User centred virtual actor technology
Daphne Economou, William F. Mitchell, Steve R. Pettifer, Jon Cook, James Marsh · 2001
This paper argues that the development of virtual actor technology must be guided by application and end user needs. Two objectives drive the development of the ' Senet ' project described in this paper: to develop a set of design guidelines for the use of virtual actors in Collaborative Virtual Environments (CVEs) for learning, and to inform the development of the underlying virtual actor technology following a user centred approach. The methodological approach followed involves the development of prototype virtual learning environments in a series of distinct phases. These are based on an ancient Egyptian game (senet) and are aimed at children at Key Stage Level 2 of the National Curriculum for education in England. Two-dimensional multimedia technology has been used to develop robust prototypes, which were then observed in use by children. The result of this study derived a set of design guidelines, which were then used to guide the implementation of a 3D CVE using the Deva CVE technology.