iLRN2020 6th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network

Presenter(s): Luis Cataldi

This will be a high-level overview of the Unreal Engine User Interface, Materials, Lighting, Blueprints, Rendering and Gameplay Systems.  Luis Cataldi has been working in the computer graphics industry for over 20 years in various roles including character TD, animator, lighter, environment artist, FX TD and art director. His work has appeared in television, music videos, theme parks rides, animated feature films such as “Robots” and “Ice Age II” and AAA video games.  In 2005, Luis was one of the founding members of Kaos Studios in NYC as the art director. In the role, he built an art team to deliver "Frontlines: Fuel of War" and “Homefront." In the late 1990's Luis became an animation instructor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and later moved into the full-time role of professor and Department Chair of Game Development and Interactive Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design.  Luis joined Epic Games in 2014 to help build the educational community around the amazing Unreal Engine and currently serves as the Global Education Evangelist.

Presentation 1: Different Types of Interaction with Augmented Reality Learning Material (Full Paper #52)

Authors: Jule Marleen Krüger and Daniel Bodemer

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In this paper, a study with the focus on interactivity in augmented reality (AR) applications concerning the influence of different forms of interaction with AR learning material is presented. While research on multimedia learning often distinguishes between mental and physical interaction with learning material, other research fields state that physical interaction is necessary to interact mentally. To look at how this distinction may play a role in AR-based learning material, an experimental study with a 2x2 design manipulating mental and physical interaction was conducted, including learning material on the topic of power plants. The data (N = 128) were collected and analyzed, showing that, although not expected, learning was better in groups in which either more physical or more mental interaction was applied, but not in groups in which both were high. The results are discussed under the potential idea of cognitive overload.

Presentation 2: Mixed or Virtual: Does Device Type Matter in Human-ECA Interactions (Short Paper #70)

Authors: Pejman Sajjadi, Mahda Bagher, Jan Oliver Wallgrün, Philipp Cimiano, Stefan Kopp and Alexander Klippel

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In this paper, we take a first step in exploring the effect of xR device on the experiences of users in the context of human-agent interaction. We report on the design and heuristic evaluation of an embodied conversational agent integrated into either a Virtual or Mixed Reality environment. Our results indicate that Virtual Reality may elicit a better experience from users, while Mixed Reality may evoke a better sense of social presence due to natural user embodiment and spatial references to physical objects in the real environment.

Presentation 3: Acceptance and user experience of an Augmented Reality system for the simulation of sensory overload in children with autism (Full Paper #55)

Authors: Tassos Mikropoulos, Michael Delimitros, Pavlos Gaintatzis, Georgia Iatraki, Aikaterini Stergiouli, Angeliki Tsiara and Katerina Kalyvioti

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Sensory-perceptual deficits are a common characteristic in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Studies in children with ASD describe an array of inappropriate behaviors regarding sensory simulation. Special educators and therapists often witness these abnormal and disruptive behaviors during daily activities. The aim of this study was to use an Augmented Reality (AR) system for the simulation of the sensory overload that children with ASD experience. A total of seventy (N=70) special educators and therapists of children with ASD used a head-mounted AR device (Magic Leap OneTM) and experienced conditions of visual and auditory overload. The participants’ acceptance and experience of the AR device was measured with the use of three online questionnaires (Temple Presence Inventory, TPI; Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, SSQ; Technology Acceptance Model, TAM). An open-ended question was also administered about participants’ overall AR experience. Regarding participants’ experience, the results from the TPI (Cronbach's Alpha = .84) suggested that the AR system offered a convincing blended environment and the low scores in SSQ indicated that the use of the AR system was comfortable. The results from the TAM showed in their majority high internal consistency (> .70) and high mean scores which indicated that the participants accepted the AR system. In the open-ended question, participants reported overall positive impressions from their experience with the AR system. The study’s findings suggested that the AR device enabled participants to experience the sensory overload that children with ASD report in a convincing, comfortable and user-friendly manner. Future research is needed to incorporate richer and more interactive AR simulations for authentic real-life experiences.

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.

Presentation 1: Using Augmented and Virtual Reality to Enhance Students’ Learning in Chemistry Education (Practitioner Presentation #92)

Authors: Shadi Dalili, Maryam Abdinejad and Hossain Qorbani

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Modern computational technologies have revolutionized every aspect of our lives, including education. One of the most challenging concepts for undergraduate students, at all levels, is the 3D visualization of molecular structures and chemical reaction mechanisms at the molecular level.1-3 Instead of using traditional methods such as ball and stick molecular model kits, we hypothesized that the use of applied technologies such as computer-generated 3D models and animations, Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR) would better help students understand complex molecular structures. We have developed an interactive AR app on both iOS and Android devices, with pan, rotate, and zoom features, which enables students to examine molecular bonds from various viewpoints at different magnification levels. Additionally, we have developed VR applications to create a more interactive and immersive digital experience for both educators and students. By making this accessible across mobile/smart platforms, this project will benefit its target audience across the digital sphere. The usage data analyzed from student questionnaires and surveys will be presented in this project. References (1) Deng, Z.; Neumann, U. In Data-Driven 3D Facial Animation; 2007; pp. 1–28. (2) Kesim, M.; Ozarslan, Y. Procedia - Soc. Behav. Sci. 2012, 47, 297–302. (3) Nincarean, D.; Alia, M. B.; Halim, N. D. A.; Rahman, M. H. A. Procedia Soc. Behav. Sci. 2013, 103, 657–664.

Over the past several years, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) have become some of the most talked-about breakthrough technologies in the museum and cultural sector. In seeking out new ways to engage, inspire, and educate audiences, a number of institutions have pioneered immersive XR experiences. In light of this, museums have recently proven to be some of the most exciting testing grounds for AR and VR. As the expectations and demands for a seamless visitor experience increase, such technologies can be a differentiator that enhances the visitor journey, helps create accessible spaces, and offers rich educational value. To explore the value of XR in museums, this session will bring together some of the most innovative leaders of AR and VR projects in the cultural sector to discuss how these initiatives emerged and the value they have brought to museum audiences.

Presentation 1: Visualizing Ancient Egyptian landscapes and material culture: Cultural contexts for immersive visualization and VR (Practitioner Presentation #133)

Authors: Christopher Hoffman

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A team of Egyptologists, undergraduate and graduate students, and informatics specialists has come together to develop an immersive visualization experience based on the digital humanities work of two scholars developing visualizations at very different scales. This project bridges the landscape-level visualizations developed by Dr. Elaine Sullivan (UC Santa Cruz) with the object-level visualizations developed by Dr. Rita Lucarelli (UC Berkeley). As a visitor to this ancient Egyptian cultural context, the participant begins with a birds-eye view above the sacred landscape, travels down to the ground, descends beneath the surface, and finally enters a 26th Dynasty tomb where the participant can view translations of hieroglyphics on a massive stone sarcophagus. In this practitioner presentation, the team will demonstrate the Saqqara VR experience and reflect on the lessons learned in terms of techniques developed, design problems encountered, the skills required on the team, and finally the opportunities that this effort has created for immersive visualization technologies in research, teaching and learning spaces.

Presentation 2: Virtual reality for immersive learning in Art History (Full Paper #25)

Authors: Hubert Cecotti, Zachary Day-Scott, Laura Huisinga and Luis Gordo-Pelaez

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Virtual reality (VR) applications using consumer grade headsets have now become popular for immersive learning. VR represents a key technology for showing to students various contents the way it would be presented in its real representation. In addition to the 3 dimensional effect, it includes an immersive dimension that can transport the user into an environment that is specific to the learning content. While teaching material using VR can be useful, such an offer must satisfy the learning objectives of the instructor and the specific needs of the course and the students. In this paper, we propose a VR museum for paintings designed for instructors in Art History. A key contribution is the definition of the painting characteristics and the questionnaires associated with the paintings in the jSON open-standard file format, facilitating the modification of the application without prior programming knowledge. Such a file can be easily edited and it contains only the key information needed by the Art History instructors. The system has been developed with Unity and tested with a Valve Index. The workload and system usability is assessed by 25 participants through a NASA-TLX and System Usability evaluation. The results support the conclusion that the system has a high usability, suggesting its potential deployment in classes of Art History to better engage students.

Presentation 3: Exploring the Rhetorical Affordances of Augmented Reality in the Context of the Anthropocene (Full Paper #61)

Authors: Lili Yan, Mckay Colleni and Breanne K. Litts

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Immersive technology is increasingly recognized for its rhetoric potentials. Similar to traditional genres such as text and image, immersive technology such as Augmented Reality (AR) is also context dependent and can be used to conduct persuasive ends, based on the advantages of their input/output affordances. AR provides new opportunities to represent human-nonhuman relationship rhetorically, which is central to the concept of the Anthropocene. In this study, we reviewed 14 AR applications that are designed for the understanding of the Anthropocene, a geological epoch where human influence is the driving force. Our purpose is to understand what affordances of AR can help to create a rhetoric for the Anthropocene. We identified three major rhetorical affordances of AR in conveying the message of the Anthropocene: virtual objects, point of view, and the input-output link. We argue that the design of these applications is a posthuman endeavor as they can be used as a reflective tool of anthropocentric perceptions supported by the development of technology. We also discuss how AR differs from Virtual Reality (VR) when serving the rhetorical ends. The rhetoric effects can be implicit in AR, but it adds to the layers of meaning when we try to understand the make meaning-processes of AR.

Presentation 1: Computational Thinking in Augmented Reality: An Investigation of Collaborative Debugging Practices (Full Paper #46)

Authors: Cheng Yu Chung and Sharon Hsiao

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The uniqueness of Augmented Reality (AR) is its affordance to support learning abstract concepts by rich information, visualization and the integration of user-content interaction. Research has shown that abstract idea and invisible phenomena can be learned better with the support of AR. However, high complexity and conceptual Computational Thinking (CT), such as algorithm design and related programming concepts, are rarely studied empirically in the intersection with immersive technology. This study is aimed at addressing this issue and providing a piece of quantitative and empirical evidence to AR-supported Computer Science discipline-based learning. We designed a mobile AR-enabled application based on a CT framework and related AR affordances in the literature. This app can contextualize a programming debugging task and support program editing & CT learning. A controlled laboratory study was designed and conducted. The result of statistical analyses shows that participants with the AR support made better quality of programs with lower errors and less amount of code edits, compared to those without the AR support.

Presentation 2: Challenges implementing the SimProgramming approach in online software engineering education for promoting self and co-regulation of learning (Short Paper #77)

Authors: Daniela Pedrosa, Leonel Morgado, José Cravino, Mário Madureira Fontes, Maria Castelhano, Claudia Machado and Eliana Curado

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Faced with high academic failure in learning computer programming, particularly in the transition from initial to advanced programming in higher education, and also the challenges are even greater given the need for students to develop greater self-regulation and learning co-regulation skills, in the context of e-learning due to the autonomy required of them. We are implementing the SCReLProg project (Self and Co-regulation in e-Learning of Computer Programming) which aims: 1) adapt to e-learning the didactic model call the SimProgramming approach (“e-SimProgramming”); 2) identify and understand self-regulation and co-regulation strategies of programming learning in the context of e-learning. In this paper, we describe the delivered, participation, interaction and whether or not the deadline of tasks is fulfilled by students, and the preliminary results of the first iteration of the research and implementation of the e-SimProgramming approach that took place in the course of “Software Development Laboratory” (LDS), in the 2nd semester of the 2nd year of the Informatics Engineering Degree of the Universidade Aberta (Portugal), academic year 2018/2019. We identified some pedagogical and technical problems and challenges that be need to reformulate in the next methodological prototype of the e-SimProgramming approach, to improve teaching-learning, namely: development of strategies more adapted to the target audience and teaching context; promotion of self and co-regulation learning strategies by improving pedagogical design; inclusion of tools and technological solutions.

Presentation 1: Immersively Learning Object Oriented Programming Concepts With sCool (Full Paper #64)

Authors: Chanelle Mosquera, Alexander Steinmaurer, Christian Eckhardt and Christian Gütl

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The proposed project, sCool, is an adaptive mobile game designed for STEM education. In this work, we present a new iteration of sCool in efforts to further examine contributing factors of engagement and comprehension. The new developed game experience for acquiring object-oriented programming skills is divided into two parts: concept-learning and practical. In the concept-learning part, the users explore a virtual environment filled with puzzle-pieces hinting theoretical concepts, preparing the users for the practical part. There, the users need to solve a programming challenge in Python, directing game-objects on a checkerboard to certain fields. Conducting a study involving 39 school students and three teachers, we are able to successfully display an enhanced understanding of complex programming concepts.

Presentation 2: The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality as an Instructional Medium for Multidimensional Concepts (Short Paper #43)

Authors: Wil Norton, Jacob Sauer and David Gerhard

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This study explored the hypothesis that students using virtual reality (VR) education tools learn more effectively and efficiently when compared to conventional teaching methods. We investigated the specific situation of a course in digital logic design, and the task of simplifying Karnaugh maps. The students using VR observed the Karnaugh map as a higher-dimensional structure, while the students in the control group used a traditional pen-and-paper method. The 15 participants in the trial were administered either the VR education mechanism or the traditional education mechanism. Participants were asked to report their perceived level of comfort with various levels of solving K-maps. Preliminary results demonstrated that participants assigned to the VR test groups reported an increased level of understanding of Karnaugh maps after the trial. Further, participants using a desktop based headset were able to complete the experience quicker on average than the group using a phone based headset.

Presentation 1: Immersive Design: Concept-to-3D print workflows using virtual reality (Practitioner Presentation #98)

Authors: Matt Cook

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Imagine a studio with infinite raw materials; endless canvas space; and an instantly accessible tool kit. These benefits are combined and realized in a recently released suite of VR-based design software including Gravity Sketch, Tiltbrush, Masterpiece VR, and Oculus Medium. By allowing for the simultaneous extrusion, translation, and rotation of digital “clay”, these platforms empower those who may lack traditional CAD/CAM experience to quickly develop and fabricate 3D printable prototypes, new products, remixed art objects, and much more. Join us to learn the benefits of immersive design and a complete process for to fabricating physical outputs from virtual materials using newly available to students, faculty, and staff across higher-ed.

Presentation 2: How Students Achieve Learning Objectives by Designing AR Experiences (Practitioner Presentation #137)

Authors: Paula MacDowell and Sarah Cassidy

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Integrating augmented reality (AR) tools with learning objectives opens-up novel possibilities for developing course assignments that invite diversity of thought, differences in worldviews, and creative explorations with media and technology. This presentation will be valuable for educators to explore an innovative and flexible approach for using AR technologies to enhance teaching and learning outcomes in multiple classrooms and lab settings, applicable for a range of academic subjects and suitable for grades 6 to 12 and higher education. We will showcase exemplars from assignments contributed by 144 undergraduate and graduate students at two universities in Canada. Students had the opportunity to create, code, and share AR experiences that represent the course keywords in a new way, and a new medium. Working in teams, they designed and programed AR scenes to overlay digital information on top of the keywords, thereby augmenting learning with a focus on digital storytelling and personalized definitions. Not only is this easily-adaptable assignment enjoyable to teach and meaningful to do, but it also builds community by bringing learners, art, knowledge, story, and technology together. We will speak to the instructional design challenges that we faced and the solutions that worked to varying levels of success. iLRN2020 attendees will learn about a well-developed pedagogical approach that is suitable for guiding and supporting learners with a range of technical skills, from beginner to advanced levels. We invite participants to share their questions and perspectives on the possibilities and limitations of using AR tools to meet teaching goals and achieve specific learning objectives.

Presentation 1: Inspiring Faculty (+ Students) with Tales of Immersive Tech (Practitioner Presentation #106)

Authors: Nicholas Smerker

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Immersive technologies - 360º video, virtual and augmented realities - are being discussed in many corners of higher education. For an instructor who is familiar with the terms, at least in passing, learning more about why they and their students should care can be challenging, at best. In order to create a font of inspiration, the IMEX Lab team within Teaching and Learning with Technology at Penn State devised its Get Inspired web resource. Building on a similar repository for making technology stories at the sister Maker Commons website, the IMEX Lab Get Inspired landing page invites faculty to discover real world examples of how cutting edge XR tools are being used every day. In addition to very approachable video content and a short summary calling out why our team chose the story, there are also instructional designer-developed Assignment Ideas that allow for quick deployment of exercises related to - though not always relying upon - the technologies highlighted in a given Get Inspired story.

Presentation 2: Lessons Learned from Over A Decade of Designing and Teaching Immersive VR in Higher Education Online Courses (Practitioner Presentation #101)

Authors: Eileen Oconnor

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This presentation overviews the design and instruction in immersive virtual reality environments created by the author beginning with Second Life and progressing to open source venues. It will highlight the diversity of VR environment developed, the challenges that were overcome, and the accomplishment of students who created their own VR environments for K12, college and corporate settings. The instruction and design materials created to enable this 100% online master’s program accomplishment will be shared; an institute launched in 2018 for emerging technology study will be noted.

Presentation 3: Virtual Reality Student Teaching Experience: A Live, Remote Option for Learning Teaching Skills During Campus Closure and Social Distancing (Practitioner Presentation #110)

Authors: Becky Lane, Christine Havens-Hafer, Catherine Fiore, Brianna Mutsindashyaka and Lauren Suna

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Summary: During the Coronavirus pandemic, Ithaca College teacher education majors needed a classroom of students in order to practice teaching and receive feedback, but the campus was closed, and gatherings forbidden. Students were unable to participate in live practice teaching required for their program. We developed a virtual reality pilot project to allow students to experiment in two third-party social VR programs, AltSpaceVR and Rumii. Social VR platforms allow a live, embodied experience that mimics in-person events to give students a more realistic, robust and synchronous teaching practice opportunity. We documented the process and lessons learned to inform, develop and scale next generation efforts.

Presentation 1: The Nexus Between VR Affordability, Cognition and VR Addiction: A Gaming Perspective (Full Paper #63)

Authors: Xuesong Zhai, Minjuan Wang, Rongting Zhou, Muhammad Azfar, Saba Saneinia, Intikhab Ahmad, Man Li and Fahad Asmi

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The problematic use of VR games has become increasingly severe among a large proportion of users. However, there is a lack of literature on VR game addiction. To understand the underlying mechanism of VR game addiction, the current study examines the formation process of addiction with a particular focus on the abilities of VR technology. For strong explanatory power in problematic information technology use, the current study uses the cognitive-behavioral model. this study used primary data and prepare results and implications. Results display that addictive behavior is determined by VR experiences (i.e.presence and flow experience) of VR games. In addition, these experiences are influenced by Mental Imagery (MI), VR Game Curiosity (VGC) and VR Affordance (VRF). We enhance the cognitive-behavioral model in the current context by identifying MI, VGC, and VRF as distal causes and perceived presence and flow experiences as proximal causes. The practical implications of preventing VR game addiction are also discussed in this research.

Presentation 2: An Immersive Virtual Reality Game Designed to Promote Learning Engagement and Flow (Short Paper #10)

Authors: Alec Bodzin, Robson Araujo Junior, Thomas Hammond and David Anastasio

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An immersive game-based Virtual Reality (iVR) module for secondary students to learn about locations in their watershed with a primary focus on their city was designed and developed. A design model and associated theory that focuses on elements that lead to engagement and learning with iVR game-based experiences is described. A series of design principles that were used in the iVR environment are discussed. The iVR game was implemented in an urban school in the eastern USA with 54 economically disadvantaged adolescents ages 16-18 who typically are unengaged in traditional school-based learning environments. After game completion, the participants completed a 10-item survey measuring elements of flow and a 12-item survey designed to measure attitudes toward learning with VR games, immersion and presence. The findings revealed that all students experienced a flow state when they played the VR learning game. Almost all users (98.1%) had positive attitudes towards using the VR game. Student responses noted that they experienced high immersion and presence. In addition, students responded with favorable attitudes towards learning with iVR games in school environments.

Presentation 1: Conceptualising Embodiment Through Virtual Reality for Education (Full Paper #37)

Authors: Erica Southgate

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The concept of embodiment has been central to the design of XR (extended reality) technologies and is key to the deployment of and research on immersive learning, especially through virtual reality. Despite the important place that the notion holds in the immersive learning field, there have been few conceptual frameworks developed to assist developers, practitioners and educators understand how they might consider various aspects of embodiment and their implications for learning. The purpose of this paper is to present a set of theoretical and empirical ways through which to reflect on how the body and human virtuality intertwine and how this occurs in educational endeavours. Specifically, the paper reviews how embodiment has been treated in the immersive learning literature, with a focus on virtual reality, and presents a conceptual framework, devised from the sociology of the body, intended to facilitate nuanced exploration of the topic in immersive learning. The paper concludes by demonstrating the utility of the conceptual framework by applying it to findings from the (deidentified) Study, a unique investigation into embedding immersive virtual reality into school classrooms.

Presentation 2: Embodied, Gesture-Based STEM Education: 2D Computer versus 3D VR Effects on Learning (Full Paper #30)

Authors: Mina Johnson-Glenberg, Man Su, Hannah Bartolomea, Vanessa Ly, Ricardo Nieland Zavala and Elena Kalina

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The objective of this randomized control study was to determine how the two factors of embodiment (low versus high) and learning platform (PC versus Virtual Reality (VR)) affected STEM learning. A total of 214 undergraduate participants played through four conditions in a 2 x 2 design with pretests and posttests. The low embodied groups did not control the net in the natural selection game, they observed a playback of butterflies being captured. All four groups showed significant gains at posttest in learning. In addition, there was a group by time interaction that was driven by the relatively lower performance of the low embodied VR group. Participants in that group were in an immersive, standalone VR headset, but they could not manipulate the virtual net. Those low embodied VR players may have expected to have had more agency over the mechanics and playing in the observational mode was infelicitous for learning. Interestingly, the low embodied PC condition was not significantly affected by being in the more passive and observational mode. Players in the PC condition may have been more accustomed to low embodied learning, for example, watching playback videos on 2D monitors. These results support several guidelines for learning design in immersive VR. Non-interactive objects and videos in VR should be used judiciously and, when possible, designers should make the 3D VR content be manipulable and interactive.

Presentation 3: Presence and Platform: Effects of Embodiment and 2D Computer versus 3D VR (Full Paper #31)

Authors: Elena Kalina and Mina Johnson-Glenberg

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This randomized control study focused on how presence – the feeling of being there – is affected by the two factors of 1) embodiment (low versus high) and 2) learning platform (PC versus Virtual Reality (VR)). Embodiment was deemed low if participants watched playbacks of the natural selection game in action, and it was deemed high if players could use a mouse or the VR hand control to manipulate the content. Two dependent variables of presence and engagement were assessed. The 147 participants were randomly assigned to four conditions in this 2 x 2 design. Results reveal that, overall those in the high embodiment conditions report higher presence, and overall those in the VR platform report higher presence. Although, pairwise analyses showed that the high embodied PC group reported more presence (and engagement) than the low embodied VR group. This suggests that ‘platform is not destiny’. If an educational game or application is not one that gives the learner control and agency, then both presence and engagement will be diminished.

Meeting for Special Track 4 papers for topic discussion. 

Presentation 1: Immersive Learning Predicted: Presence, Prior Knowledge, and School Performance Influence Learning Outcomes in Immersive Educational Virtual Environments (Full Paper #85)

Authors: Andreas Dengel and Jutta Mägdefrau

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Media Learning is an internal process nested within a complex combination of learner-specific and external factors and their relations. The Educational Framework for Immersive Learning hypothesizes learners’ presence, motivational traits, emotional states, cognitive capabilities, and previous knowledge as predictors of learning outcomes in immersive educational virtual environments. This article proposes a research model for investigating relations between these variables that seem to be crucial for explaining immersive learning processes. Three Virtual Realities for learning three topics of Computer Science Education (components of a computer, asymmetric cryptography, and finite state machines), each provided on three distinct levels of technological immersion, were instrumentalized to carry out a study with 78 participants. Path analysis was used to test the hypotheses deriving from the research model, showing that presence, prior knowledge about the content, and school performance influence learning outcomes. Presence was predicted by the users’ academic emotional states prior to the study and the provided level of immersion. The emotional states were influenced by the students’ school performance. Prior knowledge and school performance of the students were affected by the motivational variables. This study contributes to existing research as it adds factors that are crucial for learning processes to the discussion on immersive learning.

Presentation 2: Unifying protocols for conducting systematic scoping reviews with application to Immersive Learning Research (Full Paper #79)

Authors: Leonel Morgado and Dennis Beck

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The progress of immersive learning research as a field requires a clear vision of its status, of the current knowledge being produced and of the open problems and gaps. Typical survey efforts however suffer from lack of systematization, providing a scattered perspective of the field. We have combined the literature on conducting systematic scoping reviews and applied it to the field, presenting the resulting protocol. It contributes a clarification on the sequence of steps and processes for delineating a gap, finding the evidence and depart from it to conduct literature reviews.

Presentation 1: Evaluating the impact of multimodal Collaborative Virtual Environments on user’s spatial knowledge and experience of gamified educational tasks (Full Paper #91)

Authors: Ioannis Doumanis and Daphne Economou

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Several research projects in spatial cognition have suggested Virtual Environments (VEs) as an effective way of facilitating mental map development of a physical space. In the study reported in this paper, we evaluated the effectiveness of multimodal real-time interaction in distilling understanding of the VE after completing gamified educational tasks. We also measure the impact of these design elements on the user’s experience of educational tasks. The VE used reassembles an art gallery and it was built using REVERIE (Real and Virtual Engagement In Realistic Immersive Environment) a framework designed to enable multimodal communication on the Web. We compared the impact of REVERIE VG with an educational platform called Edu-Simulation for the same gamified educational tasks. We found that the multimodal VE had no impact on the ability of students to retain a mental model of the virtual space. However, we also found that students thought that it was easier to build a mental map of the virtual space in REVERIE VG. This means that using a multimodal CVE in a gamified educational experience does not benefit spatial performance, but also it does not cause distraction. The paper ends with future work and conclusions and suggestions for improving mental map construction and user experience in multimodal CVEs.

Presentation 2: A case study on student’s perception of the virtual game supported collaborative learning (Full Paper #42)

Authors: Xiuli Huang, Juhou He and Hongyan Wang

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The English education course in China aims to help students establish the English skills to enhance their international competitiveness. However, in traditional English classes, students often lack the linguistic environment to apply the English skills they learned in their textbook. Virtual reality (VR) technology can set up an immersive English language environment and then promote the learners to use English by presenting different collaborative communication tasks. In this paper, spherical video-based virtual reality technology was applied to build a linguistic environment and a collaborative learning strategy was adopted to promote their communication. Additionally, a mixed-methods research approach was used to analyze students' achievement between a traditional classroom and a virtual reality supported collaborative classroom and their perception towards the two approaches. The experimental results revealed that the virtual reality supported collaborative classroom was able to enhance the students' achievement. Moreover, by analyzing the interview, students' attitudes towards the virtual reality supported collaborative class were reported and the use of language learning strategies in virtual reality supported collaborative class was represented. These findings could be valuable references for those who intend to create opportunities for students to collaborate and communicate in the target language in their classroom and then improve their language skills

Presentation 1: Reducing Cognitive Load through the Worked Example Effect within a Serious Game Environment (Full Paper #19)

Authors: Bernadette Spieler, Naomi Pfaff and Wolfgang Slany

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Novices often struggle to represent problems mentally; the unfamiliar process can exhaust their cognitive resources, creating frustration that deters them from learning. By improving novices' mental representation of problems, worked examples improve both problem-solving skills and transfer performance. Programming requires both skills. In programming, it is not sufficient to simply understand how Stackoverflow examples work; programmers have to be able to adapt the principles and apply them to their own programs. This paper shows evidence in support of the theory that worked examples are the most efficient mode of instruction for novices. In the present study, 42 students were asked to solve the tutorial The Magic Word, a game especially for girls created with the Catrobat programming environment. While the experimental group was presented with a series of worked examples of code, the control groups were instructed through theoretical text examples. The final task was a transfer question. While the average score was not significantly better in the worked example condition, the fact that participants in this experimental group finished significantly faster than the control group suggests that their overall performance was better than that of their counterparts.

Presentation 2: A literature review of e-government services with gamification elements (Full Paper #56)

Authors: Ruth S. Contreras-Espinosa and Alejandro Blanco-M

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Nowadays several democracies are facing the growing problem of a breach in communication between its citizens and their political representatives, resulting in low citizen’s engagement in the participation of political decision making and on public consultations. Therefore, it is fundamental to generate a constructive relationship between both public administration and the citizens by solving its needs. This document contains a useful literature review of the gamification topic and e-government services. The documents contain a background of those concepts and conduct a selection and analysis of the different applications found. A set of three lines of research gaps are found with a potential impact on future studies.

Presentation 1: Connecting User Experience to Learning in an Evaluation of an Immersive, Interactive, Multimodal Augmented Reality Virtual Diorama in a Natural History Museum & the Importance of Story (Full Paper #51)

Authors: Maria Harrington

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Reported are the findings of user experience and learning outcomes from a July 2019 study of an immersive, interactive, multimodal augmented reality (AR) application, used in the context of a museum. The AR Perpetual Garden App is unique in creating an immersive multisensory experience of data. It allowed scientifically naïve visitors to walk into a virtual diorama constructed as a data visualization of a springtime woodland understory, and interact with multimodal information directly through their senses. The user interface comprised of two different AR data visualization scenarios reinforced with data based ambient bioacoustics, an audio story of the curator’s narrative, and interactive access to plant facts. While actual learning and dwell times were the same between the AR app and the control condition, the AR experience received higher ratings on perceived learning. The AR interface design features of “Story” and “Plant Info” showed significant correlations with actual learning outcomes, while “Ease of Use” and “3D Plants” showed significant correlations with perceived learning. As such, designers and developers of AR apps can generalize these findings to inform future designs.

Presentation 2: The Naturalist’s Workshop: Virtual Reality Interaction with a Natural Science Educational Collection (Short Paper #11)

Authors: Colin Patrick Keenan, Cynthia Lincoln, Adam Rogers, Victoria Gerson, Jack Wingo, Mikhael Vasquez-Kool and Richard L. Blanton

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For experiential educators who utilize or maintain physical collections, The Naturalist’s Workshop is an exemplar virtual reality platform to interact with digitized collections in an intuitive and playful way. The Naturalist’s Workshop is a purpose-developed application for the Oculus Quest standalone virtual reality headset for use by museum visitors on the floor of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences under the supervision of a volunteer attendant. Within the application, museum visitors are seated at a virtual desk. Using their hand controllers and head-mounted display, they explore drawers containing botanical specimens and tools-of-the-trade of a naturalist. While exploring, the participant can receive new information about any specimen by dropping it into a virtual examination tray. 360-degree photography and three-dimensionally scanned specimens are used to allow user-motivated, immersive experience of botanical meta-data such as specimen collection coordinates.

Presentation 3: 360˚ Videos: Entry level Immersive Media for Libraries and Education (Practitioner Presentation #132)

Authors: Diane Michaud

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Within the continuum of XR Technologies, 360˚ videos are relatively easy to produce and need only an inexpensive mobile VR viewer to provide a sense of immersion. 360˚ videos present an opportunity to reveal "behind the scenes" spaces that are normally inaccessible to users of academic libraries. This can promote engagement with unique special collections and specific library services. In December 2019, with little previous experience, I led the production of a short 360˚video tour, a walk-through of our institution's archives. This was a first attempt; there are plans to transform it into a more interactive, user-driven exploration. The beta version successfully generated interest, but the enhanced version will also help prepare uninitiated users for the process of examining unique archival documents and artefacts. This presentation will cover the lessons learned, and what we would do differently for our next immersive video production. Additionally, I will propose that the medium of 360˚ video is ideal for many institutions' current or recent predicament with campuses shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Online or immersive 360˚ video can be used for virtual tours of libraries and/or other campus spaces. Virtual tours would retain their value beyond current campus shutdowns as there will always be prospective students and families who cannot easily make a trip to campus. These virtual tours would provide a welcome alternative as they eliminate the financial burden of travel and can be taken at any time.