3D interactive environment

The educational technology and digital learning wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Draft

Definition

  • 3D Interactive environments are often referred to as virtual reality or interactive 3D and have a figurative appearance. Much like our own world, this type of world allows interaction with other (networked) beings as well as manipulation of objects (Loeffler & Andersen 1994). They are a kind of virtual habitat.

See also: virtual environment for an overview on different categories.

3D interactive environments became relatively popular by the end of last century. From its start, some educators and educational researchers have been investigating these spaces. However, the "killing application" are shared computer games, in particular MMORPGs.

Types

In education

  • The problem with these environments is that there is not much to do in such an environment, so why use it then after "dressing as avatar" and "let's build a home" effects runs out ... ?
Typical useful applications
  • Role playing
  • Mission training
  • Procedure training

Links

Indexes

Virtual environments

Proprietary formats
  • Second Life (SecondLife.com). Currently the most popular it seems, includes educational activities.
  • Active Worlds (multiple server spaces). This technology has been around sine 1995 and is still popular. However, they don't seem to answer any emails regarding educational worlds ....
  • DigitalSpace Traveler
  • Meet3D
  • Virtools (Dassault). Production and deployment tools (immersive, Internet, 3D desktop, ..)
Standards-based
Somewhat standards-based
  • VRMLWorld, only works on Win+IE (active X controls) Needs the AB client.
Dead systems

Most 3D virtual worlds die off at some point. In Daniel K. Schneider's experience (since 1995) an open source project or a company usually lasts 3 years before it goes out of business. One of the reasons was that clients/plugin architecture changed a lot and demands rewriting of code. E.g. in the VRML/XD3 world, EAI was replaced by SAI. Examples:

  • Free and/or opensource: Geometrek, VNET
  • Commercial: OZ (they now sell mobile chat)
An alternative for small groups
  • Use a game engine like Neverwinter Nights, have end users buy each a copy of the game and the use a replicator service (not tested).

(More) conceptual meta resources and portals

  • New World Notes. James Wagner's blog on Second Life related stories and issues. Probably the best place to start reading, if the concept of living in virtual environment may sound strange to you ...
  • JISC 3D Visualisation in the Arts Network. The 3DVisA Bulletin is intended as a forum for a community-wide debate on key and current issues in 3D visualisation. It is published every six months, profiling projects and people, and reviewing 3D techniques and resources.

References

  • Barab, Sasha A. ,Kenneth E. Hay, Michael Barnett and Kurt Squire (2001). Constructing Virtual Worlds: Tracing the Historical Development of Learner Practices, Cognition And Instruction, 19(1), 47-94. PDF
  • Ingeborg Krange, Tove Kristiansen, Lars Helljesen, Ola Ødegård and Annita Fjuk, (2000), Collaborative learning, Interactive 3D technology, ICT in schools, Telenor R&D Report ISBN 82-423-0516-1. PDF
  • Pike, Lewis, E-learning in virtual worlds: Skills for Life for the 21st Century, SimTech article, HTML, retrieved, 17:17, 15 September 2006 (MEST).
  • S. Clark, M.L. Maher. (2006) COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN A 3D VIRTUAL PLACE: INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF PLACE IN A VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. Advanced Technology for Learning 3:4,
  • Shelley P. Ross, Ronald W. Skelton, Sven C. Mueller. (2006) Gender differences in spatial navigation in virtual space: implications when using virtual environments in instruction and assessment. Virtual Reality 10:3-4, 175