Using Multimedia and Virtual Reality for Web-Based Collaborative Learning on Multiple Platforms

Extended-Reality Technologies: An Overview of Emerging Applications in Medical Education and Clinical Care.

The study examined smart learning environments as a pathway to quality university education in Nigeria. The population of the study comprised all lecturers in the four government-owned universities in Bayelsa State. However, the researchers were unable to determine the precise number of lecturers at the time of this investigation due to data collection constraints. Based on the advice of Fox et al. (2007) and Meyer (1979), the researchers chose to adapt 384 samples from a population with an unconstrained range. The data used were collected through an online questionnaire; however, 296 lecturers responded by filling out the questionnaire. The findings reveal that smart learning tools such as projectors, internet facilities, computer-based test, mobile learning devices are readily available, while smart boards, video conferencing tools, digital cameras, and LMS are moderately available. On the contrary, virtual and augmented reality, smart classrooms, and gamification are not widely available, and the majority of the respondents are not familiar with them. There is an increased utilization of internet facilities, computer-based text, projectors, and mobile devices in the teaching processes, while other technologies such as LMS, smart boards, video conferencing tools, as well as virtual and augmented reality, gamification, and smart classes, are still emerging technologies. Lecturers have a positive perception of the utilization of smart learning technologies, noting that lack of adequate funds, lack of adequate electricity supply, and poor internet facilities were some of the major challenges in the utilization of SLE. Based on the findings, the researchers recommended, among others, that the universities should focus on improving the infrastructure, particularly reliable electricity supply and internet connectivity, and increase funding for the development of new smart learning systems, such as virtual reality, gamification, smart classrooms, etc.

As the utilization of virtual reality (VR) in engineering education increases, researchers are increasingly focused on enhancing teaching and learning within VR environments. Cognitive engagement among the participants is a fundamental outcome in any learning environment, where social interaction often plays a pivotal role. This study contributes to VR teaching and learning research by investigating the association between social presence indicators and modes of cognitive engagement in a desktop collaborative virtual reality (VR) learning environment based on the social presence theory and the cognitive engagement definition of the Interactive-Constructive-Active-Passive framework. The study participants logged into the VR platform to collaboratively solve simulated engineering statics problems. The transcripts of students' interaction videos were coded based on codebooks for both social presence and cognitive engagement. The study revealed that social presence indicators are significantly associated with the three modes of cognitive engagement (active, constructive, and interactive). Additionally, interactive open communication emerged as the primary social presence element utilized by students during cognitive engagement with peers in the learning environment. This study's findings have implications for research and practice in enhancing students' cognitive engagement through their social interactions within VR learning environment.

The purpose of the article is to study, analyze and consider the general problems and prospects of using navigation systems in a virtual environment on mobile devices using Google Cardboard virtual reality glasses. The research methodology consists of the methods of semantic analysis of the basic concepts of a given subject area (navigation systems in virtual environments). The article discusses the existing approaches to the development of navigation systems. The novelty of the research is the solution of navigation problems in mobile applications that operate in virtual reality. Conclusions. The work analyzed the existing problems and prospects for the use of navigation systems in mobile applications that can be used in the field of education gamification. Taking into account the results of the analysis, the authors have developed a navigation system that is important for solving problems of improving the effectiveness of gamification of learning processes (especially distance, online learning, e-learning).

Occupational Safety and Health Act (1994) and efforts taken to ensure the safety of workers in the construction industry. Despite these, accident rates are still alarming. One of the reasons is due to the weak pedagogy, lack of technology integration, and hazardous learning environment that lead towards low learning performance and practicing safety procedures. This study aims to discover the effectiveness of virtual reality simulation learning environment. Results show that there is a significant difference in trainee's achievements in a traditional construction site visit and virtual construction environment. To conclude, virtual reality learning environment offers effective learning platforms for millennials.Keywords: safety hazards; occupational safety and health; virtual reality;eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2019. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA CE-Bs by E-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v4i12.1802

The thing that the virtual reality can do is really a lot, and its strong function is also noticed by everyone already. In fact virtual reality is also very extensive in the application of the education and, the future development is also limitless. The objectives of this research are to establishing Network Virtual Reality Learning Environment, also assist the implementation of merging information science technology into nature and science domain education and explore the impact of network virtual reality learning system to the learning performance of nature and science domain teaching in primary school on ”Nine-year Coherent Curriculum Education System in Nature and Life Science & Technology Domain”. The test samples designed by this research are grade 6 in primary school who receive virtual reality education in Kaohsiung County. The research result shows that children who receive virtual reality education have better learning results than students who receive conventional education. Meanwhile, through the operation of network virtual reality, students have stronger impression about the teaching material, which indicate the special features of network virtual reality in assisting students learning. In addition, the learning activity of network virtual reality has considerable attractiveness. Students are more willing to learn. This also helps them in learning.

Virtual reality technology is an emerging technology that possibly can address the problems encountered in training (elderly) people to handle a mobility device. The objective of this review was to study different virtual reality training applications as well as their clinical implication for patients with mobility problems. Computerized literature searches were performed using the MEDLINE, Cochrane, CIRRIE and REHABDATA databases. This resulted in eight peer reviewed journal articles. The included studies could be divided into three categories, on the basis of their study objective. Five studies were related to training driving skills, two to physical exercise training and one to leisure activity. This review suggests that virtual reality is a potentially useful means to improve the use of a mobility device, in training one's driving skills, for keeping up the physical condition and also in a way of leisure time activity. Although this field of research appears to be in its early stages, the included studies pointed out a promising transfer of training in a virtual environment to the real-life use of mobility devices.

How can we increase awareness and understanding of other cultures using interactive online digital visualizations of past civilizations? In order to answer the above question, this chapter first questions the success of current virtual environments and asks whether they are capable of producing a platform that supports the experience and understanding of place-inscribed culture. To answer this question, a typology of successful virtual environment applications is suggested. These include online communities, virtual realityVirtual environmentVirtual Reality (VR) travel websites, game engines, virtual reality used for training, and virtual reality used as part of therapeutic means to either relax or divert patients, or to cure phobiasPhobias. Impeding the success of virtual environments in terms of technological constraints, lack of evaluation techniques and results, and a lack of content-specific applications that best utilize desktop computing capabilities and respond to user needs. It suggests that much more work needs to be done on not just usable but also useful content. Specifically, there is a large gap in knowledge on what might constitute useful and appropriate virtual travel environments, and how contextual interaction may affect our cultural understanding in these environments.

This article examines embodied interaction in a virtual reality learning environment. Studies of embodied interaction in immersive learning environments, like virtual reality, tend to treat all bodies the same without considering the nuanced cultural histories those bodies have with being mobile, especially within—and beyond—technology-mediated environments. In response, this study pivots from perspectives on embodied interaction that underscore the inextricable link between mind and body in favor of sociocultural perspectives to embodiment that emphasize the cultural-historical production of embodied interaction across space and over time. Through multimodal analysis of 10 learners’ experiences in a virtual reality experience called Thought for Food, this article contributes (1) an overt focus on the importance of feeling histories—embodied ways of sensing, feeling, and moving within digital environments—of learners engaging in virtual reality environments in order to promote equitable learning opportunities and (2) argues for future designs that are attuned to frictions—contestations between bodies and interfaces—that potentially collide with learners’ feeling histories.

Throughout the past two decades, researchers have seen rapid innovations in the field of learning technologies. Virtual reality, video games, and online learning are becoming quite common in educational contexts. Pedagogical agents are often present in a variety of these virtual environments. Pedagogical agents are virtual characters with an on-screen presence that are designed to facilitate learning in multimedia environments. In this chapter the author examines the theoretical rationale for incorporating a pedagogical agent into a learning environment, critically examines their effectiveness for learning, and discusses how they have been implemented in research studies to date. Suggestions for future research in virtual reality environments are highlighted.

This abstract is a companion piece to the ninth iteration of the “Me and My VE” interactive session. The purpose of this alternative format session is to allow human factors researchers to demonstrate how they use virtual reality, mixed reality, and virtual environments to support end-user research. The session begins with each presenter providing a brief introduction of their virtual reality, mixed reality, or virtual environment application. After this introduction, attendees engage with the presenters and their virtual environments in an interactive demonstration period. This year’s demonstrations include applications ranging from designing virtual environments for accessibility to using virtual and extended reality to support medical and aviation training, content validation, and human-computer interaction studies. The goal of the session is to allow attendees to experience how human factors professionals use virtual environments to support human factors-oriented research and to learn about the exciting work being conducted in this field.

Educational technology can enhance learning by supporting the learning environment through various digital resources. There have been numerous emerging technologies which are able to bridge the resource gap in learning environments enabling students to get access to an abundance of resources on digital platforms. This paper presents a literature review, exploring the potential of using Mobile Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies to support experiential learning in South African institutions. While there have been studies which aim to assess the use of AR and VR for educational purposes such as in mining safety education in South Africa, there is a need for studies that look at the potential of AR and VR in augmenting higher educational institutions such as universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges which require students to complete an experiential learning component in their studies in order to complete their qualifications. The study aims to establish the potential role that AR and VR can provide in enhancing experiential learning by providing students with practical experience in various educational fields, leveraging augmented and virtual reality technologies to simulate such learning environments.

Advances in Virtual Reality (VR) systems, Intelligent Tutoring Systems and Agent Technology make it possible to design and develop Virtual Training Environments (VTEs), where the trainees can immerse themselves and interact directly with the learning domain. This paper presents the Interaction Specification Workspace (ISW) architecture for the specification and design of virtual environments for training purposes. ISW architecture provides the interaction designer with the capability to specify the training interaction with the virtual environment using the Virtual Reality Multi Flow Graph (VR-MFG) as the underlying interaction specification model. ISW implements a design space, where the processes of interaction specification and design of VTEs take place inside a three-dimensional virtual environment, the objects of which are tools by themselves. Inside this workspace, the designer can associate the abstract objects (the components of the VR-MFG) with “actual” objects of the target virtual environment (kept in a “world” database) and apply a number of agent templates with training capabilities.

The article presents the outcomes of the research of virtual and augmented reality technologies percularities and the possibility of their implementation in the educational process. The main reasons and technologies of virtual reality in the field of information technologies are determined. The analysis of virtual reality programs has been carried out. To determine the relevance of the implementation of virtual, augmented reality and game simulator technologies into the educational process the survey was created by the authors and conducted remotely among the population of Khmelnytskyi region on the Google Forms. The results of the conducted survey suggest the answers to a number of questions, including whether our society is ready to implement virtual, augmented reality and game simulators into the educational process of future specialists’ training, as the field of virtual reality research continues to expand relentlessly, the integration of VR (Virtual Reality) with various areas of human life continues. In addition to the survey in Google Forms, a survey was also conducted to collect information about currently existing virtual environments, programs and game simulators that can be added to educational components or integrated into other educational systems not only in the field of education (Minecraft, Cooking Simulator, PC Building Simulator 1-2, Google Arts & Culture). It is quite possible to integrate these simulators under the educational components of certain specialized subject areas. The conducted survey makes it possible to assume that users are already ready not only for the integration of virtual environments in the game sphere, but also for the full involvement of virtual technologies and game environments in the application of educational components. VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) technologies are gaining popularity in cultural, educational, gaming, business environments and more. The disturbed issues are studied in education, which encourages a deeper insight into the essence of the processes that take place under the influence of the latest information and communication developments.

The effects of the presence of others during a rowing exercise in a virtual reality environment