This Paper was presented at GameTech 2012 along with Cynthia Calongne, D.CS of Colorado Technical University about Virtual Guides blending the need for information with feedback and progress checks as learners perform learning activities within virtual world simulations and serious games.

1. VIRTUAL GUIDES:
A Hybrid Approach
to Immersive Learning
David Fliesen Cynthia Calongne, D.CS
Sonalysts, Inc. Colorado Technical
University
Abstract
Virtual Guides blend the need for information with feedback and progress checks as learners
perform learning activities within virtual world simulations and serious games. They offer a
hybrid approach to immersive learning with alternatives for delivery and implementation. When
students have a mentor or sensei to guide them along the path of knowledge, they are able to
make decisions with increased confidence and the Virtual Guides provide it within the 3D virtual
learning environment. This use of Virtual Guides has been conducted in multiple virtual worlds
that use Second LifeTM, OpenSim, and Unity3D for serious game and simulation development.
Conclusions and recommendations for future work include assessing the benefits of Virtual
Guides for non-linear games and immersive learning applications.
About the Authors Cynthia Calongne is Chair of Emerging
Media and Professor of Computer Science at
David Fliesen is a virtual worlds & serious Colorado Technical University. Her
games designer with Sonalysts, Inc., where research features 100 conference
he has served as principal investigator for presentations that blend computer science,
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) emerging media, virtual worlds, education,
Phase I contracts for the U.S. Navy on interaction and game design, robotics, and
Virtual War Games and the Office of the innovation. Her team won the Federal
Secretary of Defense on Medical Gaming, as Virtual World Challenge's Grand Prize at
well as project leader for the Navy’s GameTech 2010 for the Mars Expedition
Massive Multiplayer Online War Game Strategy Challenge.
Leveraging the Internet (MMOWGLI)
feasibility study. His Sun Tzu automated Introduction
avatar demo was presented at MODSIM
World 2009 and he was a guest speaker on As Digital Natives ii(Prensky, 2001), today's
the topic of Virtual Intelligencei at MODSIM learners comprise the majority of students in
World Canada 2010. He has served as a classrooms around the world, and they are
futurist for the Department of Defense restless. Growing up with the Web, online
(DoD) and as a Master Training Specialist media, and gaming technology since birth,
for the Defense Information School they know instinctively how to use it. The
(DINFOS). Internet has always been there for them.

2. Even young children can pick up an Apple between theory, exploration, and activity-
iPad or a mobile phone and swipe or touch it based learning. There are several different
to navigate, often in ways that their parents models for Virtual Guides to support
have yet to master. different learning and interaction styles.
As the French novelist Marcel Proust
illuminated years before the dawn of the
Internet and prior to virtual worlds, "The
real voyage of discovery is not in seeking
new landscapes, but in having new eyesiii."
(Proust, 1993)
But just because many of these students
were born in the X or Y generation does not
mean that they are proficient with that
technology nor are they necessarily
independent learners, ready to set out on
journeys of their own. Familiarity with the
technology does not imply that every student
is a gamer or that she or he is proficient in
the use of virtual worlds. Fig. 1. Virtual Guide example from the Mars
Expedition's Learning Center
In training and course development, the
quest is to identify a learning and feedback An early example of the use of virtual
model that will provide asynchronous and guides in virtual worlds includes the Mars
synchronous support for technologically Expedition Strategy Challenge's Learning
sophisticated students given their disparate Center guide, who greets visitors and gives
preferences, aptitudes, and skill levels. them a guided tour. During the tour, he
walks around the center and shares the
Virtual Guides information via text chat. The guide wears a
NASA flight suit and a white cowboy hat
One of the challenges in online education is (see Fig. 1).
to shift the intimacy and quality of learning
experienced in the face-to-face classroom to Visitors hear a female guide's instructions as
an online learning environment through the they board the rocket to begin their journey.
use of voice, text, and visual communication Earlier versions of the Mars Challenge
tools that support the meeting of minds as included a prototype of HAL on board the
participants share ideas, demonstrate their Red Lion Deep Space Explorer to explore
understanding, and interact with the course the use of humor in these interactions.
content.
We All Learn Differently
Virtual Guides provide support as they offer
information, interaction, and feedback Students have different styles of learning
during the learning process. As a learning requiring different approaches to help them
guide, they serve as a source of information master the requisite knowledge, skills, and
and support learners with diverse needs that abilities (KSA) for learning and retention in
extend beyond auditory/text, visual/spatial, a multitude of disciplines (i.e. art, history,
and kinesthetic information to gain a balance math, science, etc.).

3. A point that immersive training shares in Student motivation varies depending upon
common with traditional classroom the level of 3D intuitive design, past
education is that people learn differently. experience/familiarity with the environment,
Information needs to be presented in and motivational incentives for learning.
increasing levels of detail and complexity
coupled with activities and opportunities for Serious games, on the other hand, tend to
interaction to promote comprehension and provide more of a structured path with
skill development. choices at key decision points along the
road. A student’s choices may decide
Some students prefer to LEARN the theory success or failure with decisions at one point
behind the lesson first to intellectually influencing other aspects of the game play at
understand what is being taught and why it another point. While this provides a
is significant knowledge for them to know. somewhat more guided approach, it may
feel a bit constrained for some students who
Others prefer to EXPLORE the training
wish to do things differently than the
interactively with guided walkthroughs that
multiple choices presented within the
teach the concepts and skills. This helps
serious game.
them to identify how to apply the knowledge
with skills that they have learned in the
In her book “Reality is Broken: why games
construction of new knowledge.
make us better and how they can change the
Others need to PRACTICE the lesson both world,"v Jane McGonigal shares the four
through applied learning activities, such as defining traits that all games share: (1) a
quizzes, and through simulations, to assess goal; (2) rules; (3) a feedback system; and
their abilities and comprehension. (4) voluntary participation. The goal is the
focus of the player’s attention and serves as
By blending theory, exploration, and skill a sense of purpose that orients their
development through applied learning, participation throughout the game.
students can more effectively learn and Meanwhile the rules place limitations on the
retain the course material. way that players can achieve that goal, often
causing players to have to think more
Learning through Virtual Worlds and creatively to find solutions. The feedback
Serious Games system provides a method for the player to
know how close they are to the goal. And
Virtual worlds provide an environment with voluntary participation requires the player
both benefits and challenges to the learning to take ownership of the goal, the rules, and
process. By students freely choosing their feedback while also establishing a common
own paths, they take more ownership for ground for multiplayer interactions and the
their end results. ability for the player to leave the game and
resume play at a later time.
But while they can lose themselves for hours
in such immersive spaces without noticing A Hybrid Approach
the passing of time, that may not be the most
effective use of their time. And as PBS Through combining aspects of virtual
pointed out in their episode of FRONTLINE worlds and serious games together, we
entitled “Digital Nation: life on the virtual discover a hybrid approach to immersive
frontier"iv, such immersive activity can learning with a Virtual Guide that helps
become quite addictive for some. students down the path of learning while

4. still allowing them freedom to make their The skill levels can be assessed using a
own choices within a virtual environment. baseline assessment series of questions
developed with Subject Matter Experts
This Virtual Guide serves as a sensei and (SMEs) on the training topic. This could be
can come in many forms and behaviors. provided to the students in simple web
First it may be a scripted, artificially forms at the start of their first game to
intelligent character that resembles a identify their game level, and then the
humanoid avatar or has a different somatic students would level up or down depending
representation (such as an animal, a water upon their performance within the game.
molecule, or a code fragment).
Virtual Guides could be used in many
SunTzu (shown in Fig. 2) is one example of forms: Non-Player Characters (NPCs),
a virtual guide developed by Sonalysts for Heads-Up Displays (HUDs), automated
U.S. Joint Forces Command in the virtual avatars, and prim-based 3D bots. Some
world Second LifeTM as part of the Open examples include: NPCs in commercial
Virtual Collaboration Environment games; Daden Limited’s Automated Avatars
(OpenVCE). in Second LifeTMvi; Sonalysts use of a
Medical Mentor in a HUD for the
MEDATAR serious medical game (shown
in Fig. 3); Staff Duty Office Moleno (A
Virtual Tour Guide for Virtual Worldsvii)
from the Institute for Creative Technologies
in Second LifeTM; and various Second
LifeTM 3D prim-based bot avatars, such as
the Shop Assistantsviii from XD Fusion and
Artificial Avatarsix from Etiq Praga.
!
!
Fig. 2. Artificially intelligent agent SunTzu
A Virtual Guide can also be driven by a
human-in-the-loop who responds to
inquiries and provides progress throughout Fig. 3. The MEDATAR serious medical
the game or simulation in response to the game proof-of-concept with medical mentor.
training requirements. Instead of directing The space time travel game Journeyman
the students, they serve more as a guide Project 3: Legacy of Timex (1999) provides
along the path and interact differently a strong example of this concept. This game
depending upon the student’s skill level has an interesting application of an Artificial
within the game. Intelligence (AI) agent name Arthur, who’s
embedded into the space suit’s HUD.

5. Arthur provides comical antics along with students feel like they have a real mentor
his knowledge to guide the player along a watching over them and helping them, while
journey of exploration within the historic allowing them to train when is most
narrative of the storyline, which is filled convenient for each of them. This also helps
with challenges to intrigue the player to find the school to better manage its training
solutions. Arthur also has a chattiness costs. Virtual Guides can be developed to
setting to customize his level of interaction understand and respond to the students'
and humor. After hours of play, Arthur cognitive and learning needs based on their
seems like a real life character and friend individual skill levels and to treat them
that journeys along the player’s side. differently depending on those things.
What if that could be brought to training? Game designer Jesse Schell talked about a
Students could learn while having fun and similar concept with The Future of Virtual
have someone there with them to virtually Charactersxi where characters like Mario
guide them along the path of knowledge. and Luigi from the Super Mario series of
video games by NintendoTM would
A Future with Virtual Guides that Know accompany people throughout their lives,
You and How You Learn know how they learn, and what they need.
Schell is a former Disney Imagineer,
Personalization of the learning experience is professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s
the key to bringing greater utility to its Entertainment Technology Center, author of
application. While online learners like the the book The Art of Game Design: A Book
flexibility of asynchronous training, which of Lensesxii, and designer of The Mummy
allows students to take training anytime and Online MMOG.xiii
anywhere, they may feel lost with traditional
online learning management systems and Future work is needed to characterize
prefer to interact with a live mentor. alternative feedback mechanisms for use in
non-linear serious game development and to
While synchronous training models the face- assess their benefits over current training
to-face classroom interaction, it requires and course delivery methods. The use of
having the students meet at the same time or Virtual Guides in non-linear, quest-based
providing instructors 24/7 to provide enough games offers great potential for enhancing
instructors for students that are online. activity-based learning, competency, and
There are tradeoffs and costs associated with skill development to reach an audience of
each of these methods. both the Digital Natives born in a digital
world and the Digital Immigrants, who have
Virtual Guides can provide a more dynamic
adapted to the digital world that has evolved
solution with a blended approach where
around them.
NOTES
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i
Virtual Intelligence, MODSIM World Canada 2010: http://prezi.com/bcjqn-zkxvxh/virtual-
intelligence
ii
!Prensky,
M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. From On the Horizon. MCB
university Press, 9:5, October 2001. Retrieved December 29, 2011, from

6. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/prensky%20-
%20digital%20natives,%20digital%20immigrants%20-%20part1.pdf!
iii
!Proust, M. (1993). In Search of Lost Time, Vol. V: The Captive. The Fugitive. Modern Library,
Random House: New York.!
iv
Frontline: life on the virtual frontier: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation
v
McGonigal, Jane (2011). Reality is Broken: Why games make use better and how they can
change the world: http://realityisbroken.org
vi
Daden Limited’s Automated Avatars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en-
GB&v=9hte2MJ54CA
vii
Jan, Dusan; Roque, Antonio; Leuski, Anton; Morie, Jacki; and Traum, David (2009). A
Virtual Tour Guide for Virtual Worlds. Institute for Creative Technologies, Marina del Ray,
CA.: http://people.ict.usc.edu/~traum/Papers/SDO.pdf
viii
Shop Assistants from XD Fusion: http://xdfusion.wordpress.com
ix
Artificial Avatars: http://www.youtube.com/EtiqPraga
x
Journeyman Project 3: Legacy of Time (2009):
http://presto.tommyyune.com/presto/journeyman3/mainindex.html
xi
The Future of Virtual Characters: http://vimeo.com/18407613
xii
Schell, Jesse (2008). The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses. http://artofgamedesign.com
xiii
The Mummy Online MMOG: http://themummy.bigpoint.com