Mariano.Rico@uam.es

Automatic guidance tools for enhancing the educative

experience in non-Immersive Virtual Worlds

Preliminary results from project V-LeaF

The V-LeaF project

• Funding: Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation – EXPLORA Program

• Project Coordinator: Estrella Pulido• Researchers

– David Camacho– Xavier Alamán– Gonzalo Martínez

• Site: http://this.ii.uam.es/vleaf

Target

• Spanish high-school students – Agreement with 4 spanish high schools

• Enhance the students programming experience– Not expertisement but subjective

perception of technical subjects learning• Simple for teachers

– They can contribute• New tools• Extend/Enhance existing tools

Better than reality (1/2)

• Virtual tools to enhance technical teaching and learning – Previous studies

• J.N. Bailenson 2008 (immersive virtual reality environments)– Teachers eye-gaze. The more the better.– Students location.

» The closer the better » The more in front the better

– Students interaction» The less distractive students the better

• Steptoe 2009 (immersive Collaborative Virtual Environments, typically CAVEs)

– Eye-Gaze is very important

• H. Harris 2009 (Second Life)– Behavior in virtual environments mimics real social behavior

Immersive

Non-Immersive

Better than reality (2/2)

• Virtual tools to enhance technical teaching and learning – Benefits

• Cheaper than real hardware• Easy to create (Linden Scripting Language)

– Our tools• Students monitor• Recommender system for students

– Experimental results• Students are enthusiastic• Teachers want more

V-LeaF ArchitectureData Bases

Virtual World (V-LeaF)

Web Server(Tomcat)

SecondLife client

Teacher

StudentInternet

V-LeaF Web PortalWeb Site

documents(tutorials,

guides)

Groups info(teachers, students)Logs,

computed info(teachers,students)

VW objects(teachers, students)

Other softwareData mining,

statistical software

Scientist

Access to V-LeaF data

Internet

V-LeaF monitoring

InternetOperating System

OpenSimulator

LSL

logs

Virtual World Server Monitor System

RecommenderSystem

(1)

(2)

Client

OpenSim Viewer

V-LeaF Monitoring Tools (1/3)

• Interactive blackboard– Logs teacher activity and students

attention– Teacher configures

• Slides content (images)• Who can turn pages

– Teacher can point out positions in the blackboard (laser pointer)

V-LeaF Monitoring Tools (2/3)

• Students monitor– Object attached to the teacher view– Students must wear a bracelet

V-LeaF Monitoring Tools (3/3)• Virtual recommendations for students

and teachers

Future work• Tests tools with real users• New tools based in results

– Questionnaires • to check

– The quality of the teacher lecture– The attention level of students

• Simple to create by teachers (web application)

– Improve recommender system• We encourage you to participate!!

Thanks for your attentionhttp://this.ii.uam.es/vleafhttp://this.ii.uam.es/vleaf