Matthew Schmidt

Developing methods for understanding social behavior in a 3D virtual learning environment

This paper presents a case study of developing and implementing methods to capture, code and comprehend reciprocal social interactions in a three-dimensional virtual learning environment (3D VLE). The environment, iSocial, is being developed to help youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) develop social competencies. The approach to identifying, classifying and coding behavior in the 3D VLE uses an adaptation of reciprocal interaction coding methods traditionally used in single-subject research with individuals with ASD. These adaptations consider the unique characteristics of the 3D VLE technology and the nature and context of learning in this type of environment. A description of the coding methods employed is provided. Selected results are presented to illustrate how this methodology can offer detailed descriptions of learning and social interaction behavior in context. Such results demonstrate the potential of this approach for building new knowledge about how learning takes place and progresses in a 3D VLE and for making data-driven design decisions for improving the learning experience in the online social context.

Three-dimensional virtual learning environments for mediating social skills acquisition among individuals with autism spectrum disorders

In this paper we will discuss the unique possibilities of using three-dimensional virtual environments as an educational tool for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This paper will focus primarily on nonacademic skills such as social skills.

iSocial: a 3D VLE for youth with autism

This poster provides an introduction and brief illustration of iSocial, a 3D-Virtual Learning Environment to support social competence development for youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders. We report the results of a field test of a partial implementation of iSocial in the Fall of 2008. Of note are some key lessons learned in how to adapt a successful clinic-based approach to the new medium, as well as lessons in the identification of needed social orthotics and identity representation for supporting social interaction for this special population. Despite numerous challenges in the implementation, the learners and guides were highly engaged in their virtual learning and responded positively to the experience.

Bringing the Field to the Supervisor: Innovation in Distance Supervision for Field-Based Experiences Using Mobile Technologies.

This paper provides a summary of the design, development, and evaluation of a mobile distance supervision system for teacher interns in their field-based teaching experiences. Developed as part of the University of Floridas Restructuring and Improving Teacher Education 325T grant project, the prototype system streams video of teachers in rural classrooms using iPad Minis equipped with a variety of peripheral devices to provide enhanced optics and multi-source audio. A description of the prototype, including hardware and software components, is provided.

Smart 3D collaborative virtual learning environments: A preliminary framework

With increases in access to powerful computing and high-speed networks, 3D virtual learning environments are being envisioned and developed as places for collaborative learning. These new environments for collaborative learning have promise for great authenticity in experience, great presence with others, and the monitoring/sensing of broad ranges of human cognition and behavior inferred from the actions of avatars. In the process of designing and building such an environment, iSocial, to develop social competency for youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder the authors have explored the potential for developing a smart system. The paper provides a framework for conceptualizing and implementing a smart 3D collaborative virtual learning environments based on 3 key constructs: environmental scaffolds, social affordances and coaching. The framework and constructs are illustrated using experiences and functionality developed for the iSocial system.

3D Virtual Worlds: Assessing the Experience and Informing Design

Teams meet in 3D virtual worlds more frequently than ever before, yet the tools for evaluating 3D collaboration environments are underdeveloped. To close the 3D collaboration tool evaluation gap, the authors integrate lessons from the gaming industry and distributed work research. They develop two complementary approaches. First, the individual user’s perspective using eye-tracking (ET) is addressed, and second, the collaborative experience of the group using a technique called All-Views-Qualitative-Analysis (AVQA) is evaluated. The latter integrates the points-of-view of all subjects in a small group collaborating on a creative work task in a 3 dimensional virtual world. The authors show how these techniques enable evaluation of 3D environment design from the perspective of human computer interaction theory and theories related to distributed work. The paper discusses why designers should seek ways to leverage the advantages of 3D collaboration technologies and avoid recreating mirrors of physical space in these environments.

Leveraging open source software and design based research principles for development of a 3D virtual learning environment

Design based research (DBR) has been acknowledged as a productive approach for advancing educational technology. Coincidentally, open source software has been found to be a good fit for implementing design based research. This report presents a case study of a software project using a design-based research approach and free/open source software. The project, iSocial, is developing a 3D virtual environment for youth with autism spectrum disorders to develop social competence. The study illustrates how the flexibility and community features of FOSS fit with the iterative nature of design-based research to benefit the development of iSocial, and the report also discusses challenges of implementing FOSS and DBR.

Preparing the Twenty-First Century Workforce: The Case of Curriculum Change in Radiation Protection Education in the United States.

The advent of the global information society and a myriad of other rapidly changing variables are presenting many new and unique challenges for the twenty‐first century workforce, and perhaps the most pressing of these challenges is actually meeting the needs for qualified workers to fill the positions in emerging and growing fields. One such field is the nuclear industry. In fact, the nuclear industry is on the verge of a workforce crisis with a need for more than 57% of current radiation protection technicians (RPTs) in the United States to be replaced in the next ten years. The University of Missouri was awarded a Department of Labor grant to build an associates of applied science curriculum for the next generation of RPTs. After determining that the dominant approach to RPT training in the industry is via memorisation and recall, the question for the development team became how to best advance a vocational curriculum that provides innovative approaches to knowledge acquisition in meaningful contexts in an enterprise that has a relatively narrow view of learning. In the current article the process the curriculum development team underwent to approach this question is provided, along with the theoretical framework used to guide development of the curriculum and the resulting curricular design. The impact that this curriculum may have on higher order cognition and knowledge generalisation is discussed. Of particular note is the design and development of an ASK system, an online learning support system, to bolster the practical and theoretical aims of the curriculum.

Is There an App for that? A Model to Help School-based Professionals Identify, Implement, and Evaluate Technology for Problem Behaviors

I t was the first observation of the school year. Walking into Mr. Terry’s classroom, his principal, Dr. McKnight, immediately noticed the large display of monster-like characters projected onto the Smart Board. Each character was linked to the name of a student in Mr. Terry’s class. Many of these students’ characters were attached to green circles containing positive numbers. However, some were attached to red circles containing negative numbers. Dr. McKnight was intrigued. Throughout Mr. Terry’s whole group lesson on fractions, he would periodically stop to enter data into his laptop and a message would pop up on the projection screen. ‘‘Lauren, +1 for raising your hand!’’ ‘‘Nicole, 21 for talking out of turn.’’ Dr. McKnight noted Mr. Terry’s public display of both positive and negative behavior on the observation form and circled it as a point for discussion during the postobservation debriefing scheduled for later that day. After leaving Mr. Terry’s classroom, Dr. McKnight reflected on what he had observed. Over the past 3 years Fayettville Elementary School had implemented schoolwide positive behavior supports (SWPBS) as its framework for supporting student behavior. Mr. Terry served on the team spearheading the effort to create a positive environment schoolwide for all students and staff. During the first year of implementation, the team had agreed to publicly recognize students using the ‘‘outstanding owl’’ system (i.e., tickets printed with the school’s mascot, Ollie the Owl, distributed for following schoolwide expectations such as being respectful, honest, and prepared). At the same time, the decision was made to reteach expected behavior when students engaged in inappropriate behavior rather than resorting to traditionally used reactive management practices (e.g., suspension and expulsion). Over the past year, the SWPBS team decided to focus its efforts on the classroom environment. All teachers reviewed and made a plan to individually implement classwide positive behavior supports strategies (e.g., providing behavior specific praise and increased opportunities to respond). Dr. McKnight was pleased that Mr. Terry was positively and publicly reinforcing students for expected behavior. However, at the same time, he was concerned about the negative numbers appearing on the screen for the entire class to see. Publicly posting negative behavior did not seem to align with the school’s focus on positive behavior support. During the post observation debriefing, Dr. McKnight shared his concern about the public posting of negative behavior with Mr. Terry and asked him why he selected to respond to inappropriate behavior in this way. Mr. Terry responded, ‘‘Well, I guess I didn’t really think about it that way. One of the other teachers on my team told me about a really cool, new, free app to track student behavior, so I decided to give it a shot.’’ Based on their discussion, Dr. McKnight and Mr. Terry decided to bring the application to the SWPBS team for review in order to determine whether this use of technology made sense within their school’s approach to behavior management and support. Dr. McKnight and Mr. Terry face an increasingly common dilemma in classrooms and schools nationwide: the haphazard integration of technology. It has become generally accepted that the integration of technology into all aspects of teaching and learning is not only beneficial but also necessary (Nickerson & Zodhiates, 2014). Yet, little consideration is typically directed at how that technology is selected, implemented, and evaluated (Edyburn, 2013). This haphazard approach can lead to the selection and adoption of technology for the sake of technology rather than identification of relevant technology built on a strong foundation of need. Too often, word of mouth or brief Internet searches are the sole basis for the adoption of devices and systems affecting students and teachers (Kopcha, 2010). By applying what works in a personal context (e.g., a quick Android computer software program or app search for tracking exercise) to the professional context, educators are in danger of selecting technology that is ineffective, misaligned, or incompatible with the desired outcomes and philosophies of learning and behavior management. Teachers are also presented with lists of technology solutions for implementing research-based practices, such as the table of mobile technology in Cumming (2013), but those recommendations may not align with a particular context or problem. Therefore, a systematic problemsolving process for identifying, implementing, and evaluating technology use in schools is warranted. The need for and utility of technology in education is acute, particularly with regard to facilitating PROBLEM SOLVING IN BEHAVIOR SOFTWARE USE

Assessing Multiple Perspectives in Three Dimensional Virtual Worlds: Eye Tracking and All Views Qualitative Analysis (AVQA)

The Human Computer Interaction community is beginning to wrestle with the challenges of effective interaction design for groups collaborating in 3 dimensional virtual worlds. Understanding of the requirements and design processes necessary to support these new technologies is still emerging. While the gaming community has developed heuristics for game design over a 25 year period, the adaptation of this knowledge for the design of virtual collaboration spaces has been limited. Following a research through design approach, we create novel integrations and applications of Human Computer Interaction research methods in an attempt to understand the collaborative work of a small group of individuals in a 3 dimensional virtual world. Specifically, the fine grained perspective provided by eye-tracking (ET), and a more coarse unit of analysis, provided by All-Views-Qualitative-Analysis (AVQA), are applied to understand non-gaming interaction in 3 dimensional virtual worlds. To formalize an integrated method, we describe three lenses for analyzing eye-tracking data in graphics intensive and animated virtual applications. Then, we combine those outcomes with a single method for integrating and analyzing the points-of-view of all subjects in a small group collaborating on a creative work task in a 3 dimensional virtual world. Through these examples, we illustrate the benefits of this type of research for 3 dimensional virtual world designers.