Articles by author: Brock University

• Brock prof to enhance online learning with 3D classroom

  Friday, July 19, 2019 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 18 July 2019 – R00115

  Martin Danahay has led many classroom discussions in his career, but nothing quite like this.

  The Brock University English professor is eager for the arrival of the Winter Term, when he will take his Life Writing course into a recently-completed online 3D space.

  Students wearing special virtual reality gear will gather in an experimental 3D classroom to discuss memoires, diaries and biographies, and interact with one another as their custom avatars.

  Through Brock’s Chancellor’s Chairs for Teaching Excellence awards, Danahay was provided annual funding of $5,000 over three years for the project. The awards program supports initiatives that make a broad contribution to advance teaching, learning and educational technology at the University.

  The funds allowed for the creation of the online seminar room, crafted from scratch by XpertVR, a company founded by current Brock students Evan Sitler and Drew MacNeil. Six virtual reality headsets will also be purchased in order for students in the course to experiment with the online space.

  “We’ve essentially been able to create a server that allows students to come together within this classroom from anywhere in the world,” said XpertVR lead programmer and fourth-year Brock GAME student Josh Egamino.

  The classroom has been loaded into VRChat, a platform where people can interact in various 3D worlds.

  “You can shake hands, wave at each other, move around the room and even write on the whiteboard,” Sitler, a fifth-year Business student, said of the new online Brock space. Moving forward, other objects can be added to the room to help users take on different tasks, such as conducting a science experiment, he said.

  While some students will use headsets to participate in the immersive experience, the room will also be accessible to those without the specialized equipment. With a computer and a microphone, anyone granted access can see and participate in the online discussion.

  “You can see the classroom through the computer screen, you’re just not as fully immersed as you would be with the headset on,” Egamino said.

  The cost of VR technology has dropped significantly and within a few years is expected to be affordable for the average consumer, Sitler said, making its widescale use in an educational setting a real possibility.

  Danahay and the XpertVR team have been working together for about 18 months to bring the project to fruition and prepare the classroom for testing.

  XpertVR will use photos submitted by students signed up for the course to create their custom avatars for the initiative.

  At the end of the semester, Danahay will conduct qualitative interviews to see what, if anything, the 3D classroom added to the educational experience.

  “I’d like to know, is it worth it? Or is it more of a novelty?” he said.

  While platforms do exist where people can come together to interact, Sitler said he’s not aware of any rooms where post-secondary classes are gathering.

  “This is pretty unique,” Danahay added. “With this kind of project, we’re getting closer and closer to having real-time online interaction and engagement for distance education.”

  He is hopeful this project will inspire other faculty members across the University to make use of the virtual reality resources available through XpertVR.

  “What I’ve asked for is pretty minimal in terms of what these guys can do,” he said, “but there are a lot of classes, particularly in the sciences, where this can really have an interesting impact.”

  Sitler is confident the 3D classroom model can make waves in various disciplines, particularly in History and Geography.

  “Right now, we’re working with a basic classroom, but in the future, we can have the walls fall down so students are standing in Paris, or in Rome during the Roman Empire,” he said. “There are so many potential applications.”

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases

• Visit Canada’s parks responsibly says Brock professor

  Wednesday, July 17, 2019 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 17 July 2019 – R00114

  Saturday, July 20 is Parks Day in Canada, an annual event marked by fun and activities at many of the country’s parks and historical sites.

  But before heading out for a picnic or camping adventure, Brock University Geography and Tourism Studies Professor Dave Fennell is urging visitors to do a bit of homework and become familiar with the places they’re headed.

  He points out that most parks and historical sites post plenty of information online, including codes of ethics and regulations visitors are expected to respect.

  “It’s incumbent upon us as individuals to fill in that gap of knowledge before we get to these places,” says Fennell.

  Unfortunately, he says, not everyone obeys the rules. He has seen some parks where trees have no lower branches because people have ripped them off to make a campfire. Exposed tree roots, hardened campsites and water quality issues are further indicators of overuse.

  “There just doesn’t seem to be the respect and responsibility there ought to be,” he says. “Don’t be an ugly tourist. Be a responsible tourist.”

  Fennell’s message isn’t just for the adults.

  “This respect for nature is something you can pass on to your children,” he says.

  The problem with tourism is what he calls the “all about me” attitude. People who spend lots of time and money travelling to a destination can get annoyed when park regulations seem to get in the way of their fun. But, he says, “it’s not really about them, it’s about the natural world.”

  According to Fennell, a combination of active and passive management strategies is often necessary for people to get the message. That means education as well as enforced regulations.

  Algonquin Provincial Park, for example, uses a permit system.

  “You have to register to use one of the campsites on the lakes because there are just too many people wanting to use these places,” he says.

  Fennell, one of the first people in the world to study ecotourism at the graduate level, describes ecotourism as an attitude and an ethic about how to approach the natural world.

  In 1988, amendments were made to Canada’s Natural Parks Act that prioritized ecological integrity above use.

  Now, unlike the square parks of the past, new national parks are built on the basis of ecosystem management and according to the integrity of the natural world.

  Canada is trying to establish at least one park in each of its 39 unique physiographic regions and 29 marine regions.

  “We’re doing a much better job with the terrestrial system than we are with the marine system,” Fennell says.

  By visiting these protected areas, are tourists making things worse? Fennell says not necessarily.

  “With parks and protected areas, you always have to balance use with preservation,” he says. “That’s why the way we plan, develop and manage these places becomes really important. The management has to be innovative and very site-specific.”

  Canada has always been a model of park management for the rest of the world, says Fennell, but it still faces challenges.

  “Our parks are in a difficult state right now,” he says. “It costs a lot of money to make sure our parks and historical monuments are in good shape from an infrastructure standpoint.”

  Managed properly, ecotourism can attract visitors and generate revenue, not only for the ecotour operators and local businesses, but also for conservation and the upkeep of places.

  Fennell’s biggest piece of advice is to get out and enjoy what Ontario and Canada have to offer.

  “There’s so much here we should be proud of and that we need to take care of for the future,” he says. “These are really special places. They’re the crown jewels in Canada.”

  Visit the Parks Canada website for more information on Parks Day activities and places to visit in Ontario or across the country.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases