Developing Virtual Reality Open Educational Resources in a Sino-Foreign Higher Education Institution: Challenges and Strategies

Towey, Dave; Walker, James H.; Austin, C. L.; Kwong, Chiew Foong; Wei, Sherry

doi:10.1109/tale.2018.8615167

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Some studies [2,8,19] recommended virtual reality technology and massive open online courses (MOOCs). Towey et al [13] have developed virtual reality open educational resources in a higher education institution. They also discussed their strategies and challenges.…”

Section: Previous Studies On Oers For Language Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing an OER Website and Analyzing Its Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Chen

2020

English Teaching & Learning

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The outbreak of COVID-19 has pushed many teachers and students to change their traditional ways of teaching and learning, which also required them to become more familiar with using various online resources. UNESCO emphasized that more quality open educational resource (OER) materials should be made available to teachers and students. Compared to many commercial sites, OERs have been constantly criticized for their poor quality (International Commission on the Futures of Education, 2020 ). However, so far, insufficient attention has been paid to the improvements and promotion of OERs. To fill this important gap, this paper first introduces how we use various computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and natural language processing (NLP) technologies and the free resources around the world to develop a comprehensive open-source English learning site called Cool English. The content and major functions of this site are first introduced. An investigation on how the site helped teachers and students during the COVID-19 time (from February to July 2020) was carried out by analyzing the various resources used by teachers and students. In addition, we also discuss several problems and challenges of using this website and other online resources. Through the descriptions and analyses of this website, researchers might be able to gain some experiences in developing and promoting OER sites for English language learners and teachers.

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Section: Previous Studies On Oers For Language Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing an OER Website and Analyzing Its Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Chen

2020

English Teaching & Learning

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“…Previous discussions [5] have concluded that computer simulations can be effective pedagogical tools, especially for the teaching of complex concepts. Accordingly, many traditional simulation approaches have evolved into virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences; where learners have opportunities to interact with computer simulated characters or situations.…”

Section: A Virtual Reality Accessibilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…VR/AR has not always been accessible to the average student (or teacher). While some have suggested that VR/AR can be traced back to the first stereoscope, invented in 1838 [5], it was around the mid-1980s when VR equipment such as goggles and gloves began to appear [12]. Such equipment has allowed for the creation of immersive VR systems based on the CAVE concept [see discussions in 13], where the user can move around an environment surrounded by walls with images projected onto them.…”

Section: A Virtual Reality Accessibilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although the project described in this paper had initial aspirations to develop the learning resource as an OER [5], the various tensions surrounding OER development in the context of UNNC's intellectual property rights policies mean that a number of challenges to this exist [35], [36], [37]. Nevertheless, contributing to the OER community remains a key motivation of this project.…”

Section: Open Educational Resource Potentialmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Creating a 4D Photoreal VR Environment to Teach Civil Engineering

Walker

Stepanov

Towey

et al. 2019

2019 IEEE International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Education (TALE)

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Motivated by recent developments in AR/VR technology and accessibility, an interdisciplinary team at a Sinoforeign Higher Education Institution in China have been engaged in the creation of a virtual reality learning resource that will be offered to students and educators in the institution's Civil Engineering department. In Civil Engineering education, it is difficult to explain to students how classroom theories translate into real life solutions and field trips can help resolve this problem. However, these must overcome fundamental concerns associated with student site visits, which include safety, logistics and accessibility for disadvantaged students. The presented case study details the development of a virtual field trip that is accessible from simple phone-based virtual reality headsets. The photoreal virtual field trip was constructed through multiple site visits to capture data and the experience now provides students with an opportunity to view the entire construction process of a university library. This paper contributes to current research by exploring the challenges and conjugate solutions encountered whilst building the virtual reality environment, and by presenting the first known photoreal virtual field trip that allows students to autonomously move both spatially and chronologically around a construction site. This will benefit other educational practitioners who are contemplating similar initiatives.

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“…The authors of this paper represent an interdisciplinary team at UNNC who, following identified best practices , came together to address a perceived shortcoming in current civil engineering (CE) education: the disconnect between the taught theoretical content and desired practical experience. After some initial exploration of how best to approach this problem (Towey et al, 2018b), a decision was made to take advantage of an on-campus construction of a library building to develop a virtual field trip (VFT) of the construction site and construction process. Initial plans included aiming to develop a learning resource, preferably an open educational resource (OER) (Towey et al, 2018a, Towey andZhao, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing a pedagogical photoreal virtual environment to teach civil engineering

Walker

Towey

Pike

et al. 2020

ITSE

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Purpose It is possible for civil engineering (CE) students to graduate from a degree programme without gaining experience on a construction site. The implementation of virtual field trips using virtual reality (VR) in CE education is a development that can address this phenomenon and help facilitate the consolidation of abstract theories into tangible competences. This project aims to solve a fundamental CE education problem: once a structure has been completed, it is often impossible to see how it was built; hence, how can you demonstrate the construction process to a student? Design/methodology/approach This research used the opportunity of a new campus library development to record its construction sequence. This was achieved by visiting the site eight times to take panoramic stereoscopic photos of the construction process. By its nature, using VR as a didactic tool facilitates experiential learning, but this project also incorporates discovery learning and situated cognition to develop students’ understanding of the construction process. Findings The use of VR in education is becoming increasingly common, but the explicit pedagogy used in these environments is rarely obvious or stated. This project draws upon current VR education discussions and explores the development of a VR environment with a pedagogical context. Originality/value The development of the VR resource draws upon the pedagogical frameworks of discovery learning (Bruner, 1961) and situated cognition (Lave and Wenger, 1991). A further unique aspect of this research is the use of stereoscopic cameras to capture the library’s construction over time.

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Developing Virtual Reality Open Educational Resources in a Sino-Foreign Higher Education Institution: Challenges and Strategies

Cited by 11 publications

References 30 publications

Developing an OER Website and Analyzing Its Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Developing an OER Website and Analyzing Its Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Creating a 4D Photoreal VR Environment to Teach Civil Engineering

Developing a pedagogical photoreal virtual environment to teach civil engineering

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