[01] Aikaterini Mastrokoukou, Department of Primary School Education, University of the Aegean, Rhodes, Greece. [02] Emmanuel Fokides, Department of Primary School Education, University of the Aegean, Rhodes, Greece.

The study examines the development and use of a 3D multiuser virtual environment for teaching solar system's facts and concepts. The objective was firstly to examine the environment from a technical and utilitarian perspective and secondly to examine whether the learning objectives of the teaching material were achieved. The virtual world was created with the use of the open source platform OpenSimulator. Two groups of randomly selected students from the Department of Primary School Education, University of the Aegean, were formed. The first group was given the application, while the second group was given the same cognitive material, but this time a much simpler online presentation program was used. The results are considered satisfactory. Both groups showed significant progress regarding their knowledge of the solar system, but the first group had better results compared to the second.

Virtual Reality, 3D Virtual Environments, Solar System, Constructivism

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