Evaluation Framework for Collaborative Educational Virtual Environments

In this paper we will focus on a specific category of Collaborative Virtual Environments that aims to support Collaborative Learning. We call these environments Collaborative Educational Virtual Environments. Our aim is to analyze the evaluation process through the study of relevant bibliography and by doing so reveal the existing research gap which fails to evaluate the twin nature of CEVEs. Our proposed framework aims to evaluate both the pedagogical and educational nature of a CEVE by incorporating two consecutive and recurrent cycles, each consisting of distinct evaluation phases. Furthermore, each phase is designed to address specific evaluation goals. Finally, the paper presents two case studies, applying the proposed theoretical methodology in a pragmatic 3D educational environment.