vAcademia – Educational Virtual World with 3D Recording

vAcademia – Educational Virtual World with 3D Recording

Mikhail Fominykh

IBM

Learning in virtual worlds

Harvard

Princeton University

Sheffield University

Stanford University

Toyota

Massachusetts Institute

Advantages of virtual worldsas learning environments

• Low cost and high safety• Three-dimensional representation of learners and

objects• Interaction in simulated contexts • Sense of presence • Variety of tools

Synchronous - Asynchronous

Synchronous(online)

Asynchronous(offline)

Traditionallearning

Face-to-face classes Text booksVideo recorded classes

2D e-Learning Webinars Recorded webinars

3D e-Learning Classes in virtual worlds ?

Types of learning

2D e-Learning

Synchronous class

Asynchronous class

Face to face class

Webinar

CMS/LMS

live/online

content

3D e-Learning

Face to face class

Synchronous class

Asynchronous class

live/online

content

Synchronous - Asynchronous

Synchronous(online)

Asynchronous(offline)

Traditionallearning

Face-to-face classes Text booksVideo recorded classes

2D e-Learning Webinars Recorded webinars

3D e-Learning

Types of learning

vAcademia

vAcademia

vAcademia

Teaching tools

Virtual world for education

Pioneer of 3D recording

1. Starting a class in vAcademia

2. Press Recording button

3. Conducting a class in vAcademia

4. Press Stop button

5. New content – 3D recording of the class

6. 3D recordings – course content

vAcademia

Web-site

• Integrated CMS/LMS• Moodle interface• Content repository

3D virtual world

• Learning environment• Teaching tools• 3D recording of classes

Moodle integration

1. Course management and planning

3. Conducting classes

4. Content is ready

6. Integrating 3D recordings

5. Browsing 3D recordings

7. Using 3D recordings

2. Binding accounts and managing groups

Moodle integration

Teaching tools

Desktop & application sharing

Interactive whiteboards

Picture sharing

Power Point presentations

Web-cameras

Pointer

Teaching toolsTeaching tools

Drawing

Screen and applications sharing

Pointers

Teaching toolsTeaching tools

Web-Camera

Power Point presentation

Picture sharing

Teaching toolsTeaching tools

Backchannel

Clicker tools

Коммуникации

Text and voice communicationText and voice communication

Convenient voice and text communication tools enrich the collaborative learning activity.

Every person can show up in the virtual world in the appearance he/she likes best.

Avatar customizationAvatar customization

Text, graphic, and voice notesText, graphic, and voice notes

Users may share their comments and impressions in the form of text, graphic, and voice notes.

NavigationNavigation

vAcademia maps make the navigation around the virtual world really simple.

CollectionCollection

Educational resources for both teachers and students may be uploaded into Collection.

Environment designEnvironment design

Users can organize learning space at any location of vAcademia by arranging the furniture in the way they like.

User’s 3D objectsUser’s 3D objects

Users can upload their own 3D objects in Collada format, which extends the possibilities for creating learning environments

Web-site support

New course

New course

New course

3D recordings

3D recording info

Scenarios of use

• Visiting a 3D recording• at any time• by a group of learners• actively working inside• with almost the same presence effect

• Creating a new 3D recording, while conducting activities being inside one

• enhancing a class with additional discussions, questions and comments

• guiding learners only through some parts of the original class and get specified recordings

• using text, graphic, and sound notes

Current usage

• Several IT courses at the Mari State Technical University, Russia

Current usage

• English for beginners at the Mukogawa Women's University in Japan

Current usage

• High school advanced chemistry course in Yoshkar-Ola, Russia

Future directions

• Development of additional functionality • extending possibilities for creating custom learning

environments• improving the working environment and teaching

tools to make them more convenient• Improving accessibility

• clients for different operating systems and a light version for mobile devices

• developing a browser-based client• Designing new learning scenarios

• combining synchronous and asynchronous activities• 3D recorded classes as a new type of user-generated

content• educational simulations and serious games

Thank you!

presented by Mikhail Fominykhmikhail.fominykh@svt.ntnu.no

http://www.idi.ntnu.no/~fominykh/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/fominykh

https://my.secondlife.com/mihail.palace

http://vacademia.com/userprofile/show/id/808

http://vacademia.com

http://www.facebook.com/vAcademia

@vacademia_info

http://www.slideshare.net/vacademia

Educational virtual world vAcademiainfo@vacademia.com