Development and evaluation of two 3D-simulated practice learning environments

This paper discusses the evaluation of two 3D simulated practice learning environments, Tiny Oaks and Play2Do, focused on supporting people working with children, families, and vulnerable people in special educational settings. Pre-test/post-test evaluation methodology was employed consisting of a questionnaire with 16 questions covering knowledge and understanding, professional practice, and transferable skills. Tiny Oaks had 530 participants pre-test and 423 post-test from six European countries, and results show a significant increase in learning across all questions. Play2Do had 318 participants pre-test and 301 participants post-test from the UK and Bulgaria, and again results show a significant increase in learning across all questions. The system usability scale (SUS) questionnaire was also used to measure the usability of the two environments, and usability was found to be excellent. Findings suggest that 3D simulated practice environments can provide a valuable learning experience and can provide practice learning scenarios that may be difficult to encounter in real-life.