GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

January 22, 2011

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Adaptivity in Virtual Reality using the GALE Engine Prof. dr. Olga De Troyer WISE, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

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GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

Content• Virtual Reality • Virtual Reality for Learning & Adaptivity• Realizing Adaptivity in Virtual Reality• Virtual Reality Adaptivity in GRAPPLE• Evaluation Results• Wrap Up

January 22, 2011

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GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

Virtual Reality (VR) • 3D visualizations

– 3D environment with 3D objects– Objects may have behaviors– User can interact with objects– User can navigate through the

space

January 22, 2011

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GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

Desktop Virtual Reality Example

January 22, 2011

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GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

Virtual Reality for Learning • Added value for learning

– 3D visualization may help understanding complex material

– The physical counterpart may not be available, too dangerous, or too expensive

– To simulate social environments and practice social skills

– Much more appealing and motivating than classical learning material

January 22, 2011

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GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

Virtual Reality for Learning

• Its richness can also become its weakness!– Novice VR users:

• A lot of navigational effort• Overwhelmed

– Experienced VR users:• Distracted

Usability/playability and learning may conflict!• Possible solution:

– Adapt to the individual learner

January 22, 2011

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GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

Adaptivity for Learning with Virtual Reality

Questions to be answered (Brusilovsky- 1996):

• Why? Which problems could be solved?• To what? What features of the user can be

used as source?• What? Which features of the system can

be adapted?• How? Which techniques and methods can

be used for that?

January 22, 2011

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GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

Why?Which problems can be solved?As for learning in general:• individualized instruction is superior to the one-size-

fits-all teaching approaches

In addition:• Allows to deal with individual differences with VR-

experience• Solves the conflicts between playability and

learning• Allows to deal will individual differences on other

aspects e.g., culture aspects, disabilities, …January 22, 2011

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GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

To What?

What features of the user can be used as source?

As for text-based learning:– Learning background, learning goals, and learning

progress of the learner

In addition:• VR-experience of the learner• Activities performed in the VR-environment• Individual characteristics of the learner: culture,

disability, …

January 22, 2011

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GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

What?Which features of the system can be adapted?• All components of a VR-environment can be

adapted:– Scene– Objects– Behaviors– User Interaction– Communication– Sound

January 22, 2011

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GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

How?

• Which techniques and methods can be used for the adaptation?– Adaptation States– Adaptation Strategies

January 22, 2011

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GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

Adaptation States (1)Adaptation of a single VR component• For Objects:

– Adapt the visual appearance (size, colors, textures, representation)

– Hide or semi-hide the object– Mark the object (spotlight, highlight)– Add annotation (text, figure, sound)

Purpose, e.g.: • To adapt to the learning/VR background• To draw the attention to objects.

January 22, 2011

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GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

Adaptation States (2)

• For Behaviors and User Interaction:– Enable or disable– Change properties of the behavior

Purpose, e.g.: • To control the learning process and the learner’s

behavior• To simulate different situations.

January 22, 2011

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GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

Adaptation States (3)

• For Avatars:Note: avatar can be implicit– Change the representation of

an avatar– Change the behavior of an avatar

Purpose, e.g.: • To guide the learner through the VR-Environment• To position the learner in the VR-Environment.

January 22, 2011

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GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

Adaptation Strategies

Beyond single component adaptationExamples:

– Object filtering– Tour guide– Navigation with resticted interaction– Free Navigation with suggestions

January 22, 2011

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Example Free Nagivation with Suggestions

January 22, 2011

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Models in the Adaptive Process for VR

January 22, 2011

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Adaptive Process

User Model (Profile)

User VR-Activity

Adaptation Model

Annotated Learning

Resources

GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

VR-Adaptivity in GRAPPLE

January 22, 2011

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GALE(Adaptive Engine)

User Model (Profile)

Adaptation Rules (CAM)

(VR) Resource Repository

Server Side

Browser

VR-Plugin

Client Side

Monitor

Update Component

VRPlayer

Learner

GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

January 22, 2011

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GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

January 22, 2011

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Evaluation Results – Learning

– 51 master students CS• Most participants had no or very little

experience with VR

January 22, 2011

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Usability Acceptance0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

% of Positive Feedback% of Negative Feedback

GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

Evaluation Results –Learning (2)

– Positive feedback• Appreciation of VR as learning aid• Appreciation for combination of hypertext and VR

– Negative feedback• Problems with navigating, using VR controls• Separation between hypertext and VR part • Lack of information/feedback on what happens

– Recommendations• Better synchronization between hypertext and VR• Complete integration of hypertext into VR

January 22, 2011

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GRAPPLE - Public Event Eindhoven NL

Wrap Up

• Adaptive Virtual Reality for Learning is– Feasible– Useful

• More research on – When to use adaptivity – How to integrate VR with textual

material

January 22, 2011

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