James Richard Birt

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Professor at Bond University

Significant advances in virtual reality (VR) technology have called into question the traditional methods of cinema storytelling and dissemination. New VR devices, such as the Meta (Oculus) Quest, have expanded the possibilities for viewing movies. The purpose of this study is to compare the emotional and cognitive impacts of VR and traditional 2D...

Educational institutions are increasingly investing into digital delivery, acquiring new devices, and employing novel software and services. The rising costs associated with maintenance, in combination with increasing redundancy of older technologies, presents multiple challenges. While lesson content itself may not have changed, the educational la...

The inclusion of game-based learning in tertiary institutions is increasing as educators seek ways to enhance student engagement and motivation. Through the development process of gaming resources, educators need feedback to ensure a quality learning experience. In many cases, however, this feedback is generally received from students at the end of...

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) and mobile technologies have been identified as important in reimaging information delivery and pedagogy. This, coupled with evolving research in single (SUVR) and multiuser (MUVR) IVR environments, may enhance educational practice. However, there is limited research on the impact of such technologies on the learners...

There is growing evidence that the use of simulation in teaching is a key means of improving learning, skills, and outcomes, particularly for practical skills. In the health sciences, the use of high-fidelity task trainers has been shown to be ideal for reducing cognitive load and leading to enhanced learning outcomes. However, how do we make these...

Mobile learning, thrust into the spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic, has a rich 40-year history with a robust body of research predating 2020. This concise paper revisits mobile learning in light of the accelerated technological advancements and shifting educational practices post-pandemic. By examining the evolution of mobile learning framewor...

Blended reality seeks to encourage co-presence in the classroom, blending student experience across virtual and physical worlds. In a similar way, Mixed Reality, a continuum between virtual and real environments, is now allowing learners to work in both the physical and the digital world simultaneously, especially when combined with an immersive he...

This paper presents industry stakeholder insights from the implementation of a dual modality intervention using virtual and augmented reality simulation to study complex lighting theory in architecture design. Using a design based research method the aim is to evaluate these insights and inform a pilot study to educate first year architectural desi...

Mobile learning has evolved alongside the proliferation of mobile devices and advancements in educational technology. Despite facing scrutiny regarding its validity, mobile learning gained renewed significance in the wake of the pandemic, aligning with several concurrent STEEP trends. One evident shift is the changing learner engagement, with moder...

The gradual pace of climate change means that its awareness plays a particularly important role in encouraging support for its amelioration or adopting adaptive behavior. This case study involves an action research project that engages twelve urban planning-related professionals in the experience of immersive virtual reality (IVR) as a tool to impr...

Accessible and equitable education is a national priority recently highlighted by the Indian and Australian Governments. New developments in web-based architecture allow augmented reality (AR) lessons to be delivered via smartphone. Although educational technology is commonplace in the Australian curriculum, it is unclear if Indian tertiary student...

Study objectives: This scoping review explores the use of extended reality (virtual, augmented, and mixed reality) within sleep health, sleep medicine, and sleep research. It aims to provide insight into currents uses and implementation considerations whilst highlighting directions for future research. Methods: A systematic scoping review was un...

Background: Extended reality (XR) technology such as virtual and augmented reality is increasingly being utilised in paediatric medicine due to its role in medical education and reported positive impacts on outcomes including pain, anxiety, and sleep. To the author’s knowledge, no previous reviews investigating the use of XR in paediatric intensive...

Filmmakers now have access to new cinematic pipelines that combine Virtual Reality (VR), allowing them to develop new immersive media for narrative and audience interaction. Traditional filmmaking approaches are limited when it comes to investigating the embodiment of VR and the underlying interaction between the user and the story in Embodied Virt...

Mobile learning is well established in literature and practice, but under-evolved from a rigorous learning design perspective. Activity theory presents a sophisticated way of mapping and understanding learning design, but for mobile learning this does not always translate into change in practice. The reported research addresses this by coupling a m...

New technologies like 360 degree virtual reality videos and 3D printing are creating philosophical shifts in approaches to teaching and learning in the classroom. However, most studies isolate new technology rather than study the benefits of using them in combination. Multiple representations support a variety of learning activities especially when...

With a marked growth in the industry of esports, this paper examines the epistemological, ethical and operational challenges impacting esports. In exploring the available literature on the esports phenomena, it argues that the current ‘gold rush’ is unsustainable unless the problems of government interference, legitimacy, regulation and inequality...

This paper proposes the role of an emerging job role within the virtual reality (VR) film production crew. This role we call the Embodiment Director, involves assisting the VR Film Director in the accomplishment of true immersive film experiences through the use of game engines and VR peripherals. The Embodiment Director will manage the inception o...

URL to download section and full report https://ascilite.org/get-involved/contextualising-horizon/

The initial impact upon higher education from the COVID19 pandemic was a rapid shift to online learning for a large proportion of the academic teaching community and for students as learners as well (Naciri et al., 2020; Zayapragassarazan, 2020). The on-going impact requires a more considered, designed response that takes account of the many socio-...

The pandemic has drastically changed the education landscape. The pedagogical practices, policies and procedures ingrained and refined over many years were suddenly rendered less effective. Overnight, new practices, policies and procedures had to be drafted to support teaching and learning. More than a year on, educators have found a new home, new...

The pandemic has drastically changed the education landscape. The pedagogical practices, policies and procedures ingrained and refined over many years were suddenly rendered less effective. Overnight, new practices, policies and procedures had to be drafted to support teaching and learning. More than a year on, educators have found a new home, new...

As augmented reality (AR) and gamification design artifacts for education proliferate in the mobile and wearable device market, multiple frameworks have been developed to implement AR and gamification. However, there is currently no explicit guidance on designing and conducting a human-centered evaluation activity beyond suggesting possible methods...

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019)-induced changes in the workplace present a timely opportunity for human resource management practitioners to consider and remediate the deleterious effects of noise, a commonly cited complaint of employees working in open-plan office (OPO) environments. While self-reports suggest that OPO noise is perceived...

Irrelevant ambient noise can have profound effects on human performance and wellbeing. Acoustic interventions (e.g., installation of sound absorbing materials) that reduce intelligible noise (i.e., sound unrelated to the relevant speech, including noise from other talkers within the space) by reducing room reverberation, have been found to be an ef...

Virtual and augmented reality have seen increasing employment for teaching within medical and health sciences programs. For disciplines such as physiology and anatomy, these technologies may disrupt the traditional modes of teaching and content delivery. The objective of this systematic review and meta‐analysis is to evaluate the impact of virtual...

Critical thinking in education is mainstream with ever increasing industry support for soft skills and capacity for graduates to solve problems, plan strategy, make decisions and communicate creatively. However, teaching and assessing critical thinking is resource intensive especially when scaling to large remote or online classes. Often, the solut...

COVID-19 has catalyzed online learning environment design across all university disciplines, including the traditionally practice-based disciplines. As we move from a rapid response triage mode of online learning towards a more sustained engagement with a mix of online and face-to-face learning environments (particularly for practice-based learning...

Mobile devices and a vast array of accompanying applications offer significant affordances to create, consume, share, collaborate and communicate-affordances that could be easily leveraged to facilitate meaningful learning. A positive disruption arising from COVID-19 that aligns with the affordances of mobile learning is the uncoupling of time and...

This special collection of Research in Learning Technology explores the development of the state of the art of Mobile Mixed Reality (MMR) in education. The special collection was established in 2018 to provide research-informed exploration of this emergent and rapidly developing arena of educational technology through the lens of Scholarship Of Tec...

Learning methods and pedagogy are shifting in clinical education. In particular, incorporating technology is increasingly important for training health professionals, where the necessary knowledge acquisition is typically much more experiential, self-directed, and hands-on than many other disciplines. Virtual or mixed reality interventions are beco...

There is growing evidence that mixed reality visualisation methods improve learning outcomes especially in spatial disciplines. But, often these studies are focused on post evaluation of a single user visualisation experience and self-reporting. With almost all interactions within mixed reality environments never recorded or reflected upon, this le...

Mixed reality (MR) and mobile visualisation methods have been identified as important technologies that could reimagine spatial information delivery and enhance higher education practice. However, there is limited research on the impact of mobile MR (MMR) within construction education and improvement of the learners’ experience. With new building i...

This symposium discussion is based around the 2019 update to the special collection of Research in Learning Technology (RLT) on Mobile Mixed Reality (MMR) Enhanced Learning that the ASCILITE Mobile Learning SIG has coordinated this year - due for publication in November/December 2019 – the authors will use the articles to spark discussion around th...

New technologies like 360 virtual reality videos and 3D printing are creating philosophical shifts in approaches to teaching and learning in the classroom. However, most studies isolate new technology rather than study the benefits using them in combination. Multiple representations support a variety of learning activities especially when students...

With new building information modelling (BIM) workflows becoming required within the architecture, engineering and construction industry, more research is required to understand the best pedagogical delivery methods of this new spatial technology workflow. Mixed reality (MR) and mobile visualisation methods are identified as important technology dr...

Nearly ubiquitous smartphone use invites research and development of augmented reality experiences promoting knowledge and understanding. However, there is a lack of design science research dissemination about developing these solutions. This paper adds to the information systems body of knowledge by presenting the second iteration of Design Scienc...

Studies suggest that augmented reality and game mechanics can lead to increase sense of place. This is important as sense of place provides many benefits ranging from personal place significance, to increase interest and stewardship at the place. These benefits combined can lead to enhancement of an offered service. Therefore, the question asked in...

Mobile mixed reality has been shown to increase higher achievement and lower cognitive load within spatial disciplines. However, traditional methods of assessment restrict examiners ability to holistically assess spatial understanding. Multimodal learning analytics seeks to investigate how combinations of data types such as spatial data and traditi...

This research investigates the impact of experiential learning methods in teaching system modelling in a higher education ICT classroom. We hypothesize that the integration of visualization and gamification by incorporating 3d printed objects and a virtual video 3600 case scenario can improve learning motivation, engagement and enhance learning out...

Two ways in which 21st century higher education is substantially different from previous centuries are in the prevalence of online learning and increased student diversity, including expanded participation of students with disabling conditions. This chapter poses the question: have online technologies leveled the playing field for students with dis...

Gamification applied to service marketing is a growing area of research with an increasing focus on physical location and service. However, there are often accuracy issues with GPS implementations of location-based gamification. In this problem domain, micro-location has emerged. This paper proposes an analysis method to the theme and categorises m...

Systems Analysis modelling is considered foundational for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) students, with introductory and advanced units included in nearly all ICT and computer science degrees. Yet despite this, novice systems analysts (learners) find modelling and systems thinking quite difficult to learn and master. This makes the...

Spatial visualisation skills and interpretation are critical in the design professions but are difficult for novice designers. There is growing evidence that mixed reality visualisation improves learner outcomes, but often these studies are focused on a single media representation and not on a comparison between media and the underpinning learning...

This paper presents an approach to using mixed reality (MR) technologies in supervised summative electronic exams. The student learning experience is increasingly replete with a rich range of digital tools, but we rarely see these same e-tools deployed for higher stakes supervised assessment, despite the increasing maturity of technologies that aff...

This paper presents an approach to using mixed reality (MR) technologies in supervised summative electronic exams. The student learning experience is increasingly replete with a rich range of digital tools, but we rarely see these same e-tools deployed for higher stakes supervised assessment, despite the increasing maturity of technologies that aff...

This paper presents a research design and intervention that investigates how the use of mixed reality visualization and gamification can be applied to an ICT systems analysis and design course. The research focuses on a learning approach of an ICT modelling and design framework based on visual augmentation of traditional course content and class de...

There is growing evidence that the use of enhanced multimedia instruction in education is a key means of improving learning, skills, and outcomes, particularly for practical skills. In the health sciences, the use of mobile mixed reality has been shown to be ideal for reducing cognitive load and enhanced learning. The context of this study, is skil...

New accessible learning methods delivered through mobile mixed reality are becoming possible in education, shifting pedagogy from the use of two dimensional images and videos to facilitating learning via interactive mobile environments. This is especially important in medical and health education, where the required knowledge acquisition is typical...

In health sciences education, there is growing evidence that simulation improves learners’ safety, competence, and skills, especially when compared to traditional didactic methods or no simulation training. However, this approach to simulation becomes difficult when students are studying at a distance, leading to the need to develop simulations tha...

This paper presents industry stakeholder insights from the implementation of a dual modality intervention using virtual and augmented reality simulation to study complex lighting theory in architecture design. Using a design based research method the aim is to evaluate these insights and inform a pilot study to educate first year architectural desi...

Blended reality seeks to encourage co-presence in the classroom, blending student experience across virtual and physical worlds. In a similar way, Mixed Reality, a continuum between virtual and real environments, is now allowing learners to work in both the physical and the digital world simultaneously, especially when combined with an immersive he...

This symposium discussion is based around the special issue of AJET on mobile Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality that the Ascilite Mobile Learning SIG has coordinated this year - due for publication in September 2017 – the authors will use the articles to spark discussion around the critical issues surrounding the educational use of mobile AR and...

New pedagogical methods delivered through mobile mixed reality (via a user-supplied mobile phone incorporating 3d printing and augmented reality) are becoming possible in distance education, shifting pedagogy from 2D images, words and videos to interactive simulations and immersive mobile skill training environments. This paper presents insights fr...

Digital technology is becoming more integrated and part of modern society. As this begins to happen, technologies including augmented reality, virtual reality, 3d printing and user supplied mobile devices (collectively referred to as mixed reality) are often being touted as likely to become more a part of the classroom and learning environment. In...

This paper presents insights from the implementation of a mixed reality intervention using 3d printed physical objects and a mobile augmented reality application in an ICT networking classroom. The intervention aims to assist student understanding of complex theoretical multi-step problems without a corresponding real world physical analog model. T...

This paper presents a research design and intervention that investigates how the use of mixed reality visualization and gamification can be applied to an ICT systems analysis and design course. The research focuses on a learning approach of an ICT modelling and design framework based on visual augmentation of traditional course content and class de...

This paper presents insights from the implementation of a mixed reality intervention using 3d printed physical objects and a mobile augmented reality application in an ICT networking classroom. The intervention aims to assist student understanding of complex theoretical multi-step problems without a corresponding real world physical analog model. T...

Spatial visualisation skills and interpretations are critical in the design professions, but traditionally difficult to effectively teach. Visualization and multimedia presentation studies show positive improvements in learner outcomes for specific learning domains. But the development and translation of a comparative visualization pedagogy between...

Spatial visualization and interpretation are important skills for designers. However, these skills generally require significant experiential development over the course of years. Visualizations allow the human brain to convey complex spatial concepts in intuitive, navigable and manipulable forms improving learner outcomes and perceptions. But ofte...

This paper presents a pilot study rationale and research methodology using a mixed media visualisation (3D printing and Augmented Reality simulation) learning intervention to help students in an ICT degree represent theoretical complex multi-step problems without a corresponding real world physical analog model. This is important because these conc...

This paper presents a learning intervention using mixed media visualisation (3D printing and Augmented Reality simulation) to enhance skills development for paramedic science students studying through distance education. Presented is a research methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of the mixed media visualisation techniques to provide more han...

This pilot study examines the effect of mixed media visualization on learner perceptions and outcomes in 3D spatial modeling. The context for this study is a university first year undergraduate interactive media and design course. Meta analytic studies in the use of visualizations show positive improvements in learning outcomes among low and high s...

This paper presents a methodology and pilot study rationale to examine the effect of mixed media visualization on learning outcomes in three dimensional (3D) modeling. The context for this study is a university first year undergraduate interactive media and design course. Meta analytic studies in the use of visualizations show positive improvements...

This paper presents a methodology and pilot study rationale to examine the effect of mixed media visualization on learning outcomes in three dimensional (3D) modeling. The context for this study is a university first year undergraduate interactive media and design course. Meta analytic studies in the use of visualizations show positive improvements...

This study examines a matrix of synthetic water samples designed to include conditions that favour brominated disinfection by-product (Br-DBP) formation, in order to provide predictive models suitable for high Br-DBP forming waters such as salinity-impacted waters. Br-DBPs are known to be more toxic than their chlorinated analogues, in general, and...

Theory identity is a fundamental problem for researchers seeking to determine theory quality, create theory ontologies and taxonomies, or perform focused theory-specific reviews and meta-analyses. We demonstrate a novel machine-learning approach to theory identification based on citation data and article features. The multi-disciplinary ecosystem o...

This pilot study compared the use of an enriched multimedia eBook with traditional methods for teaching the gross anatomy of the heart and great vessels. Seventy-one first-year students from an Australian medical school participated in the study. Students' abilities were examined by pretest, intervention, and post-test measurements. Perceptions and...

This paper will report on a multidisciplinary pilot study undertaken at the Gold Coast, Australia by a research team from Bond University. The study is the result of collaboration between communication researchers and a residential developer with a long history of high quality development activity on the Gold Coast and eastern Australia generally....

This research presents a meta-theoretic analysis of a nomological net for the purpose of identification of potential pathways for theory integration and multi-level theory development. Success in these two areas holds the potential to reduce theory clutter in IS and related social sciences. As a proof-of-concept, we identify theory domains that sha...

This case study examines a mobile application that allows for students to interact with a 3D model of a heart while working with other students to complete various learning tasks and activities.

In this paper we present the overview for a proposed artificially intelligent learning environment which instructs dance. The Guided Learning and Immersive Dance Environment (GLIDE) will teach dance via a virtual instructor that senses student movement in the real world via a Microsoft Kinect. As a student attempts to mimic the movements of the ins...

As the specific parts of a theory are refined over time the core concepts and associations of a theory provide the identity of a theory’s domain. This research applies a meta-theoretical analysis to the problem of theory identity and the core-periphery distinction. The theoreticoempirical network for quantitative publications over a 30 year span of...

It was found that there were a wide variety of programming languages and tools being used with the single most important motivator in offering such programs to students being the need to ready them for the multi-skills digital media workplace. It was concluded that some level of programming literacy in art and design students is essential in prepar...

The project aims to define and describe community in new residential developments and mobilize existing, new and innovative ideas about community using ICTs.

A matrix of 18 synthetic waters with variable water quality parameters (alkalinity, natural organic matter (NOM), and halide concentration) was prepared. The DBP formation potential of these 18 samples was examined both before treatment, after enhanced coagulation (EC) and after a sequential treatment using EC followed by either powdered activated...

Today's knowledge economy requires students to comprehend current theory and practice across a wide spectrum of disciplines. Students studying Computer Games and Multimedia at Bond University are in the Humanities and Social Sciences faculty. While traditionally studying visual arts, design and culture, rapid changes in the industry require the stu...

As specific parts of a theory are refined over time, the aggregated set of variables and associations of multiple theory instances provide the identity of a theory domain. This research applies a meta-theoretical analysis to the problem of theory identity and the core-periphery distinction. The theoretico-empirical network for quantitative publicat...

Natural organic matter (NOM) and halides (Br- and I-) present in source waters react with disinfectants to formdisinfection by-products (DBPs). Current coagulation and adsorption techniques used in drinking water treatmenthave good NOM removal capacity, but have low halide removal capacity. This is due primarily to the presence ofcompeting anions i...

The formation potential of disinfection by-products (DBPs) from chlorination and monochloramination of sourcewater for South East Queensland (SEQ) drinking water was determined. Moreover, the effect on DBP formation oftransforming disinfectants in the SEQ Water Grid was simulated at the bench scale. Samples were collected aftercoagulation and befor...

This thesis presents a pre-processing stage for optimising software reliability by quantitatively identifying the most error prone regions in a software program. These error prone regions are identified using Genetic Algorithms on the source code’s graph representation, weighted with potential Sources of Error. By identifying these potentially erro...

Although various methods have been applied for detecting and reducing errors in software, little research has been done into partitioning a system into smaller, error prone domains for Software Quality Assurance. In this paper we demonstrate that it is possible to identify error prone parts in programs. This is important because by identifying them...

In earlier work we have demonstrated that GA can successfully identify error prone paths that have been weighted according to our weighting scheme. In this paper we investigate whether the depth of strata in the software affects the performance of the GA. Our experiments show that the GA performance changes throughout the paths. It performs better...

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We present a method for optimizing software testing efficiency by identifying the most error prone path clusters in a program. We do this by developing variable length genetic algorithms that optimize and select the software path clusters which are weighted with sources of error indexes. Although various methods have been applied to detecting and r...