Virtual Reality (VR) storytelling enhances the immersion of users into virtual environments (VE). Its use in virtual cultural heritage presentations helps the revival of the genius loci (the spirit of the place) of cultural monuments. This paper aims to show that the use of actors in VR storytelling adds to the quality of user experience and improves the edutainment value of virtual cultural heritage applications. We will describe the Baiae dry visit application which takes us to a time travel in the city considered by the Roman elite as "Little Rome (Pusilla Roma)" and presently is only partially preserved under the sea.
To increase the interest of young people in the technological and scientific aspects of space research, the European Space Education Resources Office (ESERO) has decided to develop a set of games with space themes. Our group was selected to design and implement a game in virtual reality. In this paper, we describe the main design principles, interaction and navigation techniques, and technological details of the final game titled Moon Base.
Augmented Reality (AR) allows for a connection between real and virtual worlds, thus providing a high potential for Special Needs Education (SNE). We developed an educational application called Fancy Fruits to teach disabled children the components of regional fruits and vegetables. The app includes marker-based AR elements connecting the real situation with virtual information. To evaluate the application, a field study was conducted. Eleven children with mental disabilities took part in the study. The results show a high enjoyment of the participants. The study also validated the app's child-friendly design.
Immersive virtual reality (VR) holds great potential for learning, but it is unclear how VR experiences should be designed to maximize learning potential. In this study, we explored how the level of interactivity in an educational VR storytelling experience for immunology learning affects a user's learning gains. We created three versions of the VR experience with low (system automates as many actions as possible), medium (a combination of system automation and user-controlled actions), and high (as many user-controlled actions as possible) levels of interactivity. We hypothesized that too much or too little interactivity would result in smaller learning gains than a medium level of interactivity. Although data from pre and post-tests showed no significant difference in students' learning gains due to interactivity level, questionnaire and interview data suggest that interactivity in the experience significantly affects students' engagement in learning, attention, and focus on learning material. Participants also perceived that they could learn better and more effectively in a VR experience with a higher level of interactivity.
When performing problem solving tasks, teachers need to guide students' activities through the regulation of learning with meaningful resources that exemplify students' daily life. As a contribution to the learning and teaching processes in problem solving in math, we created Festarola, a digital game designed for young children, ages eight to ten, where a team of players is tasked with organizing a birthday party for a group of children. The game fosters both self and shared regulation of learning in problem solving by guiding students through a forethought phase, an execution and monitoring phase, and lastly, a self-reflection phase. A user study was conducted with children from the Portuguese primary education to measure the impact of the game. Children interacted with the game individually and in groups throughout several sessions. Positive results indicate that the game successfully stimulated and developed problem solving strategies in students.
Study results on virtual reality (VR) environment properties and their impact on presence have been contradictory. And due to the media specificity of VR, which includes place illusion, rules for environment design cannot directly be transferred from 3D computer games or stereoscopic film to VR. This study develops a model for VR environments based on Mel Slater's observation that place illusion in VR is caused by the use of sensorimotor contingencies (SMC). It defines properties of the environment which provide action possibilities for SMC as sensorimotor affordances (SMA). SMC and SMA form a bidirectional feedback loop of perception. This model helps to clarify former contradictory study results on VR environments, and also provides the basis for a framework of preceptual design rules for VR environments.
We present the design and evaluation of Scalebridge, an educational game that teaches children the mathematical skill of proportional reasoning. We also propose an adaptive level difficulty model that uses low-cost brain-computer interface device to modulate difficulty of the game based on the player's focus. We show that the game achieves the educational learning outcome of developing proportional reasoning skill both in the adaptive and in the non-adaptive version of game.
Analysis and comparison of human motion are very important for games and virtual reality. In the case of dances, teacher's or professional performance is considered as the ground truth. To provide feedback to the learner, learner's movements are compared to the teacher's movements. Recording human motion using optical motion capture system is often considered as gold standard. In this paper, the problem of getting ground truth data has been analyzed. Professional dancers, male and female, were recorded performing folk dances, alone and with a partner using an optical motion capture system. Two cases for dancing in pair, one person was wearing the suit with passive markers, and both were wearing suits. Three-dimensional marker trajectories and quaternions were compared using dynamic time warping and multidimensional dynamic time warping. Initial results show that dances performed in pair are the most similar and could be used in the applications for learning purposes.
This paper investigates the advantage of VR technology in architectural education. Different studies showed that VR increases the engagement and motivation of students by creating an interactive environment and provides deeper learning. On the other hand, Precedents in architecture are the first and the most important step toward architectural education. One needs to study these precedents and store them in the experiential/episodic memory. Visiting precedents is more beneficial than conventional ways of studying them such as hand sketching but it is costly and not available to all students. Therefore, we believe that the VR technology can take the place of visiting precedents since it resembles the precedents exactly and offers a better, cheaper and easier way for accumulating highly specific architectural knowledge than a local visit due to providing architectural interactivity. We tested our hypothesis by using Therme Vals and an HTC Vive headset among architecture students. This paper shows that VR is an advantage in architectural education because it offers cheap and easy solutions for studying precedents. Also, it motivates the students and leads to deeper learning because of the interactivity that it offers. The students were able to recognize a complex plan clearly and remember the spatial configuration.
This paper presents a person-to-3D character, immersive, real-time dance training framework for leaders. Rather than immersive mimicking of pre-recorded dance animations as in previous work, the user is now trained to lead a 3D partner while dancing, initiating movements to which the 3D character responds to, in real-time. Realistic animations were applied to the rigged 3D human model of a dance partner using Inverse Kinematics (IK). The 3D dance partner is rigged based on custom skeletons using 3D geometrical bones and IK solvers. Motion capture data were applied to the rigged 3D model to create realistic dance animations. Initially, the application features a tutorial guide process. The 3D character is standing facing the user who selects dance training options using gestures such as thumb and waving hands, touches and pinch actions. The 3D character partner responds in real-time, producing body motion according to the users' dance leading actions following Salsa dance rules. The experience is evaluated as realistic dance. The software architecture could be utilized in a wide range of training systems in diverse domains, such as training in the manufacturing domain.
To harness the potential of virtual reality (VR) in the healthcare sector, the expenditures for users such as clinics, doctors or health insurances, have to be reduced - a requirement the technology platform VIA VR (an acronym from “virtual reality adventures” and VR) promises to fulfill by combining several key technologies to allow specialists from the healthcare sector to create high-impact VR adventures without the need for a background in programming or the design of virtual worlds. This paper fleshes out the concept of VIA VR, its technological pillars and the planned R&D agenda.
By using simulations in virtual reality (VR), people have the chance to train without supervision in a safe and controlled environment. VR simulation training allows users to gain new skills and apply them to real-life situations. However, the learning curve of this technology from a novice level could influence the expected learning results of a training session. A training approach based on the combination of VR and gamification could speed up this overall learning process and not just for a novice. In this paper we evaluate how gamification in a VR training session can improve the efficiency of the training and the accuracy of the task execution in a real-world practical test. In the training scenario of this study, 50 randomly assigned participants were divided into two groups. The groups were assigned to a gamified and a non-gamified version of the same VR training and were then guided through a step-by-step tutorial outlining how to solve an assembly task. Performance differences were evaluated based on time taken and specific errors made during the training session. The results of this study show, in general, that beneficial effects can be attributed to the use of gamification in the conducted VR training simulation, particularly for the VR novice participants.
The aim of the paper was to explore a new approach for flight simulation in virtual reality and to study user's perception of virtual avatar embodiment. The exploratory research started with (i) the perception of wings on the body, and the natural movement that people do when flying. The results were used to (ii) create a model and a virtual environment in order to explore the extent of the virtual presence and virtual body ownership of the users. To get appropriate user feedback a questionnaire with 76 international participants was used. The results indicated that 78.6 % imagine having wings on their shoulders and on their back. In addition to that, 57.3 % move their arms as intuitive action to fly. Based on these results the model has to follow the flapping flight simulation in a way that wings would be attached to the shoulder. An angelic avatar was designed and a game-based story was used to justify the connection of moving hands and having wings on the shoulder. This provides an insight into the perception of wings and action of flying as felt by the user. The last experiment used questionnaires to assess the extent of immersion and presence of the users in the virtual environment. The results indicate that such a setting provides an immersive effect for flying in virtual reality.
The objective of this research is to measure the effectiveness of a game-based learning approach for cyber safety education for children in elementary school. To date, few cyber safety games have been developed and evaluated for elementary school children. To address this gap in knowledge, we developed a novel cyber safety computer game and conducted a study with elementary school children ranging from age 7 to 10 (n=49). Children were taught concepts of cyber safety through either our plain TEXT, our interactive E-LEARNING website, or our GAME. Knowledge increased significantly more in the group that played the game, indicating that elementary school children can learn about the concepts of cyber safety more effectively through a game-based learning approach compared to traditional text and/or e-Learning based approaches.
Verbal and non-verbal behaviors that we use in order to effectively communicate with other people are vital for our success in our daily lives. Despite the importance of social skills, creating standardized methods for training them and supporting their training is challenging. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) may have a good potential to support social and emotional learning (SEL) through virtual social demonstration games. This paper presents initial work involving the design of a pedagogical scenario to facilitate teaching of socially appropriate and inappropriate behaviors when entering and standing in a small group of people, a common occurrence in collaborative social situations. This is achieved through the use of virtual characters and, initially, virtual reality (VR) environments for supporting situated learning in multiple contexts. We describe work done thus far on the demonstrator scenario and anticipated potentials, pitfalls and challenges involved in the approach.
Our objective in this research is to compare the usability of three distinct head gaze-based selection methods in an Augmented Reality (AR) hidden object game for children: voice recognition, gesture, and physical button (clicker). Prior work on AR applications in STEM education has focused on how it compares with non-AR methods rather than how children respond to different interaction modalities. We investigated the differences between voice, gesture, and clicker based interaction methods based on the metrics of input errors produced and elapsed time to complete the tutorial and game. We found significant differences in input errors between the voice and gesture conditions, and in elapsed tutorial time between the voice and clicker conditions. We hope to apply the results of our study to improve the interface for AR educational games aimed at children, which could pave the way for greater adoption of AR games in schools.
Head-mounted displays for accessing virtual reality have in the past years begun to achieve their commercial potential. Gameplay using the provided game controls and space, often results in increased mobility due to this the games may have unintentional health benefits. In this study we compare two distinct exergames. We conducted a study with 17 participants and collected mixed data in the form of heart rate, interviews and accelerometer data, to assess the exercise benefit of these games. Virtual reality games can be played for exercise purposes. Participants were more eager to recommend others to exercise with exergames than exercise themselves using them. With a more hectic game, it was shown that their heart rate increased, and they moved a lot during the game sessions.
Research has shown technology fosters learning environments that stimulate improved academic performance, learners' satisfaction and completion rates. For this reason, an increasing number of researchers focus on the development of tools and applications that support the learning process of children. The tool presented here is a web application for educators, therapists, parents, and children with and without disabilities. The core concept of this tool is aiding professionals in creating relevant educational content and motivating children by presenting learning materials and tasks in a modern, relevant and motivating way. A pilot study was performed with five professionals, daily delivering instruction to children, mostly diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, at an NGO in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The study findings show a general positive attitude towards the use of the web tool in the classroom and its functionalities for creating teaching material.
Manipulating tools or crafting objects using one's bare hands is a recurring activity in many immersive training applications. Yet, high technical challenge and costly haptic hardware confine such tasks to surgery training and specialised simulators of the like, while more general immersive applications settle for less natural experiences using standard game controllers and/or relying on more abstract interactions. We designed a low-cost prototype were a physical object is used to provide a natural haptic feedback to a barehanded virtual manipulation task, hypothesising that nothing better than a real object would provide an accurate feeling of touch and control. With VR and AR high-end technologies now reaching out to broad audiences, we wondered if it was yet possible to design a compelling experience using only consumer market products and APIs. In this paper we demonstrate indeed that these technologies are mature enough to build a working prototype, but we failed to reach a level of quality suitable for more widespread usage.
This paper explores the design of digitally mediated, gamified experiences in the environment of art exhibitions. We use the trajectories HCI framework for analysis and design, decomposing the overall experience in different levels. First, we develop a storytelling game that is meant to be experienced by ‘many’ visitors, leveraging a group gameplay that fosters social interactions between the group members. Second, the gamified experience unfolds in ‘many’ physical spaces, with multiple collections of artworks. We model alternative spatial layouts and discuss how these affect the evolving group experience. Finally, ‘many’ stands for repeat visits: inviting people in gamified cultural experiences over and over again, with potentially new groups and in different exhibitions, we examine the impact of prior game participation. Throughout the paper, we showcase how the use of trajectories enables us to clearly reflect and investigate all the aforementioned ‘manies’, in a combined, holistic way.
