A framework to prepare the application of virtual worlds in distance education in developing countries
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A framework to prepare the application of virtual worlds in distance education in developing countries Aliane Loureiro Krassmann1 · Felipe Becker Nunes2 · João Marcos Flach1 · Liane Margarida Rockenbach Tarouco1 · Magda Bercht1
© Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract This paper presents a framework to help preparing the implementation of virtual worlds, emphasizing on the requirements that distance education students need to meet to have a successful learning experience. A virtual world was developed using the OpenSimulator platform, under the pedagogical perspective of the Experiential Learning model, in a role-play simulation approach. An exploratory study was carried out with 19 experts from three different domains, collecting specialized feedback around technical and pedagogical dimensions, considering the target audience peculiarities, especially focusing on developing countries. The results culminated with the proposal of eight guidelines to harness the potential of the technology of virtual worlds for distance education. Keywords Framework · Distance education · Virtual worlds
1 Introduction Virtual reality technology has been emerging in education, allowing the creation of immersive environments that simulate the real world. Learning activities that are too expensive, complex or even dangerous and impossible to perform in real life, are made possible through highly interactive and realistic simulations. Students, represented by their avatars, are free to move around and interact with objects by multiple perspectives, having a more active participation. In cases where poor judgment could lead to real harm,
* Aliane Loureiro Krassmann [email protected] Felipe Becker Nunes [email protected] João Marcos Flach [email protected] Liane Margarida Rockenbach Tarouco [email protected] Magda Bercht [email protected] 1
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Antonio Menghetti Faculdade, Restinga Seca, Brazil
2
students can practice decision-making without real-life ethical implications. According to Bredl et al. [4], this new paradigm of immersive education tends to be more engaging than text or video-based online communication, and the evidence points to a future in which it alters how, what, when and where we teach. In this sense, this potential can be more significant for the context of distance education, by allowing teachers and learners separated by distance to engage in the social activity of learning. Virtual reality technology can be divided into two main strands: fully or partially immersive. It is considered fully immersive when it potentially excludes external stimuli, tracks and projects the user’s physical movements in real time, providing the ability to perceive through natural sensorimotor contingencies [25]. This is usually achieved using Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) devices or Cave Automatic Virtual Environments (CAVEs). However, these sophisticated features are not yet readily available to educators, as they
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