Learning Management System
(LMS) is a specialized software platform that allows to organize and automate
most of the teaching processes. In Russia, LMS systems are also often referred
to as distance learning systems.
The main functions of learning
management systems include: creation and storage of educational content in
various formats (video, audio, presentations, etc.); registration of students;
administration of access rights to educational materials; control of the
learning process; communication between teachers and students; evaluation of
learning outcomes; formation of analytics, etc.
Modern learning management
systems are quite flexible and allow to organize blended learning, combining
face-to-face classes with a lectures and e-classes with an ability to asses
knowledge in the form of tests and other educational tools. All these functions
are available online via the Internet [20, 14].
Learning management systems can
be compared to a virtual classroom where students or employees, who are
physically located anywhere in the world, can study.
To date, a large number of
different LMS have been developed [5], including Canvas, Diskurs, Dokeos,
Docebo, eFront, Flora, iSpring Learn LMS, Learn Amp, LMS Moodle, Open edX,
RedClass, Stepik, TalentLMS, TeachBase, Udemy, etc. A number of systems belong
to the server LMSs installed on the company's server (for example, Moodle,
RedClass). Some are available by subscription in the format of a cloud web
service and do not require any specialized software on the company's own server
(for example, iSpring online, TeachBase, Learn Amp). Some are integrated into
modern Content Management Systems (CMS), such as Drupal, Joomla, Wordpress, Wix
with expanded capabilities in the field of training.
Learning using Virtual Reality
(VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies is becoming more and more
relevant. However, the development of such applications requires a lot of money
and time. Among the LMS that allow integrating VR/AR technologies into the
educational process it is possible to single out the commercial ISP platform
(Immersive Simulations Platform) [https://modumlab.com/]. ISP is used for
staff training by such large companies as Gazprom, Sberbank, VTB, Severstal,
Polyus.
Among the most popular LMSs
Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) can be pointed
out. Moodle is an open-source server solution including a cloud service Moodle
Cloud [http://moodlecloud.com]. Many schools and universities have developed a
large number of courses using Moodle, and in this paper the authors present a
solution to the problem of integrating VR content into this platform.
The creation of VR content is
based on the use of 3D Vista Virtual Tour Pro software. Since 2020, a large
number of functions related to e-learning have been added to this software
product such as creation of quizzes and tests with evaluation of results, as
well as integration with LMS including Moodle. These new features made it
possible to use virtual tours, which are interconnected panoramas in 360°
format as a basis for game-based and interactive learning [19, 21]. When
developing such virtual tours, various specialized software tools can be used.
This work is devoted to the
issues of integrated use of various software tools for the development of
virtual tours in order to use them in the educational process.
When organizing the teaching
process using VR and AR technologies, it is necessary to create a thematic
virtual space associated with the course being studied, which will allow
students and schoolchildren to fully immerse themselves into the content of the
course. The technology of creating educational content using a variety of
different software environments can be presented as follows.
The initial stage of the
technology is development of a course description that includes data and
knowledge about the object or phenomenon being studied [10]. In particular, a
model of a historically significant territory, frames that describe the
structure of the territory and models, properties and values that characterize
the entire territory [18, 17, 10, 7, 8, 2, 3].
At the stage of 3D modeling,
objects are geographically linked to the district plan using such resources as
Google.Maps or Yandex.Maps. With the help of a quadcopter, detailed images of
all fragments of objects that are partially lost as well as of their location
are taken. As a result, a plan of the territory in zenith isometry is obtained.
The next stage is creation of
three-dimensional models of all required objects (for example, buildings,
structures, infrastructure elements, etc.) in SketchUp, Blender programs, and
for technical objects in Solidworks, Compass-3D, etc. [13, 12]. The created
three-dimensional models of objects and landscape are imported into the final
virtual scene using Twinmotion software package [22, 15]. Twinmotion allows
using high-quality rendering to obtain visualizations of architectural objects,
in particular interiors, exteriors, etc. Further, photorealistic panoramas,
images and videos are imported from Twinmotion into 3DVista Virtual Tour Pro
environment to create a virtual tour [23, 9], which will allow students to move
between panoramas.
The use of special programs
such as 3DVista Stitcher 4 and Live-Guided Tours allows to "stitch" a
set of photos into a 360° panorama, create live guides, conduct guided tours in
real time, have video and audio communication within a virtual tour. Mobile
versions of such tours are also available.
The tour leader (guide,
teacher, tour guide) can point out specific areas of interest within the
virtual space, discuss certain aspects of the discipline with students. At the
same time, students have opportunities to study the territory with a live
guide, independently inspect the territory or perform the role of a guide with
the permission of the tour leader. All this makes it possible not just to
passively study the material, but also to ask questions, discuss certain
elements and details of the virtual space being studied [9].
When creating a virtual tour in
3DVista Virtual Tour Pro, it is necessary to specify the compatibility of the
virtual tour with the standard for distance education systems SCORM (Sharable
Content Object Reference Model – a model of links to shared objects). This will
allow to transfer final results (scores, grades, time, etc.) to the LMS Moodle,
which supports SCORM, for storage and analysis after the completion of the
tour. To integrate a virtual tour with e-learning elements into the Moodle
system, it is necessary to add it to the corresponding course in the form of a
SCORM package (see Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. Visualization of the LMS Moodle window during
the connection of a virtual tour created in 3DVista Virtual Tour Pro
The implementation of the technology of
integrated use of various software environments has been tested when creating
educational content that provides immersion into a virtual thematic space on
the example of the course "History of the Tambov Region", which is
included in many educational programs at Tambov educational institutions.
Figure 2 shows a fragment of the content of the discipline.
As an example, let us consider a fragment
of a thematic virtual space associated with the production activities of the
Nobel brothers in Tambov region.
To create a virtual space, historical
sources related to the activities of Nobel Brothers Oil Production Partnership
on the territory of Tambov province were used, in particular, plans for oil products
warehouses located near the stations of Platonovka, Lipetsk and Usman. Figure 3
shows the plan of the warehouse of Nobel Brothers Oil Production Partnership at
Platonovka railway station. A fragment of a virtual model of an oil warehouse
created with the sequential use of such software environments as SketchUp,
Solidworks, Twinmotion, 3DVista Virtual Tour Pro and LMS Moodle, is shown in
Fig. 4.
Fig. 2. A fragment of the content of the course
"History of the Tambov region"
Fig. 3. A schematic diagram of the warehouse plan of
Nobel Brothers Oil Production Partnership near Platonovka station
Fig. 4. A fragment of a virtual model of Nobel
Brothers Oil Production Partnership warehouse near Platonovka station
Verification of the acquired knowledge was
carried out by taking virtual educational quests using LMS Moodle [24, 1, 6].
As an example, Figure 5 shows visualization of intermediate test results.
Fig. 5. Visualization of intermediate quest results
The final grades after completion of the
course "History of the Tambov Region" using LMS Moodle are shown in
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6. Visualization of final results after
completion of the course "History of the Tambov region" using LMS
Moodle
To assess the effectiveness of educational
content that includes various software environments, a survey of several groups
of students and schoolchildren was conducted. To identify important
characteristics (attributes) with low satisfaction indicators, analysis
methodology Importance-Performance Analysis – IPA is widely used [16].
The importance of obtaining knowledge in
this way and satisfaction with the content, i.e. the quality of implementation,
was assessed by students and schoolchildren on a five-point scale.
The survey was conducted online via the
electronic form using the survey tool Google Forms [4]. This solution is on the
one hand free, and on the other hand easy to learn and use. A fragment of the
form used for the survey is shown in Fig. 7 [11].
Table 1 shows average score values for each
of the characteristics by importance and performance categories obtained from
the survey results.
On the graph (see Fig. 8) average values of
characteristics are plotted, vertically – the importance of characteristics,
horizontally – satisfaction with the implementation of characteristics.
The graph is divided into 4 quadrants
(quarters). Quadrant 1 (first quarter – high importance, high performance)
includes characteristics that do not require improvement. Both importance and
performance fully satisfy the user. Quadrant 2 (second quarter – high
importance, low performance) includes characteristics that are of high
importance to the user, but the quality of their implementation is too low and
requires improvement. The implementation of these characteristics requires the
closest attention. Quadrant 3 (third quarter – low importance, low performance)
corresponds to characteristics that do not matter to the user. These
characteristics do not require any attention. Quadrant 4 (fourth quarter – low
importance, high performance) includes characteristics that are not important
to the user, but at the same time are implemented at a high level. This means
that too much attention is paid to the characteristics that present no interest
to the user. Fig. 9(a, b) presents histograms of frequency ratings of
characteristics (1) and (13), where the height of the bars corresponds to the
scores.
Fig. 7. A fragment of the form for questioning
students in order to assess the quality of educational content
Table 1.
Characteristics of educational content
|
Characteristic (attribute)
|
Numerical notation
|
Importance
|
Performance
|
|
1. The integrated use of various software
environments provides opportunities for deeper study of the courses.
|
1
|
3,96
|
3,85
|
|
2. Multiplatform implementation (Windows, Android,
iOS, *nix) of educational content.
|
2
|
3,74
|
3,82
|
|
3. The possibility of integrating educational
content into the Management System-LMS.
|
3
|
3,19
|
3,85
|
|
4. High-quality visualization of objects for various
purposes allows to better perceive the processes or phenomena of the subject
area.
|
4
|
3,82
|
3,89
|
|
5. Is the scale of the virtual space sufficient to
hold student’s attention and motivate him/her to study the process or
phenomenon to the end?
|
5
|
3,0
|
2,81
|
|
6. Easy navigation in the virtual space. Users can
easily find transition points for all routes in the virtual space.
|
6
|
3,81
|
3,95
|
|
7. Immersion into virtual space using special VR
glasses or a VR helmet (Oculus, Vive, Gear VR equipment, etc.).
|
7
|
4,04
|
3,77
|
|
8. Interesting educational content motivates the
student to fully explore the object or process in the virtual space.
|
8
|
4,04
|
3,81
|
|
9. Implementation of e-learning elements in the form
of quests inside the virtual space.
|
9
|
3,73
|
3,89
|
|
10. Obtaining knowledge in an accessible and
attractive form of a game (gamification of learning).
|
10
|
3,85
|
4,15
|
|
11. Connecting a guide and other participants to the
tour. Conducting an online tour in a thematic virtual space.
|
11
|
3,96
|
4,12
|
|
12. The possibility of group work in a virtual
space.
|
12
|
3,39
|
3,23
|
|
13. Acquisition of new competencies in the subject
area to which the educational content is devoted.
|
13
|
4,19
|
4,04
|
The results of the study confirm high
quality of simulation of professional activity in an immersive virtual
environment for obtaining applied competencies and skills within the framework
of the studied material.
The effectiveness of integrated use of various
software products in a virtual environment was tested on by two groups of
students of 12 people each, who enrolled on the course "History of the
Tambov Region". One group studied the discipline in the traditional way,
and the second one using an immersive educational environment. Test results
showed that the proportion of correct answers among students who studied in the
traditional way is 17% lower than in the second group.
Figure 8. Importance-Performance Diagram
(a)
(b)
Fig. 9 (a, b). Histograms of scores for
characteristics 1 and 13
The expediency of using the technology of creating educational VR
content that provides immersion into a virtual thematic space using a variety
of different software environments is confirmed by the test results. The
approbation was carried out on the example of the course "History of the
Tambov Region", which is included in many educational programs at Tambov
educational institutions. The use of such an environment helps to ensure the
achievement of the planned learning outcomes, which correlate with the indicators
of professional competencies being formed.
Also, the use of the proposed technology allows students to develop
teamwork and interpersonal communication skills through interactive lectures
and group discussions, which ensure better mastering of new academic material.
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