e-Learning Systems in Virtual Environment

Abstract: E-learning is one of the emerging needs of the information age. Therefore a lot of potential is seen in distance learning development. Virtual environment interface to e-learning systems have recently appeared on the Internet. Using virtual reality environment, the applications appear to be promising to e-learning tasks more nature and interactive. Also using this technology, it is possible to get a sense of three dimensional environments and level of user immersion. Extensible 3D (X3D) is the most common tool for building 3D viewing and browsing of e-learning systems.  In this paper the benefits of virtual reality environment using X3D in e-learning applications are demonstrated. Those will be shown via implementing two web enabled virtual environment e-learning systems. The first one is an on-line virtual chemistry lab system. This application gives the student the ability to perform all experiments in a certain crucial. The second application is an on-line English language education system. This application gives the students the ability to learn the language audile and visual via on line interactive system.  X3D is used as the main implementation tool which gives the systems users the full visualization and interactivity of all learning steps.

Keywords: e-Learning, virtual reality, virtual lab and, distance learning, and X3D.

Received October 6, 2008; accepted May 17, 2009