Thesis (M.S. in Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation)--Naval Postgraduate School, Sept. 2004. / Thesis advisor(s): Michael J. Zyda. Includes bibliographical references (p. 59). Also available online.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Florida, 2004. / Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 51 pages. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 82-89). Also available in electronic version. Access restricted to campus users.

Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010. / Full text also available online. Scroll down for electronic link.

Thesis (M.Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 172-180). Also available in electronic version.

Thesis (M.S. in mechanical engineering)--Washington State University, May 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-108).

Virtual Reality is currently an affordable and consumer ready technology used by many in the games and interactive media industry, however unlike the user interface standards in mobile, PCs, and Macs, VR UI design can vary in complexity and usability. VR has many times been linked in films, TV shows, and animation as a method for navigating through cyberspace. It has been portrayed to be involved in the process of hacking a computer on some network. This study will look at approaches to developing a UI system using cyber-security research applications as a basis for designing a framework. Throughout, this research will analyze the different approaches to UI design and data visualization, extract relevant information, and find out what approaches will help improve the VR software front end design.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Introduction: Anxiety is a debilitating and difficult sensation many people face on a daily basis. Up to 20% of American adults experience dental anxiety2. Dental anxiety can present both psychologically and physiologically as a barrier to starting, completing and/or finishing dental treatment.2,4 Catastrophizing the procedure, which is common practice in anxious patients, will alter and increase the perception of pain66. Approaching and understanding dental anxiety has shown to produce more positive treatment outcomes and overall increased patient satisfaction2, 4, 6. Non-pharmacological approaches to reducing dental anxiety can be a quick, non-invasive, method to put patients at ease and can save chair time for both practitioner and patient, as well as a more pleasant experience for the patient. Objectives: The goal of this study is to investigate non-pharmacologic approaches to reducing dental anxiety prior to non-surgical root canal treatment. This will be done by comparing an Auditory Alone Brief Relaxation period (ABR) to a Relaxation Virtual Reality period (RVR). Materials and Methods: 60 subjects who need non-surgical root canal treatment was randomly allocated into 2 groups. One group received earphones to listen to a guided brief relaxation recording, focusing on breathing and a body scan. The other group received virtual reality goggles and choose a scene of their liking to experience. State Trait Anxiety Indicator (STAI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and vitals were measured to objectively determine baseline anxiety score followed by the same metrics after brief relaxation or virtual reality experience. A student will perform root canal treatment, and VAS and vitals were again be recorded at the end of the appointment. Results: Both RVR and ABR showed a statistically significant decrease in anxiety in STAI-S (p value <.001 for both), STAI-T (p value 0.025 ABR; <.001 RVR). VAS scores also significantly reduced from T1 to T2 to T3 time frame. Discussion: Our study investigated and compared two different interventions in reducing anxiety prior to endodontic therapy. The results showed that both ABR and RVR reduced anxiety prior to endodontic therapy and had an effect even after the endodontic therapy was completed. Additionally, when comparing the time points T1, T2, and T3, heart rate decreased throughout the procedure and more importantly, after the intervention (ABR or RVR) was delivered. Both anxiety scales, STAI and VAS showed a statistical significant decrease in anxiety throughout the appointment. Conclusion: Non-pharmacological techniques like guided meditation and virtual reality are a valid and unique approach to reducing anxiety prior to endodontic therapy. Both ABR and RVR interventions reduced the feelings of anxiety throughout the entire endodontic appointment. This study displays the ease of incorporating both interventions to reduce anxiety in an economical and noninvasive fashion.

This study focused on three different menu designs each with their own unique interactions and organizational structures to determine which design features would perform the best. Fifty-four participants completed 27 tasks using each of the three designs. The menus were analyzed based on task performance, accuracy, usability, intuitiveness, and user preference. Also, an analysis was conducted between two different menu organization styles: top-down menu organization (Method-TD) and bottom-up organization (Method-BU). There was no evidence that demographic factors had any effect on the overall results. By and large, the Stacked menu design received very positive results and feedback from all the participants. The Spatial design received average feedback with some participants preferring it while others struggled to use it and felt that it was too physically demanding. The worst performer was the Radial design that consistently ranked last and failed to pass usability and accuracy tests. A NGOMSL study was conducted to determine any differences in performance between a top-down menu organizational approach and a bottom-up approach or differences between the predicted task completion times and the reported times. The results of this study predicted that the Spatial design should have taken the least amount of time to perform, however, the experimental results showed that the Stacked design in fact out-performed the Spatial design’s task completion times. A potential explanation as to why the Stacked outperformed the Spatial is the increased physical demand of the Spatial design not anticipated with the NGOMSL analysis because of a design feature which caused a high level of cumbersomeness with the interactions. Overall, there were no statistical differences found between Method-TD and Method-BU, but a large difference found between the predicted times and observed times for Stacked, Radial, and Spatial. Participants overwhelmingly performed better than the predicted completion times for the Stacked design, but then did not complete the tasks by the predicted times for the Radial and Spatial. This study recommends the Stacked menu for VR environments and proposes further research into a Stacked-Spatial hybrid design to allow for the participant’s preferred design aspects of both designs to be used in a VR environment.

Brummett’s ontological view of epistemic rhetoric frames a world in which reality is truly only shaped once it is communicated. This reality creation is uniquely performed within online spaces that are separated from the physical world by means of programming code and internal culture. These spaces are constructed of language and constitute new realities (Chesebro ) which are fundamentally rhetorical. However, the study of these tools lack shared terminology with which to classify and understand their potential as educational spaces. This study explores connections between communication mechanics of multi-user social technologies and their effectiveness as teaching tools. The study focuses on virtual worlds (defined as WAN-based, persistent, multi-user spaces which include avatars), such as Second Life and World of Warcraft, as examples of multi-user social technologies because these tools converge mechanics and communication tools found separately elsewhere. Communication mechanics are operationalized as facets found through the application of Shiyali Ranganathan’s Faceted Classification method. The facets of seventy worlds are first identified. These facets are then used to describe typical uses of the facets through Activity Theory (Engeström) and Genre Ecology Models (Spinuzzi). Finally, a framework is suggested for selecting virtual worlds and the most effective activities within them by ensuring coordination among the strategic, tactical, and operational goals and activities of the tool, the course/instructor, and student. / Incommensurate terms, incommensurate practices -- Background and current state of virtual world technology -- Classification of virtual worlds -- Using activity theory and genre ecology models to connect facets with motivations in virtual world education -- Implications, limitations and further study. / Department of English