Presentation 1: Design-Based Research Iterations of a Virtual Learning Environment for Identity Exploration (Full Paper #58)
Authors: Amanda Barany, Mamta Shah and Aroutis Foster
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This paper reports the iterative design-based research and implementation of Virtual City Planning, a course that leveraged a virtual learning environment (VLE) and supportive classroom curricula to encourage students’ exploration of environmental science and urban planning identities. Iterative course design and assessment was informed by Projective Reflection - a theoretical and methodological framework that conceptualizes learning as a role-specific process of identity exploration over time. This work describes the cyclical process of contextual analysis, design and implementation, and efficacy evaluation across three sessions of Virtual City Planning, which were implemented in a science museum with 57 high school students. The design case demonstrates how each session was modified to adapt to contextual needs and encourage deeper and more integrated processes of identity exploration as defined by Projective Reflection. The work concludes with lessons learned for future research on identity exploration in VLEs.
Presentation 2: Analysis of Haptic Feedback and its Influences in Virtual Reality Learning Environments (Full Paper #86)
Authors: Stefan Lontschar, Daniel Deegan, Krzysztof Pietroszek, Christian Gütl, Irene Humer and Christian Eckhardt
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In this work we present our approach of measuring the influence, importance and immersion of haptic feedback in a virtual reality learning environment. Participants were given the goal to improve themselves to their best ability on a task involving virtual weights supported by real world objects in a mixed reality environment. Conducting pre- and post-surveys, assessing the immersion and putting the resulting data in comparison with the test group, which used a pure virtual reality environment. We found correlations bolstering our initial assumption of the importance of haptic feedback in understanding and usage of virtual reality learning environments for specific functions.
