Week 7 - Blog 3

How can 3-D technologies be used to create online social environment and support social interactions among community members?

In Chapter 5, Rethinking Cognition, Representations, and Processes in 3 D Online Social Learning Environments Jones and Bronack states the following:

• Three-dimensional is emerging into the online VC to positively impact learning and communication among students and their instructors.
• The student can create an "avatar", a computer generated character that can be designed to look like them.
• The avatar can interact, move about the learning community and hopefully continue communicating after the learning goal has been met.

Conceptual framework of learning is based on a social environment/interactions. The following assumptions about learning are:

• Learning is participatory where students take an active role
• development proceeds through stages and among more- and less- experienced peers within the community of practice
• a specific and general knowledge base emerges from learning through meaningful activity with others
• learners develop disposition relative to the community of practice.

According to Dewey, eduction is both psychological and sociological. So as I have learned from this article, the social constructivist report that learning is social and learners learn from interaction with experts, peers, through the content, with activities and serendipitous ways.

What are the theoretical rationales underlying the pedagogies of using 3-D environment for the benefits of learning and to achieve educational goals?

The concept of cognitive scaffolding/situational learning.

1. The 3-D environment provides a temporary framework or scaffolding for the student to integrate into their existing cognitive strategies.
2. As the student moves into areas of new learning, the scaffolding continues to support the more advanced learner.
3. The learner and their activities are situated - they find themselves within and as a part of the constructed environment rather than existing separately.

Jones and Bronack reports that students may feel more satisfied with their communications via a graphical interface. As in using a 3-D environment and using e-mail instead of face-to-face meeting, the student may be able to feel more comfortable in this type of learning environment.

How are simulations and instructional support combined to support scientific discovery learning?

Simulations alone for learning was not determined as successful as incorporating the use of instruction to overcome the problems discovered with simulation alone. The article Scientific Discovery Learning with Computer Simulations of conceptual Domains by Jong and Joolingen mention problems associated with online-education. These problems consist of incorrect hypothesis statements, inaccurate interpretation of data, ineffective experimental designs, and the disorganization of students. All of these problems can be corrected by the use of leadership and combined support from facilitators. They also mention the use of games and other activities that correlate with the assignment. This also helps with the success of online learning.