12 Making Learning Fun for Children: FrameVR’s Immersive Learning Platform and AI
Lisa Soper
Abstract
In primary education, a constructivist classroom is where learners’ voices are honoured. Children’s passion for learning emerges through play, games, and technology. An AI tool that educators can use to teach children in a fun and inspiring way is FrameVR. This is a user-friendly tool that allows teachers and students to co-create learning experiences. FrameVR’s no-coding platform, live contact support, and AI-enhanced features make creating and downloading VR content easy, providing an engaging way for children to learn. Teachers become empowered by using FrameVR to guide their learners’ journeys.
Introduction
The instructional design challenge is to acknowledge the needs of the learners and to make the classroom experience more engaging and fun for children while implementing immersive learning opportunities using FrameVR. In primary education, “when you prioritize the learner, their needs and abilities impact the design of the instruction in many ways” (Larson & Lockee, 2014). The usage of technology and immersive learning in the classroom is a way of harnessing children’s attention while promoting curiosity and deepening learning. Therefore, “using I-VR in education engages and motivates participants, enhances the learning experience, and improves participants’ achievement” (Kurniawan, 2019 as cited in Laine & Hakkarainen, 2023). Integrating immersive technologies such as FrameVR into instructional design presents a unique opportunity to enhance the classroom experience by making it both engaging and fun while still meeting curriculum outcomes.
To enrich the instructional design, FrameVR integrates gamification and situated learning as elements for “[g]ame-based learning (GBL) is a type of learning approach that combines educational contents with games for users to learn and aims to trigger learners’ motivation and intention in constant learning for enhanced learning effectiveness” (Chiang, 2021). Also, “[s]ituated learning contributes to bringing about the relationship between classroom situations and real-life situations outside the classroom” (Chiang, 2021). Furthermore, FrameVR has added an AI language learning model that also includes a built-in image generation feature. This AI language prompter further provides a solution to instructional design challenges by making content creation faster and more accessible for educators. The need for advanced technical skills or complex design processes is eliminated, allowing teachers to focus on the pedagogical content rather than the logistics of creating materials. There is no steep learning curve typically associated with VR design, (there is no coding or difficult process) making it highly relevant to modern educational practices.
Figure 1
Teach Connection to Nature With FrameVR
Note. Lisa Soper (2024) generated this image using the OpenArt AI platform. I dedicate any rights I hold to this image to the public domain via CC0.
Learning Objectives
- Learn how to use FrameVR as an instructional designer or teacher to present a unit or topic in a meaningful and engaging way
- Explore the usage of AI and the chatbot Luna that makes the experience more engaging and user-friendly
- Explore the research that supports immersive learning and AI in education
Case Study
Although FrameVR was initially created as a virtual meeting space for business and organization members, it can also be used as an excellent tool in education and instructional design. Many teachers feel passionate about using technology as a teaching tool in the classroom and enjoy finding new ways to engage their learners. Furthermore, teachers may be role models to their learners in showing ways in which technology can positively enhance human capabilities. Therefore, “adopting a growth-oriented mindset is imperative” (Belkin, 2023 as cited in Korchinski & MacDowell, 2023) for teachers to stay current with modern educational practices. Moreover, “[t]eaching appropriate and constructive use of AI tools can infuse new energy into student learning and teacher practice, transforming the classroom into a place characterized by engaged and motivated learners” (Belkin, 2023 as cited in Korchinski & MacDowell, 2023).
To begin exploring FrameVR, go to https://learn.framevr.io/ and click Get Started.
Figure 2
Getting Started
Note. This image is a screenshot taken from the FrameVR platform and permission has been given by FrameVR to use it.
After a few simple clicks, you will be well on your way to creating your own metaverse in FrameVR. The example in Figure 3 is Serenity Garden.
Figure 3
Serenity Garden
Note. This image is a screenshot taken from the FrameVR platform and permission has been given by FrameVR to use it.
Once the user is in a frame, they may click the AI symbol (stars) in the lower black bar and begin prompting the program to create assets in the frame. The AI in FrameVR is a large language model that allows users to easily prompt creations. When clicking the Edit Mode which is the pencil icon in the lower black bar, the user can customize the design. Once becoming more confident in navigating the platform and maneuvering around the frame, the designer can then explore more tools and embellish the learning space. Upon clicking the upper right-hand icon, the user can also view inventory within the program and add PDF files, PowerPoints, Polls, Streaming Videos and more! There is also the ability to remove the avatar in the scene and have a navigator’s view. The teacher or instructional designer may use a VR headset, a hand-held device, a tablet, or a laptop to create a welcoming virtual space for learning.
Vignette 1
In an inner-city school, an educator is motivated to find new ways to connect children with nature, despite their urban surroundings. The group of young learners in primary school had minimal to no experience of walking through a forest or garden. The teacher, who recently learned about immersive learning through FrameVR at a professional development conference, decided to dabble in this tool to create virtual nature spaces for her learners. The idea of a virtual garden offered children a chance to explore plants, trees, and animals they had only seen in books or on screens. With the aid of classroom devices, immersive learning could help children develop a deeper appreciation for the natural world, especially those living in areas where access to green spaces is limited.
Figure 4
Teach an Appreciation of Nature With FrameVR
Note. Lisa Soper (2024) generated this image using the OpenArt AI platform. I dedicate any rights I hold to this image to the public domain via CC0.
The teacher takes the first step in beginning to design a virtual space for the primary learners. She first prompts the AI tool, Luna, to make a welcome sign, a meeting space, an image of a planet, and a potted plant.
Figure 5
The Teacher Begins to Create a Design
Note. This image is a screenshot taken from the FrameVR platform and permission from FrameVR has been given to use it.
As the teacher becomes more familiar with using FrameVR, she then continues to design an information board to guide the learners to move toward the video for a children’s story about protecting the planet. She also prompts Luna to create a whiteboard for children to reflect on and draw or write something they do to help the planet. Other spaces in the virtual world include a vegetable garden with watering cans as an invitation to learners to care for the planet. There is a blueberry bush with a poll, a recycling and composting poll, 3D forests animals, information about Snowcap mountains, a bug hotel, ladybugs, and a sign asking learners to start a bug hotel at their school. Finally, at the pond, there is another streamed video about a pond’s ecosystem and a document to review and provoke discussion among the learners.
Figure 6
The Teacher Designs a Captivating Space for Learning
Note. This image is a screenshot taken from the FrameVR platform and permission has been given by FrameVR to use it.
Figure 7
The Bug Hotel
Note. This image is a screenshot taken from the FrameVR platform and permission has been given by FrameVR to use it.
When creating this design, the teacher thinks about looking to the future. Due to increasing environmental challenges like wildfires, floods, and other climate crises, the possibility of children losing natural spaces to explore could happen in their lifetime. With the usage of FrameVR and virtual reality, the teacher sees a means to bridge this gap. By creating virtual environments in which learners can interact with nature, children may cultivate an understanding of sustainability and environmental care, even from the confines of a classroom. The project may expand into teaching students about United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and be used to lay a foundation “to empower and motivate students to get involved with local efforts for achieving a more equitable and sustainable world…” (Lamoureux et al., 2023). Through a virtual experience, the children can connect to the land in a meaningful way.
Vignette 2
In Ms. Cubic’s grade three class, the students were about to begin a new unit on geometry. Although the classroom teacher had a few physical models of 3D shapes, there were not enough math manipulatives for every student to handle and explore during lessons. Ms. Cubic wanted to find a way to make sure every child could interact with the shapes and fully grasp the concepts and attributes of cubes, rectangular prisms, triangular prisms, spheres, pyramids, cones, and more.
Figure 8
Teaching Geometry Using FrameVR
Note. Lisa Soper (2024) generated this image using the DeepAI platform. I dedicate any rights I hold to this image to the public domain via CC0.
That’s when she decided to use FrameVR and its AI prompting and creating tool, Luna! With the class gathered around the overhead projector, Ms. Cubic introduced the learners to a virtual environment filled with floating 3D objects. On the screen, they could see a metaverse designed entirely for learning geometry. There was a beginning point for the children to view a virtual board of 3D floating images and relevant vocabulary.
Figure 9
Geometry Lesson Using Horizon in FrameVR
Note. This image is a screenshot taken from the FrameVR platform and permission has been given by FrameVR to use it.
Figure 10
Ms. Cubic Creates a Streaming Video and Whiteboard
Note. This image is a screenshot taken from the FrameVR platform and permission has been given by FrameVR to use it.
Next, Ms. Cubic offered the students a close-up view of each geometric shape. She guided the children through the interactive space, pointing out the attributes of each object, and allowing the class to collaborate on naming and describing the shapes. The virtual classroom wasn’t just a space for observation. It included video screens and whiteboards where Ms. Cubic could highlight attributes of the shapes, such as the number of faces, edges, and vertices. The children were able to understand how these objects fit into the real world through this immersive experience. The learners discussed their observations and what they already knew about 3D shapes, shared ideas and learned from one another.
Figure 11
Ms. Cubic Creates More Virtual Images
Note. This image is a screenshot taken from the FrameVR platform and permission has been given by FrameVR to use it.
Later, students were given iPads to explore the virtual environment themselves, manipulating the objects, and comparing them. This play-based, exploratory learning opportunity aligned perfectly with a play-based framework, encouraging interaction, collaboration, and constructivism. While the children became immersed in the math lesson, Ms. Cubic walked around the classroom and documented their thoughts, noting how their initial observations had evolved through the session. She integrated their interests into future lessons, and planned an outdoor nature-based geometry walk. The virtual geometry lesson ultimately gave all the students an equal opportunity to explore, collaborate, and learn.
Conclusion
For instructional designers and primary educators, implementing immersive learning technologies with AI-enhanced processes opens new possibilities for creating rich, interactive experiences without the steep learning curve typically associated with VR design, (there’s no coding or difficult process) making it highly relevant to modern educational practices. It is also not necessary to use headsets to engage in this application. By harnessing AI, FrameVR allows educators to quickly develop environments that not only captivate students but also enhance learning outcomes through dynamic and visually engaging content. The ARCS model can be used to evaluate childrens’ motivation and learning when exploring immersive technology. Using FrameVR certainly aligns with ARCS attributes, promoting attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction among learners (Chin-Feng et al., 2022).
Responsible use of AI
When using FrameVR as an instructional designer, it is important to ensure this tool is aligned with learning outcomes. Although it can be enticing to use a VR format that will amuse the children, it is important to realize the theories of learning that are occurring. By using the AI language model in FrameVR, objects can easily be created. However, more time and research should be spent on other learning tools, such as the display of polls, videos, websites, etc. as these will also enhance learning. When considering using this tool for school-age children, it is important to not apply a bias of ageism, believing that some learners are too young to explore the technology. When children are given time and opportunity to learn a new tool of technology, it does not take long for a ripple effect to occur whereby the children soon begin to teach each other.
Future Research and Innovation
There is certainly potential for using FrameVR in education as AI will allow teachers to personalize learning, gamify curriculum, explore virtual scientific labs, and design lessons using digital art. Furthermore, students can study digital citizenship, ethical considerations, and extend social interactions with other classrooms around the world. One can explore FrameVR by going to their website and easily connecting to the learning community.
Note. This video was made by Lisa Soper (2024) using the Lumen5 platform.
The images found on slides 1, 8, and 11 of this video are screenshots taken from the FrameVR platform and permission has been given to use them in this chapter.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the peer reviewers whose critical feedback improved the chapter. Consensus AI and Google Scholar were used to aid in research. Chatopen.ai was used to aid in expanding on ideas and refining some writing through feedback.
Open Researcher and Contributor id (orchid)
Lisa Soper Orcid ID
Lisa Soper is working towards completing a Master of Education specializing in Educational Technology and Design. Her research interest centres on Immersive Learning in the classroom and exploring AI tools that enhance children’s learning experiences. She has worked as a primary educator for over 15 years.
References
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Chin-Feng, S. Y. H. (2022). Study of Virtual Reality Immersive Technology Enhanced Mathematics Geometry Learning. Frontiers in psychology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35250708/
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Lamoureux, N., Moskalyk, K., & MacDowell, P. (2023). Truth with hope: Teaching the sdgs through immersive learning. Practitioner Proceedings of the 9th International Conference of the ImmersiveLearning Research Network (iLRN2023). https://doi.org/10.56198/itig22oen
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