Archive - 2017 IEEE VR KELVAR

IEEE Virtual Reality 2017 Second Workshop on K-12 Embodied Learning through Virtual & Augmented Reality (KELVAR)

Organized in conjunction with the IEEE Virtual Reality 2017 - Los Angeles, California on March 18-22, 2017. http://ieeevr.org/2017/

Looking for KELVAR 2016 ? Link to first KELVAR workshop, from IEEE VR 2016

WORKSHOP TAKEAWAYS

2017 Workshop Takeaway Discussion Notes

DESCRIPTION

K-12 education is currently undergoing a technological revolution creating opportunities for Virtual-, Augmented-, and Mixed-Reality based learning. Technology integration will continue to increase as mobile devices penetrate all socioeconomic strata, and as new VR/AR/MR technologies become affordable to schools. These technologies have the potential to facilitate effective learning by leveraging the affordances this unique media including: the ability to engage students with interactive 3D simulations of real-life phenomena, presenting information that is spatially- and temporally- integrated with real objects, leveraging whole-body motions to depict and reinforce learning content, etc.

One unique strength of these technologies is their ability to deliver educational content through embodied learning. Embodied learning can take many forms, such as when a student moves their body around an augmented-reality plant in order to explore photosynthesis and plant structure. Embodied learning could occur in a CS programming course in which student creations are projected onto the classroom surfaces and where students collaborate by physically interacting with each other’s programs. Or, embodied learning can occur in an HMD-based virtual-reality experience where the student solves mathematical equations by using their hands to physically move numbers from one side of the equal sign to the other.

Technology developers, HCI researchers and cognitive and learning scientists are beginning to understand the mechanisms and benefits of embodied learning, as well as other unique affordances which make VR/AR/MR suited for education. But there are many questions about the integration of such experiences into the classroom, such as: What curriculum topics might be addressed through such technologies?; What psychological and physiological mechanisms underlie embodied cognition?; How can we design experiences that are age appropriate?; How will pedagogical approaches be influenced by such technologies?

In this workshop we aim to bring together developers and researchers who are interested in creating educational experiences for the classroom of the future. The workshop will enable participants to discuss and be exposed to different approaches for integrating virtual-, augmented- and mixed-reality technologies, specifically focusing on the challenges and potential for embodied learning in the classroom.

SCHEDULE AND PAPERS

8:30 - Introduction

8:35 – Keynote (30min presentation + 15min discussion)

• • Matthew Kam - Research Lead, Google's Education Products Team

  • Jinghua Zhang - Research Lead, Google's VR/AR Research Initiatives

9:20 – First set of papers (4x5min presentations + 10min discussion)

• • • "Virtual Reality Mediated Instruction and Learning" (Michael Melatti, Kyle Johnsen)

    • "iVR for the Geosciences" (Jiayan Zhao, Peter LaFemina, Jan Oliver Wallgrün, Danielle Oprean, Alexander Klippel)

• • "Towards a 3D Virtual Programming Language to Increase Number of Women in Computer Science Education" (Francisco R. Ortega, Santiago Bolivar, Jonathan Bernal, Alain Galvan, Katherine Tarre, Naphtali Rishe, Armando Barreto)

  • "Virtual Humans for Temperature Visualization in a Tangible Augmented Reality Educational Game" (Vicente Ferrer, Alex Perdomo, Hazem Rashid Ali, Carmen Fies, John Quarles)

9:55 - Break

10:15 - Second set of papers (5x5min presentations + 15min discussion)

• • "Embodied Experiment of Levitation in Microgravity in a Simulated Virtual Reality Environment for Science Learning" (Kiarash Tamaddon, Dirk Stiefs)

  • "Embodied Learning Mechanics and Their Relationship to Usability of Handheld Augmented Reality" (Iulian Radu, Alissa Antle)

  • "Considerations on the use of Virtual and Augmented Reality Technologies in Music Education" (Stefania Serafin, Ali Adjorlu, Niels Nilsson, Lui Thomsen, Rolf Nordahl)

  • "Mixed-Reality Barriers: Person-Tracking in K-12 Schools" (Randy Illum, Maggie Dahn)

  • "Designing and conducting research using immersive technologies in schools: Seven observations" (Erica Southgate, Shamus P. Smith)

11:00 Group Discussion

12:00 Lunch

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Please join our "Education and Learning with Virtual and Augmented Reality" groups on LinkedIn and Facebook:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12021434

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1178589018874446/

VISIBILITY OF SUBMISSIONS

All workshop papers will be published in the IEEE Digital Library and shared on the workshop website.

INTENDED AUDIENCE

We expect the audience will be attendees to the IEEE Virtual Reality 2017 conference, specifically those interested in educational technology:

• • Academic researchers in augmented / virtual / mixed reality

  • Learning psychologists

  • Industry organizations for children’s education

  • Teachers and educational researchers

  • Informal education technology designers

SUBMISSION TOPICS

We welcome thought-provoking position papers and preliminary research results, on topics related to VR/AR/MR learning:

• • VR, AR & MR Technologies and Applications for the Classroom

  • Embodied Cognition and Learning

  • User Experience Design for Children

  • Curriculum-based Educational Applications

  • Student-Teacher Relationships and Pedagogical Implications

  • Classroom Integration of Technology

DEADLINES AND SUBMISSION FORMAT

Paper submission deadline: February 7, 2017

Notification of acceptance: February 13, 2017

Camera ready paper deadline: February 20, 2017

The organizing committee will select submissions based on the quality and contribution of the work relating to embodied learning in education. We seek contributions in the following formats:

I) Empirical Papers: Early Research and Work In Progress (4-6 pages) - Empirical results and contributions to the field.

II) Position Papers (2-4 pages) - Interesting and possibly controversial points of view, and approaches to foster a discussion at the event.

Papers must be written in English and follow the IEEE Computer Society format found at:

http://www.cs.sfu.ca/~vis/Tasks/camera.html

Please send anonymized submissions to iulian@gatech.edu.

Submissions should specify which paper track (Empirical paper or Position) you are submitting for.

ORGANIZERS

Dr. Iulian Radu <iulian@gatech.edu> is a Senior AR Researcher with ArchieMD, a leading provider of AR/VR health science education. Iulian has extensive history in research and development of educational technology, as part of his years as a PhD researcher Georgia Institute of Technology as well as his industrial experiences with organizations such as PBS KIDS, Samsung Electronics, Avaya Labs, WestEd Research, MIT Media Lab and Qualcomm. His research explores child-centered design, usability, and educational applications of whole-body technologies, with focus on AR/VR K-12 education, embodied cognition and child development. He has directed the design, research, and production of augmented-reality games and applications, including the PBS KIDS augmented-reality educational game CyberChase Shape Quest, and the AR SPOT platform (augmented-reality extension of the popular Scratch programming environment from the MIT Media Lab). He is a winner of awards for product design, academic research, and teaching aptitude.

http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~iulian

Dr. Erica Southgate <erica.southgate@newcastle.edu.au> is an Associate Professor in Education at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She has an interest in ethically using immersive virtual and augmented reality in classrooms to create deeper learning and sustained opportunities for career education, particularly for young people in low-income school communities. She is lead author of 'Immersed in the Future: A Roadmap of Existing and Emerging Technology for Career Exploration', a report that was commissioned as part of her 2016 Commonwealth Equity Fellowship.

http://www.newcastle.edu.au/profile/erica-southgate

Dr. Francisco R. Ortega <franciscoraulortega@gmail.com> is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Florida International University (FIU). He has received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from FIU in 2014, co-advised by Dr. Naphtali Rishe and Dr. Armando Barreto. He received outstanding graduate student 2014 from Computer Science. His dissertation was one of five nominated for best dissertation award for the college of engineering. Dr. Ortega received his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, cum laude, in December 2008 from FIU and a master’s degree in Computer Science from FIU in December 2009. Dr. Ortega has over 17 years of experience in software development and systems integration. His area of expertise are in 3D User Interfaces, Input Interfaces, Human-Computer Interaction, 3D navigation, input modeling, multi-threaded programming for 3D User Interfaces, and framework development, among others. Dr. Ortega has various publications, with many of them as first author. He is the also the first author of the book Interaction Design for 3D User Interfaces published by CRC Press/Taylor and Francis Group in January, 2016. Dr. Ortega is passionate about Virtual and Augmented Reality education research with the purpose to broaden CS participation for women and minorities.

https://users.cs.fiu.edu/~fortega

Dr. Shamus Smith <shamus.smith@newcastle.edu.au> is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computing at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He is a co-leader of the i3 Lab at Newcastle where he works to address industry-relevant problems where significant value can be gained by the invention of new solutions related to the complex interactions that occur between humans, computers and data. His research interests include virtual reality, the reuse of gaming technology and technology enhanced learning, specifically in the areas of simulation, serious games, interaction evaluation and virtual environment-based training systems.

https://www.newcastle.edu.au/profile/shamus-smith