ITR/EIA: Adapting Massively Multi-user Technologies for Collaborative Online Interactive Science Laboratories

研究机构：北卡罗来纳大学格林斯堡分校标题：适应大规模多用户技术的协同在线互动科学实验室该ITR媒介奖为开发名为COURSELab的三维虚拟本科科学实验室环境提供支持。该环境基于适应学习场景的大型多人在线游戏引擎（MMOG）。COURSELab既可以作为在线教学工具，也可以作为学习研究工具。环境是一个三维的世界，在这个世界里，学生们在学习一系列模块的过程中相遇并进行合作的科学研究。该项目利用了先前NSF和DED资助的在线科学资源开发和传播项目的研究和开发成果。要开发的虚拟世界不仅仅是一个科学仪器，它尽可能地是一个真实的地方。在COURSELab实验室的学生可以看到世界上的其他地区，并前往这些地区与其他学生交流。COURSELab系统的开发是高度可伸缩和成本有效的，可扩展到许多学科，可修改和多用途，并且能够达到广泛的不同用户群。本项目的智力优势在于其创新的方法，将MMOG技术应用到学习中。该项目有潜力为人机交互以及MMOG技术和在线学习环境的研究基地做出贡献。协作设计、指导、讨论和解释实验是一种很有前途的方法，可以将学习者社区融入实践社区。更广泛的影响集中在高度可扩展和成本效益的设计上。因此，该环境可以覆盖广泛的用户群体，增加个人参与科学努力的机会，同时克服使用在线资源的传统讲座设置所带来的许多限制。这项研究应该将教育、商业、娱乐和技术领域的创新和引人入胜的发展结合起来，以具有成本效益和公平的方式提供获得高质量实验室调查的途径，并为未来使用多用户方法的虚拟学习环境项目提供指导。

AbstractEIA -0325211PI Gerald MeisnerInstitution: University of North Carolina at GreensboroTitle: Adapting Massively Multi-User Technologies for Collaborative Online Interactive Science LaboratoriesThis ITR medium award provides support to develop a three dimensional virtual undergraduate science laboratory environment named COURSELab. The environment is based on massively multiplayer online gaming engines (MMOG) adapted to learning scenarios. COURSELab can be used both as an online instructional tool and as a learning research tool. The environment is a 3 dimensional world in which students meet and conduct collaborative scientific investigations as they proceed through a series of learning modules. The project leverages research and development outcomes from prior NSF and DED funded projects on the development and dissemination of online science resources.The virtual world that is to be developed is not merely a scientific instrument, it is as literally as possible an actual place. Students in one of the COURSELab laboratories can see other areas of the world and move to those areas to engage other students. The COURSELab system development is to be highly scalable and cost effective, extensible to many disciplines, modifiable and multipurpose, and capable of reaching a broad group of diverse users.The intellectual merit of this project lies in its innovative approach, the use of MMOG technology applied to learning. The project has the potential to contribute to the research base in human computer interaction as well as on MMOG technologies and online learning environments. Collaboratively designing, conducting, discussing, and interpreting experiments is a promising approach to blending communities of learners into communities of practice.The broader impacts center around the highly scalable and cost effective design. The environment can thus reach broad groups of users and increase the opportunities for individuals to participate in scientific endeavors while simultaneously overcoming many of the limitations imposed by traditional lecture settings using online resources. This research should bring creative and engaging developments from education, business, entertainment, and technological worlds together to focus on providing access to quality laboratory investigations in a cost effective and equitable manner and should provide guidance for future virtual learning environment projects that use the multi-user approach.