In [117] a 3-dimensional virtual environment is used to give a more engaging representation of a Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in flight to its pilot. A UAV is where no human pilots are onboard and the mission data is sent from a control centre on the ground. This paper focused on providing a 3- dimensional representation of the state of the plane. Included in this representation are satellite images of the area, 3-dimensional buildings and meteorological conditions. The motivation for such a system was cited as a 17% rate of human error in UAV crashes. The virtual display was appreciated due to the level of realism provided enabling immediate recognition and intuitive understanding of the vehicle’s
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state at any point. This paper shows the value in creating an intuitive interface that can be easily understood and comparable to real life and shows some perceived educational benefit.
Future of Air Force Education and Training is a whitepaper released by the United States Air Force (USAF) describing “Air Force 2.0” that could be used as a virtual delivery platform known as MyBase [118]. This will provide an exploratory environment for learning both for recruits and civilians. MyBase is being developed to support both continuous and precision learning in an interactive exploratory environment.
The authors of [119] described a system where children were provided with a range of computer games after school. The work aimed to measure learning and cooperation amongst the students. The interactions were analysed using Activity Theory [120] and the Zone of Proximal Development [50]. The data from the experiments indicated a success and found several interesting results. Conflict can be very beneficial when using a Computer Supported Collaborative Learning environment. The CSCL should enable conditions for constructive conflict resolution. The range of games provided included, Sim City [121] and Choplifter [122] to represent simulations in which practice logical and mathematical concepts.
The engagement achieved through the use of a MUVE can provide a strong motivation and interest in the topic area as shown in [123], where a group of students are set a task in a virtual world. The students showed a strong willingness to experiment, construct, implement and evaluate a hypothesis all in a virtual context. There has been other research which supports this engagement through the use of a MUVE [124-125]. Through taped interviews, students described increased motivation and connection in their learning to the real world. An example of a MUVE is Second Life, a detailed description of which is provided in section 4.11. Several universities are involved in Second Life and have purchased islands for educational and recruitment purposes, notably The Open University, University College Dublin, Stanford, Edinburgh University and Harvard. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) [126] has held talks, seminars and presentations in-world. Other examples of educational uses in Second Life include foreign language tuition set up by the British Council [127]. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) have created a presence in Second Life [128]. The two agencies have created a simulator called Meteroa that contains interactive educational demonstrations such as a sea life submarine ride, two tsunami demos, melting glacier, a real-time temperature map powered by Yahoo! and an airplane ride into a hurricane. NASA has also created a presence in Second Life [129] producing various educational tools for use by visiting avatars. A MUVE has been used to provide an interface for a museum [130] for middle school students.
In [131], Second Life is used to provide a virtual environment for training doctors. The example scenario used is a virtual patient suffering a post-partum haemorrhage. Students can use the in-world
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ongoing research into the effectiveness of using Second Life as an educational tool for simulations at Imperial College London. David Taylor stated:
“We tested [the virtual O.R.] in a controlled experiment on 40 first-year medical students prior to their first visit to a real O.R. We wanted to determine if [the SL program] gives them more confidence before their first exposure to the real thing. We’ve found it is just as effective as the training O.R. in the physical world.”
Surveys have indicated that the students’ reactions in Second Life are similar to that in the real world and that the simulation has helped. Another benefit of the simulation is exposing students to scenarios that are impossible or unsafe to replicate. The drive from the students is towards an interactive form of simulation and away from the more traditional CD-ROM approach of fixed observation of a scenario. Another use of Multi-User virtual environment is to study students’ approach to problem solving. In [132] students have avatars that interact to solve a simulated 19th century city’s problems with illness. Environmental simulation has been attempted using MUVE with focus on the architecture needed for an educational MUVE. The paper [133] provided some architectural details but little on development or evaluation and it appears that work has ceased on the project.
In [134] a researcher at Drexel University created Drexel Island [135] in Second Life for the exposition of chemistry concepts. The island was used to display 3-dimensional molecules, reaction mechanisms and chemistry quizzes. The construction of the molecule in Second Life, allows users to fly around and obtain any viewpoint they wish. This is not the main strength of Second Life as the technology to view and manipulate a 3-dimensional model is well established and available through the use of plugins in current web browsers. What is provided is a series of informational posters explaining the various molecules and animations of docking. Interactive quizzes are provided on Drexel Island for students to work through, with each correct answer progressing them towards the final prize of a molecule. A molecule creator is available which, when the user enters a chemical formula, builds up the molecular representation and displays it to the user. This was achieved through the use of ChemSpider [136] which is a database that provides the structure of molecules in a standard format. The database provides an interface through web services. The developers then wrote a Second Life script capable of creating the molecule from the standard format. The environment also contains pre-scripted animations of molecules interacting which are controlled through simple chat commands. An interactive absorption spectrum is used to show the effect of light on hydrogen atoms. When the light source is turned on, the electrons enter an excited state and release visible light which is observable on the screen behind the experiment. A 3-dimensional periodic table is freely available which allows students to click on the various elements and receive information on each one. The relative size of each element in Second Life is representative of their atomic weight.
MUVEs can also be used to provide realistic environments for fieldwork; such an approach is useful when financial and time constraints restrict the ability to perform real fieldwork. An example of such an implementation is the Laconia Acropolis Virtual Archaeology (LAVA) project [137] based on
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fieldwork undertaken at the British School in Athens during 2000/1. Archaeological fieldwork through excavation is often difficult due to lack of funds, inclement weather or damage to the area of interest [138]. LAVA aims to compliment and enhance real-world fieldwork by enabling students to gain experience with the methodology of preparing and excavating a site collaboratively. To do this a realistic representation of the Sparta Acropolis Basilica in Greece was designed firstly in a 3- dimensional engine Jake2 [139]. Jake2 is a Java port of the Open GL release of the Quake II game engine and provides the ability to read map files created using level editors for Quake. Because Jake2 is written in Java it was possible to launch the Acropolis environment through the Java Native Launching Protocol (JNLP) [140] on a modern browser where the Java Runtime Environment was installed.
The Acropolis was later ported into Second Life and Open Simulator with a visitor centre showing relics and information about the site. Students were able to walk around the Acropolis, which was built to scale. This was shown to engage students and feedback proved it to be popular with several classes when integrated into the course curriculum.
The works highlighted here demonstrate that there is a real interest and appreciation of the collaborative and immersive nature that is provided through a MUVE. While Second Life is currently the MUVE of choice, it is mainly due to its widespread adoption rather than any inherent capability over other MUVEs.