Edusim
Encyclopedia
Edusim is a Cave Automatic Virtual Environment
"Immersive Touch" 3D Natural User Interface (NUI) based concept of lesson driven (multi-user) 3D virtual worlds on the classroom interactive whiteboard or classroom interactive surface. The Edusim concept is demonstrated by the Edusim free and open source
multi-user 3D
Open Cobalt
virtual world platform and authoring tool kit modified for the classroom interactive whiteboard
or surface. The Edusim application is a modified edition of the open source Open Cobalt Project and relies heavily on the affordances of direct manipulation of 3D virtual learning models and Constructionist Learning
Principles.
in the classroom or for training purposes using interactive surfaces and/or whiteboard's as the hardware platform for the "immersive touch" 3D NUI direct manipulation of the 3D learning content.
as an effort to bring an engaging 3D experience to the classroom interactive whiteboard. Pilot groups were established with 6th and 7th grade middle school students throughout Southeast Kansas to observe how students would engaged the software, and how the user interface would need to be augmented to account for the affordances of the interactive whiteboard, and the usability of the students.
Cave Automatic Virtual Environment
A Cave Automatic Virtual Environment is an immersive virtual reality environment where projectors are directed to three, four, five or six of the walls of a room-sized cube...
"Immersive Touch" 3D Natural User Interface (NUI) based concept of lesson driven (multi-user) 3D virtual worlds on the classroom interactive whiteboard or classroom interactive surface. The Edusim concept is demonstrated by the Edusim free and open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
multi-user 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
Open Cobalt
Open Cobalt
Open Cobalt is a free and open source software platform for constructing, accessing, and sharing virtual world both on local area networks or across the Internet, without any requirement for centralized servers....
virtual world platform and authoring tool kit modified for the classroom interactive whiteboard
Interactive whiteboard
An interactive whiteboard , is a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector. A projector projects the computer's desktop onto the board's surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger, stylus, or other device...
or surface. The Edusim application is a modified edition of the open source Open Cobalt Project and relies heavily on the affordances of direct manipulation of 3D virtual learning models and Constructionist Learning
Constructionist learning
Constructionist learning is inspired by the constructivist theory that individual learners construct mental models to understand the world around them. However, constructionism holds that learning can happen most effectively when people are also active in making tangible objects in the real world...
Principles.
Goals
The goal of the Edusim project is to provide an example platform, and initial resources for demonstrating the use of lesson driven 3D virtual environmentsVirtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
in the classroom or for training purposes using interactive surfaces and/or whiteboard's as the hardware platform for the "immersive touch" 3D NUI direct manipulation of the 3D learning content.
History
The Edusim project originated and the term "immersive touch" 3D natural user interface was coined in September 2007 at the Greenbush Education Service Center in Southeast KansasKansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
as an effort to bring an engaging 3D experience to the classroom interactive whiteboard. Pilot groups were established with 6th and 7th grade middle school students throughout Southeast Kansas to observe how students would engaged the software, and how the user interface would need to be augmented to account for the affordances of the interactive whiteboard, and the usability of the students.
Immersive Touch
Immersive Touch natural user interface is defined as the direct manipulation of 3D virtual environment objects using single or multi-touch surface hardware in multi-user 3D virtual environments. Coined first to describe and define the natural user interface learning principles associated with Edusim. Immersive Touch natural user interface now appears to be taking on a broader focus and meaning with the broader adaption of surface and touch driven hardware such as the IPhone, IPod Touch, IPad, and a growing list of other hardware. Apple also seems to be taking a keen interest in "Immersive Touch" 3D natural user interfaces over the past few years.Emerging and Potential Immersive Touch Environments
- Edusim-Opensim Opensim virtual worlds on the interactive whiteboard.
- Microsoft SurfaceMicrosoft SurfaceMicrosoft Surface is a multi-touch product from Microsoft which is developed as a software and hardware combination technology that allows a user, or multiple users, to manipulate digital content by the use of gesture recognition. This could involve the motion of hands or physical objects. It was...
combined with 3D virtual learning environment software and learning objectives. - Dangerous Australians direct manipulation of the virtual learning objects in a collaborative learning environment.
- Smart Table The Smart Table with 3D virtual learning objects & environments.
- PQ Labs ITable The ITable with 3D virtual learning objects and lessons.
- Google Earth on a collaborative interactive surface.
- IPad The IPad.