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The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of stereoscopic virtual technology in textile and fashion studies in particular to the area of chemical experiment. The development of a designed virtual platform, called Stereoscopic Chemical Laboratory (SCL), is introduced.

To implement the suggested educational approaches of SCL, a set of teaching and learning materials with emphasis on the application methods was revised from the existing subjects. The architecture of SCL includes building of virtual objects with the Autodesk software Maya and designing of interactivity by using Unity, a game engine system. Prototype version of the SCL has been passed to selected academic colleagues and students for further evaluation and application feedback.

Textile students can conduct laboratory experiments associated with coloration and finishing of textile technologies in a stereoscopic 3D and multisensory laboratory, and hence enhance their learning experience. With the use of SCL, students can learn relevant experiment tools, experimental processes, procedures, and safety and health precautions.

There is very limited educational or training approach in applying stereoscopic virtual reality in teaching activities. In the area of textile experiment, the authors could say it is virtual and does not exist in current research domains.

The purpose of this paper is to present an improved concept of software‐based laboratory exercises, namely a Virtual Laboratory for Engineering Sciences (VLES).

The implementation of distance learning and e‐learning in engineering sciences (such as Mechanical and Electrical Engineering) is still far behind current practice in narrative disciplines (Economics, Management, etc.). This is because education in technical disciplines requires laboratory exercises, providing skill‐acquisition and hands‐on experience. In order to overcome this problem for distance‐learning developers and practitioners, a new modular and hierarchically organized approach is needed.

The concept involves simulation models to emulate system dynamics, full virtual reality to provide visualization, advanced social‐clubbing to ensure proper communication, and an AI tutor to supervise the lab work. Its modularity and hierarchical organization offer the possibility of applying the concept to practically any engineering field: a higher level provides the general framework – it considers lab workplaces as objects regardless of the technical field they come from, and provides communication and supervision – while the lower level deals with particular workplaces. An improved student's motivation is expected.

The proposed concept aims rather high, thus making the work truly challenging. With the current level of information and communication technologies, some of the required features can only be achieved with difficulty; however, the rapid growth of the relevant technologies supports the eventual practicality of the concept. This paper is not intended to present any final results, solutions, or experience. The idea is to promote the concept, identify problems, propose guidelines, and possibly open a discussion.

This paper provides a general comparison between the ethos, methodological mission, and theoretical standpoint of the New Iowa School, established by Carl Couch and his students and Second Life, a three dimensional virtual world that invites particular forms of sociation. Despite differences in orientation and purpose, as well as biases in communication, we propose that the methodological and conceptual emphasis underlying the research generated from New Iowa School experimental studies can provide a useful framework for research into the virtual worlds created in Second Life. In the course of citing similarities and differences between the New Iowa School and Second Life, we also note that contrived worlds in laboratories and virtual worlds in user domains not only have relevant analogical processes to outside, in situ social worlds, but consist of social stages for performances that have application to the various social stages constructed by actors in the real world. In conclusion, we suggest that the New Iowa School and Second Life represent different but compatible realities in their own right, that the conceptual depth associated with the New Iowa School can inform research into Second Life interactions, and that each offer insights into the external worlds inhabited by real actors who navigate across time and space in their everyday lives.

This paper presents two educational gamified virtual labs and investigates different methods of including gamified elements in virtual labs used for teaching. The purpose of this study is to investigate if immersive gamified virtual labs can be used as effective pedagogical tools by properly incorporating them into higher education curricula to assist low-risk active learning and student engagement.

This research design comprises two gamified virtual labs including nine essential experiments of biology and chemistry integrated into the higher education curriculum of the Foundation of Science at an international University. Students filled in a survey after participating in the lab to shed light on appropriate ways of using gamification approaches in virtual labs.

From the predominant findings of the study, gamified virtual labs increase student involvement thereby enhancing knowledge development with active learning and may be a potentially suitable pedagogical tool for low-risk interactive learning.

Limitations of the study include findings based on gamified virtual labs but not comparing the gamified virtual labs to simple virtual simulations to further investigate the pedagogical approach and understand the student perceptions in a simple virtual simulation and a gamified virtual lab.

The findings of this study will provide evidence that gamified virtual labs integrated into higher education curricula as supplementary tools for laboratory experimentation improve the educational delivery process.

This research highlights an appropriate way of integrating 3D virtual labs into practical curricula while discussing the benefits.

MOOCs represent a new concept that offers learning content to participants freely, anywhere and anytime. However, they suffer from several unsolved problems such as high dropout percentage, low completion rate or uncontrollable understanding level of the participants that can be caused by the lack of the practical activities and simulations. This article aims to propose a solution to ensure the integration of virtual manipulations in MOOCs.

This paper proposes the integration of virtual manipulations (simulations and practical activities) relying on augmented reality. To ensure the manipulation of the used 3D objects, two methods have been proposed based on markers or hand gestures. Customized markers are used, facilitating their recognition by the users, to visualize the objects and to ensure their interactions. Hand gestures have been proposed to perform the manipulation easily. Consequently, hand detection and gestures classification using hand contour detection and HSV filter have been applied.

Two MOOCs pedagogically similar were proposed to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed solution. The only difference is that the second MOOC contains virtual manipulations that the participants can perform to understand better and to interact during the courses. The finding results show that the participants’ understanding and satisfaction levels in the second MOOC were higher, and the dropout rate was lower than the first one.

The integration of practical activities/simulations in MOOCs using augmented reality is the key novelty of our work. To do so, two manipulation methods have been proposed, so the instructor can feel free to choose the adequate method to ensure a better progress of the manipulations.

Weblabs are an additional resource in the execution of experiments in control engineering education, making learning process more flexible both in time, by allowing extra class laboratory activities, and space, bringing the learning experience to remote locations where experimentation facilities would not be available. The purpose of this paper is to investigate and report on a weblab project where the speed of a DC motor is controlled in closed loop, being the control system parameters set by the remote user (student).

The engine control experiments are run and on‐line transmitted by videoconference over the internet, from a didactical plant physically located at the Systems and Automation Laboratory of the Control and Automation Engineering department of the Pontifical Catholic University of Parana. The system response (transient motor speed) to the user's choice of parameters is evaluated through performance indices (IAE, ITAE), which are used to qualify the ability of the student to tune PID and RTS control algorithms. There is an option to run experiments in open loop, so the student can perform preliminary analysis to identify the system dynamic model and then apply mathematical models and computational methods, learned in theoretical classes, to define best performance control parameters. A simulation function was implemented, to further help the student in the problem solution. Virtual instrumentation resources were used to implement the Weblab, using the DC motor of a laboratory didactical plant. A local server runs a LabVIEWTM application, which can be remotely accessed in the client side through a web browser, where the system front panel is reproduced. This remote interface is directly originated at the LabVIEWTM application, through an embedded web server. At the user request, the control of the remote system is granted. The user interface is cognitive, with motor speed, control signal, set point and all the pertinent information displayed in evolving charts and indicators. Microsoft™ Skype is used to establish a videoconference with the laboratory where the plant is located. Results of the user experiments are stored in local files, which can be e‐mailed to the user at his command by the end of the session.

Used as a platform in weblab projects, LabVIEW combined with Skype provides a suitable solution for the necessary software/hardware integration for communications with data acquisition systems and advanced connectivity resources. In virtual instrumentation Skype has proved to be efficient in establishing the right environment without the need for developing complex software for teaching practical control engineering concepts.

The level of performance (speed of acquisition, accuracy and number of parameters that could be evaluated) of the current system would need to be evaluated compared to some existing systems. The implication is the changes brought to the adopted approach to the development of, access to and the overall cost of producing virtual laboratory systems used for science, engineering and technology education.

With further effort, the current and similar systems could be further upgraded with user login control and server, so that results can be submitted to the tutor, thus acting as a learning evaluation instrument.

The originality of this research lies in the innovative integration of technology in education, which involves the implementation of a carefully designed, cost‐effective virtual laboratory for teaching and learning of concepts in control engineering.

Although technology is a defining characteristic of distance education, assessment of the applicability of such resources in knowledge dissemination is greatly warranted to ensure effectivity. Hence, the purpose of this study was to assess the viability of a novel tool in teaching practical chemistry online.

Here, a resource named “virtual chemistry lab space” (VCLS), which allowed the learners to virtually engage in practical activities, was administered among learners enrolled in a practical chemistry course at the Open University of Sri Lanka and feedback was collected to ascertain the learner perception on the resource.

In total, 76% of respondents indicated familiarity with the VCLS, while 59% indicated that they were interested in engaging in activities provided through this resource during the pandemic lockdown. Also, 70% indicated that the VCLS was helpful to understand the course content during the pandemic period, while 82% indicated that they are likely to use it in the future.

The prevalent problems related to using the VCLS were lack of Internet access, physical interactions and time. However, the overall opinion on the VCLS was notably positive, while a majority indicated that flexibility to the learners, access to learning resources and use of technology in education will improve due to the use of this novel tool.

Online course delivery has been greatly restricted to areas of education where distant delivery could be easily adopted while it is seldom found in areas such as practical chemistry. Hence, the study indicates novelty and notable originality within the ODL system.

Despite the fact that there being a large literature on simulation, there is as yet no generic paradigm or architecture to develop a three-dimensional (3-D) simulator which depends on autonomous intelligent objects. This has motivated us to introduce a 3-D simulation system based on intelligent objects for Physics Experimentation. We formulated the system’s components as an object-orientation model. So, the entities in every experiment’s work cell are modeled by characterizing their properties and functions into classes and objects of the system hierarchy. Intelligent objects are realized by developing a knowledge base (KB) that captures a set of rules/algorithms that operate on 3-D objects. Rules fall into two categories: action and property rules. In the simulation layer, the student is allowed, by using the virtual system, to stroll throughout the Physics laboratory in light of a walking model. Student gets to a simulation region to do an experiment through the detection of mathematical collision. From software engineering perspective, the proposed system facilitates the Physics experiment through making the specification of its applicable parts more modular and reusable. Moreover, a major pedagogical objective is achieved by permitting the student tuning parameters, fixing component of a device then visualizing outputs. This provides student well interpretation by viewing how distinct parameters affect the outcomes of the experiment. With the objective of student performance measuring, we utilized an exploratory group relying upon pre- and post-testing. The application results demonstrate that the simulator contributes positively to student performance in regard to practical Physics.

As the user‐base of the Internet expands, on‐line “virtual communities” may have the potential to become the key customer‐infomediaries, social forums, and trading arenas, of the early twenty‐first century. In parallel, new delivery channels and new means of fostering long‐term customer relationships may prove critical for success in the financial services industry. As these two developments intertwine, many organizations in the sector may therefore need to consider desktop icons as an emerging customer interface. Reviews the economic argument for virtual communities as the first viable Internet value‐creation model to combine content and communication. Drawing from practical experience with pioneering virtual community developments, and a consideration of direct and indirect financial service delivery channels, the conclusion is reached that many companies in the sector now face an important, strategic choice in the development of their on‐line presence. For most, this will be between deciding to act rapidly to build their own virtual community, or instead opting for a more effective third party, virtual community “inhabitation strategy”.

Nowadays, there are strong movements towards development and usage of multimedia courseware as a means of knowledge transfer. Many authors of textbooks or lecture notes are now striving to redesign the supporting material for their major courses in a structured, highly efficient way, including interactive content and media. Thus, in order to avoid unnecessary work load resulting from updating and publishing various courseware versions, tools for improving document creation and conversion have been developed and are now being applied for the first time on a new “Electrodynamics”‐‐ courseware.