Interactive Virtual Environments for Science and Engineering Education

跨学科（99）这个项目是在沉浸式虚拟环境（VE）中开发模块，以检查这种环境是否为教育提供了有效的场所。正在开发的环境基于四项原则。首先，高水平的互动性对于让学生有机会主动学习是必要的。其次，VE技术被用作其他学习方法的补充。第三，环境包含了许多类型的信息，并呈现出它们之间的联系。最后，3D可视化逼真地描绘了在物理世界中抽象或通常不可见的信息。正在开发的模块包括结构工程、计算机网络和计算机图形学，我们正在将它们整合到课程中，以评估它们的有效性。这项工作的结果包括一套经过良好测试的教育虚拟企业应用程序，设计教育虚拟企业的指导方针，以及决定虚拟企业何时是适合教育目标的选择的原则，它旨在为许多学生的学习环境以及创新的虚拟企业研究提供真正和实质性的改善。

Interdisciplinary (99)This project is developing modules within an immersive virtual environment (VE) in order to examine whether or not such environments provide an effective venue for education. The environment being developed is based upon four principles. First, a high level of interactivity is necessary to allow students opportunities for active learning. Second, VE technology is used as a supplement to other methods of learning. Third, the environment contains many types of information and presents links between them. Finally, the 3D visualization realistically portrays information that is abstract or normally not visible in the physical world. The modules being developed are in structural engineering, computer networks, and computer graphics and we are integrating them into the curriculum in order to evaluate their effectiveness. The results of this work include a set of well-tested educational VE applications, guidelines for designing educational VEs, and principles for deciding when a VE is an appropriate choice for an educational goal and it is intended to provide a real and substantial improvement to the learning environments of many students as well as innovative VE research.