Handbook of Research on 3-D Virtual Environments and Hypermedia for Ubiquitous Learning

Contributed by an international group of researchers working in computer science, engineering, psychology, and other fields, the 23 chapters in this volume explore the application of 3D virtual reality in educational environments and effects on student motivation and interaction. They discuss learning environments like remote access laboratories, virtual laboratories, an avatar-based virtual class platform, virtual educational spaces, architectures of virtual environments, 3D cultural scenarios, a 3D virtual museum, and virtual training, as well as the effects of learning style preferences. In the second section, they address future trends in educational hypermedia and ubiquitous learning, including the role of memory and cognition, studying tasks and tablets, pedagogical agents, the role of learner prior knowledge, u-learning and hyperaudio learning environments, informal learning in the health context, developing learning objects and simulation environments, the use of intelligent agents, and augmented reality.

[...]. The chapter on virtual museums showcases an exciting future for both students enrolled in formal educational programs of study and for lifelong learners. Greg Jones, a researcher at the University of North Texas, and Adriana Alba, a researcher at the University of West Georgia, analyzed virtual tours of The Leopoldo Flores Museum in Mexico and an online three-dimensional replica. The findings of the study showed that a well-structured virtual museum enhanced later visits to the museum. Future visitors were able to familiarize themselves with the three-dimensional models of the museum before visiting the museum. After familiarizing themselves with the generalities of the museum, these future visitors were able to enjoy and understand the exhibits when they visited the museum in the flesh. Interestingly, the study also showed that the three-dimensional museum provided a workable substitute for those individuals who were unable to visit the actual museum. While in a perfect world every individual would have the opportunity to visit each site so they could experience it firsthand, this is not always the case: geographic restrictions, resource restrictions, and time restrictions make it impossible for every individual to visit the site in person. This is where three-dimensional virtual immersion can be incredibly useful for education, and why educators should embrace it to complement their existing instructional methods.
The editors of this handbook do an exemplary job of balancing two competing interests in attempting to edify portions of an emerging technology while leaving the future door open for developments in that technology. This is not an easy task. However, as long as the reader consciously understands the basics of this technology and keeps an open mind about the future, the potential for a game changing immersive instructional technology looms. This handbook is recommended for academic libraries.