview of one of the learning approaches such as hybrid and its impact on higher education. The authors have interviewed ten faculty members in order to achieve this objective. The results illustrated that faculty members do not have one single definition of hybrid learning but rather they have multiple definitions. Faculty members also demonstrated that they support online learning because it achieves more accessibility to higher education, yet, they believe the face-to-face learning achieve more quality of education.

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