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Briviesca in the 15th c.: A Virtual Reality Environment for Teaching Purposes
Abstract
The virtual visualization of historical sites opens the door to a variety of new classroom teaching methods for students. Two of these methods are semi-guided tours around 3D immersive environments and the screening of videos rendered from 3D models. Both are compared in this research that integrates a 3D model, designed for off-line rendering, in a 3D immersive environment, operating on Oculus Rift. First, the hardware and the software associated with the immersive environment are described. Then, the suitability of the 3D teaching environment is assessed in relation to historical knowledge, urban layout, and the portrayal of everyday medieval life. The evaluation of undergraduate student experiences, by means of post-session surveys, points to the effectiveness of both methods: higher scores were awarded to video screenings with background narrative in relation to the acquisition of historical concepts, while the virtual tour was the best means of transferring visually acquired knowledge such as urban concepts.
... Threedimensional (3D) computer applications, such as video games, are considered nonimmersive forms of VR whereas semi-immersive VR includes fulldome and multisensory projection systems, as well as augmented reality (AR) in which multisensory information is projected onto objects and places that the technology is programmed to recognize in the real world (Di Natale et al., 2020). VR is ostensibly more cost-effective than AR because it eliminates the need for users to be within physical proximity to specific objects and places that the technology will recognize; yet both types of immersive technologies are generating interest among history education scholars (Checa et al., 2016;Herbst et al., 2008;Keil et al., 2011;Paladini et al., 2019;Schiavi et al., 2018;Singh et al., 2015;Yildirim et al., 2018;Zantua, 2017). Likewise, there is growing interest in historical video games, which use avatars to simulate first-person perspectives on virtual worlds (Gilbert, 2019), as well as interest in how elements of gaming can be incorporated into AR and VR applications to enhance user engagement in history learning experiences (Squire et al., 2007). ...
... As they interacted with various information points, they unlocked audio elaboration. In other studies, VR was associated with greater visual and spatial recall of historical sites (Checa et al., 2016;Paladini et al., 2019) and increased interest in sites and their need for conservation (Paladini et al., 2019). Specifically, undergraduates in Checa et al.'s (2016) treatment group wore HMDs as they engaged in a self-paced, fixed-route tour of 15 thcentury Briviesca. ...
... These findings add an important dimension to the relatively small body of prior research into VR's impact in history education. Studies with both K-12 learners and adults have suggested that VR may promote interest in history or cultural heritage content (Paladini et al., 2019;Yildirim et al., 2018;Zantua, 2017), increase visual and spatial recall of historical sites visited virtually (Checa et al., 2016;Paladini et al., 2019), and increase interest in preserving these sites (Paladini et al., 2019). Participants have reported preferences for VRincluding videogames (Paladini et al., 2019) and videos with three-dimensional models (Checa et al., 2016)-over other ways to engage with topics, citing sensations of realism and presence as factors in their endorsement of immersive VR (Yildirim et al., 2018). ...
Historical empathy may be enhanced by virtual reality (VR) technologies, which provide varying degrees of immersion into other time periods and places. This study explored the effects of combining semi-immersive and fully immersive VR with a follow-up writing task to promote historical empathy with adult learners. Thirty-six participants were randomly assigned to view a brief historical film on either a flatscreen or a head-mounted device (HMD). Afterward, participants were again randomly assigned to either a first-person perspective or a factual recall writing prompt before then responding to questionnaires gauging their situational interest. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed to provide a holistic interpretation of participants’ development of historical empathy. Results suggest that although type of writing task remains instrumental in promoting historical empathy, immersive VR with an HMD also plays a promising role. Our findings pose important implications for post-secondary, museum, and teacher educators interested in scaffolding VR experiences to promote historical empathy.
... The first version of the 3D model was designed with off-line rendering and video creation in mind. It was then implemented in a VRE (Checa et al. 2016). The teaching experience narrates the establishment and growth, over the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, of the population center known as Briviesca (Spain). ...
... In this research, we take previous studies one step further by evaluating the different kinds of knowledge that may be acquired: explicit, implicit and spatial. Besides, this research goes a step further than a first version of the VRE teaching experience in the Middle-Ages Briviesca already cited (Checa et al. 2016): It improves the major limitations of this teaching experience that could only be considered a prototype, and it is tested with a larger number of students, producing significant conclusions from the statistical point of view. These major limitations were related to (1) a very small sample of end users without any statistical value; (2) the use of first-generation HMDs with strong motion sickness effects; (3) a low VRE resolution and visual quality; (4) the inclusion of a new procedure to measure the capabilities of the students at spatial identification of the locations of the main buildings of the city; and, (5) the improvement of the first questionnaire that includes questions with 100% right answers (because these kinds of questions will not help to detect advantages or disadvantages between the different learning methodologies). ...
... Although this investigation is not focused on the technical procedure to create the VRE of Briviesca in the fifteenth century, a summary of this procedure is required to analyze its potential for teaching purposes. The detailed procedure to create the VRE has already been presented in an earlier work Checa et al. 2016). ...
Two teaching methodologies are presented and compared in this study: on the one hand, semi-guided tours in immersive virtual reality and, on the other, viewing video renderings of 3D environments. The two techniques are contrasted through 3D modeling of a fifteenth-century Spanish town called Briviesca, in an immersive environment, viewed with Oculus Rift. The suitability of virtual reality for teaching is assessed through questions on historical knowledge and urban layout. The understanding of the undergraduate students is evaluated, through questionnaires, after the viewing sessions. The responses of the students underline the effectiveness of the two methodologies: Video screenings received higher scores for historical ideas and the virtual tour was the most effective method at conveying knowledge learnt while viewing. Additionally, two user movements for controlling the virtual reality environment were tested: (1) gamepad locomotion and (2) roomscale movements combined with teleporting. The clear advantage of the second option was the total lack of motion sickness effects. However, the natural tendency using teleporting was to move very quickly through the city areas with no singular buildings and to spend more time in front of these types of buildings. They therefore missed visual information related to the first areas while retaining more information related to those buildings. Finally, the spatial location of singular buildings was clearly better acquired with the virtual tour.
... This solution is more affordable than explorative experiences that require the complete development of the VR-environment. In the case of interactive experiences, the VRenvironment will only have to be developed in high resolution in the areas where the user is permitted, while any secondary area can be roughly modelled, saving costly human and computational resources [29]. Along the same lines, the number of explorative experiences is very limited, due to their high cost. ...
... Short viewing times were expected in the past, due in part to the immaturity of HMD technology that caused VR sickness syndrome [20]. But those problems now appear to have been resolved with the new generation of HMDs and new strategies for user interaction with the VR-environment [29]. Besides, if longer VRexperiences are developed, the learning time can be considered a key factor and effective time ranges for different learning tasks can be done. ...
The merger of game-based approaches and Virtual Reality (VR) environments that can enhance learning and training methodologies have a very promising future, reinforced by the widespread market-availability of affordable software and hardware tools for VR-environments. Rather than passive observers, users engage in those learning environments as active participants, permitting the development of exploration-based learning paradigms. There are separate reviews of VR technologies and serious games for educational and training purposes with a focus on only one knowledge area. However, this review covers 135 proposals for serious games in immersive VR-environments that are combinations of both VR and serious games and that offer end-user validation. First, an analysis of the forum, nationality, and date of publication of the articles is conducted. Then, the application domains, the target audience, the design of the game and its technological implementation, the performance evaluation procedure, and the results are analyzed. The aim here is to identify the factual standards of the proposed solutions and the differences between training and learning applications. Finally, the study lays the basis for future research lines that will develop serious games in immersive VR-environments, providing recommendations for the improvement of these tools and their successful application for the enhancement of both learning and training tasks.
... Some examples of large-scale environments are the reconstruction of the city of Wholverhampton (UK) in the 10 th century [27], or the city of Stade (Germany) in the 17 th century [28]. However, not all these environments are completely passive, there are also large-scale environments that include external elements such as videos or infographics to be observed by the user, such as the virtual reconstruction of the villa of Briviesca, located in Spain, in the 15 th century [29]. This experience includes videos that explain its past and heritage at certain points in the city. ...
This paper discusses the increasing relevance of immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) technology in society and its emerging applications, particularly in Cultural Heritage (CH) dissemination. However, the diversification of iVR experiences has led to a need for an application that summarizes the most common types of experiences to familiarize novice users with iVR. To address this need, an iVR application has been developed that presents the four most common types of iVR experiences: Passive, Explorative, Explorative Interaction, and Interactive. The experience includes different reconstructed CH environments and objects showcasing the possibilities for the dissemination of CH using this technology. The application is divided into four levels, and its key design factors are as follows: 1) one type of iVR experience for each level, 2) simple interactions that become more complex as the user progresses, 3) short duration and time-limited progression between levels, 4) development for standalone iVR devices, and 5) different types of reconstructed heritage showcased at each level. The experience was tested in exhibitions and achieved high performance on standalone iVR devices. Usability results are expected to be achieved in the future.KeywordsVirtual RealityCultural HeritageHead Mounted DisplayVirtual ReconstructionTutorial
... Lack or limited processor powers for application inputs or development [30]; Issues involve 3D space inputs: lack stability leads to motion sickness [38]; PC platforms lack mobility for users to experience outdoor and level of immersion is lower for desktop and mobile platform [39]; External environment factor cannot be easily manipulated Internet connection, battery consumption and overheating of device is dependent for each user [40]. ...
In recent years, virtual reality (VR) is at its maturity level for real practical exercises amongst many fields of studies, especially in the virtual walkthrough exploration system of cultural heritage (CH). However, this study remains scattered and limited. This work presents a systematic review that maps out the usability and accessibility issues that are challenging in using VR in CH. We identified 45 challenges that are mapped into five problem groups: system design, development process, technology, assessment process and knowledge transfer. This mapping is then used to propose 58 recommendations to improve the usability and accessibility of VR in CH that are categorized in three different recommendation groups namely, discovery and planning, design and development, and finally the assessment factors. This analysis identified the persistence in certain accessibility and usability problems such as there is a limit in navigating the view and space that constraint the users’ free movement and the navigation control is not ideal with the keyboard arrow button. This work is important because it provides an overview of usability and accessibility based challenges that are faced in applying, developing, deploying and assessing VR in the usage of digitalizing CH and proposed a great number of constructive recommendations to guide future studies. The main contribution of this paper is the mapping of usability and accessibility challenges into categories and the development of recommendations based on the identified problems.
... Within this line, it could be interesting to identify the granite varieties used in the original constructions, something that has not yet been possible due to the fact that neither the works' contracts, nor the payment letters of the Provincial Historical Archive of Lugo, specify their origin or characteristics. Given the wide variety of this type of stone in Galicia, together with the fact that in Lugo the ruins of the old city were converted into improvised quarries-the reuse of Roman ashlars was very common-obtaining new data could shed light for the realization of more realistic reconstructions [31], which could have application in other areas, such as the teaching of cultural heritage or graphic computing [32]. ...
Historically, urban fountains have been underestimated to the point of not being considered worthy of conservation. The foregoing reason, together with the lack of sufficient archaeological data on this type of element in the Renaissance city, makes it necessary to document and carry out graphic research to correct this deficiency and establish the relevance of these constructions. The present work shows, through the concrete case method, the analysis of three Renaissance fountains from the Spanish city of Lugo and the importance of these elements as urban landmarks that marked the essential lines of the development of cities after the medieval period. It also analyses the work of their constructors, who belonged to a workshop of plumbers and master builders from the historical territory of Trasmiera (Cantabria) and who took their art throughout the Spanish kingdom.
Multi-user immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) environments have gained attention for their potential to facilitate collaborative learning experiences. These environments offer ideal settings for social interaction, collaborative learning, and experiential learning. However, the development of these immersive environments can be time-consuming, and existing options often have limitations that hinder widespread adoption in educational settings. The framework aims to address these challenges by providing a structured approach to design and development multi-user immersive virtual reality environments. The proposed framework integrates key components such as user interaction, data tracking, and visualization functionalities, with a focus on enhancing learning outcomes and promoting collaborative experiences. Through the utilization of the framework, developers can create interactive iVR learning environments that facilitate meaningful engagement and knowledge acquisition. To illustrate its functionality, a case study is presented, showcasing a multi-user virtual reconstruction of San Juan de Arce, La Rioja (Spain) for cultural heritage learning. The results demonstrate the potential of the framework in creating engaging and educational experiences while reducing dependence on external tools. Future research directions emphasize the continuous improvement and adaptability of the framework to meet diverse educational needs.KeywordsVirtual RealityLearningMulti-userFramework
Background: In-service training of teachers is identified as an unavoidable process for the improvement of their professional development, influencing the students and the educational community. The adaptation of the characteristics that this training will contain implies the consideration of the needs specified by the teachers. The aim of this work is to identify the needs expressed by physical education teachers in compulsory secondary education in Spain, after reviewing the research present in scientific literature on the subject. Method: The method used was literature review; the databases used for the search were the Web of Knowledge, 1Findr and Dialnet. Results: It was determined that the teaching collective and the reflexive knowledge of their professional practice, constitute the basis for the design of their permanent training. Teachers recognize it as decontextualized, not being able to establish congruencies with their social reality. Subject-specific didactics and specialized educational innovation are the areas that are given most relevance. Conclusions: It is necessary to promote knowledge through research that reveals the common demands of teachers in order to improve their professional development. In this way, a model of permanent training can be generated based on the needs diagnosed by the physical education collective itself.
Antecedentes: La familia es un sistema social que cumple funciones trascendentales en
el desarrollo de sus miembros. Los progenitores son componentes relevantes del mismo
y se preguntan qué hacer y cómo actuar ante las situaciones surgidas con sus hijos. El
objetivo de esta investigación ha sido explorar las temáticas de contenidos relacionadas
con las preocupaciones y necesidades formativas de los progenitores en relación a la
crianza y educación de sus hijos. Método: Se ha seguido el procedimiento del muestreo
no probabilístico tipo bola de nieve. Participaron 58 sujetos. El diseño de investigación
ha sido cuantitativo, no experimental, transeccional y descriptivo. Se han realizado
análisis cualitativos de contenido. Resultados: Las principales categorías emergidas
fueron: emociones, centro escolar, futuro de los hijos, relación padres-hijos, problemas
de comportamiento, riesgo para la salud, TIC y valores. Conclusiones: Es pertinente
aplicar el instrumento a una muestra más amplia. Para guiar el diseño de futuras
intervenciones de educación parental es oportuno conocer qué necesitan aprender
actualmente los padres y las madres.
Background: This review focused on how immersive head-mounted display virtual reality (VR) was used in post-secondary level education and skill training, with the aim to better understand its state of the art as found from the literature. While numerous studies describe the use of immersive VR within a specific educational setting, they are often standalone events not fully detailed regarding their curricular integration. This review aims to analyse these events, with a focus on immersive VR's incorporation into post-secondary education. Objectives: (O1) Review the existing literature on the use of immersive VR in post-secondary settings, determining where and how it has been used within each educational discipline. This criterion focused on literature featuring the use of immersive VR, due to its influence on a user's perceived levels of presence and imagination. (O2) Identify favorable outcomes from the use of immersive VR when it is compared to other learning methods. (O3) Determine the conceptual rationale (purpose) for each implementation of immersive VR as found throughout the literature. (O4) Identify learning theories and recommendations for the utilization of immersive VR in post-secondary education. Methods: A literature review was undertaken with searches of Education Research Complete, ERIC, MEDLINE, EMBASE, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, and Web of Science: Core Collection to locate reports on the use of immersive VR in post-secondary curricula. Results: One hundred and nineteen articles were identified, featuring disciplines across Arts and Humanities, Health Sciences, Military and Aerospace, Science and Technology. Thirty five out of 38 experiments reported to have found a positive outcome for immersive VR, after being compared with a non-immersive platform. Each simulation's purpose included one or more of the following designations: skill training, convenience, engagement, safety, highlighting, interactivity, team building, and suggestion. Recommendations for immersive VR in post-secondary education emphasize experiential learning and social constructivist approaches, including student-created virtual environments that are mainly led by the students themselves under team collaboration. Conclusion: Immersive VR brings convenient, engaging, and interactive alternatives to traditional classroom settings as well as offers additional capability over traditional methods. There is a diverse assortment of educational disciplines that have each attempted to harness the power of this technological medium.
The continuous innovation of new affordable hardware and software over recent years is leading to a surfeit of Virtual Reality (VR) applications in the entertainment industry. However, the abundance of VR applications is unfortunately not matched by case studies and evaluation methods related to low-cost Virtual Reality experiences. A gap in the literature exists, where the utility of VR to display narrative stories could be studied, due to the sensations of amazement, astonishment, and excitement that it awakens. This research reports the steps taken to create a low-cost VR experience designed to transmit a single concept. The key aspects of the experience may be summarized as follows: a short duration, the selection of an evocative scenario limited to a single storyline, short animation of 3D-models selected to produce intense visual impacts with minimal modelling and animation and the collaborative participation of undergraduate students in the development of the VR environment. Members of the public were invited to trials of this VR experience portraying a Nativity scene over the 2016/17 Christmas Season in Burgos (Spain). The user experience was evaluated through surveys administered to numerous final-users immediately after the 3D-experience. The results showed very high levels of satisfaction, even though the 3D-experience for around half of the viewers was not their first one. In a few rare cases, sickness effects were reported. Viewers identified the movement of light as one of the most impressive aspects and considered the duration reasonable, with few or no suggestions for improvement.
20th century industrial heritage, hardly a mainstream area of study, is rarely presented in exhibitions to the general public in Spain. Many abandoned industrial heritage sites are simply left to deteriorate with no attempt to learn from their past. In this paper, the construction and validation of three different Virtual Reality environments are reported. These Virtual Reality environments will be included in an exhibition on some of the first factories established in Burgos (Spain) in the 1960s. The environments were generated using different 3D head-mounted displays - Oculus Rift™ and card-boards, and 2D Displays running under different game engines such as Unreal Engine and Unity. Three environments were created: a 2D-virtual tour game in a small factory manufacturing steel sheets; a 3D-mobile virtual reality window to follow the expansion of a small car-component manufacturer into a leading TIER1 automotive sector company; and, a final general overview of the effect of the new companies on the development of the city using Oculus Rift displays. This research focuses on the advantages of each technology for a different objective and the analysis of the effort required to run it properly in a final application, concluding that the game engine Unreal Engine provides more photorealistic results in 3D-environments with high user-interaction capabilities, while Unity is better in 360º environments that show time evolution running on devices such as mobile phones, with low-computing power.
The recent introduction in the market of low cost yet high fidelity head-mounted displays with stereoscopic 3D perspective such as Oculus Rift opens the door to novel virtual reality experiences for gaming. However, QoE metrics and methodologies for this kind of platforms are still unexplored. In this paper, a comparative study on how these novel displays impact gaming QoE with regard to conventional 2D PC screens is presented. Through an experiment where we invited 22 users to play with a virtual forklift driving serious game in both environments, we demonstrate that Oculus broadly increases the sense of immersion in the 3D world as well as perceived game usability. Affective factors are also deeply impacted by this platform that shoots up amazement, astonishment and excitement levels. Nevertheless, a worrying aspect is the high percentage of persons that report feelings of nausea after wearing the goggles.
To determine the incidence, severity, and predisposing factors to simulator sickness (SS) when using the neck virtual reality (VR) device in asymptomatic individuals to understand the risk of provoking SS in the development of neck VR as a rehabilitation tool. Thirty-two participants used the VR system. Postural stability was measured before and after each VR module [range of motion (ROM), velocity, and accuracy]. The duration of each module was recorded, and participants reported their SS using a visual analogue scale (SS–VAS)/100 mm. Following the VR assessment, participants completed the Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire (MSSQ) (child and adult subsections) and Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ). The incidence of motion sickness during the VR immersion was 28 %, and the mean severity was 17.2 mm on VAS. There was a significant difference in ROM time, total time, MSSQ score, and SSQ score (p < 0.05) between those who reported any level of SS–VAS and those with no SS–VAS. The SS–VAS score displayed significant positive correlations with SSQ score, change in postural stability time pre to post, ROM time, and total time. Results indicate a relatively high incidence but low severity of SS which was associated with the MSSQ child subsection score and exposure time.
When we design digital places that represent the past using media such as game engines, it is all too easy to be taken in by the lure of technology and forget to concentrate on enhancing the user experience. In the case of virtual heritage, there are several important issues in the creation, construction or revocation of places of cultural significance. In this paper I will argue that while computer games do appear to be more successful learning environments than their critics give them credit for, the learning gained from using them is particularly dangerous in terms of the objectives of virtual heritage. I further suggest that computer games offer particular advantages over traditional virtual environment technology but that their typical modes of interaction must be re‐examined, especially in relation to the notion of place.
For nearly two decades, virtual reality (VR) technologies have been employed in the field of cultural heritage for various purposes. The safeguard, the protection and the fruition of the remains of the past have gained a powerful tool, thanks to the potentialities of immersive visualization and D reconstruction of archaeological sites and finds. VR applications based on videogame technologies are known for their realism and fluid interactivity, but the choice of the fittest technologies remains a complex task because there is an ample number of hardware devices and software development kits. Moreover the design of a VR application for cultural heritage requires several different professional skills and presents a certain complexity in coordination and management. This paper presents strategies to overcome these problems, by suggesting some guidelines for the development of VR systems for cultural heritage. It illustrates a complete methodology to create a virtual exhibition system, based on realistic high-quality 3D models of archaeological finds (reconstructed using a 3D Scanner and a high definition camera) and a low-cost multimedia stereoscopic system called MNEME, which allows the user to interact in a free and easy way with a rich collection of archaeological finds. The solution we propose is intended to be easy to transport and fully usable by different user typologies, without any external assistance or supervision.
This paper deals with the problem of monument's façade pose recovery from a single image acquired with a completely uncalibrated camera (e.g. historical photography). The five camera intrinsic parameters are directly representing from the Image of the Absolute Conic (IAC) and the recovering procedure is based on some prior knowledge on camera's aspect ratio (r) value domain (one independent quadratic constraint on IAC) and monument's geometric properties (four independent linearly constraints on IAC). So, for each r discrete value, the five camera intrinsic parameters are estimated using these five independent constraints on IAC, and then monument's facade pose is recovered and 3-d projective and metric reconstruction is achieved relative to the selected aspect ratio. Following, by back-projecting the reconstructed 3-d model onto the single image on screen (CAD design session) and applying a minimization function on the discrepancy vectors between the 3-d model and the single photography image, the final r value is estimated. This new presence-of-skew stratified self-calibration method, despite the fact that it is an iterative one, is experimentally shown to be advantageous over traditional zero-skew calibration methods, when historical, or on-site, completely uncalibrated photography, of rich in geometric constraints monuments, is concerned. The method is of interest for cultural heritage documentation, digital architecture, archaeology, reverse engineering and virtual reality. Also, the proposed approach can be used in any vision problem where camera self-calibration is involved, either for enhancing robustness or removing ambiguities.
The rapid advances in learning technologies, computer modeling, multi-media and spatial sciences, as well as the availability of many powerful graphics PCs and workstations, make 3-D modeling-based methods for personalized e-learning with eCAD (modeling) functionality feasible. Personalized eCAD learning is a new term in engineering, environment and architecture education, related to the develop-ment of learning educational units (3-D learning objects) with re-usable digital archi-tecture functionality, and introduced to literature for the first time within this paper. In particular, for university education courses in eCAD, digital architecture, design computing and CAAD (reagarding spatial information systems, architectures, mon-uments, cultural heritage sites, etc.), such a e-learning methodolgy must be able to derive spatial, pictorial, geometric, spatial, topological, learning and semantic infor-mation from the target object (a 3-D model) or scene (a 3-D landscape environment) or procedure (a 3-D simulation approach to a phenomenon), in such a way that it can be directly used for e-learning purposes regarding the spatial topology, the his-tory, the architecture, the structure and the temporal (time-based) 3-D geometry of the projected object, scene or procedure. This paper is about the system design of such a e-learning method. For this purpose, the requirements, objectives and peda-gogical extensions are presented and discussed. Finaly, a practical project is used to demonstrate the functionality and the performance of the proposed methodology in architecture.
Presentation of content is an important aspect of today’s virtual reality applications, especially in domains such as virtual
museums. The large amount and variety of exhibits in such applications raise a need for adaptation and personalization of
the environment. This paper presents a content personalization platform for Virtual Museums, which is based on a semantic
description of content and on information implicitly collected about the users through their interactions with the museum.
The proposed platform uses stereotypes to initialize user models, adapts user profiles dynamically and clusters users into
similar interest groups. A science fiction museum has been set up as a case study for this platform and an evaluation has
been carried out.
This research aims to determine whether the use of specific types of visualization (3D illustration, 3D animation, and interactive 3D animation) combined with narration and text, contributes to the learning process of 13- and 14- years-old students in science courses. The study was carried out with 212 8th grade students in Greece. This exploratory study utilizes three different versions of an interactive multimedia application called “Methods of separation of mixtures”, each one differing from the other two in a type of visuals. The results indicate that multimedia applications with interactive 3D animations as well as with 3D animations do in fact increase the interest of students and make the material more appealing to them. The findings also suggest that the most obvious and essential benefit of static visuals (3D illustrations) is that they leave the time control of learning to the students and decrease the cognitive load.
Based in the experience of building 3D representations of Mesoamerican archeological sites, we will discuss the need to integrate an understanding of the actual state of the ruins, i.e. the initial building and later transformations that affect the site, in order to construct quality models. An archeological survey cannot rely solely on computer science techniques but must include knowledge of the historical object. Furthermore, the modelling phase necessarily leads to a synthesis of the information based on criteria that may vary depending on the objectives of each project, thus the difficulty in obtaining a neutral survey of the historical site while at the same time satisfying all the requirements of both the restorers and historians of architecture.
Applications of Immersive Virtual Reality are also explained, specifically as a recording tool to study the architectural registry of a site or monument allowing us to analyse, understand, and explain ancient architecture thanks to the possibilities it provides on visualising and interacting with the virtual world. Additionally, this technology is used to improve teaching methods; especially in, but not restricted to, the fields of art history and architecture. The different ways in which it was applied and the cognitive factors involved in these experiences are also discussed.
Finally, we will comment on the difficulties we faced attempting to recreate the quality level of a 3D model while projecting it on a virtual reality facility, and in controlling the parameters which might help reproduce an accurate perception of the 3D world.
Although the widespread use of gaming for leisure purposes has been well documented, the use of games to support cultural
heritage purposes, such as historical teaching and learning, or for enhancing museum visits, has been less well considered.
The state-of-the-art in serious game technology is identical to that of the state-of-the-art in entertainment games technology.
As a result, the field of serious heritage games concerns itself with recent advances in computer games, real-time computer
graphics, virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence. On the other hand, the main strengths of serious gaming
applications may be generalised as being in the areas of communication, visual expression of information, collaboration mechanisms,
interactivity and entertainment. In this report, we will focus on the state-of-the-art with respect to the theories, methods
and technologies used in serious heritage games. We provide an overview of existing literature of relevance to the domain,
discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the described methods and point out unsolved problems and challenges. In addition,
several case studies illustrating the application of methods and technologies used in cultural heritage are presented.
Film is about engagement with the audience. Drawing the audience into a story so as to forget everything else for the time they are watching that movie requires a suspension of disbelief by the audience. Those who develop technology for creative purposes have had at their heart a remit to give filmmakers the ability to give audiences less and less reason to break this suspension of disbelief by creating more and more visually believable worlds and characters.
The virtual visualization of historical objects opens the door to a variety of new teaching applications in the classroom. In this study, we present a flexible platform for the creation of semi-immersive 3D environments. First, we describe the software and hardware tools that generate the 3D models and the Virtual Reality Environments. We then present an optimized design methodology, adapted to the generation of light 3D models of sufficient visual quality for teaching purposes. The most suitable option for such purposes proved to be CAD tools coupled with extensive use of image textures on low-resolution 3D meshes. Finally, we report an ad-hoc teaching method to test the platform during a short teaching session on Cultural Heritage and Computer Graphics for high-school and undergraduate students. The evaluation of their experiences, based on post-session surveys, points to the effectiveness of this approach to communicate different types of knowledge and to stimulate student learning.
Edutainment refers to any form of entertainment aimed at an educational role; it enhances the learning environment and makes it much more engaging and fun-filled. The videogame is one of the most exciting and immediate tools of the edutainment applications since the game enables a type of multisensory and immersive relationship of the user through its interactive interface; Virtual Reality technology makes possible to create applications for edutainment purposes and to integrate different learning approaches. One of the important applications of edutainment is the reconstruction of 3D environments aimed at the study of cultural heritage. This paper presents some results of the MediaEvo Project that has led the researchers to use the reconstruction of a town in the Middle Ages in order to develop a multi-channel and multi-sensory platform for the edutainment in Cultural Heritage. MediaEvo project has permitted a didactic experimentation whereby simulation is considered as a precious teaching support tool. The educational MediaEvo game has prompted students to participate in and experience in a simulated and immersive environment of a town in the Middle Ages in order to connect the recreational actions, and to critically discover roles, functions and actions referring to Medieval life.
Modern digital technologies support the preservation and transfer of cultural heritage information via devices and applications such as digital storage systems, electronic books and virtual museums. Advances in virtual and augmented reality, real-time computer graphics and computer games have made it possible to construct large virtual environments in which users may experience cultural heritage through a variety of interactions and immersions. Thus, an emerging problem is to implement an appropriate systematic design method for achieving various types of entertainment, learning and information transfer. This paper proposes two important design factors that impact on user immersion in serious heritage games: user interface space volume and subsystem sequence. The impact of the two factors on proposed systematic design methods was investigated through comparative studies by implementing a serious heritage game system on three different platforms.
To create photorealistic three-dimensional (3D) models of real scenes and objects is a challenging problem that demands advanced knowledge of computer vision and computer graphics. Systems that can reconstruct the D model of cultural artefacts have found many applications such as virtual museum and historical archiving. While there are methods for 3D digitization of cultural artefacts with high geometric resolution, there are still limitations in achieving high textural resolution for virtual exhibition. One major problem is that the object surface exhibits specular reflection of illuminated light during the acquisition of surface texture. The shading of the target object does not match to other objects or pictures in the virtual scene. Also, if texture of the object must be composed of multiple images, the mismatch of shading (radiometric difference) among the images can be very prominent. In order to create high visual quality exhibition, the specular reflections must be eliminated and then the virtual scene is relit by a synthetic light source. Most existing methods for the identification and removal of specular reflection component demand special device or rely on information obtained in a single image. In order to reconstruct a complete 3D model, we need to acquire a multi-view image sequence. We therefore propose a new method that is applicable for the separation of diffuse and specular reflection components in multi-view image sequence. Also, our method can tackle the specular reflection across the texture boundary. The image sequence is first normalized by the estimated illumination color. Based on the dichromatic reflection model, the specular chromaticity is replaced by the corresponding diffuse chromaticity, which can always be found in neighboring views with the highlights already faded away. We test the new method in modeling Yixing ceramic teapots. The shape model of the teapot is obtained by a laser scanner. The diffuse image sequence is then used to generate the texture map. We create the virtual scene with the photorealistic 3D teapot model, some synthetic 3D models and still pictures. Interactive exhibition of the artefact is achieved with the control of the mouse and simple keyboard commands. This paper gives an account of the procedures for the creation of interactive virtual exhibition of ceramic artefacts.
This paper describes how a personalised educational game architecture has been used in conjunction with Web services to provide remote access to the system. The educational game is a Virtual Reality adventure game that performs affective user modelling by measuring emotional characteristics of users. Virtual Reality (VR) games are so popular among children and adolescents that can be used for the purposes of educational software to render it more attractive and motivating. The benefits of such an application can be maximised if it is available over the Web. Software applica- tions that operate over the Web are targeted to a wide range of users. Hence they need a high degree of adaptivity and dynamic individualisation to each user that interacts with the application. This should include the students' emotional state that affects their learning. However, the environment of a Web-based VR-game that performs user modelling is so demanding that the technology of Web Services is necessary for its ef- fective operation and interoperability. Moreover, reusability may be achieved for the user modelling component.
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- M Alaguero
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- L S Iglesias
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