Design And Implementation Of Desktop 3D Virtual Learning Environment

Astronomy is an essential and relatively abstract part of science curriculum at junior high school. Currently, its courseware is mainly in the form of text, still image and simple animation simulation, which does not bring into a certain context. Learners'lack of interact with the teaching content has resulted in students'lost of interest in learning and the teaching effectiveness is not satisfactory.To address the above problems, with the technology of virtual reality and network, this study takes Astronomy unit as the starting point, aims at creating an authentic learning environment in which some abstract astronomical principles and motion processes can be vividly demonstrated to help students grasp the essence of the astronomical phenomenon and promote their self-construction of knowledge.First, the author has read massive relevant materials at home and abroad, on analyses of other system architecture schemes of desktop virtual reality system, the system architecture of the combination between modeling in 3DS Max and interactive setting in Virtools is developed. Second, it researches the guiding sense of related learning theories to system architecture and proposes the design method based on the "metaphorical projection" including the design of the learning plane, the design of the structural plane, the design of the navigation plane and the design of the interaction plane. Third, on determines the functions of the virtual learning environment, the author has made a deep research on the techniques of three-dimensional (3D) modeling construction, the techniques of texture mapping to construct the virtual scene, the techniques of navigation and interactive design to realize the roaming of virtual environment and the interactive operation with the virtual celestial. According to the above researches, the author has designed and realized the "Solar System and Interstellar Navigation" virtual learning system. Meantime, the usage effect has been preliminarily investigated. The results of investigation show that real-space learning environment has stimulated the learners'interest in learning, guided discovery learning strategies have guided students to explore and provided discovery learning trajectory of thinking. It has developed students'higher-level thinking skills so that students can master the incomprehensible knowledge of astronomy more thoroughly and more firmly.Next, we will enrich the source knowledge, improve the interactive features and design a real-time chat room, so as to make the relevant functions of the virtual learning environment more and more perfect.