Learner perceptions and recall of small group discussions within 2D and 3D collaborative environments

Abstract

Online learning critically relies upon good communication between engaged parties in order to convey ideas, meanings, and values. Emerging technologies in collaborative virtual environments are providing new affordances in establishing greater online presence and, in turn, greater abilities to communicate and learn. This study examines how learners perceive, follow, and recall information presented in discussions in both a 2D and a 3D collaborative environment, Elluminate (now known as Blackboard Collaborate) and Second Life respectively. This exploratory study shows that learners observing discussions in Second Life have a tendency to better organise ideas, better identify who said what, and better recall what information was said throughout the discussion, than with similar discussions in Elluminate. On average, participants in this small scale study were able to follow and recall conversations in Second Life 10-13% better than the discussions in Elluminate. While findings produced positive trends towards Second Life, additional testing is required as the scale (n=42) was small and the frequencies of statistical results in excess of .05 were limited. Still, collectively they do point towards valuable insights for online educators in how they choose to deliver content, conduct synchronous class discussions, and communicate with their students.

Analysis of 3D Virtual Worlds as Connected Knowledge Networks

“…In these 4 5-point Likert-type items the opinions of the participants' views on 3D virtual worlds as connected knowledge network. This finding is parallel to finding of Downey, Mohler, Morris and Sanchez's study that 3D Virtual Worlds increased sense of connection with the avatars [14]. Scores of participants compared in terms of technology usage competence.…”

Physical and social presence in 3D virtual role-play for pre-service teachers

“…VWs have been effectively used for experiential learning (Jamaludin, Chee, & Ho, 2009), problem-based learning (Omale, Hung, Luetkehans, & CookePlagwitz,, 2009), and role-play (Gregory & Masters, 2012). Downey, Mohler, Morris, and Sanchez (2012) found that the visual affordances of VWs enabled learners to "identify speakers better, focus and organize information better, and feel a stronger sense of connection with others" (p. 1416) when compared to 2D online learning environments. Given the wide use of VWs, we need to deepen our understanding of the educational affordances provided by them so as to design meaningful learning activities in immersive virtual learning environments.…”

“…However, the roles of physical and social presence in virtual learning activities have not been sufficiently investigated, although a number of researchers have asserted that the physical and social presence are the most prominent affordances of VWs (Dalgarno & Lee, 2010;de Freitas, Rebolledo-Mendez, Liarokapis, Magoulas, & Poulovassilis, 2010;Downey et al, 2012;Warburton, 2009). Although a few empirical studies (Bulu, 2012;Lee, Wong, & Fung, 2010;McCreery, Schrader, Krach, & Boone, 2013) have provided significant insights into how physical and social presence influence learning activities in VWs, there is a critique that presence in VWs does not play an important role in meaningful learning and sometimes imposes a cognitive load that is detrimental to the construction of knowledge (Moreno & Mayer, 2004;Whitelock, Romano, Jelfs, & Brna, 2000).…”

Emerging Technologies (ETs) in Education: A Systematic Review of the Literature Published between 2006 and 2016

“…In perceptions, 33 studies tried to identify and analyze the perceptions of use of the TE of different educational participants as students (e.g., [23]) and teachers (e.g., [24]). …”

“…In the quantitative research, the experimental method was the most widely used, because it allowed researchers to compare between: conventional teaching methodologies and teaching methodologies using ET (e.g., [19]); Groups exposed to an ET and not exposed (e.g., [23]) and between conventional and ET technologies (e.g., [66]), one of the advantages of using the experimental method is that it allows researchers and teachers to determine whether the design and implementation of the strategy produces significant changes in the groups and thus, establish whether the incorporation of ET improves or not the educational processes through the use of statistics.…”