Skip to main content

On the Evaluation of the Combined Role of Virtual Reality Games and Animated Agents in Edutainment

  • Chapter
Intelligent Computer Graphics 2011

Part of the book series: Studies in Computational Intelligence ((SCI,volume 374))

Abstract

Edutainment is a form of education combined with entertainment and vice versa. Virtual reality games and animated agents can provide high quality graphics that may play an important role to serve the aims of edutainment. However, since in edutainment the main aim of the software developed lies precisely on the combination of education and entertainment, there have to be appropriate evaluation methods that evaluate both these factors and assure that their combination is worth the effort and the development cost. So far, in the literature there have been evaluation frameworks that address each factor separately, but there is a shortage of frameworks on the combined role of education and entertainment of Virtual Reality games and animated agents. In this paper, I will survey current trends concerning the evaluation of educational software and Virtual Reality games and animated agents and will speculate about future challenges and design enhancements.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Alepis, E., Virvou, M.: Automatic generation of emotions in tutoring agents for affective e-learning in medical education. Expert Systems with Applications 38(8), 9840–9847 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Brody, H.: Video games that teach? Technology Review 96(8), 51–57 (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Chin, D.: Empirical Evaluation of user models and user adapted systems. User Modeling and User Adapted Interaction 11(2001), 181–194 (2001)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  4. Cunningham, H.: Gender and computer games. Media Education Journal 17 (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  5. De Freitas, S., Oliver, M.: How can exploratory learning with games and simulations within the curriculum be most effectively evaluated? Computers & Education 46(2006), 249–264 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Downes, T.: Playing with computer technologies in the home. Education and Information Technologies 4, 65–79 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Ehrmann, S.: Studying teaching, learning and technology: a tool kit from the Flashlight programme. Active Learning 9, 36–39 (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Gee, J.: What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. Palgrave Macmillan, New York (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Jones, A., Scanlon, E., Tosunoglu, C., Morris, E., Ross, S., Butcher, P., Greenberg, J.: Contexts for Evaluating Educational Software. Interacting with Computers 11(5), 499–516 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. ID-software (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Katsionis, G., Virvou, M.: Personalised e-learning through an Educational Virtual Reality Game using Web Services. Multimedia Tools and Applications 39(1), 47–71 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Kirkman, C.: Computer experience and attitudes of 12-year-old students: implications for the U.K. national curriculum. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 9, 51–62 (1993)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Moundridou, M., Virvou, M.: Evaluating the persona effect of an interface agent in an intelligent tutoring system. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 18(3), 253–261 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Mumtaz, S.: Children’s enjoyment and perception of computer use in the home and the school. Computers and Education 36, 347–362 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Nielsen, J.: Usability Inspection Methods. John Wiley, New York (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Prensky, M.: Digital games-based learning. McGraw Hill, New York (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Squires, D., Preece, J.: Usability and Learning: Evaluating the Potential of Educational Software. Computers and Education 27(1), 15–22 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Squires, D., Preece, J.: Predicting Quality in Educational Software: Evaluating for learning, usability and the synergy between them. Interacting with Computers 11(5), 467–483 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Swartz, L.: Why people hate the paperclip: labels, appearance, behavior and social responses to user interface agents. B.Sc. Thesis. Stanford University (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Virvou, M., Alepis, E.: Creating tutoring characters through a Web-based authoring tool for educational software. In: Proceedings of the 2003 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, vol. 5, pp. 4884–4889 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Virvou, M., Katsionis, G.: On the usability and likeability of virtual reality games for education: The case of VR-ENGAGE. Computers & Education 50(1), 154–178 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Virvou, M., Katsionis, G.: VIRGE: Tutoring English over the Web through a Game. In: IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies 2003, Athens, Greece, July 9-11, p. 469 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Virvou, M., Katsionis, G., Manos, K.: On the motivation and attractiveness scope of the virtual reality user interface of an educational game. In: Bubak, M., van Albada, G.D., Sloot, P.M.A., Dongarra, J. (eds.) ICCS 2004. LNCS, vol. 3038, pp. 962–969. Springer, Heidelberg (2004)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  24. Virvou, M., Katsionis, G., Manos, K.: Combining software games with education: Evaluation of its educational effectiveness. Educational Technology & Society, Journal of International Forum of Educational Technology & Society and IEEE Learning Technology Task Force 8(2), 54–65 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Virvou, M., Manos, C., Katsionis, G., Tourtoglou, K.: VR-ENGAGE: A Virtual Reality Educational Game that Incorporates Intelligence. In: IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, Kazan, Russia, September 16-19 (2002a)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Virvou, M., Manos, C., Katsionis, G., Tourtoglou: Incorporating the Culture of Virtual Reality Games into Educational Software via an Authoring Tool. In: IEEE International Conference on Systems Man and Cybernetics 2002 (SMC 2002), Hammamet, Tunisia, vol. 2, pp. 326–331 (2002b)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Virvou, M., Maras, D., Tsiriga, V.: Evaluation of an ITS for the Passive Voice of the English Language Using the CIAO! Framework. In: Proceedings of ED-MEDIA 2000, World Conferences on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Educational Telecommunications, Montreal, Canada, pp. 1722–1723 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Yacci, M., Haake, A., Rozanski, E.: Operations and Strategy Learning in Edutainment Interfaces. In: Proceedings of ED-MEDIA World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2004, pp. 4416–4421 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Virvou, M. (2012). On the Evaluation of the Combined Role of Virtual Reality Games and Animated Agents in Edutainment. In: Plemenos, D., Miaoulis, G. (eds) Intelligent Computer Graphics 2011. Studies in Computational Intelligence, vol 374. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22907-7_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22907-7_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-22906-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-22907-7

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics