The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

Virtual Robotics: Creating, Collaborating and Constructionist

Learning in a Virtual World.Sleepy Littlething

RL: Dr Carina GirvanSchool of Social Sciences

Cardiff University@cgirvan

Pathfinder LesterRL: John Lester

Consultant/Contractor@Pathfinder

Presented at the OpenSimulator Community ConferenceDecember 11, 2016Session info: https://opensimulatorcommunity20162882.sched.com/event/8yI8Video Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQMDrB8HTV0

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

Overview

• Background to virtual robotics project• Why OpenSim and the design of the

environment• Slurtles: Programmable robots in OpenSim• Next steps• Q&A

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

Project Aims:Design and implement a framework of best practice

• Educational robotics activity template• Repository for teachers• Workshops with >4000 students

Imperative:21st Skills STEM Women in STEM

Education Careers

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

What do we already know?

• Increased STEM:– Knowledge– Interest– Attitude– Motivation

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

21st Century Skills

• Collaboration / Teamwork• Communication• Critical Thinking / Reflection• Computational Thinking / Problem Solving• Creativity -> Innovation -> Entrepreneurship

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

Research Question

• Do virtual robots support similar outcomes?– What are the new opportunities?– What are the limitations?

• Pedagogical• Technical• Learner outcomes

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

Why Virtual Educational Robotics?

• Cost (purchase and maintenance) • Collaboration at distance• Develop digital literacy/competency• Multiple users• In situ engagement

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

Proof of Concept

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

Proof of Concept

Constructionism in Virtual Worlds project:– Constructionism:

• Explore, test and extend understanding• Construction of shareable and personally

meaningful artefact in situ• Process of bricolage

– Implementation:• Adults with little experience of programming• Second Life• Slurtles & S4SL

Girvan, C., Tangney, B., & Savage, T. (2013). SLurtles: Supporting constructionist learning in second life. Computers & Education, 61, 115-132.

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

Why OpenSim?

• ER4STEM: 7-18 year olds• Control for schools: privacy and protection• Reliability• Low-cost• Task focus• Flexibility

John “Pathfinder” LesterProject Developer and Consultant

3 Questions: Project Design and Implementation

1. Why was OpenSim a great technology match for this project?

2. How did age-appropriate design influence both content and configuration of the SLurtle grid?

3. How did Hypergrid-enabled content enrich the build?

1. Why was OpenSim a great technology match for this project?

1. Why was OpenSim a great technology match for this project?

➔In situ and atomistic content creation

➔Multiuser interactions and collaborative creation

➔Full control over grid (privacy and content backup)

➔Option for “local grid” running off USB drive

➔Can leverage the Hypergrid for both content and professional community (admins can teleport to other grids)

2. How did age-appropriate design influence both content and configuration of the SLurtle grid?

2. How did age-appropriate design influence both content and configuration of the SLurtle grid?

➔ Age-appropriate avatars (human and non-human)

➔ Local accounts cannot explore Hypergrid, but admins can

➔ Create familiar spaces for socializing (dance club, campfires)

➔ Create spaces for play (empty ships, flower cannons)

➔ Reward exploration (hidden areas and interactive objects)

➔ Classic orientation pathways and sandboxes

3. How did Hypergrid-enabled content enrich the build?

3. How did Hypergrid-enabled content enrich the build?

➔ My focus was level design, user experience and highly customized content

➔ Need quality content like buildings, trees, avatars, furniture, games, landscaping, etc.

➔ Combination of free from places like Lani Mall and for-sale from places like Kitely Marketplace

➔ Keeping careful record of names of all content creators to give them credit. Final list: 60 people

➔ Adelle Fitzgerald, Aine Caoimhe, Aire Xaris, albertlr Landar, Amiryu Hosoi, Andron Rae, Ange Menges, Arcadia Asylum, Ares Halostar, beverly Zauberflote, Blaksmith Rubble, Brayla Sana, Cherry Manga, Cuteulala Artis, Daniel Hoffman, Decad Monad, Druskus War, Ferd Frederix, Fleep Tuque, Gavin Hird, Hylee Bekkers, ica84 Buildman, Katz Republic, Kayaker Magic, Koshari Mahana, Lani Global, Lara Nguya, Laura Ormstein, Leighton Majoram, Linda Kellie, LisaKathleen Kaligawa, Mara Sonnenkern, Marcus Llewellyn, Matt CMPNetwork, Mircea Kitsune, Nara Nook, Nebadon Izumi, Newfie Pendragon, Nomasha Syaka, oddball otoole, Oopsee Joseppe, Ozwell Wayfarer, PakoJones descosio, Patch Ferber, Sarah Kline, Selea Core, Sergio Rodriguez, Shane Waffle, Shelby Moonlight, Stephanie Zugswang, Super Mario, Techplex Engineer, The Wizard, Tina Bey, Tosha Tyran, Vanish Seriath, Vbinnia Radek, Zed deTremont, Zia Frimon, Zuza Ritt

➔ To visit a backup copy of this environment, see http://opensimworld.com/hop/77326-Outworldz

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

SLurtles: Background

Low-floorHigh-ceilingWide-walls

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

Show SLurtle - Live Demo

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

Next Steps• Pilot:

– Co-creating lessons for:• Computer Programming (11-12 year olds)• Mathematics (12-13 year olds)

– 2 schools (Ireland and UK)

• Refine island design

• Recruit new schools (2016/17 & 2017/18)

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 665972

These Slides: http://bit.ly/OSCC16-Virtual-RoboticsPublished paper: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1OS_fXIGXxnUk8xZ1NuRFVxaDQ/view

For your own copy of a programmable SLurtle, please contact Carina directly on Twitter as @cgirvan

or via email at girvanc@cardiff.ac.uk