Margaret Corbit

Building virtual worlds for informal science learning (SciCentr and SciFair) in the active worlds educational universe (AWEDU)

As a focus of its exploration of desktop 3-D environments for science outreach, the Cornell Theory Center (CTC), Cornell Universitys high-performance computing center, has been exploring the use of the Active Worlds client/server technology for implementation of a 3-D multiuser virtual science museum, SciCentr, that incorporates interactive simulation-based exhibits. We present here early lessons in accommodating the needs of several interconnected user groups as we move forward with establishing the SciCentr community within the greater educational community of Active Worlds Educational Universe (AWEDU) and the Contact Consortiums VLearn3D initiative. We learned that we must provide the user communities with both social and spatial frameworks within which to work and play. Social support ranges from one-on-one, over-the-shoulder help, to guidance and training within the environment, to coordination of inworld activities and inperson pizza parties. Spatial design requirements depend on the activities of the user group and benefit from study of real and virtual world examples. Our experience to date with a pilot group of teenaged participants is encouraging, and we believe that this medium has potential as a resource for constructivist informal science and technology education.

SciCentr and BioLearn: two 3D implementations of CVE science museums

In this paper, we present and compare two examples of the use of the Active Worlds client/server technology for implementation of 3D multi-user virtual science museums: SciCentr, developed as a standalone environment at the Cornell Theory Center, Cornell Universitys high-performance computing center, and Biolearn, a virtual visitors center for the proposed LifeLearn Bioregional Learning Center on the Northern California Coast. SciCenter focuses on interactive exhibits analogous to those of a traditional hands-on science center, but presented solely within the virtual space. In contrast, BioLearn is designed to provide a globally accessible interactive tour of the seaside museum and preserve by offering web-based information about the bioregion in a dynamic, natural 3D setting.

Social network analysis in virtual environments

Multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) allow users to navigate and explore the environment as well as interact with other users. The interaction within these environments is often text-based using Internet relay chat (IRC) and related systems. IRC poses a difficulty for researchers looking to analyze and interpret the communicative interaction since data is stored in the form of chatlogs. The current research proposes and applies methodological procedures for the representation and analysis of interaction in MUVEs as social networks. A case study on SciCentr programs from Cornell University is used to elaborate methods and related findings.

Creating genetic applications for informal science learning in multi-user virtual environments or virtual worlds

At the Cornell Theory Center (CTC), Cornell Universitys high-performance computing and interdisciplinary research center, we have implemented a 3D multi-user virtual science museum, SciCentr. SciCentr is a virtual world based on Active Worlds client/server technology. Virtual worlds captivate users through touch (keyboard interaction), sound and sight. These virtual environments can be applied to formal and informal science education in areas such as genetics, as well as to language learning and social studies. We present a case study of our experience and attempt to identify some of the advantages of using this technology, design features of our implementation, and experiences we have had in managing the social interaction among educational users. More specifically, we discuss pilot user experiences focused on crop genetics in SciCentrs Plant Breeding Beds and on the related SciFair exhibits, both examples of collaborative experiences in our virtual worlds.

Creating genetic applications for informal science learning in multi-user virtual environments

A team of developers at the Cornell Theory Center (CTC), Cornell Universitys high-performance computing and interdisciplinary research center, has implemented a 3D multi-user virtual science museum, SciCentr. SciCentr is a virtual world based on Active Worlds client/server technology. Related to gaming technology, and thus attractive to youth, virtual environments can be applied to formal and informal science education in areas such as genetics, as well as to language learning and social studies. In this paper, we review the current state of our understanding of the impact of this technology on informal science learning. We attempt to identify some of the advantages of using this technology, design features of our implementation, and ideas for managing the social interaction among educational users. More specifically, we will discuss pilot user experiences focused on crop genetics in SciCentrs Plant Breeding Beds and on the related SciFair exhibits, both examples of collaborative experiences in our virtual worlds. Finally, we describe the next stage in interactive interface development for our Gene Bot feature.

Learning in Virtual Worlds

The medium of multi-user virtual worlds is associated with many acronyms: from MUVE to MMORPG. The term MUVE (multi user virtual environment) tends to occur more in research papers exploring the potential for the medium to impact learning and is often used by computer scientists developing their own environments for this purpose (Dede, Ketelhut, and Ruess, 2004; Barab et al., 2000). Virtual Worlds is the term that has taken on popular meaning, and is used most by the media, commercial service providers, and the public. This is a sign of broader acceptance and the merging of the medium into the mainstream. Regardless of the name, all of these environments are digital and networked. This discussion will use the term virtual worlds, defined as online 3D multi-user, avatar-based systems that support creation of user-generated content. In such systems, data is shared among computers as users interact with and design in the environment. Some of these systems log records of users’ activities, offering a new dimension for assessment. Commercial game developers are expert at accessing this information, analyzing it on the fly, and using the results to support the learning player. However, educators using the medium for creative, project-based learning currently have more limited access to the data and less clearly defined expected outcomes, inhibiting their assessment of students’ work. The assessment methods outlined below therefore include suggestions for ways to make artifacts of learning in MUVEs more easily accessible to classroom teachers.