Virtual Savannah: Logging User Interaction in a Learning Visualization for Children

It is a daunting task to visualize square kilometers of African savannah and currently in zoos it is impossible to present true African ecology to visitors. Virtual Savannah is a dynamic virtual world that introduces school children to a 3D representation of the wildlife sanctuaries Serengeti and Masai Mara. The objective is to substitute supplementary textual information currently used in schools and provide the teacher with information about each pupil. The Virtual Savannah was tested in situ on 19 pupils age 10-11 with the purpose of logging all interaction with animals, GUI and the navigation. The test depicted how they managed to search the virtual world for answers in patterns related to restrictions in the system and using graphical points of interest as reference points. Collecting information about the complete interaction provides teachers with a tool to assess the individual pupil better in order to help them receive the information.