Innovative Technologies in Distance Learning Education

Dear Colleagues,

Mobile devices are extremely popular today, especially among millennials and generation Z, who use them not just for fun, but also to learn and experiment and to play with simulations in VR environments. At the same time, however, mobile devices create a high degree of social alienation, especially for the young population, who are more prone to becoming addicted to them. Educational systems may have a hard time preventing students from using such devices in the classroom, but they can make themselves more attractive, and curricula can be reformed through the integration of such tools as mobile devices, games, immersion in VR environments, and simulation for educational purposes.

Arguably the best aspect of massive open online courses (MOOCs) and VR/AR application is that they can be used in many educational fields such as science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (STEAM), physical education (PE), physiotherapy, etc. (Tonis, 2020).

The United States and Spain (Granada, Vallaolid) are pioneers in the field of research on the use of VR and AR in physical education. XR is used for training in PE, as well as to increase user motivation through gamification in PE and to teaching PE teachers using different technological instruments (Moreno, 2020).

VR and connected stimuli to the body and the application of constant feedback can help students to improve their motor skills and test different postures/movement without damaging their health (Yaoliang Zhang, 2018). Students have been found to associate VR and AR in education with deep, comprehensive learning due to the reproduction of movement (“learning-by-doing effect”) and engagement of all the senses during simulated reality (Schiffeler, 2018, Soo, 2018).  Difficult topics can be taught and facilitated by VR technology, due to interactive and interesting presentations and constant feedback. This practical approach helps to track changes and reactions in the neural system and allows a more profound experience of learning (Gejendhiran, 2020).

There are apps such as Nearpod VR, EON creator AVR, Audio Response Systems from the Technical University in Graz, and Social VR of Facebook that allow realistic, 3D student–teacher interaction in virtual worlds (Mehlitz, 2019, Hagenhofer, 2019).

The main aim of this Special Issue is to publish original research, case studies, and literature reviews that can offer different perspectives and represent models for future extended implementations. The focus is on:

• Adapting educational curricula in accordance with the market and with students’ attentiveness to increase their enthusiasm and interest in study;
• Stimulating interaction between class members (students, teachers) through simulations, gaming, and MOOCS as a response to cases when physical presence is not possible;
• Boosting innovation and driving changes: quality education and training systems to be able to adapt quickly to new realities, promote innovation, boost resilience through a reinforced social cohesion, anticipate future trends, and drive changes.

References

Bucea-Manea-Țoniş, Rocsana; Bucea-Manea-Țoniş, Radu; Simion, Violeta E.; Ilic, Dragan; Braicu, Cezar; Manea, Natalia. 2020. "Sustainability in Higher Education: The Relationship between Work-Life Balance and XR E-Learning Facilities" Sustainability 12, no. 14: 5872. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145872

Ferran Calabuig Moreno, María Huertas González-Serrano, Javier Fombona and Marta García-Tascón (2020) The irruption of technology in Physical Education: a general bibliometric analysis with a focus on virtual and augmented reality, Sustainability 2020, 12

Gejendhiran, S.; Anicia, S.A.; Vignesh, S.; Kalaimani, M. Disruptive Technologies—A promising key for Sustainable Future Education. Procedia Comput. Sci. 2020, 172, 843–847

Hagenhofer, T. Social Virtual Learning. 2020. Available online: http://www.social-augmented-learning.de/ (accessed on 15 February 2019).

Mehlitz, M.A. Development of a Medical Virtual Reality Laboratory and a VR-Aided Neuropsychological Testing System with a Pre-Clinical and Clinical Evaluation Study 2004. Available online: https://www.deutschedigitalebibliothek.de/binary/TDSPKXN6FO5UIVNVM2HCNFN3OO3UMY3H/full/1.pdf (accessed on 20 April 2019).

Schiffeler, N.; Abdelrazeq, A.; Stehling, V.; Isenhardt, I.; Richert, A. How AR-E Your Seminars?! Collaborative Learning with Augmented Reality in Engineering Education. In Proceedings of the 12th International Technology, Education and Development Conference, Valencia, Spain, 5–7 March 2018; pp. 8912–8920.

Soo, J.; Crystal, H.; Jihye, O.; Chang, S.J. Application of virtual & augmented reality for training anddevelopment. In Proceedings of the Academy of Human Resource Development International Research Conference, Marriott Richmond, VA, USA, 14–17 February 2018.

Yaoliang Zhang (2018) Application Research of VR Technology in College Sports Popularization and Teaching, Advances in Intelligent Systems Research, volume 163, 8th International Conference on Management, Education and Information (MEICI 2018)

Dr. Rocsana Bucea-Manea-Tonis
Prof. Dr. Silvia Violeta Teodorescu
Guest Editors

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• MOOCs
• VR
• AR
• gaming
• simulation
• distance education