ABSTRACT
Until recently, virtual reality environments have been used experimentally, and in limited fields like game playing and architectural simulation. A few web-based distance learning sites have begun to incorporate programs written in the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) to create interactive three-dimensional campuses for their students. Will VRML-based educational environments enhance learning and stimulate student involvement, or will they prove to be distracting gadgetry that dilutes pedagogical standards? Are the creators of these worlds providing us with new ways to learn, or are they nostalgically creating a cyberspace that actually points up an absence of community on the virtual commons?
A survey of VRML colleges suggests that while this new way of creating learning spaces has tremendous potential, the virtual reality campus is not ready for prime-time playing. This paper will first survey actual VR campuses, assessing their strengths and weaknesses.
The next section will evaluate other VR programs and sites, including the Human Interface Technology Laboratory at the University of Washington and the Virtual Reality and Education Laboratory at East Carolina University. I will also provide an overview of non-VRML virtual reality education applications, such as text-based and 3-D chat rooms and MOO's, and will show examples of VRML sites from commercial and research sites that can enrich both distance learning and traditional courses. Examples include VRML explorations of pyramids and the Duomo in Florence.
The final section will invite participants to add their insights and experiences in order to construct (orally) a model for the ideal virtual reality learning environment.
Dr. Steven Hale
Associate Professor
Division of Humanities
DeKalb College 555 North Indian Creek Drive
Clarkston, GA 30021
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