{"id":3206,"date":"2017-07-24T20:10:35","date_gmt":"2017-07-25T03:10:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/?p=3206"},"modified":"2017-07-24T20:10:35","modified_gmt":"2017-07-25T03:10:35","slug":"virtual-worlds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/2017\/07\/24\/virtual-worlds\/","title":{"rendered":"Virtual worlds"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This weeks readings regarding embodiment and VR\/AR made me think about two separate platforms that I am starting to use in my classroom. \u00a0As Winn states\u201c<\/span>Artificial environments can use computer technology to create metaphorical representations in order to bring students concepts and principles that normally lie outside the reach of direct experience.\u201d(Winn, 2003). Cospaces is a VR creation program that allows for the effortless creation of virtual spaces to interact with using cheap VR devices such as Google cardboard. \u00a0As the article discusses we learn more when immersed in environments \u201cBodily activity is often essential to understanding what us going on in an artificial environment. \u00a0The ability to move about makes it easier to remember three dimensional spacial layouts.\u201d(Winn, 2003). I only had the final term to have my students start to develop spaces within this platform but what I did notice was the speed at which they picked up not only the construction of the virtual environment but the ease with which they started to code object interaction within the virtual space. \u00a0I have used Scratch for 3 years now to teach coding and CoSpaces uses the same Blockly script writing to code your characters or environment to interact with the user. \u00a0While Scratch is 2D the 3D plan seemed to increase intrinsic motivation, boost problem solving ability and heighten creative construction in a way that far surpassed Scratch. While there is of course the benefits of multimodal forms of learning I also believe that \u201cmemory retrieval and learning is aided when information is associated with physical locations.\u201d (<\/span>Bujak, Radu, Catrambone, MacIntyre, Zheng, & Golubski 2013). \u00a0Drop students into a lush tropical jungle in CoSpaces or Minecraft and get them to learn about perimeter and area will yield a much more memorable result than teaching it in a classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The second platform that I have been experimenting with at home is Leap Motion<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?time_continue=36&v=oZ_53T2jBGg<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Now while most schools cannot afford a Vive or Occulus Rift this really is the next level for physical interaction with virtual objects. \u00a0\u201cAR technology can aid the creation of embodied metaphors, by combining physical and virtual manipulatives into experiences where students use physical objects augmented with virtual information.(<\/span>Bujak, Radu, Catrambone, MacIntyre, Zheng, & Golubski 2013).<\/span><\/p>\n

The software\/hardware combination is very powerful and while the price point is far too high I believe that soon we will start to see these kinds of infrared tracking devices hooked in to VR platforms used more in education.<\/span><\/p>\n

As well as with CoSpaces I can attest to the fact \u201ca significant difference in the behavior and engagement of students during the AR implementation as compared to their normal classroom behavior\u201d (Dunleavy, Dede, & Mitchell, 2009). \u00a0Previously disengaged students suddenly don\u2019t want to leave Math class because they are enjoying their time immersed in the experience. \u00a0We are just at the cusp of this new tech completely changing the way we teach and I am excited about the ways that VR\/AR will transform learning.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Two questions:<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How do we couple VR with content as building games is very time consuming?<\/span><\/p>\n

What skills do we lose when implementing these new technologies?<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bujak, K. R., Radu, I., Catrambone, R., MacIntyre, B., Zheng, R., & Golubski, G. (2013). A psychological perspective on augmented reality in the mathematics classroom. <\/span>Computers & Education, 68<\/span><\/i>, 536-544.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dunleavy, M., Dede, C., & Mitchell, R. (2009). Affordances and limitations of immersive participatory augmented reality simulations for teaching and learning. <\/span>Journal of Science Education and Technology, 18<\/span><\/i>(1), 7-22.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Winn, W. (2003). Learning in artificial environments: Embodiment, embeddedness, and dynamic adaptation. Technology, Instruction, Cognition and Learning, 1(1), 87-114.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  This weeks readings regarding embodiment and VR\/AR made me think about two separate platforms that I am starting to use in my classroom. \u00a0As Winn states\u201cArtificial environments can use computer technology to create metaphorical representations in order to bring students concepts and principles that normally lie outside the reach of direct experience.\u201d(Winn, 2003). Cospaces […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49909,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1669393],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-c-embodied-learning"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49909"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3206"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3207,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3206\/revisions\/3207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}