3D virtual worlds as environments for literacy learning

Background: Although much has been written about the ways in which new technology might transform educational practice, particularly in the area of literacy learning, there is relatively little empirical work that explores the possibilities and problems - or even what such a transformation might look like in the classroom. 3D virtual worlds offer a range of opportunities for children to use digital literacies in school, and suggest one way in which we might explore changing literacy practices in a playful, yet meaningful context. Purpose: This paper identifies some of the key issues that emerged in designing and implementing virtual world work in a small number of primary schools in the UK. It examines the tensions between different discourses about literacy and literacy learning and shows how these were played out by teachers and pupils in classroom settings.Sources of evidence: Case study data are used as a basis for exploring and illustrating key aspects of design and implementation. The case study material includes views from a number of perspectives including classroom observations, chatlogs, in-world avatar interviews with teachers and also pupils, as well as the author’s field notes of the planning process with accompanying minutes and meeting documents.Main argument: From a Foucauldian perspective, the article suggests that social control of pedagogical practice through the regulation of curriculum time, the normalisation of teaching routines and the regimes of individual assessment restricts teachers’ and pupils’ conceptions of what constitutes literacy. The counternarrative, found in recent work in new litearcies (Lankshear & Knobel, 2006) provides an attractive alternative, but a movement in this direction requires a fundamental shift of emphasis and a re-conceptualisation of what counts as learning.Conclusions: This work on 3D virtual worlds questions the notion of how transformative practice can be achieved with the use of new technologies. It suggests that changes in teacher preparation, continuing professional development as well as wider educational reform may be needed

Man and Machine: Questions of Risk, Trust and Accountability in Today's AI Technology

Artificial Intelligence began as a field probing some of the most fundamental questions of science - the nature of intelligence and the design of intelligent artifacts. But it has grown into a discipline that is deeply entwined with commerce and society. Today's AI technology, such as expert systems and intelligent assistants, pose some difficult questions of risk, trust and accountability. In this paper, we present these concerns, examining them in the context of historical developments that have shaped the nature and direction of AI research. We also suggest the exploration and further development of two paradigms, human intelligence-machine cooperation, and a sociological view of intelligence, which might help address some of these concerns.Comment: Preprin

Identifying immersive environments’ most relevant research topics: an instrument to query researchers and practitioners

This paper provides an instrument for ascertaining researchers’ perspectives on the relative relevance of technological challenges facing immersive environments in view of their adoption in learning contexts, along three dimensions: access, content production, and deployment. It described its theoretical grounding and expert-review process, from a set of previously-identified challenges and expert feedback cycles. The paper details the motivation, setup, and methods employed, as well as the issues detected in the cycles and how they were addressed while developing the instrument. As a research instrument, it aims to be employed across diverse communities of research and practice, helping direct research efforts and hence contribute to wider use of immersive environments in learning, and possibly contribute towards the development of news and more adequate systems.The work presented herein has been partially funded under the European H2020 program H2020-ICT-2015, BEACONING project, grant agreement nr. 687676.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Interactive Correspondence Analysis in a Dynamic Object-Oriented Environment

A highly interactive, user-friendly object-oriented software package written in LispStat is introduced that performs simple and multiple correspondence analysis, and profile analysis. These three techniques are integrated into a single environment driven by a user-friendly graphical interface that takes advantage of Lisp-Stat's advanced graphical capabilities. Techniques that assess the stability of the solution are also introduced. Some of the features of the package include colored graphics, incremental graph zooming capabilities, manual point separation to determine identities of overlapping points, and stability and fit measures. The features of the package are used to show some interesting trends in a large educational dataset.

Perceived importance of national occupational CADD skill standards among faculty of NAIT accredited institutions

This study presents a descriptive survey that examined the importance and relevance of National Occupational CARD Skills based on the perceptions of faculty teaching at National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT) accredited institutions. The major goal of the study was to determine what National Occupational CADD Skill Standards are relevant and important to faculty teaching CARD courses. The study was also designed to determine ratings of the perceived importance and relevance of National Occupational CADD Skill Standards by faculty teaching CADD courses at NAIT accredited institutions based on their area of specialization, professional ranking, and teaching experience. This study provided NAIT accredited programs, professionals, and affiliated organizations a reflection of CADD standards developed, adopted, and practiced by faculty teaching CADD courses at NAIT accredited institutions in relation to National Occupational CADD Skill Standards. The population used for this study includes faculty teaching CADD courses in various Industrial Technology programs. For testing hypothesis I, a single sample was used for survey responses. Independent samples were used for survey responses in hypotheses II, III, and V. A single survey instrument was developed for this study. The survey instrument has five sections representing: demographics, fundamental drafting skills, fundamental computer skills, basic CADD skills, and advanced CADD skills. A research hypothesis (H1 : μ ≠ 3) was established for hypothesis I for each item. Research hypotheses (H1 At least one pair of the category means would be different) were established for hypotheses II, III, and IV. Hypothesis I was tested using a single sample t -test at the .O5 level of significance for each of the CADD skill standard item. The ANOVA was used to test hypotheses II, III, and IV. The results of the statistical analyses were used to arrive at inferences on the importance and relevance of National Occupational CADD Skill Standards developed by National Coalition for Advanced Manufacturing (NACFAM) by faculty teaching at NAIT accredited institutions. Statistical analyses also checked on the balance of opinions on importance and relevance of National Occupational CADD Skill Standards between industry and educators. Statistical analyses failed to establish significant mean differences on how faculty teaching CADD at NAIT accredited institutions perceive the importance and relevance of National Occupational CADD Skill Standards in the four hypotheses tested. The four hypotheses are stated in Chapter 1 of the study. Recommendations for further studies are provided in Chapter 5

Development of a Haptic Training Simulation for the Administration of Dental Anaesthesia based upon Accurate Anatomical Data

In the dental curriculum, the initial administration of local anaesthesia injection on live patients is critical and students may experience a high degree of anxiety. Low self-confidence often caused by insufficient knowledge of anatomy has been repeatedly reported as one of the major causes. In this paper, we focus on the development of a haptic training system based upon an accurate anatomical model, which aims to encourage self-paced learning of the practical skills that are required in such procedures and to increase students’ self-confidence. We first present the workflow we have considered to develop an accurate anatomical model of the human head and neck and introduce a Virtual Reality-based application commissioned by NHS Education for Scotland to support the learning of the anatomy in a safe and repeatable manner. Finally, we describe the functionalities of the haptic training system and discuss further developments with regard to existing research outcomes

Executive Functions and Their Effects on Learning Disabilities: A Review

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Using Virtual Worlds to Identify Multidimensional Student Engagement in High School Foreign Language Learning Classrooms

Virtual world environments have evolved from object-oriented, text-based online games to complex three-dimensional immersive social spaces where the lines between reality and computer-generated begin to blur. Educators use virtual worlds to create engaging three-dimensional learning spaces for students, but the impact of virtual worlds in comparison to the traditional face-to-face counterpart has been uncertain in terms of multidimensional student engagement. Research has a need to determine the impact of virtual worlds on student engagement in comparison to the traditional face-to-face environment. The study examined the effects of virtual world and face-to-face learning environments on high school foreign language students\u27 emotional, cognitive, and behavioral engagement, as well as combined engagement. A two-way MANOVA was used to determine the effect of traditional face-to-face and virtual world learning environments on combined student engagement. A 2 x 2 analysis of covariance was used to determine the effect of traditional face-to-face and virtual world learning environments on emotional student engagement. A 2 x 2 analysis of covariance was also used to determine the effect of traditional face-to-face and virtual world learning environments on cognitive student engagement. A t-test was used to determine the effect of traditional face-to-face and virtual world learning environments on behavioral engagement. The study did not find evidence of overall, cognitive, emotional, or behavioral engagement difference between the two learning environments. The findings indicate the virtual world environment is similar to the traditional face-to-face environment in terms of student engagement. School administrators and teachers can benefit from this research when determining effective means of creating highly engaging learning environments for students. Virtual worlds can be a medium for engaging learning opportunities for students in face-to-face and virtual schools. Additional research in this area is recommended to determine the impact of virtual worlds with different student populations and subject areas