Music in 3D virtual environments: Exploring learning affordances

Falconer, Liz; Green, Julian

Abstract

This paper discusses the current research and understanding of the effects of music on learning, with a particular focus on the affordances of the effects of music in computer-generated, 3D virtual environments and virtual worlds. Music has different effects on different people, and this has been one of the confounding issues in the search for a generalizable theory of the effects of music on learning. This in turn has meant that the affordances of music in education remain under-researched, particularly in multi-media environments such as virtual worlds. In this paper we argue for a change in approach; that, in the case of 3D online virtual worlds and similar environments, the personal control that users have over the environment in which they learn presents opportunities for choice of their own, personal ‘musicscapes’ to enhance individual learning experiences. This also presents a fertile ground for research into immersion, engagement, simulation and virtual environments as facilitators of learning when utilising both ambient and contextual sound with music, or alone. We therefore propose research in this field.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: World Congress on Education
• Start Date: Nov 10, 2014
• End Date: Nov 11, 2014
• Publication Date: Nov 10, 2014
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 77-81
• Keywords: virtual worlds, immersive environments, music, learning
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/807880
• Publisher URL: http://www.worldconedu.org/
• Additional Information: Additional Information : ISBN: 9781908320377; Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : World Congress on Education