A COLLABORATIVE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT FOR SITUATED LEARNING OF CAR DRIVING

Y. Miao, N. Pinkwart, and H.U. Hoppe

Keywords

Situated learning, computer simulation, collaborative virtual environment, car-driving training

Abstract

According to situated learning theory, knowledge and understanding are fundamentally products of learning situations. Learning is situated and takes place by means of legitimate peripheral participation within the context of a community of practice. Based on the theory of situated learning, this paper develops conceptual and technical approaches to building a web-based collaborative 3D car-driving simulation environment that requires only low computing, networking, and development resources. Rather than instructing individuals on a formal, structured, intensive, and programmed base, this simulation environment supports members of virtual communities of practice to perform informal, unstructured, spontaneous, collaborative, situated learning. Pilot studies conducted with the system show its partial success and demonstrate that whether the collaborative learning approach we propose can also succeed with smaller group sizes depends on the characteristics of specific educationally valuable learning situations.

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