This document discusses a study that augmented student avatars in a collaborative virtual environment (CVE) with nonverbal communication features to enhance collaborative learning. The study implemented novel virtual features like attire to represent user roles, gestures to support collaboration, and virtual metaphors. A collaborative learning scenario was conducted with 19 students in Second Life over 3 weeks. Results found that avatar features strengthened sense of presence and group identification. Gestures extended communication. Future work will integrate features into virtual agents to support e-learning.

1. Supporting collaborative learning
processes in CVEs by augmenting
student avatars, with nonverbal
communication features
Department of Informatics
Aristotle University of
Thessaloniki
Greece
Terzidou Theodouli - Tsiatsos Thrasyvoulos
Contact:
E-mail:
lterz@csd.auth.gr
tsiatsos@csd.auth.gr

2. Contents
 Main goal of research
 Introduction–Related work
 The online Collaborative Learning Scenario
 New virtual features
 Results
 Conclusions and Future Work
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3. Main Goal
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• Enrich avatar’s
support to nonverbal
communication
• Enhance and
Improve
collaborative
interactions
By which means
avatar appearance
and behavior may
affect students’
collaboration and
interactions in an
educational
Collaborative Virtual
Environment
(CVE)?

4. How?
 Novel virtual features
 “Non real” -virtual metaphors
 Enrichment of avatar’s representational
capability.
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By Implementing:
…in an online collaborative learning scenario

5. Why learning in virtual
environments?
 Increase the sense of shared presence
 Dissolve social boundaries
 Lower social anxiety
 Enhance motivation and engagement
 Accommodate the millennial generation’s
learning preferences.
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6. Avatar?
 Graphical representation of a real person in a
networked virtual environment, including its behavior
 Avatars can vary in realism and usually look
human, without this being a necessary requirement.
 Avatar could support user and workplace awareness
 Avatar lowers inhibitions and increases social
interactivity
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7. Collaborative learning scenario
 Duration: 3 weeks
 Virtual place: Second Life
 Sample: 19 Postgraduate students
 Framework: Second semester course
 Collaborative learning techniques:
o Jigsaw
o Fishbowl
 Evaluates the added value of Second Life avatars to
support collaborative learning activities
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8. 8
CL Techniques: Jigsaw [1/2]
 The Jigsaw technique is a cooperative learning method with
increasing positive educational outcomes
o Educational benefits of the jigsaw technique include
• listening encouragement
• Engagement
by giving each member of the group an essential part to play in the
academic activity
 Just as in a Jigsaw puzzle, each piece (i.e. each student) is essential
for the completion and full understanding of the final product of its
group
 Students
o Initially create Jigsaw groups for a subject
o Then, develop knowledge about a given special topic of the whole
subject forming Expert groups
o Afterwards, teach it to others (i.e., in the original Jigsaw groups)
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9. 9
CL Techniques: Jigsaw [2/2]
User
Requirements
Functional
Specs
Technical
Impl.
Evaluation
CoPCMSCVELVELMS
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10. 10
CL Techniques: Fishbowl [1/2]
 In the Fishbowl technique, students form two concentric circles
o the smaller inside group of students discussing and presenting a
topic
o the larger outside group listening, observing and commenting
 The goal of this technique is to familiarize students with the
structure and characteristics of an in-depth discussion. Students
are able to acquire the necessary skills in observing team
activities taking place in a dialectic environment
 The Fishbowl technique is effective in enhancing interactivity
within the (virtual) class.
 Students’ knowledge of the objects and themes they are debating
is augmented.
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11. 11
CL Techniques: Fishbowl [1/2]
smaller inside group
larger outside group
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12. Novel virtual features
A. Enrichment of Avatar’s Attire
B. Augmentation of Nonverbal Communication
C. Virtual metaphors
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13. Avatars’ attire for User Role
Representation [1/2]
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 Moderator Hats: to easily differentiate the user
assigned the role of moderator in the group
collaboration activities and discussions
 Jigsaw Shirts: different colored shirts were
designed, one for each Jigsaw group. Group members
were differentiated based on shirt color. Shirts had
indicators for Group name and number
 Expert Group Jackets: contain the expert group
indicator label

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Avatars’ attire for User Role
Representation [2/2]
Jigsaw
Group
Indicators
Expert
Group
Indicators
A student
assigned
with
moderator
role
belonging
to Jigsaw
Group 5
and Expert
Group 4
Moderator Hat
Moderator Hats

15. Augmentation of Nonverbal
Communication [1/2]
 “Nonverbal communication” is
commonly used to describe all human
communication events which transcend
the spoken or written word.
 Gestures and animations to support
collaborative activities.
 Basic set offered to students includes:
 Users can easily activate
gesture/animation through triggers from
the text chat window
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16. Augmentation of Nonverbal
Communication [2/2]
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17. Virtual metaphors [1/2]
 Student Voice Tool: enables visually the differentiation of the
speaking user. A set of sequential actions has to take place in order
the student assigned the “speaker role".
 Now Speaking Tool: is used in combination with the “Student
Voice” tool. The discussion coordinator after a predefined action
protocol (students have to use gestures), assigns the “speaker role”
by using the Head-Up Display (HUD) table.
 Query Visualization Tool: visualizes users wanting to ask a
question, by using a metaphor of question marks emerging from the
avatar’s head.
 Idea Visualization Tool: visualization of users having an idea
through exclamation marks emerging from the avatar’s head.
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Virtual metaphors [2/2]

19. 19
Student Voice Tool
 Need: difficulty in distinguishing a person
who speaks when in a crowd
 Function: a ring with the denotation
“Speaker” over his/her avatar’s head and
a microphone near the mouth.
 If a student wishes to speak then the
following sequence of actions takes
place:
o The student declares his/her request to
speak by raising his/her hand (use of
Raise hand gesture)
o The Discussion coordinator assigns the
“speaker role”.
o The speaking avatar obtains the Speaker
Label and a virtual microphone object.19 05.07.10

20. 20
Now Speaking
 Need: to help the teacher to coordinate the
online group meetings in SL.
 Function: The following sequence of actions
takes place:
o The user’s name is highlighted in yellow, on the
Head-Up Display (HUD) table that includes all
participating students (with their real and SL
names).
o In Local Chat, the phrase, “[AvatarName] wants
to speak” appears.
o When the coordinator determines that the
previous speaker has completed his/her
argument, he/she assigns the “speaker role” by
clicking on the student’s name.
o The speaker’s name is then highlighted in green.
o In Local Chat the phrase, “Now speaking
[AvatarName]” appears.20 05.07.10

21. 21
Query Visualisation Tool
 Need: to help the student to inform
the others that has an question
without interrupting the speaker.
 Function: When a user wishes to
visualize his/her request, s/he just
types three question marks in local
chat (i.e., “???”); from that moment
and for 60 seconds, discreet, yet
distinguishable, question marks will
emerge from the avatar’s head.
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22. 22
Idea Visualisation Tool
 Need: to help the student to inform
the others that has an idea without
interrupting the speaker.
 Function: When a student has an
idea, s/he can easily express it by
typing three exclamation marks in
Local Chat (i.e. “!!!”). Light bulbs and
the word “idea” emerge from the
avatar’s head for 60 seconds.
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23. Results
 92,86% declare that, the existence of avatars strengthened
their sense of presence in the virtual learning space within
SL.
 A progressive aid of sense “I exist”, “I am here” becomes
clearly perceptible from students dialog (chat logs) analysis
 The majority of participants used gestures (92,86%)
 The color of the avatars clothes helped users to distinguish
group members.
 Students declare that a realistic avatar appearance is not
important for their representation in a VLE (60%)
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24.  The enrichment of avatars appearance and behavior by using
NVC capabilities and virtual metaphors could support
collaborative e-learning scenarios.
 CSCL 3D environments seem to have special requirements for
avatar representation and gestures that could support the
learning and collaboration process.
 When gestures were used, they extended the participants ways
of communication and interaction within collaboration groups as
well as their perception of virtual living and learning.
Future work:
 Integration of the implemented features in virtual agents (bots)
in order to support collaborative e-learning scenarios
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Conclusions and Future Work

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The end …
Thank you ! Questions???
Contact:
E-mail:
lterz@csd.auth.gr
tsiatsos@csd.auth.gr
Web: http://users.auth.gr/~tsiatsos/
Department of Informatics
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki :
http://www.csd.auth.gr
Multimedia lab: http://mlab.csd.auth.gr/