The Learning Curve of Reality

Augmented reality, (AR) Virtual reality (VR) and Mixed reality (MR) are revolutionizing our industries. In this study, we focus on how this technological leap will revolutionize the education industry. The main focus is on virtual reality. Learning is not revolutionizing just because new tools are available. Learning is revolutionizing because it must. All work requires more and more rapid learning. Old learning methods and ways to provide information alone are no longer enough. Virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality must be seen as enablers in different aspects of life. It is essential to understand how and where these ever-evolving technologies can be applied. The purpose of this thesis is to explore and discuss the benefits, challenges, opportunities, problems and places of these virtual enrichments in the learning environment. The information is compiled from a variety of sources from the various fields that deal with virtual learning. The material of the thesis is collected through interviews, literature and work experience in developing and testing immersive educational products in Lyfta OY. This study discusses the current role, disadvantages and benefits of the virtual learning environments, but also reflects the future of the ever increasing and prominent role of these virtual enablers in the learning environment. So far, the new methods have been proven to be useful and effective in both learning and teaching. In virtual learning, experiential learning embodies the topic to be taught making it more meaningful. The individual learning curve can, therefore, be steeper, and learning is more profound and longer lasting. There is much potential and as always with revolutionizing technological inventions, also challenges. Virtual possibilities do not serve all learners from various reasons and thus are not equal. However, that does not make them any different from other learning methods. By offering versatile ways to learn we take more and more learning styles into account, and this is the way to make education more equal and accessible in the classroom

Simulation-based education for medical radiation students:A scoping review

Simulation‐based education is a significant aspect of teaching clinical skills in tertiary medical radiation science programmes, allowing students to experience the clinical setting in a safe environment. As an educational tool, simulation exists in many valid forms including role play, interprofessional simulation and virtual reality simulation. This scoping review looks at the current literature in this field to identify the evidence surrounding simulation‐based education for medical radiation students. The purpose of this review is to provide an evidence‐based guide for educators, identify gaps in the literature and suggest areas of future research. Data extraction was performed on 33 articles where the interventions could be categorised into either role play simulation, virtual simulation, simulation videos or online learning environments. Most studies demonstrated that simulation could improve clinical competence and increase preparedness and confidence for clinical placement. Student satisfaction remained high throughout the studies; however, it is the view of many that although simulation‐based education is a valid and effective tool, it is complementary to and not a replacement for clinical placement

Future through Memory - Virtual Storytelling in Toronto's Chinatown

Future through Memory is a study in the affordances of virtual production through co-design as a method of civic engagement, placemaking and placekeeping in Toronto’s Chinatown. The title “Future through Memory” hearkens back to Wendy Chun’s text, The Enduring, Ephemeral, or The Future is a Memory (2008). Using participatory action research as the central methodology, co-creation workshops were held with individuals within the Toronto Chinatown community to develop what Pierre Nora’s describes les lieux de mémoire (site of memory) in "Between Memory and History: Les Lieux de Mémoire" (1998) within an interactive documentary using WebVR (A-Frame). This study explores the use of collective memory, oral testimony, transmedia storytelling and 3D photogrammetric scans as a method to highlight the agency of participants within the community, the diaspora experience and discussions of identity. This project takes a decolonial theoretical framework and is centred on developing a collective memory — “collective, plural, yet individual” (Nora, 1989), questioning traditional structures of historical representation within virtual reality

Emotion Recognition in Immersive Virtual Reality: From Statistics to Affective Computing

[EN] Emotions play a critical role in our daily lives, so the understanding and recognition of emotional responses is crucial for human research. Affective computing research has mostly used non-immersive two-dimensional (2D) images or videos to elicit emotional states. However, immersive virtual reality, which allows researchers to simulate environments in controlled laboratory conditions with high levels of sense of presence and interactivity, is becoming more popular in emotion research. Moreover, its synergy with implicit measurements and machine-learning techniques has the potential to impact transversely in many research areas, opening new opportunities for the scientific community. This paper presents a systematic review of the emotion recognition research undertaken with physiological and behavioural measures using head-mounted displays as elicitation devices. The results highlight the evolution of the field, give a clear perspective using aggregated analysis, reveal the current open issues and provide guidelines for future research.This research was funded by European Commission, grant number H2020-825585 HELIOS.Marín-Morales, J.; Llinares Millán, MDC.; Guixeres Provinciale, J.; Alcañiz Raya, ML. (2020). Emotion Recognition in Immersive Virtual Reality: From Statistics to Affective Computing. Sensors. 20(18):1-26. https://doi.org/10.3390/s20185163S126201

Haptic-Enhanced Learning in Preclinical Operative Dentistry

Background: Virtual reality haptic simulators represent a new paradigm in dental education that may potentially impact the rate and efficiency of basic skill acquisition, as well as pedagogically influence the various aspects of students’ preclinical experience. However, the evidence to support their efficiency and inform their implementation is still limited. Objectives: This thesis set out to empirically examine how haptic VR simulator (Simodont®) can enhance the preclinical dental education experience particularly in the context of operative dentistry. We specify 4 distinct research themes to explore, namely: simulator validity (face, content and predictive), human factors in 3D stereoscopic display, motor skill acquisition, and curriculum integration. Methods: Chapter 3 explores the face and content validity of Simodont® haptic dental simulator among a group of postgraduate dental students. Chapter 4 examines the predictive utility of Simodont® in predicting subsequent preclinical and clinical performance. The results indicate the potential utility of the simulator in predicting future clinical dental performance among undergraduate students. Chapter 5 investigates the role of stereopsis in dentistry from two different perspectives via two studies. Chapter 6 explores the effect of qualitatively different types of pedagogical feedback on the training, transfer and retention of basic manual dexterity dental skills. The results indicate that the acquisition and retention of basic dental motor skills in novice trainees is best optimised through a combination of instructor and visualdisplay VR-driven feedback. A pedagogical model for integration of haptic dental simulator into the dental curriculum has been proposed in Chapter 7. Conclusion: The findings from this thesis provide new insights into the utility of the haptic virtual reality simulator in undergraduate preclinical dental education. Haptic simulators have promising potential as a pedagogical tool in undergraduate dentistry that complements the existing simulation methods. Integration of haptic VR simulators into the dental curriculum has to be informed by sound pedagogical principles and mapped into specific learning objectives

Immersive Leadership: Creating an Experiential Curriculum to Build our Students\u27 Leadership

As a higher education professional, I seek to use creative programming to encourage the exploration of alternative learning opportunities and to enhance student success. My action research project explores the process of creating and implementing an immersive leadership experience for students from start to finish. Through a curriculum based on experiential learning and critical reflection, students explored, learned, and developed a social justice lens and leadership skills. Students also reflected on their engagement with leadership in various spaces such as on the University of San Diego’s campus, their home environments, and the Duncan community in Jamaica, where this immersive leadership experience occurred. From this work, I found that students greatly benefit from a deep sense of action within the community when paired with intentional curriculum design to support critical reflection

Improving the Quality of Teaching Internships with the Help of the Platforms

This article presents an empirical study on the perceptions of university students toward the development of the teaching practicum, using the CourseSites platform as a communication and support tool for their training. The opinions of the students were collected through a questionnaire. The sample consisted of 1500 students who were registered in the degrees of Early Childhood Education, Primary Education and Pedagogy (2008-2018). A descriptive, inferential and multi-level analysis was conducted, which confirmed that future teachers had activated their professional competences, as they had the chance to share their internship experiences with their faculty members and with their own classmates

Conceptualising teachers' professional learning with Web 2.0

Purpose – This paper seeks to identify and develop an exploratory framework for conceptualising how teachers might use the affordances of Web 2.0 technologies to support their own professional learning. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on a large corpus of literature and recent research evidence to identify the principal elements and features of professional learning and the underlying affordances of Web 2.0 technologies and applications. It generates an exploratory conceptual framework based on the emerging findings from this review using a socio‐cultural theoretical perspective. The framework is explored through three individual illustrations which are drawn from a much larger case study which the author is undertaking within a newly established Academy in the North of England. Findings – The findings indicate that there is potential value in exploring professional learning with Web 2.0 technologies in the ways described. The framework offers an exploratory instrument to examine how professional learning for teachers could be supported with Web 2.0 technologies in ways that might have significant benefits over traditional methods of continuing professional development (CPD). Originality/value – The potential value and affordances of Web 2.0 technologies for teachers' professional learning are largely unexplored and under‐theorised, and this work seeks to establish a framework for further discussion and empirical exploration

Teacher Education Futures: Developing learning and teaching in ITE across the UK

A selection of papers from the Teacher Education Futures conference 2006