Constructing Collaborative Stories Within Virtual Learning Landscapes

In this paper we present an approach for applying virtual reality (VR) to the creation of a family of educational environments for young users. The immersive and interactive attributes of VR technology can be a powerful tool for education, allowing the learner to actively participate in the surrounding environment. Our approach is based on constructionism, where real and synthetic users, motivated by an underlying narrative, build persisting virtual worlds through collaboration. This approach is grounded on well established paradigms in contemporary learning and integrates ideas from such diverse elds as virtual reality, human-computer interaction, CSCW, storytelling, and artiicial intelligence. The goal is to build an experiential learning environment that will engage children in authentic activity. Our prototype system explores the above ideas within the CAVE(tm) virtual reality theater. It is generally recognized in educational circles that an essential part of the learning process lies in \hands-on" construction. The success of children's educational activities based on building blocks, has come to support this theory(Resnick, 1991). Another central pedagogical theme in problem solving is collaborative work, which is necessary for engaging students in group activity and social interaction. Yet constructive activity and collaboration are skills that need to be developed. A powerful technique for teaching children to work collectively is to engage them in the construction of story structures. This process allows children to create an intellectual product that results in an obvious pride of accomplishment. We present a virtual reality landscape consisting of a family of learning environments for young users, that embodies a set of common principles. In this shared virtual environment, participants interact directly with the world to create story threads. The methods of interaction between the participants and the world are natural, reeecting daily real-world interaction. Our approach is based on constructionism, where real and synthetic users, motivated by an underlying narrative, build persisting virtual worlds through collaboration with other human and simulated agents. In terms of learning environments, this encompasses nearly all the major contemporary dogma: constructionism, collaboration, problem solving, and authentic experiences. Children's narrative is used by conventional media, such as the storybook or the cinema, to present imaginary worlds. We adopt virtual reality because it expands these traditions by encouraging active participation in the creative process, and thus redeening the relationship between the audience and the work. In this research, it takes on the role of a distributed participatory theater where children at various locations …