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Procedia Computer Science 112 (2017) 946–955

International Conference on Knowledge Based and Intelligent Information and Engineering

International Conference on Knowledge
Systems, KES2017, Based and 2017,
6-8 September Intelligent Information
Marseille, France and Engineering
Systems, KES2017, 6-8 September 2017, Marseille, France
Virtual STEM activity for renewable energy
Virtual STEM activity for renewable energy
Dana M. Barryaa* , Hideyuki Kanematsubb , Michael Lawsonbb Katsuko Nakahiracc,
Dana M. Barry * , Hideyuki Kanematsu
Nobuyuki ,Ogawa
Michael
d Lawson Katsuko Nakahira ,
Nobuyuki Ogawad
a
Clarkson University, New York State, U.S.A.
a
b Clarkson
National Institute of Technology, SuzukaUniversity, New YorkInstitute
College,: cNagaoka State, U.S.A.
of Technology,dGifu College, Japan
b
National Institute of Technology, Suzuka College,: cNagaoka Institute of Technology,dGifu College, Japan

Abstract
Abstract
A project about renewable energy was successfully carried out in Second Life (SL) by a team of Japanese students with a U.S.
A project about
instructor renewable
who used energy
English was successfully
to communicate. Thiscarried
was aoutchallenging Life (SL)
in Second task, by a team
especially sinceofthe
Japanese students
students’ with a U.S.
first language is
instructor who used English to communicate. This was a challenging task, especially since the students’
Japanese. To improve the learning environment, a teaching assistant was available to translate information from English to first language is
Japanese. To improve
Japanese when theThis
necessary. learning
paperenvironment,
describes the asuccessful
teaching STEM
assistant was available
(science, to translate
technology, information
engineering, from English
mathematics) to
activity in
Japanese
SL wherewhen necessary.
the Japanese This paper
students describes
designed the asuccessful
and built STEM for
special airplane (science, technology,
wind energy. It alsoengineering, mathematics)
mentions other activity
contributions in
of our
SL where
work, suchthe
as Japanese students designed
the incorporation and built aDesign
of an Engineering specialProcess
airplaneinto
for the
wind energy.
lesson andItthe
also mentions we
advantages other contributions
found of our
by carrying out
work, such as energy
the renewable the incorporation
project in aofvirtual
an Engineering Design Process into the lesson and the advantages we found by carrying out
reality environment.
the renewable energy project in a virtual reality environment.
© 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
©© 2017
2017 The
The Authors.
Authors. Published
Published byby Elsevier
Elsevier B.V.
B.V.
Peer-review
Peer-review under
under responsibility
responsibility of
of KES
KES International.
International
Peer-review under responsibility of KES International.
Keywords: STEM education; virtual class; Second Life; energy sources; engineering education
Keywords: STEM education; virtual class; Second Life; energy sources; engineering education

* Corresponding author. Tel.: 315-386-4732

*E-mail
Corresponding
address:author. Tel.: 315-386-4732
dmbarry@clarkson.edu
E-mail address: dmbarry@clarkson.edu
1877-0509 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
1877-0509 ©under
Peer-review 2017responsibility
The Authors. of
Published by Elsevier B.V.
KES International.
Peer-review under responsibility of KES International.

1877-0509 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Peer-review under responsibility of KES International
10.1016/j.procs.2017.08.130
 Dana M. Barry et al. / Procedia Computer Science 112 (2017) 946–955 947
2 Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2017) 000–000

1. Introduction

There is great concern about the decreasing supply of fossil fuels. These fuels are made from buried, dead
organisms like prehistoric plants and animals. The organisms and their resulting fuels are generally millions of years
old. Different types of fossil fuels form depending on the organic matter present, the amount of time it was buried,
and the temperature and pressure conditions that existed during that time period. These fuels are non-renewable and
include oil, coal, and natural gas.
Fossil fuel industries generally drill or mine to obtain these energy sources, which are burned to produce
electricity. These fossil fuels are used to heat houses and provide energy for various types of transportation. What
can be done to offset the decreasing supply of fossil fuels? From the viewpoint of STEM and engineering education,
our present and future engineers must be prepared to address and answer questions like this. Engineers should know
ways to conserve energy and to promote the use of renewable energy sources. Also they should inform the general
public about this information. Engineering education is very important because we depend on engineers to detect
and creatively solve the challenging problems of our ever changing world. Engineering is a component of STEM
education, an interdisciplinary teaching approach where STEM refers to science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics. 1, 2
In this study (carried out in Second Life: SL), Japanese students use English to perform an activity for renewable
energy that incorporates all of the STEM topics. They rely on science for information about energy sources (solar,
wind, etc.). As for technology, the participants use computers and software to solve a problem in the virtual world.
Engineering and mathematics are important for this project too. The solution to the proposed problem is an item that
must be designed using mathematics and built with prims (primitives) in Second Life (SL). In addition, an
Engineering Design Process is incorporated into the lesson.

2. Background information for the renewable energy project

This project took place in Second Life on an island owned by Nagaoka University of Technology (NUT) in
Japan. Researchers at the university made virtual buildings containing virtual classrooms for e-learning activities.
The authors have already carried out some projects there. 3, 4, 5 For example, they successfully used the virtual
classrooms to teach lessons about nuclear safety and to hold multilingual discussions (for problem-based learning)
with U.S., Korean, and Japanese students. Each student sat in a chair that had a specific pigment of coloration,
which corresponded to his/her country. (The U.S. participants sat on green chairs.) The international students
communicated with each other by speaking in their own language. The special chairs contained language translation
software which allowed all of their conversations to be simultaneously available (as chat: text messages) in three
languages (English, Korean, and Japanese).
The virtual classroom for our energy project contains red chairs, tables, a podium, and a whiteboard. These items
allow the classroom to simulate a real life learning environment. A team of Japanese students was set up to carry out
the renewable energy activity. This team included three, sixteen year old, female students at the National Institute
of Technology, Suzuka College in Japan. To start, the girls registered and named an avatar to perform duties on
behalf of them. They made their avatars move by using tasks such as walking and flying. The avatars were
transported to different locations in SL by applying the teleport function.
The U.S. instructor met the students in a virtual classroom on the Japanese island. She presented a forty-five
minute lesson about energy sources. The lecture and discussions were carried out in English using the chat function,
which is similar to a text message. Since the students’ first language is Japanese, a teaching assistant was available
to provide translation tips when necessary.
A poster was used to provide general information about energy sources and to present the renewable energy
problem. Fig. 2 shows students taking a close look at the poster.

3. The lesson

The instructor began the lesson by describing fossil fuels and emphasizing that these energy sources are
decreasing. These fuels are non-renewable and include oil, coal, and natural gas. Fossil fuels are used for heating
948 Dana M. Barry et al. / Procedia Computer Science 112 (2017) 946–955
Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2017) 000–000 3

homes and driving vehicles, etc. They are formed when buried dead plants and animals decompose. These fuels are
millions of years old. Since this type of energy is decreasing, renewable energy sources need to be used. Renewable
energy sources replenish themselves naturally in a relatively short amount of time. As the lesson continued, various
renewable energy sources were presented and described.6 Solar energy was mentioned. It is used for solar panels. A
solar panel contains solar cells which convert the energy of light from the Sun directly into electricity. Wind energy
is used for wind turbines. The wind turns the turbine’s three, propeller-like blades around a rotor. This rotating part
is connected to a shaft, which spins a generator to create electricity. The solar panel and wind turbine were displayed
on the classroom poster. The instructor said that tidal waves have energy. These waves are due to gravitational
attraction caused by the Moon’s orbit around the Earth. Ocean waves move toward the shoreline as a result of this
attraction. Generators for tidal streams use this moving water to power turbines for making electricity. This is
similar to using the kinetic energy of moving air (wind) to make electricity. The instructor also suggested
geothermal energy. This is heat from hot circulating ground water. It is formed and stored in the Earth. A hot spring
at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan is a good example. Next the U.S. instructor asked the students if they had any
questions about the lecture so far. Then she proposed the problem for them to solve.

Problem to Solve: Select a type of renewable energy. Then design and build an item for its use with prims
(primitives), virtual materials such as cubes, etc.

Since the problem is an example of engineering design, the instructor briefly mentioned eight steps of a typical
Engineering Design Process.7 The steps were displayed on the classroom poster and can be seen on the flowchart in
Fig. 1. Fig. 2 shows the students looking at these eight steps and other information on the poster. Next the students
held a brainstorming session to decide how to solve the problem. The instructor served as a guide and a teaching
assistant was available to provide translation tips when needed. The girls engaged in active discussions and
displayed excitement. They selected wind energy (as their renewable energy source) and planned to build a special
type of airplane for its use.
 4 Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2017) 000–000

Dana M. Barry et al. / Procedia Computer Science 112 (2017) 946–955 949

Fig.1. Flowchart displaying the eight steps of a typical Engineering Design Process.

Fig.2. Students examine the poster displayed in their virtual classroom.

950 Dana M. Barry et al. / Procedia Computer Science 112 (2017) 946–955
Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2017) 000–000 5

After their brainstorming session, the female team looked at the building area outside of the virtual classroom.
See Fig. 3. This would be the location for them to build and display their special airplane. They saw several items
there, including a green eco-car (covered with blue solar cells) on the right. This car was previously built by the U.S.
instructor’s team in the U.S. for another project. The focus of that project was to design a car that was safe and
energy efficient.8 NOTE: The renewable energy project was the first time that the U.S. instructor taught a lesson in
English to Japanese students in SL.

Fig. 3. Students examine items in the building area outside of the virtual classroom.

It should be mentioned that the girls were provided with some general instructions for preparing and using prims.
However, they worked very hard to master these tasks on their own. They practiced making prims with software
available in SL. Also they used mathematics, especially geometry, to design/create virtual, 3D objects of specific
shapes and sizes for building the airplane. Figure 4 shows them making prims. In Fig. 5 the students are using prims
to build their airplane. The group held discussions for all aspects of the renewable energy activity and built the plane
as a team. One student made the body. Another made the propellers, while the third person made the wings, etc.
 Dana M. Barry et al. / Procedia Computer Science 112 (2017) 946–955 951
6 Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2017) 000–000

Fig. 4. Students are busy making a variety of prims outside of the virtual classrooms.

Fig. 5. The girls use prims to build their plane.

The students also agreed on specific colors for the different components of the plane. Fig. 6 shows them
completing the airplane. Their final product is displayed in Fig. 7.
The virtual reality setting provided many advantages and made it possible for the girls to successfully carryout
the STEM activity for Renewable Energy. By using SL, there were no boundaries for space and time. This means
that the lesson could be presented at any time from any location. In this case, students (located in Japan) met with
their instructor (located in the U.S.) in a virtual classroom to learn about energy sources and the importance of using
renewable forms of energy. Then they used the area outside of that classroom to make a special airplane for wind
energy by using primitives (virtual items shaped like cubes, etc.). Therefore, it was not necessary for the team to buy
expensive building materials and to face potential safety risks as they would in a real life situation. Another
advantage of a virtual learning environment (example: SL), is that the instructor can be with the students throughout
the whole process to provide support and answer questions, etc. Also cameras are available to take photographs
952 Dana M. Barry et al. / Procedia Computer Science 112 (2017) 946–955
Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2017) 000–000 7

during various stages of the project. Refer to the pictures included in this paper. In addition, the virtual classroom
gave the girls a sense of reality because it contained chairs, tables, a whiteboard, and a podium.

Fig. 6. The girls make the plane’s components colourful.

Fig. 7. The team proudly displays the completed airplane.

8 Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2017) 000–000

Dana M. Barry et al. / Procedia Computer Science 112 (2017) 946–955 953

4. Results

The team successfully completed the renewable energy project in Second Life. To obtain more information about
this STEM activity, each student was asked to complete a survey, which is provided.

SURVEY
(Circle the letter of your answer for questions #1 - #5.)

1. Did you enjoy this activity?

a. Very much. b. Pretty much. c. Neutral. d. Not so much. e. Not at all.

2. Was the U.S. teacher in SL friendly to you?

a. Very much. b. Pretty much. c. Neutral. d. Not so much. e. Not at all.

3. Were you able to understand the English lecture in SL?

a. Very much. b. Pretty much. c. Neutral. d. Not so much. e. Not at all.

4. Do you have a general understanding of the eight steps listed on the poster in the virtual classroom?
a. Very much. b. Pretty much. c. Neutral. d. Not so much. e. Not at all.

5. Do you want to carry out a similar activity again?

a. Very much. b. Pretty much. c. Neutral. d. Not so much. e. Not at all.

6. How would you compare a discussion in English to one in Japanese?

7. Were you able to design and build an item in SL for use with wind energy?
8. How does your airplane work for wind energy? Please explain.

Students’ answers are provided and discussed. Fig. 8 displays the results for questions 1-5. As for question 1, all
of the team members enjoyed the activity. Two of them enjoyed it very much and the third person’s response was
“pretty much.” They said the U.S. instructor was friendly too (question 2). One answer to this question was “very
much” and the other two responses were “pretty much.” Answers for questions 3-6 varied. This may be due in part
to each student’s English comprehension level. Two of the girls had a neutral feeling about understanding the
English lecture, while the other one said she did not understand it so much (question 3).
As for question 4, two students said they did not understand the eight steps of the design process so much, while
the third girl had a neutral reaction. Even though the steps of the Engineering Design Process were only briefly
defined during the English lecture, the students used and learned some of them while carrying out the activity. The
eight steps are displayed in Figure 1. Step 1 is to identify the problem. The students knew this step very well,
because the U.S. instructor gave them a problem to solve. Step 2 is to collect data to solve the problem. In addition
to their own data, the instructor provided information about energy sources. Step 3 is to identify design
requirements. The girls held active discussions to identify the shape, color, size, and number of prims (primitives) to
use. Step 7 is to select the best solution. The team selected wind energy and decided to make a special airplane for
its use. As for Step 8, the girls successfully used their design to build the airplane with prims (primitives) in SL.
The answers to question 5 are that two students (pretty much) want to carry out a similar activity again and the
third girl gave a neutral response.
 Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2017) 000–000 9

954 Dana M. Barry et al. / Procedia Computer Science 112 (2017) 946–955

Fig. 8. The survey results are provided for questions 1-5.

When asked (question 6) how would you compare a discussion in English to one in Japanese, two girls said it
was difficult but they were able to do it to some extent. The third student said that the activity discussion was good
because the teaching assistant provided translation tips. The girls agreed that they worked well together to design
and build a special airplane for wind energy in SL (question 7). Their answer to question 8 is as follows. They said
the airplane works like a wind turbine. It has a typical looking propeller in the front and a unique one at the back end
of the plane. The wind turns the propellers around a rotor. The rotor is connected to a main shaft, which spins a
generator to create electricity (which helps the plane fly).

5. Conclusions

This is a unique project for several reasons. It is the first time the Japanese participants were taught a lesson in
English. Also it is the first time the U.S. instructor taught a lesson in English to students in SL who have Japanese as
their first language. For this activity the chat function (which is similar to a text message) was used for
communication. It was helpful to have a teaching assistant available to provide translation tips too.
The findings and contributions of this work are as follows. The virtual reality environment provided many
advantages and made it possible for the girls to successfully carryout the STEM activity for Renewable Energy. By
using SL, there were no boundaries for space and time. This means that the lesson could be presented at any time
from any location. In this case, students (located in Japan) met with their instructor (located in the U.S.) in a virtual
classroom to learn about energy sources and the importance of using renewable forms of energy. Then they used the
area outside of that classroom to make a special airplane for wind energy by using primitives (virtual items shaped
like cubes, etc.). Therefore, it was not necessary for the team to buy expensive building materials and to face
 Dana M. Barry et al. / Procedia Computer Science 112 (2017) 946–955 955
10 Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2017) 000–000

potential safety risks as they would in a real life situation. Another advantage of a virtual learning environment
(example: SL), is that the instructor can be with the students throughout the whole process to provide support and
answer questions, etc. Also cameras are available to take photographs during various stages of the project. Refer to
the pictures included in this paper. In addition, the virtual classroom gave the girls a sense of reality because it
contained chairs, tables, a whiteboard, and a podium.
The female students (from the National Institute of Technology, Suzuka College) successfully carried out an
activity about renewable energy that incorporated all of the STEM components. They relied on science for
information about energy sources (solar, wind, etc.). As for technology, the participants used computers and special
software to solve a problem in the virtual world. Engineering and mathematics are important too. The solution to
their proposed problem was an item designed using mathematics and built with prims (primitives). The team used
and learned some of the components of a typical Engineering Design Process. Also this project’s successful results
confirm that a virtual STEM class is possible for teaching Japanese students using English

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Clarkson University’s Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (U.S.A.), the
National Institute of Technology, Suzuka College (Japan), Nagaoka Institute of Technology (Japan), Nagaoka
University of Technology (Japan) and Gifu College (Japan) for their great assistance and support.

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