USING VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS FOR VOCATIONALEDUCATION: THE AVARES CASE

AbstractThe main aim of the article is to present how virtual reality is used in AVARES formaking education more attractive to young generations. AVARES (Enhanceattractiveness of renewable energy training by virtual reality), is a project supported bythe European Commission under the Leonardo da Vinci Transfer of Innovation grantscheme. It aims to develop a Virtual Reality Environment and innovative learningmethodologies for vocational education and training. The project integrates adeveloped virtual world with a traditional Learning Management System (LMS),represented by Moodle, for more attractive learning in the challenging field ofRenewable Energy Sources (RES). The hybrid educational platform developed in AVARESproject combines traditional learning procedures offered to students via Moodle,acting as a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), with learning procedures delivered tostudents in an 3D Virtual World. The Virtual World is developed in Open Simulator(OpenSim), an open source platform for creating multi user 3D Virtual Worlds. VLEfocuses on the management of the learning material processes, whereas the VirtualWorld environment offers students the ability to interact and experiment with itemsand constructs in a similar way they would do in real world.

Key wordsVirtual Reality, Virtual Learning Environment, AVARES project, Transfer of Innovation,Renewable Energy Sources, Vocational Education

INTRODUCTION

The “Virtual World” term is used to describe digitalspaces that can be explored from within, where users cannavigate through, interact with objects, other users andsoftbots. Users can exchange information via text, audio,still images, animation and video (Kluge and Riley, 2008).Usually the user’s presence is facilitated by an “avatar” -a digital 3D object that is used to represent the user.This representation is chosen by the user who may choose ifhis virtual identity has any real-world resemblance (Miahand Jones, 2011).

The currently popular virtual worlds are three-dimensional (3D) computer rendered environments which can

be accessed over a network, usually via Internet, populatedby users in the form of avatars who interact with thesimulated environment and other users. These virtual worldshave moved beyond gaming and chat environments aretransformed into powerful communication and educationtools.

In the report prepared by Mr. Christian Reimsbach-Kounatze (OECD, 2011) of the OECD Directorate for Science,Technology and Industry (STI), we can read that educationand training seems to be the most promising applicationareas for virtual worlds. At the present time over 150universities have a presence in the Second Life virtualworld or other virtual worlds. There are a number offactors that have led to high rates of adoption byuniversities and other educational institutions (OECD2011).

These include face-to-face and group interaction betweenstudents and educators around the world, access toresources and knowledge, voice communication, andexamination of abstract and complex models through 3Dvisualisation or projections of visual information.

Virtual worlds also provide realistic and interactiverole-playing simulations for training situations. Virtualworlds are becoming a major technology for teaching,learning, research and collaboration. Virtual worldsconstitute a growing online space for collaborative play,learning, edutainment and work. Furthermore, the experienceof many designers, researchers and users of virtual worldssuggests that there are three critical attributes ofeffectively designed virtual worlds (Bronack et al, 2008)(Bartle, 2004): (a) Thematic design of space, (b) Promotionof presence and (c) Awareness of the unique qualities ofhuman behaviour in online social environments.

EDUCATIONAL POTENTIAL OF 3D VIRTUAL WORLDS

Recently, 3D virtual worlds have started to attractattention as platforms for learning (Xerox, 2009). Theyoffer new learning delivery channels through which training

organizations can provide experiential or simulatedlearning and group activities in a shared space. A virtualworld can provide a perfect multi-dimensional environmentand allow lot of tools for informal learning, coaching,brainstorming sessions in real time collaboration and alsorecording and capturing the ongoing activities.

Nowadays, the existing 3D virtual worlds provideimmersive learning delivery platforms that can be adaptedto different training scenarios (3D Learning and VirtualWorlds):

– discovery learning by clicking on objects withassociated information,

– reinforcement learning by offering a knowledgerepository, tools, etc associated with 3D objects,

– collaborative workspaces, such as 3D classrooms andinformal sites for discussion, encouraging school-style study and research,

– traditional instructor-led learning through adistance delivery method,

– simulated learning by modelling a process orinteraction that closely resembles the real world interms of fidelity and outcomes.

The 3D virtual environments possess several significantadvantages over other training approaches (Ross McKerlich2007):

– the experience can be much more engaging than atypical page-turning course

– the learner can learn by doing– expensive video conferencing is not required for

real-time online activity– a user's learning experience can be designed to fit

specific task needs with a flexibility and immediacythat is impossible in real life

– exploration and discovery are encouraged– fantasy and imagination can be unleashed– virtual 3D spaces often allow full recording of any

activity, interaction or exchange, enabling pastevents to be re-experienced or re-used.

The ability to inhabit any type of body and to customizeone's own look gives many people the opportunity to expressthemselves as they truly feel and not as society forcesthem to be.

AVARES PROJECT

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)An international consortium began working at the AVARESproject (AVARES, 2014) in October 2012 and the project willbe completed in September 2014. The project aims to createa 3D virtual learning environment and multimedia leaningmaterials for vocational education and training in thefield of renewable energies. A hybrid education platformdeveloped in the project combines traditional educationalpractices, provided via learning management system (LMS)Moodle (see Fig. 1) and a virtual world (3D RES Park).

Figure 1. Virtual learning environment combines theadvantages of LMS Moodle and virtual reality

LMS Moodle focuses on the learning process managementand delivers to students a theoretical background for theRES field. Students can explore and learn about RES domainthrough 5 courses:

Solar Energy Water Energy

Wind Energy Geothermal Energy Energy of Biomass Students can register to the Virtual Learning

Environment (VLE) platform and create personal accounts.After that, they can anytime access the platform with theircredentials. The course material mainly consists ofpresentations that the students can download and study ontheir own pace. Learning materials also include textbooks,web-pages, animations and videos. In the Figure 2, a solarenergy module in the Virtual Learning Environment isillustrated.

Figure 2. The Solar Energy module in the VirtualLearning Environment

3D Virtual RES Park

The 3D Virtual RES Park offers an environment thatallows shifting the traditional educational process(book/textbook) to the new way of learning that isinteractive and more visual (see Fig.3). Virtual realityoffers an attractive and effective way of learning wherestudents can learn through experimentation and interactionsin the virtual world.

Figure 3. The virtual world gives students the abilityto communicate with other students or interact

with the objects

The AVARES 3D RES Virtual Park consists of: The 3D Auditorium - trainers giving lectures in the 3D

Auditorium (see Fig. 4) will be able to load specificpresentations from the VLE or even upload their ownslides.

Figure 4. 3D Virtual RES Park Auditorium

Sub-Areas dedicated to each course - for each one ofthe five main learning topics (Solar, Water, Wind,Geothermal, and Biomass) there is a designated area

inside the world with the corresponding trainingmaterial along with interactive 3D models (see Fig. 5)that will help them comprehend the presented topics.

Figure 5. Interactive 3D models allow understandingthe principles of their operation

Classrooms/Meeting Rooms - these rooms can serve asmeeting areas for project partners and as classroomsfor small groups of students as well (see Fig. 6).

Figure 6. A classroom in the Virtual Word.

Connecting VLE and 3D Virtual RES Park

The learning materials stored in the VLE (Moodle) areavailable in the 3D RES Virtual Park as well. Specificactivities and presentations can be displayed as posters orboards at various areas of the 3D Virtual RES Park. Asdepicted in Figure 5 , adjacent to 3D models representingRES systems users can read the corresponding learningmaterial from VLE. Trainers/teachers can give their

lectures in the 3D Auditorium where they are able to loadlearning materials from the VLE or even upload their ownslides.

Sloodle (Sloodle, 2014) is a free and open sourceproject which integrates the multi-user virtualenvironments of Second Life and/or OpenSim with the Moodlelearning management system. Sloodle allows connecting astudent account in Moodle with a corresponding avatar.Thanks to this connection, avatars are able to participatein the Moodle activities like tests or assignments. Chatbetween users inside the virtual world is also stored inMoodle.

CONCLUSION

In this paper, we present the hybrid learning platformdeveloped in the frame of the project AVARES supported byEuropean Commission running under the Leonardo da VinciTransfer of Innovation grant scheme. The platform combinesin an effective way two environments - the traditionallearning environment Moodle and the 3D Virtual RES Parkimplemented in OpenSim. The main aim of the AVARES projectis to develop the multimedia learning materials forvocational education and training in the field of renewableenergies and emphasis is given to the application of modernICT equipment and virtual reality.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This project has been founded with support from theEuropean Commission. The content of this document does notnecessarily reflect the view or legislation of the EuropeanCommission. Neither the European Commission nor the projectpartners or any person acting on behalf of the Commissionis responsible for the use that might be made of theinformation in this document.

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