Integrated Use of Various Software Environments for Increasing the Level of Visualization and Perception of Information

Abstract

Implementation of various software tools in the educational process affects formation of students’ professional competencies. This influence should be taken into account in scientific and methodological support of the modern education system. The purpose of the article is to develop a technology for creating educational VR content that provides immersion into a virtual thematic space using a variety of different software environments and improves the effectiveness of teaching. In this article, the technology of creating an electronic course using a complex of specialized software tools is considered. The initial stage of such technology is to develop a course description that includes data and knowledge about the object or phenomenon under study. Three-dimensional models of virtual objects created in SketchUp, Blender. Solidworks, Compass-3D, etc. are used for technical objects. Then 3D models of objects and landscape are used for creating a virtual space in the Twinmotion software package. Then photorealistic panoramas, images and videos are imported from Twinmotion into 3DVista Virtual Tour Pro to create a virtual tour. At the final stage, the virtual tour is integrated into the LMS Moodle learning management system. The implementation of the technology of integrated use of specialized software tools was tested in the creation of educational content that provides immersion into a virtual thematic space on the example of the course "History of the Tambov Region", which is included in many educational programs at Tambov educational institutions. High efficiency of developed educational content is confirmed by the survey results of several groups of students and its further analysis using Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) methodology; as well as by checking learning achievements based on testing two groups of students of 12 people each. The first test group studied the discipline using the proposed electronic content, and the second one without it. The test results showed that the proportion of correct answers to test questions in the first group was 17% higher than for the students of the second group. Thus, the authors proposed the technology for development of educational content, which includes a number of specialized software tools, as well as the organization of the educational process using innovative educational means. Moreover, the use of the proposed technology allows students to develop teamwork and interpersonal communication skills by interactive lectures and group discussions.