Evaluation experiments have been essential in exploring home delivery of lectures for which users can experience campus lifestyle and distant learning through 3D virtual space. In this EP, we have experimented the necessity of virtual space for distant learners by examining the effects of virtual space. We have pursued the possibility of collaboration of real and virtual spaces in different learning settings, while augmenting the capability provided by regular distant education. The results have been analyzed and compared based on the users' responses and evaluations. Originally published: http://www.editlib.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Reader.ViewAbstract&paper_id=20957
In this EP, students were asked to participate in different experimental lecture environments with or without virtual space. After the experiment, they filled in the questionnaire about their learning and satisfaction with the class. Their responses and evaluations were processed through factor analysis from efficiency viewpoints of virtual space. Additional experiments enhanced the evaluation results by comparing the achievements and communicability as those being affected by different environments.
As a result, the presence technology and a sense of unity influenced participants satisfaction in both real and distant classrooms. According to the users' opinions and evaluations, 3D virtual space has been effective to give awareness to participants in promoting communication. The effect of virtual collaborative space has also been supported as removing the feeling of isolation from users participating in distant education. An importance of communicability has been confirmed statistically with relation to collaboration with other participants and effective learning in both real and distant classrooms.
Video selection console and classroom microphones are the fixed devices in the classroom. Some additional equipments are audio mixer, video-live delivery server, Digital Campus server, movable camera, and lecturer computer. Computers, web cameras, and microphones are provided for distant participants over the Internet. This EP was conducted for student volunteers participated in an international collaboration seminar and some lecture classes experimentally.
Excluding fixed equipments in the classroom, computers and peripheral devices for participants over the Internet, approximately US$33,000 in total.
S.Kitamura, H.Hiura, R.Nishide, M.Ohnishi, N.Morita, S.Ueshima, "Digital Campus over the Internet WEB : Extending the Opportunities and Possibilities beyond the Real Campus'', Forum on Information Technology (FIT2002), No.4 O-20, pp.365-366, September 2002.
More Supporting Evidence: R.Nishide, S.Ueshima, "Digital Campus Project: A "Dream University'' over the Internet Web'', 2-nd Proc. Conference on Creating, Connecting, Collaborating through Computing (C5'04), (IEEE CS Press), pp.104-111, January 2004. R.Nishide, H.Araie, Q.Liu, T.Miyatani, S.Ueshima, "Avatars in Action with Layered Cell Modeling in Digital Campus'', Proc. of ED-MEDIA 2004, World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications, Vol.2004 No.1, pp.5154-5159, June 2004. M.Ohnishi, R.Nishide, S.Ueshima, "Incremental Construction of Delaunay Overlaid Network for Virtual Collaborative Space'', 3-rd Proc. Conference on Creating, Connecting and Collaborating through Computing (C5'05), (IEEE CS Press), pp.77-84, January, 2005. R.Nishide, R.Shima, H.Araie, M.Ohnishi, S.Ueshima, "Evaluation of Home Delivery of Lectures Utilizing 3D Virtual Space Infrastructure'', Proc. of ED-MEDIA 2005, World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications, Vol.2005 No.1, pp.1587-1594, June 2005 H.Araie, M.Hirokawa, R.Nishide, S.Ueshima, "Proposing an Interactive Collaboration Media in P2P Settings'', 4-th Proc. Conference on Creating, Connecting and Collaborating through Computing (C5'06), (IEEE CS Press), pp. 103-111, January 2006. R.Nishide, H.Araie, R.Shima, S.Ueshima, "Evaluation of Home Delivery of Lectures Utilizing 3D Virtual Space Infrastructure'', JEMH (AACE Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia), Vol.16, No.1, pp.5-24, January 2007.
