Is Music the Key

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• Is Music the Key?
• An investigation of the effect of music on
  learning in virtual-immersive environments
• Eric Fassbender, PhD Candidate
• Debbie Richards, Assoc. Prof.
• Manolya Kavakli, Dr.
• Macquarie University, Sydney
• Department of Computing

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Is Music the Key? An investigation of the effect
of music on learning in virtual-immersive
environments
Overview

• Use cases of Music and Virtual Environments
• Beneficial Brain Wave Patterns for Learning
• Instrumental music frees Brain Capacity?
• Music in Games
• Modification of an existing Game Engine in order
  to create a 3 dimensional Adventure Course for
  Learning
• Test-Setup Effect of Music on Learning in
  Virtual-Immersive Environments

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Is Music the Key? An investigation of the effect
of music on learning in virtual-immersive
environments
Use cases of Music and Virtual Environments

• Music as part of the curriculum
• Lozanov Suggestopedy - Language Learning
• Rauscher, Shaw, et al. - Mozart Effect
• Socrates, Aristotle
• Therapeutic use of Music
• Treat Stress or Alcohol Addiction
• Tomatis Electronic Ear for Treatment of Opera
  Singers, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  (ADHD)
• Therapeutic use of Virtual Reality
• Pain relief for children with burns
• Rizzo Assessment of ADHD

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Is Music the Key? An investigation of the effect
of music on learning in virtual-immersive
environments
Beneficial Brain Wave Patterns for Learning

• 12 35 Hertz (cycles per minute)
• Arduous Work, Stress
• 8 12 Hertz
• Relaxed Alertness(Dryden and Vos, 2001)
• 4 7 Hertz
• "twilight zone between being fully awake and
  fully asleep" (Dryden and Vos, 2001)
• 0.5 3 Hertz
• Deep Sleep

Source Dryden and Vos (2001)
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Is Music the Key? An investigation of the effect
of music on learning in virtual-immersive
environments
Lozanovs Findings

• 416 students
• 600-900 words in a foreign language
• 93.16 remembrance the following day
• Introduction
• Artistic and Didactic songs in relation to topic
• Active Concert'
• learning matter is read to the student arranged
  around a story line
• Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky
• Passive Concert'
• learning matter is read to the student a second
  time
• Bach, Vivaldi, Corelli and Telemann
• Music in 4/4 time
• 50 - 70 beats per minute

Source Lozanov (1992)
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Is Music the Key? An investigation of the effect
of music on learning in virtual-immersive
environments
Instrumental Music frees Brain Capacity?

• Study - McFarland and Kennison
• Solve a tactual maze with either right or left
  hand while listening to music on right, left or
  both ears
• Left Ear - Right Hand condition (14.75 mean
  trials)
• Binaural Listening, Left Hand used 23.17 mean
  trials
• Binaural Listening, Right Hand used 13.13 mean
  trials)
• Intrahemispheric and Interhemispheric
  Competition'

Source McFarland and Kennison (1988)
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Is Music the Key? An investigation of the effect
of music on learning in virtual-immersive
environments
Music in Games

• Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game
  (MMORPG)
• Ultima Online
• Lineage 2
• Everquest
• Guild wars
• World of Warcraft 6 Million Online Gamers
• Role Playing Game The Elder Scrolls IV -
  Oblivion

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Is Music the Key? An investigation of the effect
of music on learning in virtual-immersive
environments
Test-Setup
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Is Music the Key? An investigation of the effect
of music on learning in virtual-immersive
environments
Test-Scenario

• Historical 3D Course
• Macquarie Lighthouse
• Ambient music
• Classical music
• Rock/Pop music
• Didgeridoo music
• RAP music
• Silent conditions
• Nature sounds (e.g. crickets, ocean waves)

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Is Music the Key? An investigation of the effect
of music on learning in virtual-immersive
environments

• References
• Rauscher, F.H., G.L. Shaw, and K.N. Ky (1993)
  Music and spatial task performance. Nature,
  365(6447) p. 611-611.
• McFarland, R.A. and R.F. Kennison (1988)
  Asymmetrical Effects of Music Upon
  Spatial-Sequential Learning. Journal of General
  Psychology, 115(3) p. 263.
• Rizzo, A.A., et al. (2000) The Virtual Classroom
  A Virtual Reality Environment for the Assessment
  and Rehabilitation of Attention Deficits.
  CyberPsychology Behavior, 3(3) p. 483-499.
• Decker, F. (1999) Die neuen Methoden des Lernens,
  Wuerzburg Lexika Verlag.
• Aristotle (1885) The Politics, Vol 1, Translated
  into English with analysis and introductions by
  JOWETT, B., Oxford, Claredon Press.
• Lozanov, G. (1992) Suggestology and Outlines of
  Suggestopedy, Philadelphia, Gordon and Breach
  Science Publishers.
• Tomatis, A. (2005) The ear and the voice, Lanham,
  Scarecrow Press Inc.

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Is Music the Key? An investigation of the effect
of music on learning in virtual-immersive
environments

• www.VirSchool.com