An exploration of developing multi-touch virtual learning tools for young children

COVID-19 has magnified the need for online deliveries in higher education. This has further driven the necessity to create innovative learning and teaching tools to engage and motivate students. Further innovations can also assist in the training of practitioners to deliver quality health remotely. This panel will introduce virtual learning tools used in teaching and practice, and will discuss the benefits and challenges in developing and implementing these into curriculum across disciplines. The focus will compare the use of virtual learning tools to deliver health education, and related practices to its use in other disciplines of Teacher Education, Computer Sciences and the Arts. This session will explore how virtual reality (VR) technology, simulation and game engine have been applied across different disciplines and identify areas of challenge. For example in pharmacology education, the decline of laboratory activities globally is the impetus to develop VR resources to fill this pedagogical gap

Service-learning is a high-touch pedagogy that brings universities in close contact with communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong Kong Baptist University's Centre for Innovative Service-Learning embarked on a project to integrate virtual teaching and learning with service-learning to sustain class and community interactions amidst social distancing measures and other pandemic-related restrictions. The chapter reports the project experience. Based on data from teachers, students, and community members involved in the project, the study combined qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate three questions: Which virtual teaching and learning tools were employed by service-learning's stakeholders? How did the use of virtual teaching and learning tools impact service-learning's stakeholders? And, finally, what lessons were learned about integrating virtual teaching and learning with service-learning? The chapter also discusses advantages and drawbacks of virtual technology when applied to service-learning and proposes a forward-looking approach towards virtual service-learning.

Robot programming demands skilled robot programmers. Conventional methods of robot programming include teaching robot using the teach pendant and the high level programming language. Teaching robot kinematics and solving kinematic problems are complex and they involve robot programming. With the advancement of computer and robotic technologies, this can be solved via computer simulation. In this paper, an approach for programming the robots manipulator via an offline virtual kinematic learning tool is proposed. A virtual system is developed which has a user interface for users to improve the knowledge of the robot manipulators kinematic. Basic kinematics note, exercise and forward kinematic calculation based on Danavit Hertenberg method was included in the system. A template will be provided to the user as a guide to develop the controller to control the simulation of the virtual robot. The input and output method will be used to transfer data from the controller to the offline kinematic learning tool. After receiving the input, the data is stored in a text file. This data will provide the value of each angle of the virtual robots to allow the system to generate the final position of the virtual robot and the virtual robot manipulator will be displayed and animated accordingly. Besides that, the offline robot programming will be generated by the system according the simulation planned by the user. This offline virtual kinematic simulation will help to provide a better understanding of the robot manipulators kinematic.

The design and evaluation of virtual learning environments for construction and surveying students is presented in this paper; by combining virtual learning environment and on-site student surveys to model and replicate practice in the architectural heritage sector. The Virtual Learning Environment is enhanced with real live survey projects whereby students collect the data to build virtual historic buildings from onsite surveys using advanced survey equipment. The survey data is modelled in HBIM; Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM) is currently being developed as a virtual learning tool for construction and surveying students in the Dublin Institute of Technology. HBIM, is a novel solution whereby interactive parametric objects representing architectural elements are constructed from historic data, these elements, including detail behind the scan surface are accurately mapped onto a laser or image based survey. The architectural elements are scripted using a Geometric Descriptive Language GDL. In the case of this project a Virtual Learning Environment is being developed which combines advanced recording and surveying with Building Information Modelling (BIM) to simulate and analyse existing buildings.

The purpose of the study was to examine students’ learning experience with Google Meet, a virtual learning tool in tertiary contexts in Vietnam. The explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was used with the participation of 188 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Vietnamese students at a private university in Vietnam. Findings from both the questionnaires and focus group interviews show that the students have a positive learning experience with Google Meet. Particularly, they perceive that breakout rooms in Google Meet enhance their interaction with their lecturers and peers and promote their sense of community in virtual learning classes. Additionally, the flexibility of virtual learning facilitates learners to solve learning-prevented problems, such as internet connection and power outage. Furthermore, blended learning is perceived as a highly preferred learning mode even after the pandemic. Based on the results, pedagogical strategies are implicated to maximize the effectiveness of virtual classes.

Introduction: School closures prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic reduced opportunities for US youth to be physically active and disproportionately impacted health disparities in this population. Physical education provides the largest intervention to support the physical activity of school-aged youth, but teachers' opinions about how to maintain quality programming during virtual learning periods remain unexplored. Applying a diversity, equity and inclusion framework, this study explored physical education teachers' perceived significance of different design features for an online teaching tool to promote physical activity equity during school closures.Methods: Previous literature and focus groups informed the development of a survey administered in summer/fall 2020. Survey participants (n = 60) were physical education teachers from 400 randomly selected US preschool-12th grade schools drawing from a national database. Participants rated the significance of four design features in relation to five key attributes of an online supplement to in-person physical education programs. One-way ANOVAs were used to assess differences in teachers' ratings by demographic characteristics.Results: Between-group differences were found in teacher ratings of design features related to the usability, accessibility, equitability, and formal assessment capabilities of an online physical education tool. Differences were based on teacher gender, school level, and geographic location.Conclusions: Future research to promote physical activity equity among preschool-12th grade youth should examine tailored virtual physical education learning tools that address what teachers perceive to be the most significant design features to support equitable physical education among diverse student groups.

Health care education programs were faced with the need to quickly adapt to a new reality during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Students were temporarily suspended from campus and clinical sites, requiring prompt changes in structure to their didactic and clinical learning. This article describes the rapid adjustments that one midwifery and women's health nurse practitioner education program created using both synchronous and asynchronous simulation experiences to promote student learning and ongoing engagement. Flexibility and reflexivity were needed by faculty and students alike in the face of the multiple changes wrought by the pandemic. Curricular changes were made simultaneously in many courses. Objective structured clinical examinations simulate telehealth experiences that assess knowledge, clinical reasoning, and professional behaviors via a scripted scenario and an actor patient. On-call simulations mimic telephone triage and provide students the opportunity to build listening, assessment, and management skills for prenatal and intrapartum scenarios. Students are provided equipment and virtual instruction in an intrauterine device insertion session, which promotes skill acquisition and self-confidence. Trigger films are used to visualize real-life or scripted clinical encounters, leading to discussion and decision-making, particularly in the affective domain. Bilateral learning tools, similar to case studies, provide students an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and critical thinking with a mechanism for faculty feedback. Web-based virtual clinical encounter learning tools using patient avatars prompt additional student learning. Suturing skills introduced in live remote group sessions are augmented with video-guided individual practice. This article describes each of these adapted and innovative simulation methods and shares lessons learned during their development and implementation.

The paper aims to understand developing and applying a program for digital competence and awareness change of pre-service teachers and to analyze experience following the need to build an EduTech environment and foster digital literacy suggested in the 2022 revised national curriculum. The Tyler model, providing a rational process, was used to develop systematic programs. The evaluation was designed to check the changes in pre-service teachers' perceptions of EduTech, and a survey was planned to analyze the educational experience. A 6-times blended learning program was developed, and a virtual space and learning tools were produced. After applying the program, the results of the paired sample t-test showed a significant mean increase in the change of pre-service teachers' perceptions. It is hoped that study will effectively cultivate the EduTech capabilities of pre-service teachers and change their perceptions to respond to social changes.

Research has shown that three-dimensional (3D) stereoscopic virtual anatomic models can help students understand the complex spatial relationships of human structures that are not easily accessible via dissection. For instance, the cerebral cortex is located within the cranial vault; however, it can be difficult to view the relationship between the cerebral cortex and skull via dissection. This project goes into discussing the creation of a 3D stereoscopic model of the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex model was segmented via Amira 5.6 software from computed tomography angiography (CTA) data. Amira 5.6 surface rendering methods were used to create the cerebral cortex, and volume rendering methods were used to create the skull. The segmentations were performed using the axial view and paintbrush tools in Amira 5.6 along with the Wacom pen and tablet. After completing the initial segmentation across 155 slides, the CTA scans were compiled in Amira 5.6 to create the 3D model of the cerebral cortex. A smoothing filter was then applied to the initial surface render of the cerebral cortex to smooth the transition from slide to slide. The cerebral cortex model generated can be viewed from any angle at any magnification level. In addition, the model can also be overlayed orthoslice CTA data to allow the user to have a stronger understanding of the relationship between each individual two-dimensional CTA image and the three-dimensional model. Moreover, the cerebral cortex virtual model can be created into video clips using the Amira 5.6 movie maker, which can be inserted into PowerPoint presentations. As a result, the cerebral cortex virtual model has the potential to be used for online distance anatomical learning, which has become the adopted method of teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The flexibility of this model allows it to also be used in the classroom setting as a virtual learning tool where students may view the models via a 3D screen with 3D glasses.

This chapter presents an overview of emerging technologies, focusing on factors and parameters that will be revisited during the following chapters. Emerging technologies are becoming popular, affordable and pushing for a technological revolution in many disciplines. Innovative technology solutions are proposed across the board, and increasing numbers and types of users are becoming dependent on them. This revolution has managed to find its way to educational platforms, applications and both physical and virtual learning tools. The challenge with such educational innovations is that the growth and change in the education practices has not been as rapid as the growth and change in the technology field. Therefore, the user participating in the merging of these two fields to create new solutions may find it challenging in terms of a comfortable experience.

This article describes virtual learning technologies, multimedia concepts and tools, multimedia applications, the use of simulators in the learning process. The problems of using systems and services that control the process of virtual learning are also described

Communication through speech is a vital skill, an innate ability in most human beings intended to convey thoughts, needs, and it is the very foundation of literacy. However, some people find it as one of the challenges in their lives, particularly children with Cerebral Palsy. Children with such disability suffer from brain injuries before, during, and after birth that evidently affect their motor, cognitive, and linguistic skills. Some of the additional complexities may also cause hearing, visual, and speech impairments that further decrease their learning abilities. Their development milestones in learning is slower than a typical child, thus they require intensive personal drilling. It is believed that the cognitive skills in these children can be improved to enable them to lead a more productive life. That was an antecedent that strongly motivated us to develop the proposed Virtual Collaborative Learning Tool. It aims to assist the learning ability of the targeted children through a responsive avatar of their parents, teachers, or caretakers. A preliminary study was conducted on voluntary participants to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed learning model. The results showed 80% of the participants were able to answer questions provided within the program.

In this artical, an instructional software called 3DVRLab is introduced for electrical teaching experiments, which is designed elaborately based on the virtual reality(VR) technology. Most conventional instructional softwares are lacking in interactions with users, while the 3DVRLab overcomes this shortcoming. There are two highlights in the operation subsystem: users can place experimental apparatuses onto the virtual console and connect them freely; the subsystem will detect circuits connected by students intelligently, then give a mark accordingly. For the purpose of a convinced score, we proposed a novel detection algorithm to work out the incorrect apparatuses or connecting wires from the "standard answer".

The primary purpose of this innovative research was to investigate the influence of virtual science learning applications and student engagement and performance in Anatomy and Physiology courses at Abuyog Community College. Recognizing the increasing integration of digital tools in education, this study sought to determine how such applications could enhance student learning experiences and outcomes compared to traditional methods. Several key research questions drove this study. These questions were: How do virtual learning applications impact student engagement in Anatomy and Physiology courses? What effects do these tools have on students' performance and understanding of the subject matter? How do students perceive virtual learning applications relative to conventional teaching methods? Which components of these applications correlate most strongly with improved learning outcomes? To address these questions, an experimental research design was employed, involving 30 students divided equally into control and experimental groups. The control group followed traditional learning methods, while the experimental group utilized virtual learning applications. Data collection methods included pre-tests and post-tests to measure academic performance, as well as Likert scale surveys and open-ended questions to capture student perceptions and experiences. The intervention featured the introduction of innovative interactive virtual learning tools. These tools were specifically designed to teach complex anatomical and physiological concepts through engaging, visual, and hands-on experiences. They provided unique features such as 3D models, real-time simulations, and immediate feedback mechanisms. The findings revealed that students in the experimental group showed significant improvement in both engagement and academic performance. The Likert scale results indicated that the virtual learning applications increased student motivation and active participation. Open-ended responses highlighted that student found the interactive features and visual aids particularly beneficial for understanding difficult concepts and maintaining interest. These results suggest that virtual science learning applications can be a powerful tool in enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes in Anatomy and Physiology. The study supports the integration of such digital tools into the curriculum to foster a more interactive and effective learning environment, providing practical insights for educators and curriculum developers. Future research should explore the long-term impacts of these applications and their potential in other educational contexts.

BackgroundQuality clinical care is supported by effective patient-centered communication. Health care professionals can improve their communication skills through simulation-based training, but our knowledge about virtual simulation and its effectiveness and use in training health professionals and students is still growing rapidly.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to review the current academic literature to identify and evaluate the virtual simulation tools used to train communication skills in health care students and professionals.MethodsThis review was carried out in June 2023 by collecting data from the MEDLINE/PubMed and Web of Science electronic databases. Once applicable studies were identified, we recorded data related to type of technology used, learning objectives, degree of learning autonomy, outcomes, and other details.ResultsWe found 35 articles that had developed and/or applied a virtual environment for training communication skills aimed at patients, in which 24 different learning tools were identified. Most had been developed to independently train communication skills in English, either generally or in the specific context of medical history (anamnesis) interviews. Many of these tools used a virtual patient that looked like a person and had the ability to vocally respond. Almost half of the tools analyzed allowed the person being trained to respond orally using natural language. Of note, not all these studies described the technology they had used in detail.ConclusionsMany different learning tools with very heterogeneous characteristics are being used for the purposes of communication skills training. Continued research will still be required to develop virtual tools that include the most advanced features to achieve high-fidelity simulation training.