Virtual Reality in Educatio

Virtual Reality in Real Education

Desktop Virtual Reality is an instructional tool that can be used to deliver standards-based instruction while tapping students' interests. Virtual reality comes in many forms: interactive, three-dimensional, and stereographic computer images.
Virtual Reality can take students on a tour of a place that they would not be able to visit in real life. For example, the virtual solar system can put students adrift around the sun, giving them complete freedom to explore the solar system. A virtual reality tour of Chicago exposes students to the city's architecture, museums and other educational resources.

Not only can you bring a student to a place he or she might never physically see in their lifetime, students also learn a multitude of skills. Some of these include animation, electronic gaming, chemistry, surgery, flight simulation, marketing, engineering, military training, and robotics. Students can understand design processes, troubleshooting, and also maintain a technological system.

It Simply Makes Sense

Virtual reality educates, clarifies and reinforces better than a textbook because it allows the students to be "hands on". For example, while studying the Constitutional lawmaking process, some students don't grasp the actual idea just reading about it in a book. Virtual reality allows a student to pick up a bill outside of the virtual House of Representatives and take it over to the Senate for a vote. In addition to the textbook reading and lecture, virtual reality can cause students to have a crystal clear idea of the studied topic.

Why choose Virtual Reality?
70% of children in the US between the ages of 3 and 17 have access to a computer. (Child Trends 2003; DeBell and Chapman, 2003) Considering the vast amount of students with access and skill with computers, it is important to utilize these skills to learn in ways that the students are already familiar and comfortable with.

Standards-based Instruction:
Virtual reality, HMDs (Head Mounted Displays), and trackers can be easily and inexpensively integrated into the technology education laboratory to address ITEA's Standards for Technological Virtual reality.

When teaching the concept of virtual realities, students can be assessed in three categories:

1. Memorization - Recalling where menus and windows are in the virtual reality program
2. Application -Written worksheets, rubrics, and informal questioning
3. Synthesis- Assessing final projects, ability to collaborate with peers.

What software is needed for VR?
Alice, a freeware computer program from Carnegie-Mellon University, available for download from www.alice.org, may be used as the starting point for desktop VR.

The Virtual World
Computer games and virtual reality technology have created interesting and exciting prospects for education. Using these systems for experimentation, lessons, assessments, and more students can get hands-on experience in a non-traditional context while gaining technological literacy. No longer will children sit idly by in classrooms - the opportunity is here to provide them with an unprecedented chance to explore, engage, and visualize schoolwork like never before.

Streaming Video

What is streaming video?

Streaming video is new instructional technology that is used to deliver audio and video presentations using the internet. News feeds can be watched on the internet without downloading. Streaming video is also called Web-cast or Web-based video. It can be incorporated in distance education. Most distance education courses have the complaint of not having enough human interaction. Streaming video is a way to incorporate human interaction in distance education. Streaming videos are most commonly used in distance learning for live or prerecorded lectures. Pre-recorded lectures are usually referred to as asynchronous learning. Streaming video gives students control because they can rewind, replay, or pause the video. Streaming videos can reach a greater audience and are good to use for disabled students.

There was a study done with California middle school students. The students were given a post test. The experimental group were shown 20 streaming videos and the control group were taught "traditionally". The students that were shown the videos scored 3-5% higher than the other students.

These streaming videos can be accessed through providers such as QuickTime and Windows Media Player. Teachers can find streaming videos from providers such as Understreaming. This provider has more than 4,000 full length videos and 40,000 clips for students k-12. Evideo Online is another valuable resource for teachers as well as the ever popular PBS.

Types of streaming video:

Live - relates to real time events that are occurring at present time , and sometimes viewers can interact with the event. It is also known as video conferencing.

Archived - web casts that were previously recording. It allows students to access the video at their own convenience.

To create streaming video, you need:

1. Events should be under 90 minutes and structured around a few basic themes

2. Use good quality equipment and check wiring connections to ensure good audio quality

3. Use an external microphone to eliminate unwanted background noise

4. Use a simple backdrop

5. Close-up shots with minimal movement work better than distance shots

6. Avoid a lot of camera movement or zooming

7. Use simple, graphic visuals to accompany a video presentation.

Advantages:

Minimal Cost

Adds human element to distance learning

Downloads without adding a file to your computer

Convenient Allows for asynchronous lectures

Greater audience numbers can be reached

Videos keep students safe

Disadvantages:

Gaining permission for videos is sometimes difficult

Internet connectivity may pose a problem

Poor quality of videos can detract from lessons

Planning and time is needed to create streaming videos

Potential price of video equipment

Overall the reception of streaming videos in the education field has been very postive. This digital technology could change the way students learn.It has also been well received due to it various advantages. Streaming videos enhance learning for all students. It taps in the many diverse learning styles such as auditory, visual, and kinestethic.

Links to articles used:

http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.fgcu.edu/pqdweb?index=6&did=1270909891&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1192420960&clientId=8631

http://www.zardec.net.au/keith/digvideo.htm

Podcast or bust

What is a podcast?

A podcast is an audio file (usually in mp3 format) posted to a website so that others can listen to it. The word is created from broadcast and from iPod-the wildly popular MP3 player from Apple. Podcasts can reach a much wider audience outside the boundaries of the school day. With a video podcast, kids can watch as a teacher demonstrates an example of long division. Families can hear from home what students are working on at school. Other classrooms and other schools can listen in. The whole school district, the whole state and the whole world can become potential listeners.

Whenever a Podcast is updated, subscribers are automatically notified of the information.

Many podcasts are automatically delivered over the Internet using either RSS or Atom syndication. Subscription to podcasts is free and once subscribed to, it can be automatically downloaded over the Internet and accessed with an iPod, laptop, or desktop computer.

In education, teachers can make podcasts to implement all kinds of instruction. Teachers can also assign students to create their own recordings. This process takes on a written and verbal process as students are required to write scripts and then convert them into voice recordings.

Why use a podcast?

Podcasting allows teachers and students to go beyond the traditional learning experience. Teachers can use it deliver materials that the children learned in class. Teachers can also create foreign language lessons that students can review at their own pace.

Podcasting can be used to help students become stronger public speakers and presenters.

Types of podcast

• Audio
• Video

Examples of Podcasts in education

• A drama teacher can have cast-members podcast their description of their character and role they play in their upcoming production.
• High school students can write their own story and then podcast it for elementary students to listen to and follow along with in a printed book
• After a field trip, students can do research on a subject pertaining to the field trip and do a podcast to go along with it
• Students can turn interviews (with permission) into podcasts.
• Students work in teams to create a product and "market" it online.

The desired objectives:

• Students learn the technical skills needed to record a high-quality podcast.
• Students brainstorm, and design the themes and content of their Podcast with teacher guidance.
• Students complete pre-production, production, and post-production of their Podcast.
• Students ultimately learn project management skills, Podcasting technical skills, and actively use the Podcast as a medium for positive student expression.

Materials needed to make a Podcast

• A computer with a microphone (to record yourself or the students). The recording software “Audacity” works well for this activity. [See Link Below]
• Save your file in Audacity as an "mp3"
• Post your mp3 file on a web page, or on a blog that accepts mp3 files.

Things to remember when making a Podcast:

• A quiet room works best( Low ambient noise)
• A high quality(noise canceling) microphone [ See link below]

Links

Microphone

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-980186-0403-USB-Desktop-Microphone/dp/B00009EHJV

Podcasts for kids
http://www.mpsomaha.org/willow/radio/

Audio software
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/encoder/default.mspx

http://www.conversationsnetwork.org/levelator

Discovering Animation and Mult-media

When most of us think of animation, we normally think of our favorite Disney characters we liked when we were growing up. However, animation is much more than Mickey Mouse or Cinderella animation is exciting, interesting and full of learning opportunities for children. Animation allows children to have control and use their imagination. Using animation in the classroom gives children a strong sense of control and allows the students to create their own characters and make the characters do whatever they want them to. Animation is great for introducing students to the concept of artwork and storytelling. Producing animation may involve many processes such as storyboarding, scripting, developing characters, creating animated figures, and recording vocals. Animation helps capture a student's attention and makes a connection between visual and verbal learning. Because animation is fun and exciting, students get into their work becoming more creative, producing a more exciting end result. You can use animation in any classroom (art, graphics, history, English, reading, writing, math, psychology, biology, any sciences, and much more). There are many different ways to integrate it into the classrooms for example in diagrams of how to do something, an animation of an event (for history) and many other. The options are endless. Producing animation may involve many processes such as storyboarding, scripting, developing characters, creating animated figures, and recording vocals.


Guidelines for Animation:
1.The design must focus and guide the attention of the user to the relevant information.
2.Narration must occur simultaneously with the relevant animation.
3.Text within the animations should be used sparingly. (Don't cause information overload).
4.Create user controls.
5.Make the end of the animation clear
6. Use the appropriate level of abstraction
7. Use metaphor
8. Create user controls
9. Clearly mark the animation
10. The type of assessment or desired learning outcome is important to consider


Why use Animation and Multi-media?
Animation can be best used for information that is procedural and is difficult to observe in the real world. Sketch pads and drawing boards are almost non-existent these days. Almost all of the animation and multi-media is done a sketch pad connected to a computer or directly on the computer which saves a lot of time and aggravation.


Although Animation and Multi-media creation are extremely time consuming, it is a great way to incorporate group work and give the students a sense of control over their learning. As students continue to explore animation and multi-media they will broaden their creativity and strengthen their storytelling.