Teaching Threshold Concepts in Virtual Reality: Exploring the Conceptual Requirements for Systems Design.

In a complex world students need to be equipping with a range of capabilities that will enable them to be critical and flexible learners and citizens. The central research objective in this paper is to explore the argument that virtual reality (VR) technologies, collaborative learning approaches and recognition of the values and importance of thresholds to learning are components that can equip students in and for the future. Threshold concepts are specific concepts which are identified as essential in the acquisition of thinking, learning and communication of understanding within a specific subject of learning. Threshold experiences occur when learners identify moments of “learning leaps” which are cognitive transformations or changes in conceptual role for the learner, enabling them to work at higher levels of abstraction and creativity. Virtual reality technology is increasingly applied in education and can be used to test multiple threshold concepts and applied to open problems that allow for low-stress and real-time interactions as well as supporting collaborative groups with rapid interactions. Applications built on VR can engage, immerse, and guide learners in ways not yet undertaken in the education of threshold concepts. Through literature review we explore the definitions of threshold concepts, VR technologies, and the opportunities for teaching threshold concepts using VR technologies. We additionally predict possible limitations of the technologies. Further, we propose a systems design approach as informed by our literature review

An Overview of Capturing Live Experience with Virtual and Augmented Reality

In this paper, we review the use of virtual and augmented reality technologies for capture and externalization of tacit knowledge from complex activity in knowledge-intensive professions. We focus on technologies for converting experience hidden in activity with the aim to boost industry competitiveness, innovation, and facilitate learning on the job. As such types of knowledge and experience are difficult to capture and represent in traditional media, we explore emerging technology along two lines of investigation. First, we look at applications of virtual reality to then, second, focus on using sensors, augmented reality, and wearable technologies. We discuss existing and future applications of experience capturing with virtual and augmented reality technologies. This review provides a comprehensive overview for those interested in recording virtual, real, and augmented reality technologies. This review provides a comprehensive overview for those interested in recording virtual, real, and augmented activities, methods for delivering the recorded data, and extracting knowledge

Using active e-learning to accommodate the Net Generation of learners

Ця стаття досліджує деякі ідеї, які стосуються активних методів електронного навчання при навчанні студентів покоління Net.Эта статья исследует некоторые идеи, которые касаются активных методов электронного обучения при обучении студентов поколения Net.This paper explores some of the active e-learning ideas and considers e-learning as useful or even main method of learning in the future. On the one part, this question is not so much technical question as educational; on the other part, change of technologies is an important element in educational changes

Facilitating Collaborative Learning in 3D Virtual Worlds. A Qualitative Meta Study.

This master thesis serves to investigate how collaborative learning can be facilitated in 3D virtual environments. The objective was to see how 3D virtual worlds could be applied when conducting collaborative learning, both formal and informal. I was also interested in reflection as a part of collaborative learning processes, and chose to integrate this into my research questions: 1. How can 3D virtual worlds, like SecondLife, facilitate collaborative learning? 2. How can one use virtual worlds for collaborative learning-purposes in both formal and informal learning situations? 3. In what way can reflection be beneficial to collaborative learning in virtual worlds? SecondLife is a widely used 3D virtual world, utilized in a variety of learning situations. Its design and layout seem conducive to creating spaces that facilitate collaboration, and supports both formal and informal learning. I have used a variety of theoretical frameworks and perspectives to structure the thesis, and form the basis for the discussions and conclusions. I have utilized constructivist learning theory to describe the collaborative learning facilitated through virtual environments. This is due to the generous focus on collaboration and team-work throughout this thesis. As collaborative-learning situations enable the creation of shared practices and understanding, I will discuss the perspectives surrounding communities of practice, first coined by Lave and Wenger (Wenger 2000). Computer-supported collaborative learning is a perspective that serves to integrate technology and learning, and I have relied on this to contextualize the examples used, the CAMO-project being one of them. Its objective was to create cultural awareness in military operations, through collaborative simulations in a virtual Afghan village. The other example involved nursing students, who practiced communication skills with fatally ill patients and their relatives. Both examples highlights the opportunities for collaborative learning in virtual environments. Taking advantage of new technology for learning purposes, could create new possibilities for learning, maybe particularly collaborative learning. This is an important topic, as it could facilitate better and more motivating learning methods. Research Method and Data Analysis As this thesis is a qualitative Meta study, I relied on interviewing as my main data collecting method. I interviewed three practitioners within the field of technology and learning. They had earlier collaborated as facilitators in the CAMO-project, and also possessed a variety of experiences with 3D virtual worlds and learning. The data collected was analyzed and categorized through an iterative process. I worked with the transcribed interviews and notes, in several stages to analyze and attain the best categorizations for the data gathered. These five categories included: 1. SecondLife as a Learning Environment, 2. Comparison Between Different 3D Virtual Worlds, 3. Collaborative Learning, 4. Formal and Informal Learning and 5.Dialogue and Reflection. These categories helped me present the most valuable data andformed the basis for the discussion. Findings and Main Conclusions The informants and the theoretical framework both supported 3D virtual worlds and the opportunities within these platforms to contain great potential for collaborative work. As collaborative learning requires participants to socially interact and communicate with each other, the suitability relies on the communication options and features within the learning platform. SecondLife and other 3D virtual worlds are often created to serve as arenas for socialization, they are therefore well equipped with the necessary communication tools. To facilitate both formal and informal learning there are aspects that need to be present. Within 3D virtual worlds there needs to be possibilities to plan and design formally structured exercises, as well as unstructured informal activities. The informants were generally favorable to utilizing virtual environments for informal learning purposes, but disagreed on the formal learning possibilities. However, there are numerous examples of 3D virtual worlds being utilized for formal learning practices, and all the informants have had positive experiences with lectures and seminars conducted virtually. Reflective practice, most notably known through the work of Donald. A. Schön, proposes the importance of dialogues and reflection sessions, for participants in collaborative learning activities (Schön, 1983). This was a major part of the CAMO-project, and enabled the participants to express, challenge and reflect on the learning experience. The informants were unanimous in their perceived importance of reflection, to attain the most valuable learning outcome. They saw this as an important aspect of collaborative learning

Reflections on design of active learning module for training emergency management professionals in virtual reality

Experiences gained through learning design projects can be used as the basis to build systematic knowledge of digitization and active leaning in higher education. One such project funded by the Norwegian Agency for Digital Learning in Higher Educations (Norgesuniversitetet) has explored the design and trialling of a new resource for Emergency Management education that is based on theories of Active Learning and applies an innovative use of virtual reality technologies (VR). The project de-velops an active learning module (ALM) in a specialized VR simulation. The ALM has the learning objective to aid Emergency Management and Health professional students in the training of communi-cations in management during a crisis situation. The student interactions in the virtual reality simulat-ed ALM are active learning, because they are required to make real-time decisions while (1) interact-ing with the simulated environment and (2) they are communicating with colleagues within profession and across professions. This paper is based on observed and collected data from two days of trials using the ALM, with non-professional students in April 2016 and with Emergency Management and Health professional students in March 2017. The purpose of this paper is not to report on the learning outcomes for the students participating in these particular trials. Rather, based on the experiences of the trial-runs, the educational module (ALM) designers will reflect on the educational challenges within the thematic area. We will describe and discuss the elements of the active learning design such as the learning activities, the assessment forms, and the organizational implementation within the thematic educational programs. We will discuss how technology plays a role in achieving or hindering active learning objectives. Finally, we will reflect on how future designs of ALM can be further devel-oped to better meet the learning needs of the primary target learning group. Keywords: active learning, virtual reality, emergency management trainingpublishedVersio

Ubiq-exp: A toolkit to build and run remote and distributed mixed reality experiments

Developing mixed-reality (MR) experiments is a challenge as there is a wide variety of functionality to support. This challenge is exacerbated if the MR experiment is multi-user or if the experiment needs to be run out of the lab. We present Ubiq-Exp - a set of tools that provide a variety of functionality to facilitate distributed and remote MR experiments. We motivate our design and tools from recent practice in the field and a desire to build experiments that are easier to reproduce. Key features are the ability to support supervised and unsupervised experiments, and a variety of tools for the experimenter to facilitate operation and documentation of the experimental sessions. We illustrate the potential of the tools through three small-scale pilot experiments. Our tools and pilot experiments are released under a permissive open-source license to enable developers to appropriate and develop them further for their own needs

Remotely operated telepresent robotics

Remotely operated robots with the ability of performing specific tasks are often used in hazardous environments in place of humans to prevent injury or death. Modern remotely operated robots suffer from limitations with accuracy which is primarily due the lack of depth perception and unintuitive hardware controls. The undertaken research project suggests an alternative method of vision and control to increase a user‟s operational performance of remotely controlled robotics. The Oculus Rift Development Kit 2.0 is a low cost device originally developed for the electronic entertainment industry which allows users to experience virtual reality by the use of a head mounted display. This technology is able to be adapted to different uses and is primarily utilised to achieve real world stereoscopic 3D vision for the user. Additionally a wearable controller was trialled with the goal of allowing a robotic arm to mimic the position of the user‟s arm via a master/slave setup. By incorporating the stated vision and control methods, any possible improvements in the accuracy and speed for users was investigated through experimentation and a conducted study. Results indicated that using the Oculus Rift for stereoscopic vision improved upon the user‟s ability to judge distances remotely but was detrimental to the user‟s ability to operate the robot. The research has been conducted under the supervision of the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and provides useful information towards the area of remotely operated telepresent robotics

Доповнена реальність в освіті

This volume represents the proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on Augmented Reality in Education (AREdu 2018), held in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, in October 2, 2018. It comprises 24 contributed papers that were carefully peer-reviewed and selected from 41 submissions. The accepted papers present the state-of-the-art overview of successful cases and provides guidelines for future research.Цей том репрезентує матеріали 1-го Міжнародного семінару "Доповнена реальність в освіті" (AREdu 2018), що відбувя 2 жовтня 2018 року в м. Кривий Ріг, Україна. До нього входять 24 статті, які були ретельно переглянуті та обрані з 41 подання. У прийнятих роботах представлений найсучасніший огляд успішних випадків та окреслено напрями майбутніх досліджень

BIG DATA и анализ высокого уровня : материалы конференции

В сборнике опубликованы результаты научных исследований и разработок в области BIG DATA and Advanced Analytics для оптимизации IT-решений и бизнес-решений, а также тематических исследований в области медицины, образования и экологии