DELVE (DEsign of Learning spaces in 3D Virtual Environments)
2008-2009

Participants
Open University - Shailey Minocha (PI, Project Manager), Karen Kear and Researcher (to be appointed)
University of Nottingham - Nick Mount(PI), Gary Priestnall, Dan Weaver, Andy Burton, Claire Chambers

Funding
JISC (the UK education sector’s Joint Information Systems Committee)

Project Overview
This project will evaluate a range of 3-D virtual learning spaces with students, in order to propose models for different pedagogical requirements. The project involves activities based at the Open University and the University of Nottingham. It will make use of the two universities' Second Life islands, together with Nottingham’s Semi-immersive Virtual Reality Laboratory (which is part of the SPLINT ‘Spatial Literacy in Teaching’ Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning).

The project aims to:

• investigate existing models of learning spaces in a 3-D virtual world (Second Life) and the rationale for their designs;
• compare students' and educators' experiences and perceptions of the design of 3-D learning spaces on their collaborative learning and teaching, for three distinct models of learning spaces in Second Life;
• investigate the pedagogical benefits provided by a semi-immersive 3-D virtual reality environment, as compared to the less immersive learning space offered by Second Life;
• propose a suite of models for the design of 3-D virtual learning environments for different pedagogical requirements (e.g. for different disciplines or types of activities) and contexts (e.g. online learning versus face-to-face education).

At Nottingham the focus of activities is on a wind farm location project where the proposed locations of wind turbines around a landscape are justified using the SPLINT semi-immersive VR facility to help communicate various scenarios to staff and students. Through DELVE the same problem domain will be used but using Second Life as a vehicle for visualisation and collaboration. Although the focus of this comparative exercise is on the value of immersion, interesting issues of geographic scale of the landscape relative to the avatars in Second Life will be addressed. Various techniques for the creation of scale models of the area are currently under investigation.

Research Outcomes

Related Links
JISC project summary

Shailey Minocha (OU) Homepage