BLENDED LEARNING IN A MIXED REALITY-BASED 3D MULTI-USER VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

Compared to other virtual e-learning environments, the general purpose 3D multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs), such as Second Life or OpenSim, offer a platform for creation of educational virtual worlds having as main advantages a strong immersion (both for the teacher and the learner) and physical presence feeling, the ubiquity of the access, a support of colaborative and social learning. Recently the 3D MUVEs allow the integration with multimedia content (Power Point, video), and their usage not only as 3D simulators (sims) but also as a rich content platforms in 3D space. This opened the way to service-based 3D MUVEs by their integration with other technologies (web), services (e.g. video broadcasting), applications (such as the traditional e-learning platforms, e.g. LMS) or devices. The 3D MUVEs provide only the 3D infrastructure and service level. The teachers which choose an alternative to the traditional classroom teaching and learning, need to build both the virtual learning space and the pedagogical content. The instructional design is different from the traditional or other digital content, and it is concerned with the exploitation of the 3D space and observation of the in-world metaphors. OpenSim is a free, open-source, modular and extensible 3D server-side simulator, with a direct access to the database for 3D and non-3D content management. Furthermore, it can be hosted and maintained by educational institutions. The integration of the 3D MUVEs with multimedia techniques is not only an augmentation of the virtual world but can can support the blended learning concept inside the 3D world: live or recorded broadcasting of lessons and events, real-time communications. This paper presents an experiment of advanced usage of the OpenSim for simulating a virtual classroom using a Mixed Reality approach, which can be used not only by students of the Departament of Computers from the University Politehnica Bucharest, but also by other authorized students. The paper contains motivations for chosing OpenSim and similar educational implementations; a description of the experimental solution with focus on the integration with the multimedia system, the administrative tasks (such as student authorization through a web interface and presence tracking), AI components and leverage of students'mobile devices (based on the BYOD concept - Bring Your Own Device). An analysis part is dedicated to practical use scenarios of the virtual classroom, advantages of this solutions for a blended-learning approach, results of a survey of teachers and students regarding the platform efficacity and motivation to use it and also the research conclusions.