A Content-Analysis Approach for Exploring Usability Problems in a Collaborative Virtual Environment

As Virtual Reality (VR) products are becoming more widely available in the consumer market, improving the usability of these devices and environments is crucial. In this paper, we are going to introduce a framework for the usability evaluation of collaborative 3D virtual environments based on a large-scale usability study of a mixedmodality collaborative VR system. We first review previous literature about important usability issues related to collaborative 3D virtual environments, supplemented with our research in which we conducted 122 interviews after participants solved a collaborative virtual reality task. Then, building on the literature review and our results, we extend previous usability frameworks. We identified twelve different usability problems, and based on the causes of the problems, we grouped them into three main categories: VR environment-, device interaction-, and task-specific problems. The framework can be used to guide the usability evaluation of collaborative VR environments

Virtual Blackness: Race and Gender in our Second Lives

In writing about African American/African Diasporic presence in Second Life (SL), I want to highlight the contributions that black people make as creative forces in SL, as builders and designers, as event hosts and as entrepreneurs. In these roles, black residents help to make this virtual world an appealing environment for residents of African descent who want to socialize and collaborate with others of similar backgrounds, and it also helps to make SL a culturally diverse and truly international place. I want to examine how black culture is being represented and experienced in SL

Being There: An Empirical Look at Learning Outcomes in 3D Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds are a relatively new source of technology-mediated learning. Little is known about the results of learning in virtual worlds, and our knowledge is limited about how virtual worlds may lead to key learning outcomes (i.e., satisfaction and effectiveness). In this research we argue that because users of virtual worlds may perceive themselves as being in the world with others and have a pleasurable experience doing so, they are more likely to experience positive learning outcomes. In a study comprised of 53 participants, we studied learning satisfaction and effectiveness. Presence and flow increased learning satisfaction. We were surprised to find that in our study, flow actually decreased learning effectiveness. Additionally, we compared virtual world learning to face-to-face learning. We did not find significant differences in learning satisfaction or effectiveness

EFFECTS OF PRESENCE, COPRESENCE, AND FLOW ONLEARNING OUTCOMES IN 3D LEARNING SPACES

The level of satisfaction and effectiveness of 3D virtual learning environments were examined. Additionally, 3D virtual learning environments were compared with face-to-face learning environments. Students that experienced higher levels of flow and presence also experienced more satisfaction but not necessarily more effectiveness with 3D virtual learning environments. There were no significant differences between satisfaction and effectiveness of 3D virtual learning environments and face-to-face environments. These findings suggest that 3D virtual learning environments can be made to provide high levels of learning satisfaction. Additionally, these findings suggest that 3D virtual learning environments may be a viable delivery method for instruction and training because they compare favorably with face-to-face learning environments

The AETZone Experience: A Qualitative Analysis of the Use of Presence Pedagogy in a 3D Immersive Learning Environment

Faculty in the Department of Leadership and Educational Studies at Appalachian State University have utilized AETZone, a 3D virtual world to deliver graduate coursework for the past nine years. Instruction has been guided by the Reich College of Education’s social constructivist conceptual framework, resulting in a learning environment that emphasizes the social construction of knowledge through interaction with others within virtual communities of practice. Over time, certain teaching and learning behaviors and practices that reflect both the tenets of the social constructivist framework and the features of the virtual world have organically developed through faculty and student engagement in this unique learning space and have been referred to as Presence Pedagogy (P2). However, for this new pedagogical approach to serve as a model for future instruction, a more articulate operational definition of this model is needed. Therefore, the research question discussed in this paper is: To what extent is the Presence Pedagogy framework reflected in the actions and behaviors of students and faculty in the AETZone? The authors conclude that while the overall characteristics of P2 are supported, a gap exists in the model regarding interactions that are more social in nature. While social interaction may be implied in the P2 framework, more attention and emphasis is needed in terms of creating and maintaining this AETZone experience

ICT’s Effect on Parents’ Feelings of Presence, Awareness, and Connectedness during a Child’s Hospitalization

This study evaluates how off-the-shelf commercial ICTs can contribute to creating a feeling of Presence, Connectedness, and Awareness between parents and their hospitalized child. Thematic analysis and descriptive statistics are used to analyse qualitative and quantitative data collected through a survey of thirty eight parents whose children were admitted to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Through analysis of data, Presence is found to be less facilitated through ICT than are Awareness and Connectedness. Although participants reported that voice call on mobile phones was the most common way of communication, their ideal was a video-chat application such as Skype, or a combination of Skype and TV to facilitate feeling of Presence. We discovered a strong desire by parents to use rich media such as video and audio to achieve a greater feeling of the Presence of their absent child

Exploring the impact of real-time communication on media choice in the context of distributed work

This paper presents an exploratory study into the use of real-time communication (RTC) systems to support distributed work. Motivated by the authors’ dissatisfaction with theories assuming individually rational actors, the paper suggests the idea of informated presence to capture phenomena emerging from employees’ increasingly computer-mediated engagement with their work environment. Four case vignettes are presented to illustrate different communicative strategies that develop in response to presence availability updates generated by RTC systems. Drawing from Goffman’s microsociological idea of interaction order and Zuboff’s seminal work on computer-mediated work, the findings indicate the limitations of approaches such as information richness theory in understanding real-time communication in organizational settings. More research is needed to elaborate the implications of informated presence on distributed work and coordination of knowledge workers

SNS 상에서의 사적인 자기노출과 준사회적 관계로 인한 팔로워 수 증가에 대한 의도의 영향관계 연구

학위논문 (석사) -- 서울대학교 대학원 : 경영대학 경영학과, 2020. 8. 이경미.본고는 인스타그램에서 유명인들과 인플루언서들이 게시하는 사적인, 그리고 전문적인 자기노출 정보들의 여러 영향에 대해 살펴보고자 한다. 인스타그램에서 사적인 자기노출 정보가 담긴 정보를 게시하는 사람들이 보다 진실되게 여겨짐에 따라 더 큰 준사회적 관계의 발달이 이뤄진다. 이는 결과적으로 팔로워 수의 증가로 이어진다. 이러한 효과는 노출을 하는 사람의 유형에 따라 차이를 보이는데, 인스타그램을 통해 사적이거나 전문적인 정보를 자기노출할 때 인플루언서보다는 유명인이 더 진실되게 여겨지고, 더 큰 준사회적 관계로 발전해 팔로워 수가 늘어날 가능성이 높아진다. 이는 유명인이 인플루언서를 능가하는 브랜드 가치를 보유함을 입증한다.This paper looks at the varying effects that posting personal self-disclosure and professional self-disclosure information by celebrities and influencers on Instagram will have. Those that post personal self-disclosure information on Instagram will be perceived as more sincere, leading to the development of a greater parasocial relationship. This will in turn lead to being more likely to being followed on Instagram. This effect is moderated by the type of person doing the disclosure, as a celebrity will be perceived as more sincere, develop a greater parasocial relationship, and be more likely to being followed by a user compared to an influencer whether self-disclosing personal or professional information via Instagram; demonstrating the value that the brand of celebrity has over influencer in social media.Introduction 1 Literature Review 3 Study One 11 Results 13 Study Two 16 Results 18 Conclusion 22 Appendix 25 Bilibliography 35 Tables and Figures 40 Abstract in Korean 43Maste