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For Collaborative Virtual Environments (CVEs), many interaction techniques have been developed. Depending on the purpose of the collaborative work, techniques of interaction and manipulation change from one application to another. There is no general, good and efficient solution for all the collaborative systems. In addition, people in CVEs also use communication channels to share task goals, task decomposition and task progress. Therefore, awareness and communications are usually considered as important instruments to complete collaborative task. In this paper, we have combined different virtual navigation aids i.e. 3DML + audio, 3DML + textual, 3DML + arrows-casting, arrows-casting + audio, arrows-casting + textual and audio + textual; and presented a comparative study of user performance to perform an assembly task in CVEs. We reported the results of a precise experiment containing, 30 virtual teams of 60 individual students. Overall, results showed that students performed task faster using 3DML + arrows-casting while they were slow with audio + textual support in navigation.

The presented study aspires to utilize the gradually validated immense potential of collaborative immersive virtual environments (CIVEs) in higher education when designing and conducting geography lessons. These particular lessons focused on hypsography. A Research through Design approach and relevant qualitative methodology were used as we engaged two groups of domain experts (experienced geography teachers) to validate both the learning scenarios and the virtual environment we used. The lessons were administered via eDIVE—a novel platform for collaborative learning and teaching in virtual reality of our own design. The teachers underwent a hypsography virtual lesson and were randomly divided into two groups to be compared, which differed in the level of structure given to the lesson (one group received detailed instructions on what task they were to solve, while the other was given a free hand in exploring the environment and activities it afforded). The teachers’ experiences were then summarized in a post-lesson reflection and a subsequent focus group following the tasks. The participants’ expertise allowed insights to be gained into their first-hand experience as students, as well as their expert view of the lesson from an educational point of view. Virtual reality’s implementation into teaching practice was the key topic of the discussion.

The present work aims to investigate the negative effects of network latencies in immersive collaborative virtual environments. A user study was conducted to determine the impact of those delays on the performance of users. Participants of the study played a simple cooperative game designed for two players. The goal of the game was to correctly place bicolored cubes into their specific destinations. Since each player only saw the colors of the cubes of his or her partner, both players had to visually and verbally exchange information to complete the game. Each pair of participants played the game under four different latency conditions. The task performance was measured by the time needed to place one cube successfully. Besides, other subjectively observable variables were investigated. The results of the study show that a high end-to-end delay between two VR stations has an adverse effect on the users’ task performance, the amount of mutual understanding and the perceived workload. For the co-presence metric, i.e., the perceived amount of togetherness inside the virtual environment, no significant correlation to the network delay could be determined.

Collaborative learning and cooperative learning are two separate approaches developed independently by two groups of scholars around the same period of time in the 1960 and 1970 s. Due to their different origins and intertwined paths of development, they have their own distinct features while sharing many similarities. The relationship between collaborative learning and cooperative learning can be confusing. Therefore, this paper provides a brief historical review of collaborative learning and cooperative learning to identify the origins of each, where they diverge from each other, and where they are aligned. This paper examines the definitions of the two terms and compares their characteristics. This is followed by a discussion of their historical development in the last fifty years: early development between the 1960 and 1970 s; maturation in the 1980 and 1990 s; convergence in the mid-1990s; and the emergence of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) in the late 1980s. Finally, this paper summarizes the four paradigms of mainstream research on collaborative and cooperative learning, namely, the “effect” paradigm, the “conditions” paradigm, the “interaction” paradigm, and the “design” paradigm.

With the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in education, the number of published studies in the field has increased. However, no large-scale reviews have been conducted to comprehensively investigate the various aspects of this field. Based on 4,519 publications from 2000 to 2019, we attempt to fill this gap and identify trends and topics related to AI applications in education (AIEd) using topic-based bibliometrics. Results of the review reveal an increasing interest in using AI for educational purposes from the academic community. The main research topics include intelligent tutoring systems for special education; natural language processing for language education; educational robots for AI education; educational data mining for performance prediction; discourse analysis in computer-supported collaborative learning; neural networks for teaching evaluation; affective computing for learner emotion detection; and recommender systems for personalized learning. We also discuss the challenges and future directions of AIEd.

PurposeThe paper aims to present the processing pipeline of an assembly immersive simulation application which can manage the interaction between the virtual scene and user using stereoscopic display and haptic devices. A new set of elements are integrated in a Collaborative Virtual Environment (CVE) and validated using an approach based on subjective and objective users’ performance criteria. The developed application is intended for Assembly/Disassembly (A/D) analysis, planning and training.Design/methodology/approachA mobility module based on contact information is used to handle the assembly components’ movements through real-time management of collision detection and kinematically constraint guidance. Information on CVE architecture, modules and application configuration process are presented. Impact of device type (3 degrees of freedom (DoFs) vs 6 DoFs) over user’s experience is evaluated. Parameters (number of assembled components and components assembly time) are measured for each user and each haptic device, and results are compared and discussed.FindingsTest results proved the efficiency of using a mobility module based on predefined kinematic constraints for reducing the complexity of collision detection algorithms in real-time assembly haptic simulations. Also, experiments showed that, generally, users performed better with 3 DoFs haptic device compared to 6 DoFs haptic equipment.Originality/valueThe proposed immersive application automates the kinematical joints inference from 3D computer-aided design (CAD) assembly models and integrates it within a haptic-based virtual environment, for increasing the efficiency of A/D process simulations.

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this research is to evaluate the available literature on Collaborative Virtual Environments (CVEs). It aims to investigate the impacts, guiding principles, and problems of CVEs, giving light to their revolutionary potential in a variety of sectors, such as education, healthcare, and gaming. Background: CVEs have received a lot of interest in recent years because of their potential to change how people interact and cooperate in virtual settings. It has the potential to increase collaboration, learning experiences, and productivity across numerous areas. Methodology: This study comprehensively analyzes existing literature on CVEs, highlighting their ability to significantly change several fields, such as education, healthcare, and gaming. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) standards were followed to ensure a clear and methodical approach to the literature review. The search technique targeted the SCOPUS database for articles published from 2009 to 2022, utilizing specific keywords about CVEs. This was followed by a thorough two-stage screening procedure based on specified inclusion and exclusion criteria, ensuring only relevant research was evaluated. Contribution: This literature review contributes by providing a thorough review of the current state of the art in the field of CVEs. It synthesizes previous research and offers insights into the consequences, guiding principles, and problems of CVEs in different domains. Findings: The research results demonstrate the wide range of uses for CVEs and their ability to promote enhanced cooperation, learning, and productivity. Current obstacles have been identified, and a set of guiding principles for implementing CVEs has been provided. A clear and reproducible foundation for future research in this area was found through a detailed explanation of the search approach and criteria used to select studies. The literature review concludes with practical suggestions for practitioners in many fields, emphasizing the need to consider CVEs to improve cooperation and productivity. Recommendations for Practitioners: To improve cooperation and productivity, CVEs should be considered by practitioners in education, healthcare, gaming, and industry. Best practices and recommendations for the successful usage of CVEs in various areas must be established. End-user training and assistance are critical for maximizing the benefits of CVE technology. Recommendation for Researchers: Additional study is required to investigate the long-term consequences and durability of CVE solutions, the creation of new technologies and methods to overcome the stated CVE adoption problems, and multidisciplinary collaboration to harness CVEs in innovative ways. Impact on Society: The review emphasizes CVEs’ potential social benefit in fostering cooperation, improving learning experiences, and increasing productivity. The widespread use of CVE technology may result in more efficient and productive ways of communicating and working in virtual worlds. Future Research: Future studies in this field should concentrate beyond the study’s period (2022), investigating the changing environment of CVEs, examining the effects of developing technologies and trends on CVEs, and evaluating CVE technology’s scalability and accessibility for greater societal usage.

Learning engagement has gained increasing attention in the field of education. Previous studies have adopted conventional methods to analyze learning engagement, but these methods cannot provide timely feedback for learners. This study analyzed automated group learning engagement via deep neural network models in a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) context. A quasi-experimental research design was implemented to examine the effects of the automated group learning engagement analysis and feedback approach on collaborative knowledge building, group performance, socially shared regulation, and cognitive load. In total, 120 college students participated in this study; they were assigned to 20 experimental groups and 20 control groups of three students each. The students in the experimental groups adopted the automated group learning engagement analysis and feedback approach, whereas those in the control groups used the traditional online collaborative learning approach. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed in depth. The results indicated significant differences in group learning engagement, group performance, collaborative knowledge building, and socially shared regulation between the experimental and control groups. The proposed approach did not increase the cognitive load for the experimental groups. The implications of the findings can potentially contribute to improving group learning engagement and group performance in CSCL.

While there are many studies on students’ collaborative learning at the small group level, pedagogies and strategies for supporting students’ collaborative learning at the class level are underexplored. This study proposes a pedagogical model named the Spiral Model of Collaborative Knowledge Improvement (SMCKI) to inform the design and implementation of multi-layered collaborative learning activities in a networked class where there are many groups of students working collaboratively. Starting with a phase of individual ideation, the pedagogical model scaffolds students to go through five phases of intra-group and inter-group knowledge improvement and refinement, with the goal of supporting the advancement of their individual and collective knowledge. An exploratory case study is presented to illustrate how this model was used in a pre-service teachers’ technology-enhanced learning (TEL) activity design lesson in a Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) environment. The results show that the participants significantly improved the quality of TEL design throughout the five phases of SMCKI. The implications of the findings on designing and implementing CSCL activities in authentic class environments are discussed.

Scripting computer-supported collaborative learning has been shown to greatly enhance learning, but is often criticized for hindering learners’ agency and thus undermining learners’ motivation. Beyond that, what makes some CSCL scripts particularly effective for learning is still a conundrum. This meta-analysis synthesizes the results of 53 primary studies that experimentally compared the effect of learning with a CSCL script to unguided collaborative learning on at least one of the variables motivation, domain learning, and collaboration skills. Overall, 5616 learners enrolled in K-12, higher education, or professional development participated in the included studies. The results of a random-effects meta-analysis show that learning with CSCL scripts leads to a non-significant positive effect on motivation (Hedges’ g = 0.13), a small positive effect (Hedges’ g = 0.24) on domain learning and a medium positive effect (Hedges’ g = 0.72) on collaboration skills. Additionally, the meta-analysis shows how scaffolding single particular collaborative activities and scaffolding a combination of collaborative activities affects the effectiveness of CSCL scripts and that synergistic or differentiated scaffolding is hard to achieve. This meta-analysis offers the first counterevidence against the widespread criticism that CSCL scripts have negative motivational effects. Furthermore, the findings can be taken as evidence for the robustness of the positive effects on domain learning and collaboration skills.