ARTICLE REVIEW - GLEN - WEEK 2

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.