JUCS - Journal of Universal Computer Science 4(4): 461-465, doi: 10.3217/jucs-004-04-0461
The 'City Game': An Example of a Virtual Environment for Teaching Spatial Orientation
expand article infoSabine Volbracht‡, Gitta Domik‡, Dorothea Backe-Neuwald§, Hans-Dieter Rinkens§
‡ University of Paderborn, Dept. of Computer Science, Germany§ University of Paderborn, Dept. of Mathematics, Germany

Corresponding author: Sabine Volbracht ( sabaro@uni-paderborn.de )

© Sabine Volbracht, Gitta Domik, Dorothea Backe-Neuwald, Hans-Dieter Rinkens.
This article is freely available under the J.UCS Open Content License.
Citation: Volbracht S, Domik G, Backe-Neuwald D, Rinkens H-D (1998) The 'City Game': An Example of a Virtual Environment for Teaching Spatial Orientation. JUCS - Journal of Universal Computer Science 4(4): 461-465. https://doi.org/10.3217/jucs-004-04-0461
Open Access
Abstract
Spatial orientation is an important ability, which should be facilitated in geometry courses of elementary schools. A preferred approach (in Germany) typically involves navigation and orientation tasks with pictures of a town and city maps depicted in a book. Because of increasing use of computer systems in schools, it is very interesting to explore the value a virtual environment possesses for teaching spatial orientation. This articel describes the 'City Game', a computer-generated, virtual 3D city, developed for teaching spatial orientation in elementary schools, and an informal study to see first reactions of children and adults when using the 'City Game'.
Keywords
spatial orientation, children, teaching, virtual environment, virtual city