Page 68 - ITU Journal, ICT Discoveries, Volume 3, No. 1, June 2020 Special issue: The future of video and immersive media

ITU Journal: ICT Discoveries, Vol. 3(1), June 2020

Additionally, serious games cannot only be used to the example of SpaceBuzz, the match between
inform players on certain topics, they can be used to benefits and learning goals is abundantly clear. Few
persuade the player to adopt a certain behavior [27], other technologies make it possible to provide
where more meaningful narratives increase the children with a realistic experience of becoming an
game’s effectiveness, and, in turn, player astronaut and travel around the earth’s orbit, and it
engagement [28], especially in virtual reality based is the very realism of the 3D experience afforded by
environments. virtual reality which is paramount to bringing about
the overview effect.
4. VIRTUAL REALITY
Taken together, the vast range of possibilities of
New hardware has provided vast opportunities to virtual reality and related immersive technologies
bring content closer to the learner. The use of non- might make them an ideal solution, particularly for
immersive virtual learning environments, typically K-12 education, where there is an ever-present
presented using regular computer monitors, has need to provide novel ways to support, engage, and
been associated with several learning benefits, motivate learners.
including improved engagement, spatial awareness,
contextual and collaborative learning [29, 30, 31]. 5. INTELLIGENT TUTORING SYSTEMS
Immersive virtual learning environments in turn Serious games allow for self-paced learning, which
are most commonly experienced using virtual has shown to increase effectiveness of learning and
reality headsets, such as the ones used in SpaceBuzz, achievement in education [38]. Yet, guidance in the
and bring educational content so close that the exploration and the opportunity for students to ask
learner feels that they are present inside it. This questions seems beneficial for learning [39].
phenomenon is called presence, and has been Intelligent tutoring systems provide one-on-one
linked to positive learning outcomes [32]. The sophisticated instructional advice comparable to
realism immersive virtual learning environments that of a good human tutor, and allow for developing
provide has been suggested to amplify several and testing models about the cognitive processes
learning benefits of their non-immersive involved in instruction, thereby potentially
counterparts [33]. With these environments, there providing a solution to Bloom’s 2-sigma problem
no longer is a need for artificial input methods, such discussed earlier. One category of systems are
as keyboards, to explore educational content. conversational intelligent tutoring systems that use
Instead, body movement is naturally translated into natural verbal and non-verbal conversation for
the virtual experience, making it possible to literally tutoring purposes. The advantage of these systems
pick up virtual content and intuitively explore it is that they allow the user to explore a simulated
with an unprecedented level of freedom and ease.
world, while guiding them pedagogically [40].
Yet the learning benefits do not stop there. What These conversational intelligent systems have been
was once hard to grasp using 2D pictures in a around for over 50 years. Weizenbaum’s ELIZA
textbook can now be presented in full stereoscopic system already simulated a Rogerian therapist that
3D and from any desired vantage point, which was able to communicate with the user using a rule-
benefits learners with low spatial ability especially based system [41]. The interaction was primitive,
[34]. Collaborative learning in virtual learning with ELIZA rephrasing the utterance of the user in a
environments is set to receive a boost as well, as a question using a text-to-text interface. Since then,
recent study has shown how groups of students can conversational systems have improved
interact and learn within a shared virtual space considerably with embodied conversational agents
while maintaining non-verbal communication interacting with their users, using synthesized
through the use of mixed reality, which has the speech and basic facial expressions and gestures.
possibility to bring physical elements into the One such agent is AutoTutor, a computer tutor that
virtual experience [33].
teaches students topics such as conceptual physics
Given the variety of benefits, it is unsurprising that and computer literacy [42]. AutoTutor is visualized
virtual reality has shown learning gains compared as a talking head and asks a general question to the
to traditional forms of learning [35, 36]. Moreover, student, who can respond using natural speech. The
it has been suggested that the benefits of virtual computer system then extracts meaning from the
learning environments are most effectively applied student utterance, evaluates the quality of the
when they serve the intended learning goals [37]. In student’s input, and decides on pedagogical moves

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