Issues in the Design and Evaluation
of a Virtual Reality Learning Environment

by
Maria Roussos
B.S., Athens University of Economics, Greece, 1992
M.F.A., University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 1997



Submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
in the Graduate College of the
University of Illinois at Chicago, May 1997

Committee: Thomas G. Moher (EECS), Thomas A. DeFanti (EECS), Mark G. Gillingham (Education)



    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

    SUMMARY

  1. INTRODUCTION
      1.1. Statement of the Problem
      1.2. Structure of the Thesis

  2. BACKGROUND AND RELATED WORK
      2.1. Learning Theories
        2.1.1 Constructivism and Constructionism
        2.1.2 Socio-cultural Theories
        2.1.3 Cooperative Learning
        2.1.4 Motivation
        2.1.5 Narrative
      2.2. Virtual Reality in Education
        2.2.1 Networked Text-based Virtual Worlds
        2.2.2 VR in the schools
        2.2.3 Immersive Virtual Environments
        2.2.4 The Value of Virtual Reality in Education
      2.3. Evaluation of Learning Environments
        2.3.1 Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research
        2.3.2 Alternative Assessment
        2.3.3 Assessment of Virtual Learning Environments

  3. THE N.I.C.E. PROJECT: DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
      3.1. Goals in the Design of NICE
      3.2. Design Process
        3.2.1 Constructionism
        3.2.2 Collaboration
        3.2.3 Stories
        3.2.4 User Interface
        3.2.5 Persistence
        3.2.6 Intelligent Agents and Actors
      3.3. System Architecture

  4. EVALUATION
      4.1. Conceptual Framework
      4.2. Evaluation Methodology
      4.3. EMPIRICAL STUDIES
        4.3.1. Initial Study
          4.3.1.1. Method
          4.3.1.2. Observations
          4.3.1.3. Identified Problems
          4.3.1.4. Proposed Modifications
        4.3.2. Main Studies
          4.3.2.1. Method
          4.3.2.2. Observed Results (Technical, Orientation, Affective)
          Observed Results (...continued) (Cognitive, Pedagogical)

  5. CONCLUSIONS

      5.1. Summary of conclusions
      5.2.Future Work

    APPENDICES (Pre-study and Post-study questions, Children's plans, final gardens, & drawings)

    CITED LITERATURE

    VITA