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Can virtual environments enhance the learning of historical chronology?

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Abstract

Historical time and chronological sequence are usually conveyed to pupils via the presentation of semantic information on printed worksheets, events being rote-memorised according to date. We explored the use of virtual environments in which successive historical events were depicted as “places” in time–space, encountered sequentially in a fly-through. Testing was via “Which came first, X or Y?” questions and picture-ordering. University undergraduates experiencing the history of an imaginary planet performed better after a VE than after viewing a “washing line” of sequential images, or captions alone, especially for items in intermediate list positions. However, secondary children 11–14 years remembered no more about successive events in feudal England when they were presented virtually compared with either paper picture or 2-D computer graphic conditions. Primary children 7–9 years learned more about historical sequence after studying a series of paper images, compared with either VE or computer graphic conditions, remembering more in early/intermediate list positions. Reasons for the discrepant results are discussed and future possible uses of VEs in the teaching of chronology assessed.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank David Newson for creating the VEs, James Clingly for assistance with data collection, also the history teaching staff of Northumberland Park School, Tottenham (co-ordinator: Mr Peter Molife) and Alexandra Park School, Bounds Green (co-ordinator: Ms Emma Josty). David Ingham gave helpful advice at the beginning of the project. We are also grateful for the comments of anonymous referees.

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Correspondence to Nigel Foreman.

Appendix 1a, b, c

Appendix 1a, b, c

Content of fly-throughs in Experiments 1–3

(a) Imaginary planet

  • Aliens land on Planet Gozon 2080

  • Massive monuments erected to honour moon god 2100

  • The crowning of the Great King 2120

  • Devastating eruption of fire mountain 2140

  • The building of the Grand Palace 2160

  • The Great Battle 2180

  • The crowning of Queen Vanessa 2200

  • The Great Flood of 2220

  • The Fire of 2240

(b) Feudal England

  • Edward the confessor is king

  • Edward sends Harold on a mission

  • Death of Edward the confessor

  • Harold the King is crowned

  • Battle of Hastings

  • King Harold is killed

  • William the Conqueror crowned

  • Wooden Castle building begins

  • Stone castle building begins

(c) General history

  • Ancient Egypt-Egyptian Pyramids, 3000 BC

  • Ancient Greek Mythology-Theseus and the Minotaur, 1500 BC

  • Celts’ round houses in small villages, 600 BC

  • Roman Centurion, 200 BC

  • Helmets worn by Anglo Saxons, 449 AD

  • Viking ship (long boat) used to travel along rivers, 787 AD

  • Normans—Battle of Hastings, 1066 AD

  • The Great Fire of London, 1666 AD

  • Evacuees leave London in World War 2, 1939 AD

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Foreman, N., Boyd-Davis, S., Moar, M. et al. Can virtual environments enhance the learning of historical chronology?. Instr Sci 36, 155–173 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-007-9024-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-007-9024-7

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