Learning support system for paleontological environment based on body experience and sense of immersion: Extinct animals move in synchronization with human actions

This paper proposes a simulation-based learning support system that animates extinct animals in synchronization with a human's location and actions. The system provides learners with a near-real body experience, and the sense that they have entered the paleontological environment. The aim of the proposed system is for this experience to improve the learning effect. Obviously, it is impossible for learners to experience the actual paleontological environment, and it is therefore difficult for them to understand the link between this environment and its actuality. This difficulty can be decreased by the proposed system, which provides learners with a real body experience and sense of immersion. At this point in time, the authors are implementing a system based on the proposed concept. As a preliminary evaluation, we conduct an experiment using the system, and interview the participants about the improvement in the learning effect. The experimental results confirm that most learners feel a tangible improvement in the learning effect due to the enjoyment of moving their body during the learning process.