Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Students' Attitudes Towards Educational Virtual Environments

  • Published:
Education and Information Technologies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This case study reports on an investigation of the attitude of education students towards virtual reality (VR) as a tool in the educational process, and towards virtual learning environments on specific disciplines. Our results indicate a favourable attitude towards VR in the educational process. Although immersion was not supported in this study, half of the students declared immersion experiences. Students consider the mouse the most effective input device for navigation in virtual environments, with a joystick the second one. Because the sampling population is small, the qualitative results must be regarded as tentative. There is, however, a need for further investigation, which is currently being undertaken by our group.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Ainge, D. J. (1996) Upper primary students constructing and exploring three-dimensional shapes: a comparison of virtual reality with card nets. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 14(4), 345-69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Byrne, C. and Furness III, T. (1994) Virtual reality and education. In J. Wright and D. Benzie (eds) Exploring a New Partnership: Children, Teachers and Technology. pp. 181-9. Holland; Elsevier Science.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dede, C., Loftin, R. B. and Regian J. W. (1994) The design of artificial realities to improve learning Newtonian mechanics. In Proceedings of the East-West International Conference on Multimedia, Hypermedia and Virtual Reality. Moscow, Russia, September, pp. 14-16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eddings, J. (1994) How Virtual Reality Works. Emeryville, CA: Ziff Davis Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grove, J. (1996) VR and history-some findings and thoughts. VR in the Schools 1(2), 3-9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hereford, J. and Winn, W. (1994) Non-speech sound in human-computer interaction: a review and design guidelines. Journal of Educational Computing Research 11(3), 211-33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merickel, M. L. (1993) Virtual reality: magic in the classroom. National Educational Computing Conference Paper (M4.8c). pp. 91-5. Orlando, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikropoulos, T., Chalkidis, A., Katsikis A. and Kossivaki P. (1997) Virtual realities in environmental education: the project LAKE. Education and Information Technologies 2(2), 131-42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osberg, K. M. (1995) Virtual reality and education: where imagination and experience meet. VR in the Schools 1(2), 1-3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pantelidis, V. S. (1993) Virtual reality in the classroom. Educational Technology 23, 23-7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Psotka, J. and Davison, S. (1994) Cognitive factors associated with immersion in virtual environments. In Proceedings of the 1993 Conference on Intelligent Computer-Aided Training and Virtual Environment Technology. P. R. Hyde and R. B. Loftin (eds), Houston, TX, May, pp. 285-97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer, A. and Wassermann K. (1995) Adult students' reactions to low-cost VR. VR in the Schools 1(3), 13-15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spaceball 2003 (1993) Manual to the World 410-101. Lowell, MA: Spaceball Technologies Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Space Mouse, User's Manual Version 3.8. Malching, Germany: Space Control Co.

  • Stuart, R. and Thomas, J. C. (1991) The implications of education in cyberspace. Multimedia Review Summer, 17-27.

  • Talkmitt, M. (1996) VESAMOTEX-virtual education science and math of Texas. VR in the Schools 1(4), 5-7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, G. L. (1994) The potential role of VR in environmental education, unpublished MSc thesis, Ohio State University.

  • Waterworth, J. A. (1995) HCI design as sensory ergonomics: creating synaesthetic media. In Proceedings of IRIS-18: Information Systems Research Seminar in Scandinavia, Report No 7. B. Dahlbom, F. Kammerer, F. Ljungberg, J. Stage and C. Sorensen (eds), Gothenburg Studies in Informatics, pp. 1-11.

  • Winn, W. (1993) A conceptual basis for educational applications of virtual reality. Available at ftp.u.washington.edu,/public/Virtual Reality/, August.

Download references

Authors
  1. Tassos A. Mikropoulos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Anthimos Chalkidis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Apostolos Katsikis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Anastassios Emvalotis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mikropoulos, T.A., Chalkidis, A., Katsikis, A. et al. Students' Attitudes Towards Educational Virtual Environments. Education and Information Technologies 3, 137–148 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009687025419

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009687025419

Search

Navigation