DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF THE VIRTUAL CITY

Abstract

International audiencehouse, a supermarket, a café and a transport system. Evaluation of the project was concerned as much withthe design of the virtual learning environments (VLEs),issues of usability and access as with monitoring skilllearning and transfer to the real world. For three of theVLEs, Supermarket, Café and Transport, a test-retestexperimental design method was used. This compared userperformance in real world tasks with the same taskspresented in the VLE. Expert assessment was used toevaluate the Virtual House, looking at usability andappropriateness of the learning scenarios. It was found thatVLEs can provide interesting, motivating learningenvironments, which are accessible to users with specialneeds. Individuals differed in the amount of supportrequired to use the input devices and achieve task objectivesin the VLE. Expert and user review methods indicated thatthe VLEs are seen to be representative of real world tasksand that users are able to learn some basic skills. However,it would be unrealistic to expect transfer of skill over a shortexperimental time. Further testing is needed to establish thelongitudinal learning effects and to develop more reliabletechniques to allow users to express their own opinions. Within this project the value of a user centred approachhas been demonstrated. The groups involved have providedinformed input at each stage of VE development. This hasbeen enhanced by contributions from experts in the field oflearning disabilities. The Virtual City has been developed inresponse to the needs of people with learning disabilities,not in response to their assumed needs