1. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago All slides copyright 1999 by Andrew Johnson Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago If this slide set is to be re-distributed, it must be re-distributed with the inclusion of this copyright notice. You may use these slides for personal viewing and reference. You may also use any of the images or text found in this slide set for your own slides, papers, presentations etc as long as you include a reference to its original source. The source should be referenced as follows: Andrew Johnson, Thomas Moher, Stellan Ohlsson, Mark Gillingham, The Round Earth Project - Deep Learning in a Collaborative Virtual World Paper presentation at the IEEE VR ‘99 Conference, Houston, TX, 1999. Copyright Notice

2. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago The Round Earth Project: Deep Learning in a Collaborative Virtual World Andrew Johnson, Thomas Moher, Stellan Ohlsson, Mark Gillingham

3. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago 4 Criteria For Learning Problems Learning goal must be important - identified in national goals, standards or benchmarks Learning goal must be hard Learning goal must be plausibly enhanced by immersive virtual reality technology Learning environments must be informed by contemporary research in learning science and contemporary practice in education

4. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago The ‘flat’ Earth Children believe the Earth is flat –sky layer and earth layer –absolute ‘up’ and ‘down’ Telling children that the Earth is spherical –new knowledge assimilated into prior model –conclusion is often a pancake shaped Earth or a dual model

5. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago Good Match for 4 Criteria AAAS Project 2061 Benchmarks for Science Literacy - 5th graders should know the Earth is approximately spherical, things on or near the Earth are pulled toward it by gravity Existing literature by Vosniadou and Brewer that this is a hard concept to learn Use VR to feel like you are on another world Emphasize role differentiation with positive interdependence, collaboration

6. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago Deep Ideas Spherical Earth is example of a Deep Idea - fundamental concept Paradox - When trying to learn a concept that is different and more fundamental than existing ideas, those ideas are the learner’s only tools to acquire the new idea Typical outcome is distortion

7. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago Deep Learning Learning of deep ideas may require an alternative cognitive starting point where knowledge is established Virtual reality is used to create this alternative cognitive starting point After the experience, bridging activities bring this new knowledge into contact with prior knowledge

8. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago Compare 2 Learning Strategies in VR Selectionist - use alternative cognitive starting point to establish the idea - Asteroid World Transformationalist - new knowledge created via operators on prior knowledge - Earth World

9. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago Collaborative Task Task of collecting 10 objects scattered around the sphere forces the astronaut to move around the sphere Children talk to each other Mission control can see the objects and guides the astronaut from the spherical view Children must integrate the two viewpoints Children switch roles - see both perspectives

10. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago Asteroid World - Selectionist Mission Control View Astronaut View

11. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago Earth World - Transformationalist Astronaut View Mission Control View

12. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago Studies 3 pilot studies - summer ‘98 1 main study - December ‘98

13. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago Pilot Studies 3 pilot studies with 34 children 40 Minute VR experience 20 question pretest & posttest Conducted at EVL Astronaut in CAVE, Mission Control at IDesk Children - small urban Chicago public school –Below state averages in reading, writing, math –Failed Iowa Test of Basic Skills Grade 3 Exam

14. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago Pilot Study 1 and 2 Pilot study 1 focused on interaction details Pilot study 2 focused on learning issues Children –actively talking –engaged –too task oriented Focus on 2D evaluation methods Appeared to be very little learning going on

15. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago Pilot Study 3 Increased effort to point out features of landscape before the experience Focus on 3D evaluation methods, and follow up probing questions Cases where learning happened and post- test appears to reflect fundamental change Mission control concentrated on CG and did not use video window of astronaut

16. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago Main Study Conducted at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School - Oak Park, IL Astronaut at an ImmersaDesk Mission Control at a stereo monitor

17. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago Main Study 84 second graders 76 took pretest 18 questions on 5 topics verbally, paper, playDoh Divided the children into 3 groups high group >14 correct - 22 kids intermediate group 11-14 correct - 22 kids low group <11 correct - 29 kids

18. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago Main Study 14 pairs in Asteroid World 30 minute VR + 10 minute bridging activities 1 child reported dizziness as mission control A few children reported being initially scared about walking on the asteroid 1 child was unable to continue as astronaut

19. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago Main Study Treatment group - VR and bridging 7.3 correct -> 12.9 correct statistically significant Intermediate group - no VR or bridging 12.1 correct -> 14.0 correct statistically significant Pretest difference statistically significant Posttest difference not statistically significant

20. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago Further Studies Delayed post-test in late March ‘99 Comparing the two strategies and Investigating the relative influence of VR and bridging activities in June ‘99

21. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago In the School Conduct studies faster, with fewer staff Principal and teachers very supportive High levels of excitement and interest Favorably compared to a Sony Playstation

22. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago Acknowledgements Funded by NSF award EIA 9720351 - Deep Learning and Visualization Technologies Whole team - Joe Alexander, Tom DeFanti, Mark Gillingham, Josh Hemmerich, Jyoti Jain, Andrew Johnson, Tom Moher, Mark Orr, Stellan Ohlsson, Carlos Orrego, Maria Roussos, and Mike Trolio With help from - Julieta Aguilera, Josephone Anstey, Jim Costigan, Greg Dawe, Tom Frisch, Steve Jones, Jason Leigh, Dave Pape, Sam Thongrong, and Fang Wang

23. Electronic Visualization Laboratory University of Illinois at Chicago For More Information www.evl.uic.edu/roundearth roundearth@evl.uic.edu