Tansel Tepe

This study aimed to analyse the usefulness of educational computer games in teachers’ professional development. The study used the game Atlantis Remixed, which is intended to be a technologically rich and individualized learning environment. The study used formative research to demonstrate what works and what does not work for the use of educational computer games in teachers’ professional development, and improvements to be made for this purpose in learning environments in Turkey, where schools are equipped with technologically rich learning and teaching environments as part of the FATIH (the Movement to Increase Opportunities and Technology) project. The study included ten participants. Of these, five were teachers who participated in the implementation, and five were instructional technology experts. The study found both positive and negative results with respect to the use of Atlantis Remixed for teachers’ professional development and articulates the participants’ opinions and suggestions.

This study aims to determine pre-service elementary teachers' views with regard to evaluating the effectiveness of WebQuest and Wiki activities prepared for general chemistry courses. It also aims to detect the effects of these activities on pre-service elementary teachers' levels of motivation to learn chemistry. For this aim, we used a mixed method research design. Data were gathered using focus group interviews and the 'Chemistry Motivation Questionnaire'. The sample of the study consisted of 111 pre-service elementary teachers from two different universities. The frequency of the pre-service teachers' logging into WebQuest and Wiki activities of the Moodle Learning Management Systems were monitored. The qualitative result of the study shows that both systems made cognitive contributions to pre-service teachers and attracted their interest at the sensory level. As for the quantitative analysis, the results of our study indicate that pre-service teachers had positive views toward using WebQuest or Wiki activities in courses, whereas their motivation to learn chemistry did not increase. A positive, significant relationship but at a low level was observed between pre-service teachers' motivation to learn chemistry and the frequency of logging into Wiki activities.

Bu çalışmada sanal gerçeklik ortamları hakkında bilgi verilmiş, sanal gerçeklik türlerinden bahsedilmiş ve akıllı cihazlarda kullanılan yeni nesil etkileşimli sanal gerçeklik uygulamaları örnekleri ile sunulmuştur. Ayrıca sanal gerçeklik uygulamalarının üstün yönleri ve sınırlılıkları eğitim bağlamında tartışılmış, yeni nesil materyal tasarlamak isteyen araştırmacılar için örnek tasarımlar paylaşılmıştır. Son olarak ise sanal gerçeklik uygulamalarının eğitimdeki kullanım alanları ve eğitimdeki potansiyeli değerlendirilmiştir.Her geçen gün çeşitlenen sanal gerçeklik uygulamaları eğlence, turizm, e-ticaret, tıp, savunma, yapılaşma, üretim ve eğitim alanlarında kendini göstermektedir. Sanal gerçeklik uygulamaları ile öğrenciler eğitim gezileri yapabilmektedir. Böylece sanal olarak gittikleri yerlerde bulunma hissini yaşamakta ve o ortamda yer alan objelerin seslerini duyabilmektedir. Bu tür uygulamalar askeri eğitimde savunma ve saldırı stratejilerinde simülasyonlar desteği ile kullanılmaktadır. Tıp eğitiminde öğrenciler sanal kadavralar veya canlı insan bedeni üzerinde çalışabilmekte ve gerçekçi durumları yaşayabilmektedir. Sanal gerçeklik laboratuvarlarında öğrenciler gerçekleştirilmesi tehlikeli ve maliyetli deneyleri defalarca yapabilme şansı bulabilmektedir. Çevrimiçi çok kullanıcılı sanal gerçeklik uygulamaları yardımı ile her bir kullanıcı farklı sanal gerçeklik cihazları kullanarak aynı sanal ortamlarda birbirlerini görebilmekte, iletişim ve etkileşime geçebilmektedir. Bu tür uygulamalar etkin işbirlikli çalışma faaliyetlerinin yerine getirilmesini sağlamaktadır.

In this study information about virtual reality environments was given, types of virtual reality were mentioned and new generation interactive virtual reality applications used in smart devices were presented with their examples. Also, advantages and disadvantages of virtual reality applications were discussed in educational contexts and sample designs were shared for researchers, who wants to design new generation materials. Finally, usage area and potential of virtual reality applications in education were evaluated. Virtual reality is an interactive or non-interactive simulation application designed to create a sense of presence in a virtual world created by computer with the help of some wearable technologies and imaging equipment. Human-machine interaction in virtual reality is increased to mislead human emotions. Three important feature of virtual reality are expressed by Pimental and Teixeira (1995) as " three-dimensional graphical world " , " being immersed " and " interaction ". Sherman and Craig (2003) add " emotional return " to these features. Pimental and Teixeira (1995) defined main virtual reality environment as model, computer programs, computer, image builder, position sensors, and interactive tools. The high cost of virtual reality devices, the limited access facilities, requiring expertise in the adaptation into the education sector and long-term use leading to health problems are disadvantages of virtual reality applications. Although virtual reality applications were seen as an expensive technology, virtual reality experience was wanted and desired by everyone recently. Increased interest to virtual reality attracted attention of mobile technology companies and this caused the development of numerous new mobile equipment and applications including components of virtual reality. Especially, by decreasing cost of virtual reality glasses, virtual reality applications for mobile operating systems became reachable and usable. Many free downloadable virtual reality applications in Play Store or App Store became easily reachable for users having smart devices on the behalf of cheap Cardboard glasses developed by Google Company. Another new technology in virtual reality is virtual reality videos formed by jump camera setting. This technology offers the opportunity to watch 360 degree videos to users. Jump camera setting consists of 16 camera modules placed in a circular pattern. Length of this setting and positions of these cameras were optimized to work with Jump compiler program. Jump compiler program converts video images consisting of 16 pieces to stereoscopic virtual reality videos. Thanks to its high-resolution stereoscopic vision technology nearby objects are perceived as nearby, while distant objects are perceived as far. In these devices, in order to obtain a seamless and a panoramic image, 3D alignment method specially developed and integrated into the system is used. Thus, camera images coming from every camera separately and their combined places are not noticed. Designed 3D videos are equivalent to super high resolution images at least five 4K image. This technology is expected to reveal a new trend in cinema and gaming industry. Other new technology “Google Spotlight Stories” interactive videos were designed by Google for smart phones. In these applications when sensors for videos located in certain regions were stimulated, video passes to the other stage through the sensors on smartphones. Each scene is part of the whole videos scenes and so continuity is provided in the video. Users can feel themselves in an interactive virtual reality scenario when they use it with Cardboard glasses. Today, this application is supported by only some Android devices but support for numerous mobile devices was expressed recently by the manufacturer.Every day diversifying virtual reality applications show themselves in areas of entertainment, tourism, ecommerce, medicine, defense, construction, manufacturing, and education. Students can conduct educational trips with virtual reality applications. Thus, they live sense of being there and they virtually go to and can hear voices of objects there. These kinds of applications have been used in military education as defense and attack with support of simulation. In medical education, students can study on virtual cadavers or living human body and live realistic situations. Students will be able to have a chance to perform dangerous and costly experiments repeatedly in virtual realistic labs. Every user can see each other in same virtual environments, communicate and interact by using different virtual reality devices with the help online multiuser virtual reality applications. These kind of applications provide the fulfillment of effective collaborative work activities.