In this study we examined how physical features of a natural setting influenced perceived coherence and three positive outcome variables: preference, pleasure, and (self-reported) restoration. Furthermore, we examined the mediating role of perceived coherence. One hundred thirty-one students evaluated three (virtual) natural environments: an environment with metal furniture, an environment with wooden furniture, and an environment without furniture. Results showed that metal furniture negatively influenced perceived coherence as well as preference, pleasure and restoration, compared to wooden furniture and no furniture. Perceived coherence of the environment with wooden furniture was significantly higher than the environment with metal furniture, but significantly lower than the environment without furniture. We did not find support that preference for, and experienced pleasure and restoration in the environment with wooden furniture differed from the environment without furniture. Perceived coherence mediated the effect of (metal) furniture on preference, pleasure, and restoration. Scientific and practical implications are discussed.
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Virtual Reality: een technologie die de laatste jaren flink in opkomst is. Hoewel bijna iedereen wel een keer een VR bril heeft opgehad, blijft de vraag hoe deze technologie van waarde kan zijn in het onderwijs. Welke meerwaarde kan de inzet van VR bieden? Waar moet je rekening mee houden? En hoe zou je ermee aan de slag kunnen? Antwoord op onder andere deze vragen vind je in deze publicatie van het Lectoraat Teaching Learning & Technology| Hogeschool Inholland, zodat je in 7 minuten weer bent 'bijgepraat' over de inzet van VR technologie in het onderwijs.
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To model individuals' experience of urban spaces, this study integrates knowledge from environmental psychology and artificial intelligence to propose a framework for individuals' perceptions and emotion by incorporating individual characteristics and cognitive appraisal together with environment attributes as determinants. A path model is employed to capture how the four perceptions of environmental qualities (safety, liveliness, comfort, and legibility) and three dimensions of emotion (pleasure, arousal, dominance) are influenced by individual characteristics and cognitive appraisal using data collected in an online virtual reality experiment with 237 participants. Results show that emotional pleasure is more directly influenced by environmental attributes while arousal and dominance are closely related to a person's current mood and personality. Perceptions of environmental qualities do have mediating effects in emotion generation, but contribute differently to the three dimensions of emotion. Cognitive appraisal variables directly influence emotion generation, with ideal values always having positive effects and expected values always negative effects. The findings can help capture the dynamic process of emotional experiences between diverse individuals and may support experience-centered simulation and prediction.
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This paper describes a project to explore the possibilities of virtual worlds in educating Green IT. In the project a virtual world has been created with various assignments which are meant to create awareness on sustainability aspects of IT. The world (and the assignments) will be incorporated in a course for first-year IT students. In order to measure the effects of the course, a questionnaire has been developed which can be used before and after the course to measure the attitude towards green IT.
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This qualitative research note reports two neglected themes in research on virtual reality tourism experiences, i.e. its potentially addictive nature and temporary sense of isolation. Existing work on virtual reality tourism experiences has applied existing knowledge and theories and has solely tested how VR applications can positively mediate or moderate the tourist experience. This study adopted an inductive approach, analyzing contents of reviews and blogs, and consequently uncovered a temporary sense of isolation and the addictive nature of virtual reality as hidden themes within virtual reality tourism experiences. We stress the importance of further work on addiction and a sense of isolation in terms of their nature, role, and effects
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Within NHL Stenden University of Applied Science, a choice for a new virtual learning environment was made in mid-2021, primarily on policy and management grounds. Early in the migration process, it became clear that this approach could perturb the further rollout of the Design-Based Education (DBE, https://edu.nl/mwp8j) educational concept. Four templates were developed to intertwine technological and educational processes that structure different ways of "blended" learning and teaching within DBE. Initial user experiences show that the templates’ structures help teachers reconsider online learning activities to shape and facilitate blended DBE learning processes.
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Virtual reality offers a both realistic and controlled research environment. That is why VR is the future for carrying out valid and reliable research in the social sciences.
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This paper provides a comparative study between problems causedby cybersickness with users in virtual environments, and the studies on theinfluence of the optical aspects of the image via its levels of contrasts in thequality of the user experience in virtual environments. This article was organized in two parts, the first consists of surveying the results obtained in eachresearch and the second has the objective of crossing these data and verifyingthe level of relationship between research on cybersickness and studies on theinfluence of optical aspects quality of the user experience. The results indicaterelevant connection with the results of studies on cybersickness. With that, weconclude that in future research researchers can produce much more relevantresults in the solution of persistent problems from the negative experience withvirtual devices
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Seven college lecturers and two senior support staff were interviewed during 2021 about their experiences teaching in hybrid virtual classrooms (HVC). These technology-rich learning environments allow teachers to simultaneously teach students who are in class (on campus) and students who are joining remotely (online). There were two reasons for this choice: first, ongoing experimentation from innovative teaching staff who were already using this format before the COVID-19 pandemic; secondly, as a possible solution to restrictions on classroom size imposed by the pandemic. Challenges lecturers faced include adjusting teaching practice and lesson delivery to serve students in the class and those online equally; engaging and linking the different student groups in structured and natural interactions; overcoming technical challenges regarding audio and visual equipment; suitably configuring teaching spaces and having sufficient pedagogical and technical support to manage this complex process. A set of practical suggestions is provided. Lecturers should make reasoned choices when teaching in this format since it requires continued experimentation and practice to enhance the teaching and learning opportunities. When external factors such as classroom size restrictions are the driving force, the specific type of synchronous learning activities should be carefully considered. The structure and approach to lessons needs to be rethought to optimise the affordances of the hybrid virtual and connected classroom. The complexity of using these formats, and the additional time needed to do it properly, should not be underestimated. These findings are consistent with previous literature on this subject. An ongoing dialogue with faculty, support staff and especially students should be an integral part of any further implementation in this format.
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Designers are increasingly collaborating with various stakeholders to address complex societal challenges. These challenges often require a codesign approach, where differ-ent actors with diverse perspectives and experiences unite to explore innovative ave-nues for change. Such collaboration requires empathy between the actors to under-stand each other’s perspective better in their interactions. This paper aims to assist so-cial designers in orchestrating such empathic codesign processes by introducing an Em-pathic Journey framework. This conceptual and practical framework is based on em-pathic design theory and three design cases which used Virtual Reality for perspective exchange between actors. The framework addresses the importance of integrating an emotional spark through immersion and the necessity of embedding immersive experiences in a larger journey.
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