Not that long ago, the learning world was all-abuzz with talk of using virtual worlds such as Second Life (SL) for learning. Anecdotal evidence and extravagant expenditures led many companies to reconsider the value of their virtual world. After a quiet period of disillusionment, educators are now re-considering learning in virtual worlds – with a more systematic approach.
My recent doctoral research determined, with empirical evidence, that learners can experience learning gains from a well-crafted immersive 3-D (three-dimensional) learning experience. In this article, I discuss how to apply the ADDIE (Analyze – Design – Develop – Implement – Evaluate) model to a 3-D environment to create effective learning in virtual worlds.
It is possible to apply the traditional instructional design model ADDIE to the creation of learning for Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs). Some organizations, including the U.S. military, also use an official planning phase as the first step in the instructional design process. The PADDIE model is especially well-suited to MUVE learning because of the upfront considerations that are not specific to instructional design but are critical to the success of the learning experience. Because these principals apply to a wide variety of 3-D platforms, the remainder of this article refers to these 3-D immersive environments generally as MUVEs.
Planning
Planning considerations include issues of hardware capabilities, environmental support for concurrent users, and streaming servers for multimedia content. Three-dimensional environments use considerable computer processing power to display the detailed visuals of the environment. Regular code upgrades to a MUVE can render a computer incapable of using the MUVE. It is not reasonable to assume that the computers that users have are already compatible with the MUVE, or will stay compatible with the MUVE during the instructional period. Purchasing a high-powered computer, and performing upgrades to stay MUVE-compatible, can be both expensive and time consuming. Individual learners may not be willing or able to provide this equipment for themselves. To remove this as a potential learning barrier, learning leaders may need to provide this equipment along with ongoing upgrades and maintenance.
Depending on the MUVE being used and its technical limitations, the number of concurrent users that can be supported is limited. If the number of learners exceeds the number of supported concurrent users, planning the timing of learner participation will ensure that all learners receive the same opportunity to learn in the MUVE. Failure to consider this may result in learners being unable to access the learning location in the MUVE, or experiencing processing slowdowns that impede or prevent learning.
If multimedia is to be part of the instruction, the hosting required to support that streaming content should be considered. Multimedia can be displayed on a separate Web site, or can be streamed in-world through media displays that look like televisions or movie theater screens. (Editor’s Note: The term “in-world” may not be familiar to readers without virtual world experience. It simply refers to events or applications that appear, to the user, as situated within the virtual world itself.) Either way, you need to host the multimedia on a server that has enough bandwidth to play the movies for the expected number of concurrent users. Another consideration is whether to host the multimedia in more than one location, so that if the first server experiences issues the second server is available – preventing any delay or frustration for learners.
Analysis
The analysis phase of instructional design typically focuses on quantifying and describing the characteristics and motivations of learners, along with specific objectives for the learning experience. Familiar learner analysis criteria include the educational background of the learner, and the intrinsic or extrinsic motivations each one has toward the learning. Additional learner analysis criteria to consider include learner experience, and comfort level with technologies used in education or training. These technologies include computers, the Internet, and 3-D environments.
A gap analysis typically measures the distance between learners’ current content and procedural knowledge, and the level of knowledge or skill the learners need to acquire. For learning in a MUVE, an additional gap needs to be measured and remediated – the ability to perform basic functions in the MUVE. You may need to support learners with step-by-step instructional movies that guide them through the processes of:
- creating a user account,
- customizing the avatar,
- avatar locomotion (walk, fly, run),
- touching and using objects in-world, and
- searching for and teleporting to a location.
Because of the sizable learning curve involved in becoming competent at basic functions in a MUVE, it is recommended that a learning experience in a MUVE take place over a longer time period, such as weeks or months. This will enable learners to get past the initial learning curve and focus on learning the target content.
Design
You may focus the design phase on creating the learning site within the MUVE, or on creating a learning experience within an existing learning site in the MUVE. Questions to consider in designing the learning experience include how to chunk and sequence the content, and whether to expect learners to interact and learn synchronously or asynchronously.
Chunking and sequencing content
In my study, an instructional movie that focused specifically on the general understanding of a single accounting transaction supported each accounting transaction, and then demonstrated how to use a 3-D model of the accounting equation to practice the transaction. Each movie taught one type of transaction. The longest movie had a running length of 90 seconds. Learners could pause, rewind, fast forward, and replay the movies as needed.
The order in which the content was taught in class determined the sequence of the content. Generally, it progressed from simpler to more complex transaction types. Where there were dependencies between transactions, we taught them in logical sequence to show the impact the earlier transaction had on the subsequent transaction.
Learners then used a series of practice problems which they solved in-world using a 3-D model of the accounting equation. Dr. Steven Hornik, an accounting and Second Life expert, and a professor at the University of Central Florida, created this interactive model.
Synchronous or asynchronous learning
You can use MUVEs for either synchronous or asynchronous learning experiences. When designing instruction for small synchronous groups, you can train participants into specific roles such as a team manager who drives the team toward a goal, or a team recorder who composes the team’s answer to a learning task for assessment. A teacher, or an assistant or specially trained peer learner can also fill the mentoring role.
You may choose to have your learning environment open continuously to accommodate the variety of schedules your learners keep. Since learners may show up at any time, having a number of support personnel is a good idea – as no one individual could be available 24 hours a day.
Development
The platform that you select for your MUVE learning will impact the degree to which you can modify the environment. This can be both good and bad. Some environments, such as Second Life, are openly designed for all manner of activity, enabling you to own land (rent server space) and build a learning environment using tools that are part of the environment. Other peer-built tools for building, as well as fully built objects, can be purchased in-world. Other MUVE platforms, which have been custom-built for learning and training, have limits to what you can build, and have pre-created many of the things that you may require (rooms, tables, chairs, speaker’s platforms, and so on).
Technologies complementary to the MUVE platform include:
- Multimedia development tools that can produce demonstration movies of in-world activity
- Web-based assessment tools for creating and delivering content-based exams
- Web-based calendaring for learners to self-schedule their learning experience
Implementation
Prior to engaging learners in the MUVE, test each functional piece of the experience to ensure it works as expected. Invite a handful of volunteers to go through your learning experience, from start to finish, to find out what the experience will be like for your learners. This gives you an opportunity to correct any issues before large numbers of learners expect to use the MUVE for assignments.
There are several ways to engage learners for the MUVE experience. During a traditional classroom lecture, you can explain the experience and demonstrate it to the class. Because it is a face-to-face experience, learners can get their questions answered immediately – and often, can get their fears allayed as well. Recording the screen or lecture enables you to also post it to a class Website where learners can review it. If the learners are already using your MUVE on a regular basis, you can post in-world signs in a consistent spot where learners know to look for new assignments.
Evaluation
My doctoral research involved both reaction and learning evaluations. I measured learning, which was the focus of the study, by the pre- and post-tests. I developed the tests in collaboration with Dr. Hornik, who served as subject matter expert.
We found that learner performance on the content-specific assessment improved by the equivalent of a letter grade due to the well-crafted and supported learning experience in SL. There is not yet an integrated way to assess learning within SL. Other purpose-built training platforms have a variable level of ability to assess and to communicate with a LMS. Most educators are currently using a LMS, or similar method of hosting the assessment outside of the MUVE. Properly designing pre- and post-tests can quantify the learning experiences, and help you explain ROI to management.
Some educators have noted that learners are not always optimistic about using a MUVE for learning. You can solicit feedback from your learners in a variety of ways. As part of my research, I measured the changes in specific anxiety (about using a MUVE for learning). I adapted an existing anxiety measurement tool, the use of which produced specific metrics demonstrating how the experience reduced participant anxiety. A checklist, incorporated into the post-test for each round, enabled learners to report whether they experienced a variety of potentially adverse impacts such as disorientation or confusion. Finally, open-ended questions enabled learners to report the best and worst parts of the experience, and provide specific advice for ways to improve the experience. All of these options are tools you can use to make continuous improvements to the experience.
Conclusion
As educators or human performance improvement experts, it is critical for us to know which of the many exciting new technologies we can effectively use for learning. An error we all hope to avoid is the gratuitous use of technology simply because everyone is talking about it. This article laid out a framework for building an effective learning experience in an immersive 3-D virtual environment. Applying this knowledge to your project will require forethought and planning. However, you can affirmatively say to your key decision makers and stakeholders – my research has proven that learning in 3-D environments can work.
