This study aims to shed light on the use of remote robotic tools and computer simulations to improve students’ spatial skills through a shared task representation in teams. Although there is accumulating evidence that representation or models of the task can affect team functioning, much of this research has focused on cognition about patterns of behavior enacted by team members, which may lead to effective performance. For this reason, we examined the impact of shared representations on patterns of information delivered by two different technologies.
To conduct the study, we have designed, implemented and tested two Internet-based training systems. The first system provides students a remote control through a video-based Internet application. Using this system the students were able to manipulate an actual robot, which performs object rotation and movement tasks in a professional lab. The second system is a computer simulation system, where students could conduct the same tasks as the ones performed using the remote robotic system. Due to the lack of real interactions with peers and instructors with online training systems (Balamuralithara and Woods 2009), we have added a team component to minimize student online isolation and to increase the learning outcomes in a collaborative learning setting.
Our study revealed that, in both systems, experience with the Internet had a positive effect on perceived learning. However, the simulation system was more familiar to students who have previously used the Web for gaming purposes. In terms of all other measures, no significant differences were found between the two systems. When comparing the evaluation of the respondents who took part in the remote robotic system training with the respondents in the computer simulation training system, it was found that while at the beginning respondents felt that the remote robotic system would be more difficult to use in the training, at the end, more respondents reported that the remote robotic training was easier than the computer simulation training.
Over fifty-five percent of study participants reported that either the remote robotic tool or computer simulation system enabled them to learn based on interactions with others. Overall, our results indicate that Internet-based 3D applications, possessing community features, can provide a cost-effective training environment to improve spatial skills of students.
The main outcome of this research is the ability to design various interactive interfaces for remote robotic systems and test them on a wide range of users.
