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MultiUser Exploration Spatially-oriented virtual worlds Practical planning and decision making Educational Role-playing Games “Learning-by-doing” Experiences
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The NDSU Worldwide Web Instructional Committee
Research on Role-based Learning Technologies
NDSU WWWICNDSU WWWICWorld Wide Web Instructional CommitteeWorld Wide Web Instructional Committee
WWWIC’s virtual worlds research supported by NSF grants DUE-9752548, EAR-9809761, DUE-9981094,
ITR-0086142 and EPSCoR 99-77788
WWWIC faculty supported by large teams of WWWIC faculty supported by large teams of undergraduate and graduate students.undergraduate and graduate students.
Paul Juell
Donald SchwertPhillip McClean
Brian SlatorBernhardt Saini-Eidukat
Alan WhiteJeff Clark
• MultiUser
• Exploration
• Spatially-oriented virtual worlds
• Practical planning and decision
making
Educational Role-playing Games
“Learning-by-doing” Experiences
Educational Role-playing Games
“Learning-by-doing” Experiences
• Problem solving
• Scientific method
• Real-world content
• Mature thinking
Balancing Pedagogy with
Play
Games have the capacity to engage!
• Powerful mechanisms for instruction
• Illustrate real-world content and structure
• Promote strategic maturity (“learning not the law, but learning to think like a lawyer”)
Technical Approach
• Networked, internet based, client-server simulation
• UNIX-based MOO (Multi-User Dungeon, Object Oriented)
• Java-based clients (text version - telnet based; graphical versions)
The Projects
The Virtual CellThe Virtual CellDollar BayDollar BayLike-a-Fish hook VillageLike-a-Fish hook VillageDigital Archive for ArchaeologyDigital Archive for ArchaeologyOthersOthers
The Geology ExplorerThe Geology Explorer
The Geology Explorer
• Similar to Earth, but opposite the Sun
•You are a Geologist and you “land” on Oit to undertake exploration
•Authentic Geoscience goals - e.g., to locate, identify, and report valuable minerals
Planet Oit
~50 places: desert, cutbank, cave, etc.
~100 different rocks and minerals
~15 field instruments: rock pick, acid bottle, magnet, etc.
~Software Tutors: agents for equipment, exploration, and deduction
Planet OitThe simulation
Maps of Planet OitMaps of Planet Oit
Virtual Field InstrumentsVirtual Field Instruments
Recent Advances·New Modules:·Hydrology·Interpretation
·Expanded Graphical Client
·Redesign planet: sophisticated geologic map + tectonic setting.
The Virtual Cell
The Cell: Rendered in the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML)
You are a Biologist who can “fly around” inside the cell.
You are assigned goals which range from “identify the nucleus” early to “synthesize ATP” later.
You set up experiments (for example, a chlorophyll assay)
Experimentation – bring samples back to the lab
• Students can join from any remote location
• They can log in at any time of day or night
• Human tutors cannot be available at all times to help
• Students can become discouraged or “lost” in the world and not know why
In Virtual Environments:In Virtual Environments:
Tutors Tutors areare Needed Needed
• Information is readily available
• The simulation can track actions
• The simulation can generate warnings and explanations
• Tutor “visits” are triggered by user action
In Virtual Environments:In Virtual Environments:
Tutors Tutors areare Needed Needed
• Student interact with the intelligent tutoring agent
• Students can ignore advice and carry on at their own risk
In Virtual Environments:In Virtual Environments:
Tutors Tutors areare Needed Needed
• Intelligent Software Tutoring Agents. (example: Diagnostic Tutors)
• 1. Equipment tutor
• 2. Exploration tutor
• 3. Science tutor • Detects when a student makes a wrong guess and why
(i.e. what evidence they are lacking); or when a student makes a correct guess with insufficient evidence (i.e. a lucky guess)
Tutoring is Done by:Tutoring is Done by:
Rejects the notion of standardized multiple choice tests
Pre-game narrative-based survey• short problem-solving stories • students record their impressions and questions
Similar post-game survey with different but analogous scenarios
Surveys analyzed for improvement in problem-solving
Assessment
Qualitative
The Geology Explorer:The Geology Explorer:Assessment ProtocolAssessment Protocol
Pre-course Assessment:Pre-course Assessment:400+ students400+ students
Computer Literacy Assessment:Computer Literacy Assessment:(244 volunteers)(244 volunteers)
Divide by Computer Literacy Divide by Computer Literacy and Geology Lab Experienceand Geology Lab Experience
Geomagnetic Geomagnetic (Alternative)(Alternative) Group: Group:
(122 students)(122 students)
Geology Explorer Geology Explorer TreatmentTreatment Group: Group:
(122 students)(122 students)
Non-Participant Non-Participant Control Control Group:Group:
(150 students, approx.)(150 students, approx.)
CompletedCompleted(78 students)(78 students)
Non-Non-completedcompleted(44 students)(44 students)
CompletedCompleted(95 students)(95 students)
Non-Non-completedcompleted(27 students)(27 students)
Post-course Assessment:Post-course Assessment:368 students368 students
Example: Fall, 1998Example: Fall, 1998
Mean Post-Intervention Scenario Scores for 1998 Geology Explorer - NDSU Physical Geology Students
Grader Grader GraderGroup No. One Two ThreeAlternate 95 29.3a 27.0a 42.6aControl 195 25.1a 25.5a 44.5aPlanet Oit 78 40.5b 35.4b 53.4b
Within any column, any two means Within any column, any two means followed by the same letter are not followed by the same letter are not significantly different at P=0.05 using significantly different at P=0.05 using Duncan’s multiple range mean separation Duncan’s multiple range mean separation test. test.
Mean Post-Intervention Scenario Scores
Module:Group No. Organelle ID Cellular Resp.Alternate 94 19.7b 13.7bControl 145 17.4a 10.6aVcell 93 22.7c 17.3c
Within any column, any two means Within any column, any two means followed by the same letter are not followed by the same letter are not significantly different at P=0.05 using the significantly different at P=0.05 using the LSD mean separation test. LSD mean separation test.
Teaching Principles• Game-like• Spatially oriented• Goal-orientated• Immersive• Role-based• Exploratory• Interactive• Multi-user• Teach through learn-by-doing techniques
Advantages of Virtual Worlds
• Collapse virtual time and distance• Allow physical or practical
impossibilities• Participate from anywhere• Interact with other users, virtual artifacts,
and software agents• Multi-user collaborations and competitive
play
To visit WWWIC Projects:www.ndsu.edu/wwwicwww.ndsu.edu/wwwic
Choose the project you want to view from the list at Choose the project you want to view from the list at the leftthe left