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Title:

Collaborative 3D Virtual Environments and Advanced Classroom Visualization - A Case Study

By:
Richard L. White - The Southeast Kansas Education Service Center at Greenbush (SEKESC) - June 20, 2009

Introduction:

As computational capabilities exponentially improve,  and classroom visualization capabilities exponentially increase, understanding the possibilities becomes an important factor in improving classroom student engagement through advanced 3D visualization, simulations, and virtual/immersive environments.  Detailing the use of  hardware combined with open source 3D visualization, simulations, and immersive environments software “tool kits” for the classroom, as SEKESC has deployed them, will be the focus of this white paper report.

Implementations and Details:

For the past several years SEKESC has researched 3D immersive education technology, and developed solutions based on open source technology to address the emerging field of 3D immersive education.  Immersive Education is designed to immerse and engage students in the same way today’s best video games grab and keep the attention of players. Immersive Education supports self-directed learning as well as collaborative group-based learning environments delivered over the Internet or using fixed-media. Shorter mini-games and interactive lessons are injected into larger bodies of course material to further heighten and enrich the 3D Immersive Education experience.¹  The focus on open source solutions was a strategic decision based on two factors:  cost benefits, and the ability for to modify and extend the open source 3D virtual environment tool kits to specific and specialized needs.  Our work in this emerging educational domain revolved around two use case scenarios: one laptop per student, or the “one to one laptop” configuration and group learning activities through the classroom interactive whiteboard.

The first use case to be reviewed is the “one to one laptop” scenario.  In this scenario SEKESC leverages the OpenSimulator (Opensim) open source project  on our GreenbushGrid platform.  OpenSimulator is a 3D Application Server which can be used to create a 3D virtual environment (or world) which can be accessed through a variety of clients, on multiple protocols. OpenSimulator allows the development of an environment using the technologies the designer chooses.² The GreenbushGrid employs the Opensim technology to create a “client-server” platform where all server based virtual world activities take place on a protected and “behind the firewall” SEKESC hosted simulation server.  SEKESC controls all user accounts and traffic to this platform for the students.  Classroom activities using the GreenbushGrid platform include group based virtual world building activities using in-world construction tools for students to collaborate on “constructionist³” activities and problem solving.  A few sample GreenbushGrid projects include: Virtual Mars - Students colonize the Red Planet, after “eco-bots” have been deployed to search for habitable locations; Eco City - Students build an environmentally friendly city powered by windmills and evaluate the benefits of alternate energy; and CSI⁴ - Students solve a crime in their very own CSI lab based on blood types and footprints found at a bank crime scene.

The second case to be discussed is the group based 3D immersive education learning activities taking place through the interactive whiteboard.  In this scenario SEKESC leverages the OpenCobalt opensource project for our Edusim⁵ platform.  OpenCobalt  is a free and open source virtual workspace browser and construction toolkit for accessing, creating, and publishing hyperlinked multi-user virtual environments⁶.  Powered by Croquet technology⁷, Open Cobalt uses an ordered group messaging protocol eliminating the need for virtual world servers. SEKESC distributes the Edusim version of OpenCobalt virtual world browser toolkit free and open source to users while focusing on premium support, content, and educational virtual worlds for the platform.  As a central server is not required and there is a peer to peer architecture, Edusim can run uninterrupted on any computer inside the classroom with the proper graphics card, drivers, and enough RAM.  Edusim focuses primarily on the classroom interactive whiteboard for the delivery of lesson “worlds” to the whole group, with each student having a student response system to answer teacher directed inquiry questions (graphic a).  The Edusim environment also allows for exploratory inquiry because of its dynamic 3D virtual world space.  Since Edusim is multi-user, multiple interactive whiteboards can be connected for classroom to classroom learning activities (graphic b). Future planned implementations include a 3D immersive group learning hardware termed the “Mobile Immersive Learning Labs” where SEKESC developed 3D immersive learning world lessons can be an experience in a higher fidelity than the typical interactive whiteboard.  This concept is currently being prototyped and involves 3D virtual learning spaces projected onto a surrounding surface to give the visual effect of being “inside” the learning material (graphic c).

Conclusion:

The SEKESC “Collaborative 3D Virtual Environments and Advanced Classroom Visualization” projects are heavily focused on student engagement through deep visualized environments.  Appreciating the rapidly evolving capabilities of modern computing, SEKESC sees a significant educational technology trend beyond mobile computing reliance on heavy 3D visualized environments, virtual reality, tele-immersion, and augmented reality. SEKESC remains focused and committed on leveraging the modern computational capabilities to improve the classroom learning experience.

References:

1 Web resource: http://immersiveeducation.org

2 Web resource: http://opensimulator.org

3 Web resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructionist_learning

4 Web resource: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kJPzEuEspg

5 Web resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edusim

6 Web resource: http://www.opencobalt.org

7 Web resource: http://www.opencroquet.org

Graphics:

(graphic a)

(graphic b)

(graphic c)

http://grid.greenbush.us

http://gie.greenbush.us

Edusim &  the Interactive Whiteboard (Oct. 2007)

Edusim,  the interactive whiteboard, and the Wiimote 3D navigational device (June 2008) 

Edusim & the QuickCave - prototype (Sept 2008)

Edusim & the Mobile Immersive Learning Lab (Feb 2009)

3D, Steroscopics, and the Interactive Whiteboard, MILL, QuickCave, Wiimote, and more (Summer 2009)

Wearing low-cost stereo glasses, users can now experience the 3d world of Second Life in full stereo. Objects pop out of the screen and terrains stretch into infinity, a truly unique enhancement for exploring 3d worlds. Linden Lab will soon provide the stereo function as a standard feature of its viewer. Using anaglyph technology or polarized light, Second Life can be experienced in stereo on laptops or desktops as well as on advanced projection systems similar to IMAX theatres‘.

 Another big step forward !

Greenbush has, for the past several years, been a national leader in providing immersive education and virtual worlds design, development, and research.  Our goal now is to share those experiences through our premiumimmersive education services.

The first two services we will be offering with several more to be rolled out over the summer are our premium Edusim support and our premium GreenbushGrid support programs. For more information on these premium programs please visit the links below:

Edusim School Premium Support: http://cart.greenbush.us/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=35
School Opensim Hosting Support: http://cart.greenbush.us/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=34

We are looking very forward to assisting your school with their immersive education school services !

Kindest Regards,
Rich

Video Preview:

As a follow up to a visit to Greenbush by SUN’s Daniel Green a few weeks ago we scheduled (and had) a meeting yesterday with the Wonderland team and the U. of Essex.  where we discussed WL 05 and many of its new capabilities.   Our main objective was to discuss a future and potential “universal 3D education client” for our (Greenbush’s) growing list of immersive ed. projects - namely CSI World, Edusim, GreenbushGrid, Mobile Immersive Learning Lab, MediaGlobe, & future immersive IDL programs.

Wonderland is developing (with the future 05 release in late June, early July) into a very robust platform with a growing list of very useful features like an in-world whiteboard (Making me wonder where Edusim evolves), Sketchup (& Collada format) model support, & live video streaming to name a few.   Nicoole with the SUN Wonderland team will be releasing a demo video soon of the new 05 capabilities Ill be sure to share once it is ready !

The application group is the Open Cobalt team and the childrens HCI work is done here at Greenbush with our pilot groups.

We have been working on the Edusim application and conducting pilot groups here at Greenbush for a few years now

RT @Hugobiwan: Augmented reality : flartoolkit startup guide via @augmentedadvert http://tinyurl.com/ahhq5p

Opensim and OpenCobalt Virtual World Archives — http://roots.greenbush.us/?p=699

Schools have hardware in their classroom to bring augmented reality to their students regarding direct manipulation http://edusim3d.com

Follow my updates at http://www.twitter.com/richwhite

Augmented reality (AR) is a field of computer research which deals with the combination of real-world and computer-generated data (virtual reality), where computer graphics objects are blended into real footage in real time.

Via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubiquitous_computing

Ubiquitous computing (ubicomp) is a post-desktop model of human-computer interaction^{[citation needed]} in which information processing has been thoroughly integrated into everyday objects and activities. In the course of ordinary activities, someone “using” ubiquitous computing engages many computational devices and systems simultaneously, and may not necessarily even be aware that they are doing so. This model is in an advancement from the desktop paradigm.

This paradigm is also described as pervasive computing, ambient intelligence, or more recently, everyware.^[1][2] When primarily concerning the objects involved, it is also physical computing, the Internet of Things, haptic computing,^[3] and things that think.

More details on the Paul Bourke IDome configuration is here

For advanced visualization of the virtual world space - a Smartboard in this configuration would be cool

We wrapped up our week of pilot testing the CSI virtual world (Powered by Opensim on GreenbushGrid) with students Thursday.  Bleow are some screen shots

(Edusim defined via Wikipedia)

For more information about the event in particular visit: http://mediagrid.org/summit

When you register be sure to enter “RWHITE-09-LONDON-04“  for the Registration Code and Ill be notified of your participant - I would like to meet up with as many virtual world educators as possible while there !

Cheers!
Rich
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