Simulation & Educational Games

in Immersive Environments

Cynthia Calongne, Institute for Advanced Studies

Colorado Technical University, November 2009

Physical Simulations

• Simulations at CCA– Command center – disaster response

• Real life police & fire chiefs

– Business simulation center• Live stock tickers, board rooms, court rooms

• CAPSIM management simulations

– Anthropology dig – active participants

• Are you using Augmented Reality?

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Augmented Reality

• Are you using augmented reality? – Use of handheld devices & virtual data in real locations

– Or virtual patient data masked over a real world body [1]

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Images courtesy of Wired video, August 2009. [1]

Session Terminology

• For realistic physical & virtual simulations

– Simulation characteristics

• Interaction and behavior – decisions & their impacts

• Measurements, rubrics & assessment

• Activity-based learning & authentic assessment

• Multisensory interfaces – visual, verbal/analytic, haptic

• Requires a level of fidelity to be effective

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NESIM OR – Second Life simulation to diagnose and treat emergency room patients by Virtual Education Simulations (VESIM) – Dec 2007 [2]

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NESIM OR – scenario and heads up display (HUD) device on screen [2]

Research Domain - 2009

• Vanderbilt University Medical Center– Research grant to investigate medical simulations

– Medical Center 2008 Statistics [3] • 1500+ Clinical Practitioners

• 1,266,255 Ambulatory visits

• 51,575 Inpatient discharges

• 39,880 surgical operations

• 15,000+ employees

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Characterizing the Problem

• High demand for medical education [3]

– 40,285 applicants for nursing degrees rejected• High industry demand for nursing staff

• Insufficient number of nursing faculty

– Average age of medical faculty is 55.3 years• Need more nursing faculty with doctoral degrees

– Need to provide faculty training and support• On the use of medical simulations

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Research Grant

• Three year grant – $1.6 million [3]– Teach nursing faculty how to manage clinical

simulations

– Advance their teaching competency & proficiency levels

– Design geriatric simulations using Second Life

– Delphi study - identified 127 virtual world competencies for effective simulation use

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Additional Opportunities

• Early diagnosis of diabetes – Prior to the onset -- 1-3 years

– Identifying prevention measures

– Gestational diabetes

– Second Life innovation• Medical simulations

• Education and training opportunities

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SL Simulation Characteristics

• Actions are observable within a context

• Built-in competencies and learning outcomes

• Competencies for virtual world interaction– Moving your avatar

– Looking around

– Interacting with objects

– Communicating with one another

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http://ancient.arts.ubc.ca/multimedia.html

Ancient Spaces

Student-Driven Design in the creation of aMassive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game (MMORGP)

Simulations of Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome and modern discoveries

Classical Studies 100 students at UBC pilot groupDesigning models in Maya Integrate them in the MMORPG

Goal - to provide simulations for studies in context

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Hypostyle Hall at Karnak by Tony Seymour [3]

Student work from the Classical Studies 100 pilot group [3]

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Ancient Spaces – The Parthenon

SL Featured Examples

• Mars Expedition Challenge – Space simulation and trivia game

• Operation Relief Worker Rescue Challenge– Game simulation kit – Hostage rescue game

• Created by educators at Air University

• CTU examples –highlights from 16 classes– Emerging media & social games

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Left: A simulation of a launch from the Omega, the prototype for Orion’s launch in Second Life.

In the Mars Expedition Challenge, the simulation participants are inside the rocket, flying to rendezvous with the deep space explorer.

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Inside the rocket (l); the rocket stages (above)

After leaving the pre-briefing room,the flight crew launches the Orion rocket and flies to the Red Lion Deep Space Explorer

Participants review three strategies for deep space exploration

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Inside the Red Lion Deep Space Explorer –Mars Expedition Simulation

• Human Spaceflight– Will we leave the close proximity of low-Earth orbit (LEO), where

astronauts have circled since 1972, and explore the solar system, charting a path for the expansion into space?

– How will we ensure the greatest benefit to the nation?

• The Challenge– Explore three strategies for human spaceflight beyond LEO

The Expedition Challenge

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Participants review three strategies

1. Mars First2. Moon First3. Flexible Path

On Board The Red Lion Deep Space Explorer

Inside the Red Lion Deep Space ExplorerA Mars Expedition Challenge Simulation in Second Life

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Immersive

The Huffman Prairie Red Lion Starship in an asteroid field

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A comet soars past as we exit the asteroid field

Environmental effects are configurableduring the simulation

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Mars First -- landing on MarsOption: after a brief test of the equipment and procedures on the Moon

Making decisions in context

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Mars Exploration - Problem Dimensions

Needs: for near-futuredeep space exploration

1.Heavy-lift launchers2.Twice as many launches3.Ares launcher adaptation4.Human safety studies5.Life support6.Engineering7.Funding

Benefits: Mars is rich the resources used in life support and propellants What will need to be developed for deep space travel?

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Assessment instruments: survey & an Expedition Challenge Trivia GameDesigned for asynchronous or synchronous use

The observation deck on Mars space station

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Selecting a Strategy - Strategy 2

Moon First – lunar surface explorationDevelop the capability to explore Mars

Moon Exploration – Needs and Benefits

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What needs to be developed to live on the Moon?

Needs: for lunar strategy

1.Lunar landing and 2.ascent systems3.Colony of habitats4.Human safety studies5.Scientific studies6.Funding

Benefits:Develop operational skillsand technology for launches, landing, & workon a planetary surface

Prospect for resources

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Followed by lunar and/or Mars surface exploration

Flexible path to inner solar system locations Lunar orbit, Lagrange points, near-Earth objects and the moons of Mars

Selecting a Strategy – Strategy 3

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Flexible Path - Problem Dimensions

Given our decreasing budget for space travel, which strategy is Congress less likely to fund by 2014?

Deep space exploration with near-Earth research

1.Heavy-lift launch tests between Earth-Moon2.Develop & test strategies for human safety, colonization, resource mining 3.Operational skills4.Funding

Benefits:Evaluates capabilities and risks while reducing costs Inside the Red Lion Deep Space Explorer

One day, we will travel into deep space.If the budget increases, the Moon first or the Flexible Path may be chosen.

The Future

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Expedition Game – How to Play

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• Everyone can play - Type your answer in the local chat log

• Your answer must match the exact spelling– No capital letters are required; it is ok to use caps

• Your correct answers are noted in the chat log– Click the viewer to continue to the next question

• To win the game– Click the last slide & your scores are posted in the chat log

• Enjoy the Expedition Challenge Game!

Second Life trivia game, played at the end of the Mars Expedition Strategy Challenge

Virtual World Simulations

Features

• Immersive environment

• Interactive & engaging

• Purchase or create– Power of creation & control

– Flexible & adaptable

• Includes scenes, animations, gestures, sounds, scenarios

• Educational community

Challenges

• Hardware & bandwidth

• Skills for effective use

• Integration & design– Design skills

– Assessment & rubrics

• Planning effective simulations for learning

• Finding good contacts

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Chart Copyright © 2007 by theVirtual Environments Info Group [7]http://www.virtualenvironments.info

Virtual World Choices

In April 2008 - over 100youth-oriented virtual worlds were active or in development

In Aug 2008 - it grewto over 150 virtual worlds [6]

In Jan 2009 - over 200virtual worlds

• 59 have micro transactions• 57 require subscriptions• 46 use advertising

From Virtual Worlds Management by Show Initiative [6]http://www.virtualworldsmanagement.com/2009/youth-01-26-2009.html

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Bransford - Simulation Assessing Cooperative Work in a MUVELive research presentation, review videos of the experiments and participate [7]

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Gartner Forecast

Gartner Says 80 Percent of

Active Internet Users Will Have A

"Second Life" in the Virtual World by the

End of 2011 [12](Gartner 2007)

Are you ready?

Next: game simulations

Educational Game Features

• Immersive games - interactive– Physical & virtual environments

• Roleplaying scenarios - roles

• Object behavior - interaction and assessment

• Success strategy – problem-solving, scores, etc.

– Participant behavior - interaction with others• Individual or 2+ players

• Single or collaborative

• Team(s) or individuals

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Global Learning Forum - serious game simulation

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Participants in the Game Simulation Test

Game simulation -- briefing room

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Hostage rescue: armed and dangerous

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Operation Codename: AnacondaCommunications: MNF Command Authority, Colonel Stone

Ops Intel: One of the hostages, pictured on the right, is an internationally known physician associated with the World Relief Organization.

She and a small team of relief workers went to the isolated island of Ayab following a typhoon to provide medical assistance and evacuation of island inhabitants before another expected typhoon hits the island in the next 48 hours. The escaped interpreter reported the physician was wounded in the leg and the other remaining hostage was shot dead on the attempted escape.

Slide courtesy of Dr. Andrew Stricker

Dr. Algernon Loire

OPERATION PRE-BRIEF

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Operation Codename: AnacondaCommunications: MNF Command Authority, Colonel Stone

Ops Intel: The island of Ayab has an abandoned WWII era u-boat base located on a lagoon inlet from the south bay. The island is hilly and rocky with sparse vegetation.

It is believed the insurgents have fortified the u-boat base. Satellite photos suggest the presence of underground tunnels.

Slide courtesy of Dr. Andrew Stricker

South lagoon andU-boat base location

OPERATION PRE-BRIEF

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Operation Codename: AnacondaCommunications: MNF Command Authority, Colonel Stone

OPERATION PRE-BRIEF

Map by Dr. Andrew Stricker, 2008

COA: The team will be inserted on the southeast side of the lagoon entrance under the cover of darkness. Using zodiac crafts the team will proceed to the lower u-boat docking area and recon the warehouse. An exit defense zone will also be established for the extraction.

Via intercepted cell phone calls, MNF intel reports the hostages are likely located in the underground u-boat quarters.

Extraction of the hostages should proceed back to the defense zone for zodiac evac. Be prepared to adapt COA depending on situational factors. Mission duration NTE 2 hrs.

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Game Simulation Kit in Second Life – Lyr Lobo avoids the landmines

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After the alpha test - under fire!

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Nanotechnology Laboratory

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DNA strand at the Pencil Factory Lyr and robot Slonny #5 (on right)

Lyr and student test accessibility projects in 2008

Data Visualization and Usability Evaluations

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CS 820 Fall 2009 students learn to use & prototype in Second Life

CTU Learning Simulations and Games

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CTU StudentSL Projects

2007

Duck shoot

Ferris wheel – rotation & State machine problem

Duck shoot prototype in the background

Created in 1-2 weeks

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Systems Engineering Methods class (above)

Monorail and a rollercoaster

Software Requirements Engineering class (right)

Roleplay of customer & design team meetings

The software design migrated from a monorail to a rollercoaster

1st day in class

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Monorail rises 300 meters to the game platform

SW Design Specification

SL Game PrototypeCapture the flag game

Traps, treasure, scores

Played the game & refined it the last week

Software Design

Undergraduate class project

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Traps in the Game Maze

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8th Grade Immersive Literature

Roleplay and conflict, an immersive literature experience for teens on

the Teen Grid

Suffern Middle School students at Ramapo portrayed the roles

from the book, Of Mice and Men

by John Steinbeck.

Imagine living the scenes from literature

and history rather than memorizing them. A juror hollers “Boo!” when Curley takes the stand [11]

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SL Research Links

• Second Life – http://secondlife.com/

• Second Life Grid – Business & Education– http://secondlifegrid.net/

• Second Life Education Support Faire 2009 statistics– http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Education_Support_Faire#Second_Life_Education_Support_Faire_2009_-_Statistics

– http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Education_Support_Faire

• Research in Second Life presentation– http://www.slideshare.net/lyrlobo/research-in-second-life

• Artificial Intelligence in SL– http://web.bvu.edu/faculty/schweller/

• Getting Started in Second Life – info & tutorials– http://tcc2009.wikispaces.com/Getting+Started+in+Second+Life

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SL Research Links 2

• National Public Radio’s Science Friday in SL– http://www.sciencefriday.com/

• NOAA’s Traffic Analysis in Second Life– http://mayarealities.com/

• Best Practices in Second Life – video (joined in progress)– http://www.slcn.tv/bpe-lyr-lobo

• Annotated Bibliography of SL Educational Resources – http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~mpepper/slbib

• Edumuve + the Blended Realities paper– http://edumuve.com/tour

– http://edumuve.com/blended/

• Autoscript – easy to use script generator– http://3greeneggs.com/autoscript/

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SL Research Links 3

• Second Life as a Virtual Learning Environment– http://www.dokimos.org/secondlife/education/index.html

• An Educational Tour of Second Life– http://www.slideshare.net/lyrlobo/an-educational-tour-of-second-life

• A View from Second Life’s Trenches: Are you a Pioneer or a Settler?– http://sl.nmc.org/2007/06/09/pioneer-or-settler/

• Leveraging the Affordances, Minimizing the Barriers of Virtual Worlds– http://sl.nmc.org/2007/06/09/edu-panel/

• LearnScope in Second Life– http://www.slideshare.net/lyrlobo/learnscope-in-second-life

• NMC Campus Observer– http://sl.nmc.org/

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SL Research Links 4Beyond Course Management Tools: Second Life

www.educause.edu/ir/library/powerpoint/SAC07014.pps

Using Second Life, Educause Seminars in Academic Computingwww.educause.edu/ir/library/powerpoint/SAC07025A.pps

Virtual worlds in Online Education: Are You Ready to Teach in Second Life?http://www.telecoop.org/conference/materials/CalogneTeachinginSecondLife.ppt

What Can We Learn from World of Warcraft & Second Life?http://archive.nmc.org/events/2006fallregional/materials/calongne.ppt

SL Podcast by Bayne, Walker and Calongnehttp://connect.educause.edu/blog/gbayne/podcastusingsecondli/44967?time=1188754831

TCC Preconference Wiki -- SL from a Flash drive tipshttp://tccpre-conference.pbwiki.com/

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SL Research Links 5Who’s on Second? Educational Podcasts

http://www.rabble.ca/rpn/podcast.php?id=wos

Second Life Development -- VITAL Labhttp://vital.cs.ohiou.edu/vitalwiki/index.php/Second_Life_Development

Suffern Middle School in Second Lifehttp://rampoislands.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html

Second Life Library 2.0http://www.infoisland.org/drupal/

http://www.myspace.com/73899784

Second Life Education Wikihttp://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Life_Education_Wiki

LSL Wiki -- programming toolshttp://www.lslwiki.net/lslwiki/wakka.php?wakka=HomePage

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SL Research Links 6Timeline - History of Second Life Wiki

http://secondlife.wikia.com/index.php/Second_Life_Through_The_Ages

UberNoggin: Big Brains - Big Ideashttp://www.ubernoggin.com/

Secondary Worldshttp://secondaryworlds.com/

Reuters -- Doors to open on Google Virtual world(s)?http://blogs.reuters.com/mediafile/2007/10/24/doors-to-open-on-google-virtual-worlds/

SL and Google Earth are Transforming the Idea of Architectural Collaboration

http://archrecord.construction.com/features/digital/archives/0701dignews-2.asp

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SL Research Links 7 - News

Reuters in Second lifehttp://secondlife.reuters.com/

The SL Newspaperhttp://www.sl-newspaper.com/

Second Life Heraldhttp://www.secondlifeherald.com/

Metaverse Messengerhttp://metaversemessenger.com/index.html

SLNNhttp://www.slnn.com/index.php

New Worlds Noteshttp://nwn.blogs.com/

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SL Research Links 8SL A Virtual Universe for Real Engineering

http://www.designnews.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA6490691

Just Virtualhttp://www.justvirtual.com/index.php/category/second-life/

Seifert Surface – Math Research in Second Lifehttp://www.segerman.org/2ndlife.html

Eric McLuhan in Second Life - Playing Media Ecologyhttp://slcn.tv/media-ecology-eric-mcluhan

Howard Rheingold on Virtual Communitieshttp://www.chilbo.org/blog/2009/10/howard-rheingold-on-virtual-communities/

Presentation References[1] Medical Augmented Reality, Bruce Sterling. Wired video

http://www.wired.com/beyond_the_beyond/2009/08/medical-augmented-reality/

[2] NESIM/VESIM Nursing Simulation Walkthrough videos, Parts I-IIIhttp://www.youtube.com/sandcastlestudios#p/u/5/I_Iy-7dbaDs

http://www.youtube.com/sandcastlestudios#p/u/3/Biv9VF0UpvE

http://www.youtube.com/sandcastlestudios#p/u/2/bZPIiUzw6Hg

http://www.youtube.com/sandcastlestudios#p/u/1/3AIhEh3D38U

[3] Educational Informatics Supporting Authentic Learning Experiences.

Using Informatics to Support Innovations Across Virtual and Real-World Learning Environments by N. Lorenzi, Vanderbilt University. November 19, 2009

[4] Ancient Spaces – Antiquity Comes Alivehttp://ancient.arts.ubc.ca/multimedia.html

[5] Mars Expedition Challenge, a Space Simulation in Second LifeBy A. Stricker, M. McCrocklin, J. Holm and C. Calongne

[6] Virtual Worlds Managementhttp://www.virtualworldsmanagement.com/2009/youth-01-26-2009.html

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Presentation References 2[7] Virtual Worlds Comparison Chart

http://www.virtualenvironments.info/virtual-worlds-comparison-chart

[8] John Bransford – Cooperative work in MUVEshttp://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=John_Bransford_Transcript_2_October_2006

LIFE Center http://tinyurl.com/ygt6hvo

[9] GameTech: Teaching in an Avatar World by C. Calongnehttp://www.slideshare.net/lyrlobo/gametechteaching-in-an-avatar-world

[10] Evaluating a Game Simulation Kit by C. Calongnehttp://www.slideshare.net/lyrlobo/evaluating-a-game-simulation-kit-in-second-life

[11] Of Mice and Men Trial – Closing Arguments and Jury Deliberationhttp://www.slideshare.net/lyrlobo/evaluating-a-game-simulation-kit-in-second-life

[12] Gartner Analysts – Virtual World Predictionhttp://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=503861

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Speaker Information

Teaching in Second Life – Emerging Media & Researchhttp://ctusoftware.blogspot.com/

http://www.slideshare.net/lyrlobo/presentations

Contact Information:

Lyr Lobo in Second Life

Twitter: lyrlobo

Skype: Lyr Lobo

calongne@pcisys.net

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