Yilmaz, R. M.,
Reisoglu, I., Topu, F. B., Karakus, T., & Goktas, Y. (2015). The
Development of a Criteria List for the Selection of 3D Virtual Worlds to
Design an Educational Environment. Croatian Journal of Education, 17(4),
1037-1069. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290788041_The_Development_of_a_Criteria_List_for_the_Selection_of_3D_Virtual_Worlds_to_Design_an_Educational_Environment_Razrada_popisa_kriterija_za_odabir_3D_virtualnih_svjetova_i_izradu_obrazovnog_okruzenja
Aims:
The purpose of this study was to develop a
criteria list. This criteria list would be used to select 3D virtual world
platforms for educational purposes. The criteria list will
help teachers to select a virtual world platform that can meet their
educational needs and which can help them to identify deficiencies and
strengths in the existing platforms.
Methods:
Criteria lists are
defined as itemised lists which are structured according to certain constraints
and opportunities.
As the first step in this process a draft list
was created by the researchers based on literature reviews and heuristic
investigation. The draft list was reviewed and revised after eliciting
expert opinions. Finally, it was fashioned into a questionnaire.
The questionnaire was
utilised to test new technologies for their usefulness.
Main findings:
The
items in the finalized criteria list were divided into three categories as
follows: 50 items of technical specifications (system/program features,
usability, software tools, multimedia tools, security, and cost), 21 items of
interaction specifications (avatars, activities, communication tools) and 8
items of educational specifications (teaching/learning activities).
Technical specifications were found to be important as many
teachers of varying technical ability would be using the technology. The
technical specifications needed to be simple enough for a novice user, yet
flexible enough for someone more experienced to get the most out of it.
Interaction amongst users is
important since they work together and exchange ideas with each other in
educational activities. In this category, the items are written in line with
these features: written communication, voice communication, synchronous
interaction, asynchronous interaction, communication with other platforms,
signboard-like message objects, and features of muting and blocking unwanted
users.
Another main group in the criteria list is educational specifications, which
contains a great diversity of educational methods and tools. Although
educational activities depend on the requirement of the project, the selected
platform should be flexible enough to provide required activities and more.
Ultimately, the developed criteria list will be
helpful for identifying and eliminating the deficiencies and constraints of
virtual worlds used for educational purposes.
