PREPARING A CASE FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF 3D

VIRTUAL WORLDS IN ELECTRONIC LEARNING

Giving Education a Second Life

Mohammed J. AlGhamdi

Umm-AlQura University in Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Debbie Richards

Department of Computing, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Australia

Keywords: Virtual Worlds, Virtual Environments, Learning, Second Life, e-Learning.

Abstract: The potential of 3D virtual worlds to introduce a new educational medium which can serve all types of

learning as well as enhance the experience of both the instructor and learner appropriate to the 21

century

classroom has been recognised and explored in previous studies. While participants report enjoyment and

even improved learning outcomes, it is unclear what role the technology has played in achieving these

benefits. Furthermore, e-learning, with its many forms, has been criticized due to the inability of the

technology to provide the means which allows e-learning to become an equivalent alternative to traditional

face-to-face learning particularly in terms of effectiveness and quality. The proposed study will examine

explore these issues by assessing new alternatives, namely the use of Second Life, to traditional face-to-face

education.

1 INTRODUCTION

While the use of technology in education is often

viewed as a silver bullet, from an economic point of

view it is often difficult to find any evidence of the

benefits of technology (Landauer 1995). However,

when there is “a good fit between a particular

learning situation and specific technical solution”

striking positive results can be found (Draper,

Cargill and Cutts 2002). Due to the high levels of

engagement and fun which they can afford, three

dimensional virtual worlds have gained much

attention over the past few years with respect to the

potential they may have to revolutionise learning

and transform the traditional educational classroom,

environment.

Advances in technology, coupled with lower

prices and higher performance capabilities of

personal computers have enabled the adoption of 3D

virtual worlds by different categories of users. Ever

since its introduction, 3D virtual worlds have been

slowly gaining exposure among individual users as

well as corporations (Shen & Eder, 2009). 3D virtual

worlds are often Three-dimensional Multi User

Virtual Environments (MUVE) (Warburton, 2009).

MUVE’s were first widely used by gaming software

to enable a large number of players to engage in an

online collaborative or one on one gaming

experience known as Multi-User Dungeons (MUD)

and Massively Multi-payer Online Games (MMO)

(Warburton, 2009). MUVEs allowed for a number of

users to get together online and perform activities

made possible by the environments. Designers of

these environments make the choice on the type of

functions and activities available to their users

(Robbins & Butler, 2009). As time and technology

progressed, MUVEs have become more

sophisticated and very popular (Warburton, 2009).

Today, there are many MUVEs which consist of

advanced 3D technology as well as advanced

capabilities which allow users to customize their

environments.

It has been suggested that “current education

systems are failing to meet the needs of individuals

and society in the 21st century” (Twining, 2009, p.

496). This is primarily due to the advances in

477

J. AlGhamdi M. and Richards D. (2010).

PREPARING A CASE FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF 3D VIRTUAL WORLDS IN ELECTRONIC LEARNING - Giving Education a Second Life.

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Computer Supported Education, pages 477-480

DOI: 10.5220/0002852304770480

 SciTePress

technology and the corporate need for higher skill

levels from their employees and the lack of an

educational system to adapt such needs (Twining,

2009).

Although both the potential of 3D virtual worlds

as a learning environment and the need for such an

environment have been studied (e.g. Dickey, 2005,

Piccoli, Ahmad, & Ives, 2001, Robbins & Butler,

2009, Salmon, 2009, Shen & Eder, 2009,

Warburton, 2009, Winn, 1993), there is a lack of

research on the true effectiveness of 3D virtual

worlds with regards to student performance as well

as the effectiveness of 3D virtual worlds as an

alternative to face-to-face learning. Inspired by this

notion, as well as the ability of technologies

available today, the proposed study will examine the

effectiveness of three-dimensional virtual worlds as

a medium for electronic learning. The proposed

study will also examine the potential of this medium

to be as effective as the face-to-face learning

experience. More specifically, the proposed study

will examine how three-dimensional virtual worlds,

when used as a medium for e-learning, can enhance

the learning experience for higher degree candidates.

The study will answer the following question:

How do students who are taught using a 3D virtual

world perform in comparison with students who are

taught in a traditional face-to-face environment?

2 LEARNING IN 3D WORLDS

Three-dimensional virtual worlds are “software

which enables its users to interact with each other

and with the software within a video-game like

environment” (Robbins & Butler, 2009, p. 199).

Users utilize avatars, which are 2D or 3D graphical

representations of themselves, to be present in a

virtual world environment. The environment differs

from one software package to another. Specialized

virtual worlds exist for a specific purpose and limit

the freedom which comes with a multi-purpose

virtual world such as Second Life (SL) (Robbins &

Butler, 2009). Second Life is by far the most popular

multi-purpose 3D virtual world available today.

Trends and statistics analyzed by many different

researchers have found that the 3D virtual world is

growing in popularity as well as potential (Salmon,

2009). Gartner predicts that 80% of internet users as

well as corporations will have some kind of

interaction with a 3D virtual world by 2011

(Gartner, 2007). Gartner adds:

The collaborative and community-related aspects of

these environments will dominate in the future… the

majority of active internet users and the major enterprises

will find value in participating in this area in the coming

years. (Gartner, 2007).

The Metaverse Roadmap study, which forecasts

the future of the 3D virtual web, finds that 3D

virtual worlds have the capability to change the web

and how we interact with it (Smart, Cascio, &

Paffendorf, 2007). Other data from educational

consulting firms such as Eduventures suggest that

the majority of adult learners surveyed that are

planning to pursue a higher degree prefer the

courses they enroll in to be delivered using an

online mode of delivery rather than attending an

actual face-to-face lecture at the educational

institution or at least some kind of blended mode of

delivery (Eduventures, 2007).

In addition to trends and statistics, researchers

have found that great potential exists through the use

of 3D virtual worlds in education. A study by

Yuanqiong Wang and James Braman conducted to

evaluate the use of SL as an extension to the

classroom shows that “activities performed in SL

have a positive impact on students’ learning

experience” (Wang & Braman, 2009, p. 243). This

study used SL as an extension to the classroom

where students can meet to engage in discussions,

completion of labs and exercises, and also be able to

receive feedback on the work performed by students

(Wang & Braman, 2009). The study found that

students were excited and attracted to discuss

classroom material with other students, as well as

engage in activities with each other so as to have a

reciprocated learning environment. By being able to

collaborate and receive feedback almost

instantaneously, students were enabled to become

active learners (Wang & Braman, 2009). The results

of the study also showed that students who

participated in SL to complete projects as well as

engage in discussions found the learning experience

to be more enjoyable. The students also showed

higher motivation for learning (Wang & Braman,

2009).

In addition to the advantage of greater

collaboration and instant feedback, 3D virtual

worlds offer students and teachers the ability to

implement different ways in which students can

enhance their learning process as well as teachers

demonstrating more effective results. The different

types of 3D virtual worlds enable the teacher to

choose the best 3D virtual world to support the

teaching process (Robbins & Butler, 2009). Russell

Robbins and Brian Butler suggest in their

publication “Selecting a Virtual Platform for

Learning”, which examined the different platforms

of 3D virtual environments and how they can be

CSEDU 2010 - 2nd International Conference on Computer Supported Education

478

used to enhance the learning experience for students,

that the key to choosing the right type of 3D virtual

world for learning has to begin with declaring the

learning objectives that teachers seek, then mapping

those objectives to the different types of 3D virtual

environments (Robbins & Butler, 2009). For

example, first-person simulation worlds enable the

teacher and student to engage in experiments and

receive fast yet realistic feedback without bearing

the expenses and dangers associated with

performing such activities in real world (Robbins &

Butler, 2009). For instance, the use of flight

simulators has been adopted by almost all the pilot

training programs across the world. The software is

also available to allow any person to learn the basics

of flying such as Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Robbins and Butler breakdown the different 3D

virtual environments platforms and how educators

can go about choosing the right type of 3D virtual

environment to best suit their educational need

(Robbins & Butler, 2009). For example, a task-

oriented VW “supports students practicing

responding to ill-structured virtual situations”

(Robbins & Butler, 2009, p. 204).

By understanding the learning objectives and the

different 3D virtual environment platforms

available, teachers can choose the best platform to

help achieve their identified learning objectives.

A 3D virtual world also offers an environment

which can be used to implement multiple learning

models. “Research in educational VR reveals that

3D interactive environments provide support for

constructivist-based learning activities by allowing

learners to interact directly with information from a

first-person perspective” (Dickey, 2005, p. 440).

Moreover, constructivist-based learning relies on the

notion that immersion is a better method of learning

in such cases where knowledge needs to be

assembled from experience rather than from another

person’s description of the experience (Winn, 1993).

3D virtual worlds enable students to participate in

active learning where they “actively process and

apply information to learn as opposed to passive

listening” (Wang & Braman, 2009, p. 244).

Currently, there are many examples of

universities who have adopted a 3D virtual world

environment to offer courses, seminars, lectures, etc.

Moreover, organizations have also undertaken

initiatives to research new educational systems

tailored for the information age. Harvard, MIT,

Princeton, along with many other prestigious

universities in the U.S. and overseas have in one way

or another embraced the 3D virtual environment as a

possible educational tool which can enhance the

learning experience (Lamont, 2007) (MIT.edu)

(Princeton.edu). MIT, Princeton and Harvard have

Islands in Second Life where lectures, meetings, and

other educational related activities can take place

(Lamont, 2007) (MIT.edu) (Princeton.edu).

SCHOME, an initiative which is dedicated to

radically rethink the current educational system, has

identified virtual worlds to be the best “vehicle for

providing people with such lived experiences of

radically different models of education” (Twining,

2009, p. 498). The Schome Park Programme (SPP)

was developed to be an environment where radical

new ideas for educational systems can be tested and

researched in depth in a virtual world (Twining,

2009). SCHOME chose to pursue the virtual world,

specifically Second Life, because “they allow you to

do things which it would be difficult or impossible

to do in the physical world—both literally and

pragmatically,” (Twining, 2009, p. 498) and the fact

that virtual worlds “are spaces which encourage

playfulness and testing of boundaries” (Twining,

2009, p. 498).

3 RESEARCH METHOD

The proposed research topic will adopt a quantitative

research methodology. The study will “ask specific,

narrow questions; collect quantifiable data from

participants; analyzes these numbers using statistics;

and conducts the inquiry in an unbiased, objective

manner” (Creswell, 2008, p. 46). Similar research

conducted on learning and virtual worlds was

conducted using a quantitative methodology

(Piccoli, Ahmad, & Ives, 2001, Dickey, 2005, Wang

& Braman, 2009, Warburton, 2009).

Specifically, the proposed research topic will use

an experimental design. According to Creswell,

“experimental designs are procedures in quantitative

research in which the investigator determines

whether an activity or materials make difference in

results for participants” (Creswell, 2008, p. 60). An

experimental design is the best approach for this

study because we propose to study two different

groups while attempting to “control all variables that

influence the outcome except of the independent

variable” (Creswell, 2008, p. 299).

The proposed study will look at two major

groups to test the following hypotheses:

Null Hypothesis: There is no difference between students

who are taught through 3D virtual worlds and students

who are taught through a traditional face-to-face

environment in terms of student performance on test

scores.

Hypothesis 1:

Students who are taught using a 3D virtual

world will have higher test scores than students who are

taught using a traditional face-to-face environment.

Hypothesis 2:

Students who are taught using a 3D virtual

PREPARING A CASE FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF 3D VIRTUAL WORLDS IN ELECTRONIC LEARNING -

Giving Education a Second Life

479

world will have lower test scores than students who are

taught using a traditional face-to-face environment.

Group one will be taught through a traditional face-

to-face environment. Group two will be taught using

a 3D virtual world with no traditional face-to-face

interaction in the physical world. The research

population will consist of undergraduate students in

a specific course. Models will be implemented to

assess the effectiveness of each method and how

each method directly relates to the results students

achieve at the end of the study. The proposed study

will adopt Second Life as its 3D virtual world

learning platform. With an estimated 13 million

registered users (Secondlife.com), SL is considered

to have the largest number of registered users as well

as the most mature 3D virtual world available to

users all over the world.

4 CONCLUSIONS

The examined literature has made a compelling case

for the potential and ability of 3D virtual worlds to

introduce a new educational medium which can

serve all types of learning as well as enhance the

experience of both the instructor and learner. The

literature has also shown the need for a new

educational environment which can match the

quality of traditional educational approaches as well

as incorporates the needs of today’s students in the

information age. Trends, statistics, as well as the

potential impact of 3D virtual world on education

have been made clear by various scholars in this

field. What is needed is a study on whether this new

environment is effective in the educational field and

if so, how effective is it. Technology has the

potential to educate societies and communities all

over the world at a fraction of the cost in comparison

to traditional educational program. Nevertheless, e-

learning, with its many forms, has always been

criticized due to the inability of the technology to

provide the means which allows e-learning to

become an equivalent alternative to traditional face-

to-face learning. Issues such as effectiveness and

quality have always been associated with e-learning.

It is believed that the proposed study will contribute

to the literature considered to examine new

alternatives to traditional face-to-face education.

REFERENCES

Creswell, J. W. (2008). Educational Research: Planning,

Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and

Qualitative Research (3

ed.). NJ: Pearson Education.

Dickey, M. D. (2005). Three-dimmensional Virtual

Worlds and Distance Learning: Two case Studies of

Active Worlds as a Medium for Distance Education.

British Jrnl of Educ. Technology, 36 (3), 439-451.

Dreher, C., Reiners, T., Dreher, N., & Dreher, H. (2009).

Virtual Worlds as a Context Suited for Information

Systems Education: Discussion of Pedagogical

Experience and Curriculum Design with Reference to

Second Life. Jrnl of IS Education, 20(2):211-224.

Eduventures. (2007, March 6). Eduventures Pree Release.

Retrieved 27-09-09 http://www.eduventures.com/

about/press/news-1/news_03_06_07

Gartner. (2007, April 24). Gartner Says 80 Percent of

Active Internet Users Will Have A "Second Life" in

the Virtual World by the End of 2011. Retrieved July

3, 2009, from www.gartner.com:

http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=503861

Labs, L. (n.d.). How Education Enterprises Use Virtual

Worlds. Retrieved 2-7-2009 http://

secondlifegrid.net/slfe/education-use-virtual-world

Lamont, I. (2007, May 21). Harvard's Virtual Education

Experiment in Second Life. Retrieved July 14, 2009,

from http://blogs.computerworld.com/node/5553

MIT.edu. (n.d.). Seond Life Projects. Retrieved 19-07-

2009,http://web.media.mit.edu/~dharry/secondlife/

Piccoli, G., Ahmad, R., & Ives, B. (2001). Web-Based

Virtual Learning Environments: A Research

Framework and a Preliminary Assessment of

Effectiveness in Basic IT Skills Training. MIS

Quarterly, 25(4): 401-426.

Princeton.edu. (n.d.). Princeton University-Second Life-

Home. Retrieved July 14, 2009, from

http://etc.princeton.edu/sl/content/view/8/20/

Robbins, R. W., & Butler, B. S. (2009). Selecting a Virtual

Platform for Learning. Journal of Information Systems

Education , 20 (2), 199-210.

Salmon, G. (2009). The Future for (Second) Life and

Learning. British Jrnl of Educ. Tech., 40(3):426-538.

Shen, J., & Eder, L. B. (2009). Intentions to Use Virtual

Worlds for Education. Jrnl of IS Education, 20(2):225-

233.

Smart, E., Cascio, J., & Paffendorf, J. (2007). Metaverse

Roadmap: Pathways to the 3D Web. Retrieved 10-07-

09 Metverse Roadmap: http://www.metaverseroad

map.org/MetaverseRoadmapOverview.pdf

Twining, P. (2009). Exploring the Educational Potential of

Virtual Worlds-Some reflections from the SPP. British

Journal of Educational Technology , 40 (3), 496-514.

Wang, Y., & Braman, J. (2009). Extending the Classroom

through Second Life Jrnl of IS Educ. 20(2):235-247.

Warburton, S. (2009). Second Life in Higher Education:

Assessing the Potential for and the Barriers to

Deploying Virtual Worlds in Learning and Teaching.

British Jrnl of Educ. Technology , 40(3):414-426.

Winn, W. (1993). A Conceptual Basis for Educational

Applications of VR. Washington: HITL Report.

CSEDU 2010 - 2nd International Conference on Computer Supported Education

480