Phillip E. McClean Phillip E. McClean

Bernhardt Saini-EidukatBernhardt Saini-Eidukat

Donald P. SchwertDonald P. Schwert

Brian M. SlatorBrian M. Slator

Alan R. WhiteAlan R. White

North Dakota North Dakota

State University, FargoState University, Fargo

Virtual Worlds Virtual Worlds Research at NDSUResearch at NDSU

NDSU WWWICNDSU WWWICWorld Wide Web Instructional CommitteeWorld Wide Web Instructional Committee

WWWIC’s virtual worlds research supported by NSF grants DUE-9752548, EAR-9809761, DUE-9981094,

ITR-0086142 and EPSCoR 99-77788

WWWIC faculty supported by large teams of WWWIC faculty supported by large teams of undergraduate and graduate students.undergraduate and graduate students.

Paul Juell

Donald SchwertPhillip McClean

Brian SlatorBernhardt Saini-Eidukat

Alan WhiteJeff Clark

MultiUserMultiUser

Exploration Exploration

Spatially-oriented virtual worldsSpatially-oriented virtual worlds

Practical planning and decision Practical planning and decision

makingmaking

Educational Role-playing GamesEducational Role-playing Games

“Learning-by-doing” Experiences“Learning-by-doing” Experiences

Virtual Worlds Can:Virtual Worlds Can:

Collapse virtual time and distanceCollapse virtual time and distance Allow physical or practical Allow physical or practical

impossibilitiesimpossibilities Allow participation from anywhereAllow participation from anywhere Let you interact with other users, Let you interact with other users,

virtual artifacts, and virtual artifacts, and software software agentsagents

Afford multi-user collaborations Afford multi-user collaborations and competitive playand competitive play

The Projects

The Virtual CellThe Virtual Cell

The Geology ExplorerThe Geology Explorer

Dollar BayDollar Bay

Like-a-Fish hook VillageLike-a-Fish hook Village

Digital Archive for ArchaeologyDigital Archive for Archaeology

OthersOthers

The Virtual Cell The Virtual Cell Rendered in VRML Rendered in VRML

(Virtual Reality Modeling Language) (Virtual Reality Modeling Language)

Users can “fly around” inside the cellUsers can “fly around” inside the cell

Users are assigned specific goalsUsers are assigned specific goalsFor example: Identify 5 different organellesFor example: Identify 5 different organelles

• Similar to Earth, but opposite the Sun

•Students “land” on Oit to undertake exploration

•Authentic Geoscience goals - e.g., to locate, identify, and report valuable minerals

Planet Oit

~50 places: desert, cutbank, cave, etc.

~100 different rocks and minerals

~15 field instruments: rock pick, acid bottle, magnet, etc.

~Software Tutors: agents for equipment, exploration, and deduction

Planet OitThe simulation

The Geology Explorer:The Geology Explorer:Assessment ProtocolAssessment Protocol

Pre-course Assessment:Pre-course Assessment:400+ students400+ students

Computer Literacy Assessment:Computer Literacy Assessment:(244 volunteers)(244 volunteers)

Divide by Computer Literacy Divide by Computer Literacy and Geology Lab Experienceand Geology Lab Experience

Geomagnetic Geomagnetic (Alternative)(Alternative) Group: Group:

(122 students)(122 students)

Geology Explorer Geology Explorer TreatmentTreatment Group: Group:

(122 students)(122 students)

Non-Participant Non-Participant Control Control Group:Group:

(150 students, approx.)(150 students, approx.)

CompletedCompleted(78 students)(78 students)

Non-Non-completedcompleted(44 students)(44 students)

CompletedCompleted(95 students)(95 students)

Non-Non-completedcompleted(27 students)(27 students)

Post-course Assessment:Post-course Assessment:368 students368 students

Example: Fall, 1998Example: Fall, 1998

Mean Post-Intervention Scenario Scores for 1998 Geology Explorer - NDSU Physical Geology Students

Grader Grader GraderGroup No. One Two ThreeAlternate 95 29.3a 27.0a 42.6aControl 195 25.1a 25.5a 44.5aPlanet Oit 78 40.5b 35.4b 53.4b

Within any column, any two means Within any column, any two means followed by the same letter are not followed by the same letter are not significantly different at P=0.05 using significantly different at P=0.05 using Duncan’s multiple range mean separation Duncan’s multiple range mean separation test. test.

Mean Post-Intervention Scenario Scores for the Virtual Cell:for the Virtual Cell:

1999 NDSU General Biology1999 NDSU General Biology

Module:Group No. Organelle ID Cellular Resp.Alternate 94 19.7b 13.7bControl 145 17.4a 10.6aVcell 93 22.7c 17.3c

Within any column, any two means Within any column, any two means followed by the same letter are not followed by the same letter are not significantly different at P=0.05 using the significantly different at P=0.05 using the LSD mean separation test. LSD mean separation test.

To visit the Environments: To visit the Environments: www.ndsu.edu/wwwic www.ndsu.edu/wwwic

To view VRML To view VRML files, you will files, you will need a browser need a browser plug-in: plug-in: CosmoPlayerCosmoPlayer