Web-based applications of 3D visualization and virtual reality in science education

Over the last decade, we have continuously devoted resources and efforts to select, acquire, modify, and employ various VR (virtual reality) and 3D visualization technologies (including low-end to medium-quality hardware and software for courseware development and viewing) to develop a large collection of 3D and VR resources for effective teaching and learning of various science topics in the Internet. Student-teachers in an education institute were taught to develop and utilize these technologies to enrich and enhance their teaching packages. A questionnaire survey on students’ prior knowledge, evaluation, and receptivity toward these resources was administered to 29 classes of student-teachers with 471 valid returns. For the objective evaluation of students’ learning effectiveness, a new set of research instruments consisting of a pre-test, a post-test and a group interview, has been developed and applied to 66 secondary school students in two classes. The research instruments also measured their attitudes toward the use of VR technology in learning science. The findings are analyzed and discussed together with their educational implications. Copyright © FORMATEX 2011.