Experiences in Implementing an ICT-Augmented Reality as an Immersive Learning System for a Philippine HEI

The use and implementation of virtual learning environments (VLEs) in higher education instruction has been in place since the advent of computer networking and popularized by the accessibility of the Internet. Because of the fast-paced advances in hardware and software technologies that stimulate the human senses, the number and the quality of researches on the use of three-dimensional (3D) environments to augment the experiences of learners have increased in recent years. Since VLEs can be customized for the learners’ needs, they have been used to provide a virtual immersion that is otherwise difficult, if not impossible, to experience in real-world (e.g., teaching the effect of varying planetary gravities on objects). This paper presents the experiences in building and implementing a 3D avatar-based virtual world (3D- AVW) as a VLE (3D-AVLE) for the Technological University of the Philippines-Taguig (TUP-T), a higher education institution (HEI) in the Philippines. Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) systems were used, such as the OpenSimulator and various 3D renderers, to create a replica of the TUP-T campus in a simulated 3D world. The 3D-AVLE runs in a single server that is connected to the learners’ computers via a simply-wired local area network (LAN). The use of various networking optimization techniques was experimented on to provide the learners and the instructors alike a seamless experience and lag-less immersion within the 3D-AVLE. With the current LAN setup in TUP-T, the optimal number of concurrent users that can be accommodated without sacrificing connectivity and the quality of virtual experience was found to be at 30 users, exactly the mean class size in TUP-T. The 3D- AVLE allows for recording of the learners’ experiences which provides the learners a facility to review the lessons at a later time. Classes in fundamental topics in engineering sciences were conducted using the usual teaching aid technologies such as the presentation software, and by dragging-and-dropping the presentation files to the 3D-AVLE, resulting to increased learning curve by both the instructors and the learners.

Keywords – 3D Virtual Learning Environment, OpenSimulator, student performance