Authors:
Athanasios Christopoulos
;
Marc Conrad
and
Aslan Kanamgotov
Affiliation:
University of Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
Keyword(s):
Immersion, Situated Learning, Virtual Worlds, OpenSim, Learner Engagement, Interaction, Teaching.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Collaboration and e-Services
;
Computer-Supported Education
;
e-Business
;
e-Learning
;
Enterprise Information Systems
;
Game-Based and Simulation-Based Learning
;
Immersive Learning
;
Information Technologies Supporting Learning
;
Learning/Teaching Methodologies and Assessment
;
Virtual Learning Environments
Abstract:
Immersion is a central theme when using virtual worlds; the feeling of ‘being there’ is generally considered
a positive attribute of virtual worlds, in particular when these are used for recreation. However, within
educational context it may be debatable how far immersion can be expected or is even desirable: if we want
students to be reflective and critical on their assignment task, wouldn’t it be more important for them to
have a critical distance, rather than being immersed? In this paper, we approach this question by examining
and discussing how interactions, learner engagement and immersion are linked together when a virtual
world is being used in a Hybrid Virtual Learning scenario. Findings from our experiment seem to suggest
that even though this learning approach aids positively the educational process, high levels of immersion do
not occur. Nevertheless, more research in that direction is highly recommended to be undertaken.