Nonverbal Signs in Virtual Environments

Successful computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) relies on collaborative group engagement, a complex construct characterized by multifaceted, dynamic, socio-emotional, and socio-cognitive processes. This paper provides a detailed analysis of collaborative group engagement, with a particular focus on nonverbal behaviors as indicators of high versus low group engagement. Using video observations and a multi-method approach, we examine in detail the relationships between different dimensions of group engagement (i.e., behavioral, social, cognitive, and conceptual-to-consequential engagement) and nonverbal behaviors. Using qualitative case analysis, we also provide a rich examination of selected cases to identify the role that nonverbal behaviors play in high-engagement sequences compared with low-engagement sequences. Our findings shed light on specific nonverbal behaviors, including nodding, laughing, and eye contact, as significant indicators of high versus low collaborative group engagement. Notably, more of these nonverbal behaviors are evident in high-engagement sequences, suggesting mutual reinforcement on each dimension of engagement—with the exception of behavioral engagement, where increased laughing or smiling is evident in low-engagement sequences, but still serves a productive group process. The paper concludes with a discussion and implications of the findings. By demonstrating the role of nonverbal behaviors as important indicators, this work contributes to the understanding of the complex, dynamic, and contextualized nature of collaborative group engagement in CSCL settings.

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The Use of Immersive Virtual Reality in the Learning Sciences: Digital Transformations of Teachers, Students, and Social Context

Bailenson

Yee

Blascovich³

et al. 2008

Journal of the Learning Sciences

451

232

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This article illustrates the utility of using virtual environments to transform social interaction via behavior and context, with the goal of improving learning in digital environments. We first describe the technology and theories behind virtual environments and then report data from 4 empirical studies. In Experiment 1, we demonstrated that teachers with augmented social perception (i.e., receiving visual warnings alerting them to students not receiving enough teacher eye gaze) were able to We would like to thank Roy Pea, Byron Reeves, and the Stanford LIFE lab for helpful suggestions and Sandra Okita and Dan Schwartz for suggestions as well as for detailed comments on an earlier draft of this article. This work was supported in part by National Science Foundation Grant 0527377.Correspondence should be addressed to Jeremy N. Bailenson, Department of Communication, Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305-2020. E-mail: bailenson@stanford.edu spread their attention more equally among students than teachers without augmented perception. In Experiments 2 and 3, we demonstrated that by breaking the rules of spatial proximity that exist in physical space, students can learn more by being in the center of the teacher's field of view (compared to the periphery) and by being closer to the teacher (compared to farther away). In Experiment 4, we demonstrated that inserting virtual co-learners who were either model students or distracting students changed the learning abilities of experiment participants who conformed to the virtual co-learners. Results suggest that virtual environments will have a unique ability to alter the social dynamics of learning environments via transformed social interaction.

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Nonverbal Signs in Virtual Environments

Cited by 5 publications

References 18 publications

Does “Virtually Being There” Help? Comparing Collaborative Work between 3D and 2D Conditions

Does “Virtually Being There” Help? Comparing Collaborative Work between 3D and 2D Conditions

Zooming in: The role of nonverbal behavior in sensing the quality of collaborative group engagement

The Use of Immersive Virtual Reality in the Learning Sciences: Digital Transformations of Teachers, Students, and Social Context

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