Structured learning in a virtual environment

Abstract

The aim of the DOVE project is to develop a multimedia learning environment for the systematic observation and analysis of animal behaviour. This meets a need in Biology courses where several hundred students each year may need to learn the fundamentals of behavioural recording. This demand cannot adequately be met given present resources. The DOVE (Dynamic Observation in Virtual Environments) system simulates the observation and recording of animal behaviour in the field. The animals are observed through window based video sequences; the charts and tools required for systematic observation are presented as objects. The students record the appropriate behavioural events on the charts presented on the screen. This simulated environment provides the basis for a tutorial introduction to the knowledge and skills of behavioural recording. The learning blocks are structured according to the principles of the CORE approach which emphasises abstracting from examples in context. The evaluation indicates strongly that this synthesis of a simulated environment and a structural learning framework works well.