Flexible multimedia lecture supporting system based on extended virtual reality space

Distance learning system is very effective and useful to realize joint lecture environment in which teacher and students located remotely can join to the same lecture and exchange their ideas and opinions to each other However, the current systems do not necessarily provide sufficient educational effects because: (1) only simple lectures using bi-directional TV conference are provided, (2) students' awareness for sharing lecture space and coexisting together is weak, (3) psychological influence of individual background or perceptions for educational environment is not considered. In order to resolve these problems, Flexible Multimedia Lecturing Support System (FMLS) which is a more user-oriented flexible education support system is introduced. Our system provides more realistic common educational space where the students and teachers can share and interrupt together using Extended Virtual Reality Space technology (EVRS). Our system can also consider the individual perception or preference to organize the education space suitable for each student using perceptional information processing and agent technology. The system architecture and its implementation are precisely described. We prototyped our FMLS by which the lecture and practice of humans' organ system for nursing students are examined. Through the evaluation of the prototyped system, the usefulness of our suggested FMLS could be verified.