Games & Simulations and Virtual Environments Playground: Generation VR2 (Squared)

Purpose & objective

The purpose of the Generation VR2 playground is to provide ISTE members with a friendly and supportive environment where they can explore a myriad of emerging and existing VR, AR, and XR gaming and simulation technologies in collaboration with fellow educators. This playground will be designed around Gartner’s Generation Virtual Levels of Engagement. When Gartner Inc. first proposed Generation Virtual in 2008, they proposed four levels of engagement - The Creators, The Contributors, The Opportunists and the Lurkers. With the rise of VR, AR and XR, we are finding that engagement and immersion are not defined by demographics (age and gender) but instead by technology usage. Virtual worlds, games and simulations are experiences that educators at all four of these engagement levels want to learn more about.

Additionally, many academic disciplines are exploring how these technologies can be used to improve student performance, reduce the cost of learning, and provide students opportunities for career exploration through games and simulations. This adoption started in the health sciences but has extended to other disciplines. One example is the rise of cybersecurity games to introduce students at multiple grade levels to both internet safety but also the foundational concepts of cybersecurity. These include games such as AGGIE Life (https://it.tamu.edu/security/cybersecurity-games/index.php) developed by Texas A&M to teach incoming students about cybersecurity through gameplay. Nova Labs (PBS) is also now offering cybersecurity games https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/labs/lab/cyber that provide players with coding, password-cracking, and social engineering challenges and network cyber battles. Some additional resources can be found at the Help System’s 6 cybersecurity games https://www.helpsystems.com/blog/break-time-6-cybersecurity-games-youll-love

The playground will include consultants at each station and multiple presenters who are all leaders in the area of augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, games and simulations. They regularly use project based learning (PjBL), problem based learning (PBL), challenge based learning (CBL), and game-based learning (GBL) as part of their student centered pedagogy.

Outline

The objectives for the Generation VR2 playground are:
Provide an engaging learning environment for ISTE members
Identify emerging and existing trends in the adoption of VR, AR, and XR games, simulations, and virtual environments
Identify ISTE PLN resources available to members
Describe best practices for VR, AR, and XR technologies in the traditional, hybrid and online classrooms
Provide hands on opportunities for members to explore multiple technologies
Provide best practices and consultation to groups and individuals for members to specifically address their interests and the challenges they are facing as they are trying to implement project-based, problem-based, challenge-based learning, and game-based learning at their schools and colleges

Six table stations will operate concurrently according to a schedule to be announced by one week prior to the Playground and posted online at the presentation resource page. Each of these stations will include computers, an Internet connection, and devices where participants can experience the technology and have hands-on opportunities to learn from (and with) experienced educators. Our consultants will not only work with groups but also allow very focused discussions about an individual's challenges. This workshop historically gets more and more detailed and specific about presenters as planners collaborate for months prior to the actual event.

The speaker station will feature educators and experts from Second Life and other virtual worlds and games as part of a #NotatISTE event.

Supporting research

Sarner, A. (2008, April 30). General virtual. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/2008/04/30/genv-gartner-marketing-oped-cx_asa_0430genv.html#6b1818536ca9
Augmented Reality

Akcayir, M., & Akcayir, G. (2017). Advantages and challenges associated with augmented reality for education: A systematic review of the literature. Educational Research Review, 1-11.

Huang, T.-C., Chen, C.-C., & Chou, Y.-W. (2016). Animating eco-education: To see, feel, and discover in an augmented reality-based experiential learning environment. Computers & Education, 72-82.

Jones S.(2016). Understanding the Pokemon Go phenomenon through augmented reality research. In Curran, M. and Jenkins, W. (Eds.), ISTE Digital Citizenship PLN Pokémon Go - Back to School Advice (ISTE Games & Simulations Network Trying to Catch’Em All). p. 122 - 124.

Lee, K. (2012). Augmented reality in education and training. TechTrends, 13-21.

Martin-Gutierrez, J. (2012). Improving strategy of self-learning in engineering: Laboratories with augmented reality. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 832-839.

Miller M.R., Jun H., Herrera F., Yu Villa J., Welch G., & Bailenson, J.N. (2019) Social interaction in augmented reality. PLoS ONE 14(5): e0216290. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216290

https://books.apple.com/us/book/student-engagement-an-open-and-shut-case/id1347632369

Virtual Reality and Virtual Environments

Bailey, J.O., Bailenson, J.N., Obradovic, J., & Aguiar, N.(in press). Virtual Reality’s Effect on Children’s Inhibitory Control, Social Compliance, and Sharing. The Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology.

Calongne, C. (2017). The pioneering spirit in the virtual frontier. In (Ed.), Integrating an Awareness of Selfhood and Society into Virtual Learning edited by A. Sticker, C. Calongne, B. Truman and F. Arenas (pp. 279-297). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Calongne, C., Stricker, A., Truman, T. and Arenas, F. (2017). In (Ed.), Integrating an Awareness of Selfhood and Society into Virtual Learning edited by A. Sticker, C. Calongne, B. Truman and F. Arenas (180-197). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Herrera, F., Bailenson, J.N., Weisz, E., Ogle, E. & Zaki J. (2018) Building long-term empathy: A large-scale comparison of traditional and virtual reality perspective-taking. PLoS ONE 13(10): e0204494. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0204494

Howard, M., & Wheelock, A. (2015, August). The Heir of the King- An Epic Learning Adventure. Association for Middle Level Education, 40-42. Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=395&category=In-the-classroom&article=

Markowitz, D., & Bailenson, J.N. (2019). Virtual Reality and Communication. Oxford Handbook of Virtuality.

Markowitz, D.M., Laha, R., Perone, B.P., Pea, R.D. & Bailenson J.N. (2018). Immersive Virtual Reality Field Trips Facilitate Learning About Climate Change. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02364

Merrick, S., & Wheelock, A (2015, May 5). 5 Worlds for Engaged Learning. ISTE. Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=395&category=In-the-classroom&article=5+virtual+worlds+for+engaged+learning

Novak, K., Luchs, C., and Davies-Stofka, B. (2013). More than just logging in: A case study of learner engagement and immersion in cross-curricular events in Second Life. Immersive Environments, Augmented Realities and Virtual Worlds: Assessing Future Trends in Education edited by S. D'Agustino. Hershey, PA: IGI Global. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-2670-6.

Novak, K. (2017). It Takes A Guild - Social Metacognition and Collaborative Creation of a Learning Organization: Massively Multiplayer Online game. In (Ed.), Integrating an Awareness of Selfhood and Society into Virtual Learning edited by A. Sticker, C. Calongne, B. Truman and F. Arenas ( pp.198-224). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Truman, B. (2017). New constructions for understanding using virtual learning- Towards Transdisciplinarity. In (Ed.), Integrating an Awareness of Selfhood and Society into Virtual Learning edited by A. Sticker, C. Calongne, B. Truman and F. Arenas (pp. 298 -316). Hershey, PA: IGI Global

Vojtek, R. (2016) Google, Cardboard and iOS Apps. Virtual Education Journal, Winter 2016. P. 23 - 30.

Wheelock, A. (2012, May). Immerse Your Students in History. Leading and Learning, 26-27. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201205/?pg=28&pm=2&u1=friend

Wheelock, A. (2010, March/April). Social Studies in a Virtual World. Leading and Learning, 26-27. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20100304?pg=28#pg28

Wheelock, A., & Merrick, S. (2015, February). Fizzle or Sizzle: Virtual Worlds in Education. ISTE Professional Learning Series. Retrieved from
https://www.iste.org/resources/product?id=3608

Yonekura, F. (2017). Musings on co-designing identity aware realities in virtual learning. In (Ed.), Integrating an Awareness of Selfhood and Society into Virtual Learning edited by A. Sticker, C. Calongne, B. Truman and F. Arenas (pp. 97- 104). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.