Habitable 3D Learning Environments for Situated Learning

The growing emphasis on learner-centered education focuses on intrinsically motivated learning via engaging problem-solving activities. Habitable 3D learning environments, in which learners guide avatars through virtual worlds for role-based problem solving, hold great promise for situated learning. We have been investigating habitable learning environments by iteratively designing, implementing, and evaluating them. In the Situated Avatar-Based Immersive Learning (SAIL) framework for habitable 3D learning environments, learners navigate avatars through virtual worlds as they solve problems by manipulating artifacts. The SAIL framework has been used to implement CPU CITY, a 3D learning environment testbed for the domain of computer architecture. A visually compelling virtual cityscape of computer components, CPU CITY presents learners with goal advertisements that focus their attention on salient problem-solving sub-tasks. The CPU CITY testbed has produced prototypes that have been evaluated. Pilot studies suggest that habitable learning environments offer a promising new paradigm for educational applications.