Mathematics education utilized virtual reality

Abstract

I construct a virtual world made by myself in the Internet and propose about mathematics education which utilizes virtual reality using this world. In this world children can do mathematics through virtual experience.
VRML is abbreviation of Virtual Reality Modeling Language, and is a programming language for realizing 3-dimensional virtual space in a homepage. By VRML, an object of arbitrary form can mainly be made from a combination of basic solids or specified coordinates data of vertices. There are many substantial functions, such as animation, specification of a color, attachment of a picture, use of a sound or a movie, the setup of a link in other htmls, or detection of whether the object was contacted. When a VRML file is read, the browser of VRML, such as Cosmo Player or Community Place, will start. An operation panel called the navigation bar is displayed on the lower part of a screen for Cosmo Player.

[2]Observation of solids The scenery of the place is projected when it is clicked to want to go in "School" or "Park", etc. in the picture map of a certain town displayed in the homepage, and it is possible to examine the feature while operating the solid with Cosmo Player when a solid thing is selected from among the scenery. The feature is examined while moving the solid by operating the navigation bar of Cosmo Player.

[3]Setup of viewpoints If VRML is used, many viewpoints can be set in a space. By using this function, a child can look at this space with presence by the look of a bird which flies or the man walking along the ground (Refer to Figure 3). About "a figure viewed from right above" of a cylinder, since it is the same type as the form of the actual bottom, children can understand without difficulty. However, drawing "a figure viewed from the front" of a cylinder, there are some children who use the bottom line of "a figure viewed from the front" as the base and the arc of "a figure viewed from the diagonal" as the top (Refer to Figure 4).

[Ed.] Please see the PDF version.