As with all classroom innovations intended to improve geographic education, the adoption of virtual reality (VR) poses issues for consideration prior to endorsing its use. Of these, effectiveness, implementation, and safe use need to be addressed. Traditionally, sense of place, geographic knowledge, and firsthand experiences provided by field…

In this article we analyse: 1) one-component models of training; 2) the multi-component models considering transition of weak knowledge in strong and vice versa; and 3) the models considering change of working efficiency of the pupil during the day. The results of imitating modeling are presented, graphs of dependences of the pupil's knowledge on…

Objective: Training programs exist that prepare college students, faculty, and staff to identify and support students potentially at risk for suicide. Kognito is an online program that trains users through simulated interactions with virtual humans. This study evaluated Kognito's effectiveness in preparing users to intervene with at-risk students.…

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Astronomy Education Research.] An increased interest in using video games in educational contexts has led to many innovations in both formal and informal environments. Educational researchers, instructional designers, and educators have sought and developed ways to incorporate video games or…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of a simulator for teaching programming to foster student engagement and meaningful learning. Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory mixed-method research approach was adopted in a classroom-based environment at a UK university. A rich account of student engagement dimensions…

Purpose: The recognition of practice in online instruction is still subject to interpretation and different approaches as a result of the rapid changes in technology and its effect on society. The purpose of this paper is to address these differences through a synthesis that can be easily accessed and consulted by educators in the field of…

This article describes the development of a simulation-based online course combining sound pedagogy, educational technology, and real world expertise to provide university students with an immersive experience in storage management systems. The course developed in this example does more than use a simulation, the entire course is delivered using a…

Many students need assistance in debugging to achieve progress when they learn to write computer programs. Face-to-face interactions with individual students to give feedback on their programs, although definitely effective in facilitating their learning, are becoming difficult to achieve with ever-growing class sizes. This paper proposes a novel…

The application of the Reaction Monte Carlo (RxMC) algorithm to standard textbook problems in chemical reaction equilibria is discussed. The RxMC method is a molecular simulation algorithm for studying the equilibrium properties of reactive systems, and therefore provides the opportunity to develop computer-based "experiments" for the…

Numerous studies have examined the use of active learning methods in undergraduate courses, suggesting that these methods increase learning and retention as well as student engagement. In order to investigate the benefits of particular active learning assignments involving presentations of 3-dimensional simulations in an introductory biology…

The correct use of visual perspective is one of the main reasons that virtual reality environments and realistic works of art look lifelike. Geometric construction techniques used by artists to achieve an accurate perspective effect were developed during the Renaissance. With the rise of computer graphics, translating the geometric ideas of 600…

Manipulative environments play a fundamental role in inquiry-based science learning, yet how they impact learning is not fully understood. In a series of two studies, we develop the argument that manipulative environments (MEs) influence the kind of inquiry behaviors students engage in, and that this influence realizes through the affordances of…

Biochemistry and molecular techniques are used for the development of the scientific practice of students. To improve both the teaching and learning quality and promote the students' motivation, this article outlines an interactive "Virtual Simulation and Actual Operation Combined" approach by using a tailored virtual practice-learning…

The authors provide information and research on virtual learning environments and how they can support teacher preparation programs.

Undergraduate lab sessions play a crucial role in building and reinforcing conceptual understanding in STEM education. In third and fourth year higher education, lab sessions can be challenging to incorporate into the curriculum due to cost, safety, or difficulty in realizing abstract concepts. Mixed reality (MR) systems provide a novel solution…