The complementation of teaching using the
remote experimentations integrated with the 3D
virtual worlds
M. M. K. Tavares1, F. N. Formanski1 and J. B. Silva1
1
UFSC/Informatics, Araranguá, Brazil
Abstract — This article presents the use of remote
experimentation laboratories integrated with 3D virtual
worlds and their application in the school context. The use
of this educational tool is designed to complement the
teaching and learning. Using technology in teaching to
promote learning beyond the classroom. The remote
experimentation has been configured as an alternative to
promote this learning supplement. Thus helping the new
generation of students in theoretical and practical
interaction. The 3D virtual worlds stand out as important
tool to compose a virtual learning environment. Since the
interactions that occur in these environments tend to be
more dynamic and attractive.
Index Terms — Remote Experimentation, 3D virtual worlds,
mobile devices, education.
I.
II.
ONLINE LABORATORIES
An online laboratory consists of a set of resources that
are shared on a network, whose objective focuses on give
the opportunity to the remote access to users who want to
put into practice the observation and monitoring of events
characteristic of each experiment, the management of
these resources and knowledge acquired in the classroom,
without the obligation to have a sophisticated material i.e.
expensive. Having thus, in order to provide an equivalent
experience to that obtained in a laboratory classroom [1].
The online laboratories can be divided into three different
types: the remote labs, virtual labs and laboratories
hybrids.
INTRODUCTION
The use of the new information and communication
technologies (NICT) is already part of daily life for many
people. The digital natives, the so-called Generation Z,
have less difficulty to handle technological devices when
compared to previous generations. When we propose to
think of certain teaching materials currently used, has
aware that some of these materials tend to obsolescence,
because for a range of students, use the blackboard and the
projectors are no longer reference in its school context.
They are used to presentations data show, the use of their
computers or mobile devices like cell phones and tablets.
The incorporation of NICT to education is designed to
enrich the teaching-learning process. These allow to
present students learning situations beyond the classroom.
In this context lies the remote laboratory experimentation,
besides the possibility of being used as an alternative to
schools that have no physical well-equipped laboratories,
also allow students a more autonomous learning and
without time restriction.
In the school context there is a constant search for
resources that facilitate the construction and appropriation
of knowledge. It is therefore necessary the development of
virtual learning environments (VLE) with attractive
features and interactive for students, such as 3D Virtual
Worlds. Understands the purpose of this paper present the
use of remote experimentation and 3D virtual worlds as a
complement to the teaching and learning process.
Figure 1 The experiment in remote 3D virtual world.
Virtual laboratories often not physically exist and
normally use all equipment simulated (virtual), may be
composed of one or more experiments used to illustrate a
theoretical concept. Since the hybrid laboratories are a
combination of remote and virtual laboratories, where the
mixed reality is employed to complement components and
equipment of the actual laboratory, since they provide
simulations and actual experience the same environment
[2]. As can be seen in Figure 1.
A. Virtual Remote Experimentation
The remote experiments are characterized as equipment
connected to the web that can be accessed from anywhere
in the world, in which the student can perform the practice
of their studies at any time of day, because the system
works 24 hours a day, seven days a week [1]. Therefore, it
978-1-4673-2542-4/12/$31.00 ©2012 IEEE
is real equipment that allows interaction at a distance, with
technology based on Internet or intranet that people can
access from any location.
The use of remote experimentation allows
complementation studies with practical activities,
enriching the educational experience. Favors the approach
of the theory with the real world and may be a
motivational factor for them to engage in the issues
covered in class. The proposal is not only the availability
of remote experiments, but is aware that it is necessary
provide theoretical material support or through the
teacher's introductory explanation at the time of the
experimentation the student know why they were perform
the tests and measurements [3]. Figure 2 shows one of the
experiments provided by the remote RExLab.
Figure 2 The experiment Remote cabinet.
Education institutions across the globe have turned their
research to the development and improvement of online
laboratory. An example is the Remote Experimentation
Laboratory (RExLab), which originated at the Federal
University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) in 1997, in Brazil,
and currently provides collaboration with a network of 12
universities (Rexnet) located in five different countries.
There are other examples of educational institutions that
have the initiative, as the Institute of Engineering of Porto
(ISEP), the Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto
(FEUP), Bremen University, the University of Deusto,
among others. As regards the RExLab, this aims to
popularize scientific and technological knowledge in order
to encourage young people to pursue initiatives that
integrate science education to the current educational
process through activities that encourage creativity,
experimentation and interdisciplinarity.
III.
3D VIRTUAL WORLDS APPLIED TO EDUCATION
The 3D virtual worlds when applied to education can
provide more interactive learning experience compared
with traditional teaching methods. In this environment the
student is encouraged to build their knowledge and the
teacher has the ability to act as an intermediary in the
process of teaching and learning. The construction of
knowledge is more autonomous to the students.
Respecting the characteristics of student learning, those
whose learning is based on visual perceptions will have
more facilities with images, however, those opting for
reading, they can use communication from the virtual
worlds have, namely the construction of knowledge
happens in the vision of each student [3].
In the conception of [2], 3D virtual worlds can be
understood as computing environments that simulate
reality and are also called metaverse or metauniversos,
because of the expanding the physical characteristics of
the "universe" in question, providing the merging of
physical reality with virtual spaces physically persistent.
Virtual worlds make use of online multiplayer gaming
technology to create a virtual world shared and persistent.
This allows each participant to control your avatar, which
is its personification in three-dimensional environment in
real time, interact with virtual objects and the avatars of
other participants [4]. Relative to 3D virtual worlds still
applied to education, another important feature of this
environment is the fact that by controlling your avatar, the
student is to engage actively in the process, feeling more
present and involved [4].
To access the 3D virtual world developed by RExLab is
necessary to make some settings in the user's computer.
First you must install the viewer in the virtual world, in
this case the Hippo OpenSim Viewer is available at:
<http://forge.opensimulator.org/gf/project/opensimviewer/frs/>. Choose the executable as the operating
system of your machine. After installing the viewer must
configure the viewer to access specifically the 3D virtual
world of UFSC. As required in the initial screen enter the
following information:
• Grids click on the right side of the screen;
• On the next screen click Add and enter the
following information:
o Login
URL:
http://rexlab.ararangua.ufsc.br:9000/
o The Platform: choose OpenSim
o Grid Nickname: UFSC
o the
web
site:
http://rexlab.ararangua.ufsc.br:9000
Finally just click OK to finish the settings. From this
point it is necessary to have a registered user to access the
virtual world. The user visits the Virtual World 3D is the
UFSC:
· First name: visitante
· Last name: 1
· Password: 123456
· Quick Select Grid: UFSC
· To Log In
From this point on will load the 3D virtual world and
now you can explore the environment.
The Laboratory of Remote Experimentation (RExLab)
concentrates its efforts to integrate the remote experiments
with to the 3D virtual worlds, aiming to create a VLE to
promote interaction between the various actors in the
process of teaching and learning. In order to provide
greater interaction and collaboration among students,
implentou to 3D virtual worlds, for this, the server uses
the RExLab virtual worlds OpenSimulator, which is a free
software used to create and develop virtual environments
in 3D, similar to Second Life. Access to the virtual world
is accomplished through the Hippo Viewer (Figure 3), a
viewer in the virtual world, which must be configured to
access environment.
It is possible via a VLE access to the remote
experiments, as shown in Figure 4. There is the possibility
of providing a wide range of resources in the VLE to
complement the teaching and learning process.
V.
Figure 3 External view of the UFSC in 3D Virtual World.
IV.
VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
The process of teaching-learning has the potential to
become more active, dynamic and personalized by AVA.
These media use cyberspace to promote interaction and
collaboration to the distance between the actors of the
process and interactivity with the content to be learned
[5].
The Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) is software
that assists in managing teaching resources for classroom
courses or distance learning, Internet-accessible. Allows
you to share educational content, interaction through chat
and forums or develop online questionnaires. It is a tool
also used by students, since the material taught in class
and supplemental materials may be exposed in the AVA.
Widely used as a VLE, free software, is the MOODLE Modular
Object-Oriented
Dynamic
Learning
Environment. This allows management of teaching
materials for courses or disciplines, interaction among
participants, monitoring and evaluation of the student.
Figure 4 VLE of RExlab and access to the remote experiment
MOBILE DEVICES
Mobile devices have emerged as an ally in daily life,
emerging needs as their integration to education, known as
Mobile Learning (m-learning). There are a variety of
applications thereof, such as quick and easy access to
information which can be achieved over the internet
mediated by a mobile device. The time flexibility and
portability are factors influencing the adhesion and
spreading of this technology. These facilities can promote
continuous learning experience.
A. Remote acess to experiments and 3D virtual worlds
for mobile devices
The popularity of mobile devices has encouraged the
development of various applications. The potential of
these devices is the use of mobile technology as part of an
integrated learning model, characterized by the use of
wireless devices in a transparent manner and with high
degree of mobility. When such devices are used in
education is associated with them a new concept, called
Mobile Learning or m-learning [6].
Aware of this reality, the RExLab concerned to allow
access to their remote experiments and virtual 3D worlds
also via mobile devices. Adapting some features of your
server to enable compatibility with different operating
systems (OS). But now, the 3D virtual world can only be
accessed by users who take their phones Android
operating system.
For visualization of virtual environments in 3D
computer, is used viewers software as the Hippo
OpenSim. Currently being developed for mobile viewers.
However, there are applications available for Android OS,
but this software does not yet show the avatars and
graphic features of the virtual world in its entirety.
Figure 5 Access to the experiment by the mobile device
The images in Figure 5 were made of an apparatus
Apple iPhone 4G iOS 4.2. The remote experiments
provided by the RExLab can be accessed by any device,
be it a notebook, mobile phone or tablet, for example. For
this
you
need
to
access
the
website:
<http://rexlab.ararangua.ufsc.br/experimentos>, as Figure
1, and choose the experiment you want to use.
VI.
[3]
CONCLUSION
This paper presented the use of remote experiments
integrated with 3D virtual worlds with access via mobile
devices and their application in the school context,
allowing a better yield of instruction, making it more
efficient. Emphasizing that the use of remote
experimentation in 3D virtual world not intended to
replace lessons or classroom practices, but seeks to
support teaching in the classroom.
Importantly,
the
laboratories
are
important
environments for education, because they present a more
practical approach about the theoretical concepts, due to
lack of laboratories in the institutions this feature of
providing remote access to laboratory practices can be
accessed by different institutions, in addition, the students
can interact more with the world.
By aggregating the ICT to the education, seeks to use
these tools as a facilitator of learning, allowing students to
improve their capabilities and skills cognitive. Aiming at
the development of these skills and capabilities, currently,
there are initiatives to link the virtual reality experiment a
remote haptic system that allows the user to work on
issues related to strength and properties of objects,
allowing you to better interaction with the experiments.
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AUTHORS
M. M. K. Tavares is academic of Information
Technology and Communication at Universidade Federal
de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Araranguá, Brazil (e-mail:
[email protected]).
F. N. Formanski is academic of Information
Technology and Communication at Universidade Federal
de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Araranguá, Brazil (e-mail:
[email protected]).
J. B. Silva is a senior researcher at Universidade Federal
de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Araranguá, Brazil (e-mail:
[email protected]).