Coming Down to Earth: Helping Teachers Use 3D Virtual Worlds in Across-Spaces Learning Situations

• Published in: Educational Technology ＆ Society Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 13 - 26
• Main Authors: Munoz-Cristobal, Juan A, Prieto, Luis P, Asensio-Perez, Juan I, Martinez-Mones, Alejandra, Jorrin-Abellan, Ivan M, Dimitriadis, Yannis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Palmerston North International Forum of Educational Technology ＆ Society 01-01-2015; International Forum of Educational Technology & Society
• Subjects: 3-D technology; Architecture; Augmented reality; Authoring; Collaborative learning; Computer Simulation; Design; Earth; Educational activities; Educational aspects; Educational Environment; Educational Practices; Educational Technology; Foreign Countries; Globes; Higher Education; Information Management; Integrated Learning Systems; Learning; Management; Mixed Methods Research; Platforms; Schools of Education; Search engines; Simulated Environment; Spain; Special Issue Articles; Teachers; Teaching Methods; Technology; Technology Integration; Technology Uses in Education; Virtual avatars; Virtual reality; Virtual worlds; Web Based Instruction; Spain; Virtual globes; Google Earth; 3D virtual worlds; Augmented reality; Across-spaces learning
• ISSN: 1176-3647; 1436-4522; 1436-4522

Different approaches have explored how to provide seamless learning across multiple ICT-enabled physical and virtual spaces, including three-dimensional virtual worlds (3DVW). However, these approaches present limitations that may reduce their acceptance in authentic educational practice: The difficulties of authoring and sharing teacher-created designs across different 3DVW platforms, or the lack of integration of 3DVWs with existing technologies in the classroom ecosystem (e.g., widespread web-based learning platforms such as Moodle, or mobile augmented reality applications). Focusing on a specific kind of 3DVW (virtual globes, such as Google Earth, used like 3DVWs), we propose a system that enables teachers to deploy across-spaces learning situations, which can be authored with a plethora of existing learning design tools, that involve different common web-based learning platforms, mobile AR applications and multiple kinds of virtual globes. A prototype of the architecture has been developed to evaluate this novel approach. The mixed-methods evaluation performed comprised both a feature analysis and a study where a teacher deployed an authentic across-spaces learning situation including Google Earth used as a 3DVW. Such evaluation shows that the system enables teachers deploy learning situations over different technological ecosystems composed by physical and web spaces, as well as by 3DVWs.