Imprint Publications: Topic List

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VR and Education
Educational Policy and Reform
Psychology and Cognition
Interface Design

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***NOTE: The following publications are available for public download with the following notification: All rights including publication, distribution and reproduction are reserved and maintained by the individual authors and/or Imprint Interactive Technology LLC unless otherwise indicated. 1999

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VR and Education

Assessing Learning in VR: Towards Developing a Paradigm Virtual Reality in Roving Vehicles (VRRV) Project. HITL Tech Report:TR-95-1-rose. Rose, H. (1995). (FH-hr-95-02) [RTF Document]

The question of how to assess VR is particularly significant because it exemplifies the broader, theoretical conflict between traditional and constructivist learning approaches. This report presents an example of how the VRRV Project is using VR in schools, and identifies significant factors for assessment. The issue of test reliability versus validity is addressed both in terms of general education, and specifically in using VR. The underlying psychological theories of information processing and constructivism and discussed in terms of developing a comprehensive paradigm to guide the application and research of VR. This discussion is followed by an overview of specific approaches for measuring learning in VR, along with hints and cautions about conducting educational assessment.

Design and Construction of a Virtual Environment for Japanese Language Instruction. Rose, H. (1996).(FH-hr-96-02) Available as HTML Document. (Masters Thesis)

The Effect of Having Grade Seven Students Construct Virtual Environments on Their Comprehension of Science.
Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, March 1997. Osberg, K., Rose, H., Winn, W., Hollander, A., Hoffman, H., and Char, P. (1997).(FH-jnt-97-01) [HTML]

This paper describes the application of constructivist learning principles as embodied in virtual environment development and experience. The authors describe the positive value of virtual environment creation on children's comprehension of wetlands biology content. Results of the study indicate that virtual environment design and development contributed to students' understanding by presenting content information in both visual and text-based forms, leading to the development of rich conceptual representations and experiences.

The Effect of Student Construction of Virtual Environments on the Performance of High- and Low-Ability Students.
Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, March 1997. Winn, W., Hoffman, H., Hollander, A., Osberg, K., and Rose, H., and Char, P. (1997). (FH-jnt-97-02) [HTML]

This paper describes the value of virtual environment construction as a learning tool. Factors compared include ability, gender, and affective characterstics of students who took part in the study. Results indicate that virtual environment creation is of most value to lower-ability boys, whereas high-ability students of both sexes tend to do well scholastically regardless of educational treatment. Further analysis yielded preliminary results indicating that high-spatial students enjoy virtual environments more than low-spatial students and have a stronger sense of "presence".

Zengo Sayu: An Immersive Educational Environment for Learning Japanese: Final Report to The Washington Technology Center Rose,H. (1996). (FH-hr-96-01). Available as RTF Document

Zengo Sayu is a virtual environment where students learn Japanese through direct experience with the language. The environment is populated with objects that talk and help students learn vocabulary, sentence structures and grammar through meaningful, self-directed activities. Activities increase in complexity leading to a construction game where students follow and give commands to arrange building blocks. The game can be played either by a single student with the computer, or by groups of students interacting within the same virtual space.

Zengo Sayu: An Immersive Educational Environment for Learning Japanese. (1995) Rose, Howard and Billinghurst, M. HITL Technical Report No. TR-95-4. [HTML Document](FH-hr-95-01)

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Educational Policy and Reform

Taking Charge of Technology. LNT Perspectives. Rose, Osberg, & Hollander (1999).Avalable online at http://www.edc.org/LNT/news/Issue9/field1.htm

In this article, the authors describe the Virtual Reality Roving Vehicle project, which brought state-of-the-art virtual reality equipment into public schools. Although virtual reality technology holds great promise for blending tactile, auditory, and visual experiences into learning, our experience suggests that simply making high levels of technology available for classroom use will not necessarily improve education. Instead, we believe that these new technologies must be designed from inception with educational purposes in mind in order for educators and students to realize their full potential. And we suggest that educators can shape these future technologies to produce tools that will be better suited for teaching and learning.

Assessing Learning in VR: Towards Developing a Paradigm Virtual Reality in Roving Vehicles (VRRV) Project. HITL Tech Report:TR-95-1-rose. Rose, H. (1995). (FH-hr-95-02) [RTF Document]

The question of how to assess VR is particularly significant because it exemplifies the broader, theoretical conflict between traditional and constructivist learning approaches. This report presents an example of how the VRRV Project is using VR in schools, and identifies significant factors for assessment. The issue of test reliability versus validity is addressed both in terms of general education, and specifically in using VR. The underlying psychological theories of information processing and constructivism and discussed in terms of developing a comprehensive paradigm to guide the application and research of VR. This discussion is followed by an overview of specific approaches for measuring learning in VR, along with hints and cautions about conducting educational assessment.

Taking Charge of Technology By Howard Rose, M.Ed., Kimberley Osberg, Ph.D., and Ari Hollander, M.S.E. Imprint Interactive Technology LLC. Published in Leadership and the New Technologies Online Journal: Perspectives, Issue #9, May 1999.

Where do educational technologies come from? It is painfully obvious that educators and public school classrooms have not historically been the shapers of technology used for teaching and learning. Most of the technology we use in today's classroom has been conceived and shaped by the needs, values, skills, sense and attitudes of the military, scientific research and business automation. In this article, the authors describe the Virtual Reality Roving Vehicle project, which brought state-of-the-art virtual reality equipment into public schools. Although virtual reality technology holds great promise for blending tactile, auditory, and visual experiences into learning, our experience suggests that simply making high levels of technology available for classroom use will not necessarily improve education. Instead, we believe that these new technologies must be designed from inception with educational purposes in mind in order for educators and students to realize their full potential. And we suggest that educators can shape these future technologies to produce tools that will be better suited for teaching and learning.

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Psychology and Cognition

An Exploration of Virtual Auditory Shape Perception, masters thesis. Hollander, Ari J. (1994). (FH-ari-94-02)
[HTML] | Macintosh Microsoft Word 5.1 format (at HIT Lab site)

Perception of Virtual Auditory Shapes.
Proceedings of the International Conference on Auditory Displays. November, 1994. Hollander, Ari J., & Furness, Thomas A. (1994). (FH-ari-94-01) [HTML] (at HIT Lab site)

In the real world sound has shape and size as well as the familiar pitch, loudness, and timbre. However, our ears and brains conspire against our being able to perceive such aspects. This paper explores possible techniques for using virtual sound technology to help us hear what we cannot usually perceive: the shape of sounds.

Tactile Augmentation: Enhancing Presence in Virtual Reality with Tactile Feedback from Real Objects.
Presented at the Meeting of the American Psychological Society, Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Society. Hoffman, H.G., Groen, J., Rousseau, S., Hollander, A.,Winn, W., Wells, M., & Furness III, T. (1996). (FH-ari-96-01) [HTML](at HIT Lab site)

Solidity, texture, and "cyber-heft" in virtual environments: In conventional virtual environments objects have no solidity. Even with the most expensive force-feedback systems the best you can get is a crude, spongy surface, and even this requires wielding or wearing cumbersome mechanical contraptions. This paper examines the importance of solidity in virtual environments using an augmented reality system implemented by the authors: real objects are instrumented and spatially registered with virtual representations, thus providing the solidity, texture, and weight that would otherwise be absent.

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Interface and Application Design

An Exploration of Virtual Auditory Shape Perception, masters thesis. Hollander, Ari J. (1994). (FH-ari-94-02)
[HTML] | Macintosh Microsoft Word 5.1 format (at HIT Lab site)

In the real world sound has shape and size as well as the familiar pitch, loudness, and timbre. However, our ears and brains conspire against our being able to perceive such aspects. This paper explores possible techniques for using virtual sound technology to help us hear what we cannot usually perceive: the shape of sounds.

Interactivity in Computer-based Foreign Language Instruction: A Review of the Literature. Rose, H. (1994).(FH-hr-94-01) [RTF Document]

This report reviews the literature regarding computer-based instruction in second language learning, and the various modes of interactivity currently available. It is not a review of existing computer-based instruction (CBI) products. Rather, it is an overview of the criticisms CBI faces in its current applications to foreign language learning, and a compilation of design suggestions based on sound pedagogy.

Solidity, texture, and "cyber-heft" in virtual environments: In conventional virtual environments objects have no solidity. Even with the most expensive force-feedback systems the best you can get is a crude, spongy surface, and even this requires wielding or wearing cumbersome mechanical contraptions. This paper examines the importance of solidity in virtual environments using an augmented reality system implemented by the authors: real objects are instrumented and spatially registered with virtual representations, thus providing the solidity, texture, and weight that would otherwise be absent.

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