3D Virtual Worlds Technologies in Education 3D Virtual Worlds Technologies in Education Projects: VR4STEM, WOP University Politehnicaof Bucharest November 22, 2017 Bucharest, ROMANIA

1. Strategic Partnerships Plus TC and contact seminar
Innovation in education
3D Virtual Worlds Technologies in Education3D Virtual Worlds Technologies in Education
Projects: VR4STEM, WOP
University Politehnica of Bucharest
November 22, 2017
Bucharest, ROMANIA

2. Project: VR4STEM
Virtual Reality for STEM Entrepreneurship Training
2015-3-RO01-KA205-022949

3. What is STEM?
Science Science
Technology
EngineeringEngineering
Math
STEM is the root of innovation

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What is VR4STEM?
European Project
Program ERASMUS+
Key Action 1
(Mobility)
Key Action 2
(Cooperation)
Key Action 3
(Policy)

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Key Action 2
Cooperation for Innovation and Exchange of Good Practices
• Cooperation among institutions for improvement of
provided education and sharing of innovative practices.
• Financing of institutions of different countries for
cooperation towards this direction.
• Financed projects focus on the development and• Financed projects focus on the development and
transfer of innovative practices to the education of
young people among countries.
• It covers the levels of higher, vocational and secondary
education, adult education and education of young
people.

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VR4STEM PROJECT
Assist young people gain entrepreneurship skills in
STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics) and related ICT industry.
General target:
Project Start: February 2016 Project End: January 2018
Mathematics) and related ICT industry.
Specific targets:
• Attract young people to STEM fields
• Assist young people gain entrepreneurship skills
• Use of attractive technologies for teaching
• Creation of effective educational activities

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Project Partnership

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What is a Virtual World?
• Wikipedia:
 computer-based simulated environment
 may be populated by many users
 each user can create its own avatar
 users can simultaneously and users can simultaneously and
independently explore the virtual world
 users participate in its activities and
communicate with each other
An avatar is a graphical (humanoid)
representation of a user.

10. Why virtual reality ?
 The virtual reality is being more and more used in the
education, allowing the student to find out, to explore and to
build his own knowledge.
 The constant evolution of the technology is taking the The constant evolution of the technology is taking the
education to use new ways, much more attractive to the
students, making possible the use of new tools, leading to an
evolution of the teaching process.
 Virtual Reality takes an important place in this evolution.

11. Designing a virtual world is a challenging task that opens almost
endless possibilities for developers. Within the technological
framework, a designer with a creative imagination can do anything in
the virtual world.
What is the main reason the users are
attracted to these virtual places?
There are three critical attributes of effectively designed virtual
worlds shaped by the experience of many designers, developers,
researchers and users:
 Thematic design of space
 Promotion of presence
 Awareness of the unique qualities of human behavior in online
social environments

12. Why virtual worlds ?
Virtual worlds are becoming a major technology for teaching,
learning, research and collaboration.
Logically, the course creators/teachers/instructors should:
• define the pedagogical outcomes and select the
appropriate pedagogical approaches
• emphasize the learning content using the best of the 3D• emphasize the learning content using the best of the 3D
technology
• stimulate the students’ interactions and support the
learning communities
• adapt the learning environments so that the pedagogical
outcomes can be achieved
• analyze the process to discover those design principles that
work best and can benefit future development projects

13.  The easiness of acquiring knowledge, skills or cognition
while playing increases interest in using this kind of
learning approach for people.
 The opportunities are that the students can both learn
Why virtual worlds ?
 The opportunities are that the students can both learn
and have fun while playing specially designed games,
while it is also a good way to relax, with many productive
results.

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How can we construct a Virtual World?
• You should
 choose a software tool for creating a VW
environment (e.g. Second Life,
OpenSimulator, CyWorld, ActiveWorlds)
 make a structure of your world (specify make a structure of your world (specify
the number and the location of “islands”
or “regions”)
 format the external view of islands
 create appropriate “objects” in the VW

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What objects does an educational Virtual World contain?
• Educational VW objects
 Auditoriums
 Meeting rooms
 Libraries
 Media rooms Media rooms
 Displays
 Laboratories
 3D objects related to the educational topics
 3D simulations of processes or machine
functions

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3D Virtual World (Auditorium)

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3D Virtual World (Displays)

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3D Virtual World (3D Objects)

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What other learning materials could be used?
• Learning materials
 Text-based graphical presentations
 Advanced 2D simulations
 Online tests

20. Formal, non-formal and informal learning in VW
Formal learning is typically provided by a training institution, in a
structured form (in terms of learning objectives, learning time or
learning support) and it is leading to a certification.
Non-formal education and training: education and training which
takes place outside the formal system, either on a regular or
intermittent basis.
Informal learning: learning resulting from daily life activities
related to work, family or leisure. Informal learning is part of non-
formal learning.
The new challenge is learning inside a virtual environment. This is
already possible due to the work of many programmers and
Internet Communities who develop such Virtual Worlds.
Now it’s possible to attend virtual lectures, discussions, exams or
online interactive laboratories using 3D experiences.

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• Self-learning: no teacher, no guidance
(informal learning)
• Class-based synchronous learning: virtual
class, distance learning, teacher-avatar directs
learning process in real time.
What learning strategies can we implement?
learning process in real time.

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• Class-based asynchronous learning: virtual class,
distance learning, instruction-based learning (a
student-centered approach that emphasizes the
importance of peer-to-peer interactions) This
approach combines self-study with asynchronous
What learning strategies can we implement?
approach combines self-study with asynchronous
interactions to promote learning.
• Blended learning: real class, activities in the 3D
VW are used during teaching.

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VR4STEM
Means to achieve targets:
• Creation of electronic courses
• Creation of “open educational resources” in
many languagesmany languages
• Use of virtual reality technologies (3D Worlds)
• Design of suitable educational scenarios
• Use of gamification techniques

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VR4STEM
Expected results:
 Improvement of provided education in STEM
domain
 The students obtain adequate entrepreneurshipThe students obtain adequate entrepreneurship
skills
 Use of “open educational resources” at least at
European level
 Activate young people in the STEM domain to
increase innovation
 Contribute to address unemployment issues

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VR4STEM
Outputs of the project:
Ο1: Technical Reports on current educational and
technological status
O2: STEM Entrepreneurship Curriculum DesignO2: STEM Entrepreneurship Curriculum Design
Ο3: Open Learning Resources (presentations,
interactive multimedia, 3D objects).
Ο5: 3D Virtual World
Ο6: User Guide
Ο7: Piloting-Evaluation

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Teaching topics
 Innovation and Start-ups
 Team work
 ICT and Entrepreneurship (3D Printing, Mobile
Programming, Data Mining)
 Modern Technologies and Entrepreneurship Modern Technologies and Entrepreneurship
 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
 The world of lasers
 Robots world

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3D World View

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3D World Object (Drone)

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www.vr4stem.ro
Project Web Site

30. Project: WORLD OF PHYSICS
An innovative virtual reality educationalAn innovative virtual reality educational
environment for school physics education
2016-1-CY01-KA2O1-017371

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Project: WORLD OF PHYSICS
Assist students in studying physics domain by using
innovative technologies like virtual reality.
General objective:
Project Start: October 2016 Project End: September 2018
Specific objectives:
• Offer students an attractive, entertaining and efficient way
to learn about various topics of Physics
• Use of attractive technologies for teaching Physics
• Modernize and enhance the performance and effectiveness
of school physics education

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Partnership

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Means to achieve objectives:
 Development of a 3D virtual reality educational
environment
 Use of virtual reality technologies (3D Worlds)
 Create virtual physics laboratories
Project: WORLD OF PHYSICS
 Create virtual physics laboratories
 Development of innovative educational approaches and
training activities
 Creation of “open educational resources” in many
languages

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Expected results:
 Improvement of physics education
 Increase students interest in Physics
 The students get a better understanding of basic physics
concepts and processes
Project: WORLD OF PHYSICS
concepts and processes
 Use of “open educational resources” at European level

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Outputs of the project:
• Ο1: Reports on Physics Education in Schools around
Europe and the state of the art in 3D Virtual Worlds
 Physics Education in Secondary Education Schools around Europe
 Applications of ICT in Physics Education
 State of the Art in Virtual Reality and 3D Worlds
Project: WORLD OF PHYSICS
 State of the Art in Virtual Reality and 3D Worlds
 Gamification and Learning Opportunities in Virtual Worlds
• O2: Virtual 3D World for Teaching Physics
 3D World environment (3 regions: mechanics, properties of
matter, electricity and magnetism)
 Trainers Handbook
 Piloting Report
• Ο3: Open Learning Resources for Trainers
 Web-based repository (CMS)

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Project website: WORLD OF PHYSICS
worldofphysics.etcenter.eu

37. Thank you
forfor
your attention!