SAILS: A Synchronous Accessible Immersive Online Learning System for Young Learners

Online distance learning emerged as a prominent means of education during the pandemic and is expected to continue as a long-lasting trend, enabling access to top education resources without the constraints of physical distance. However, conferencing software predominantly used for synchronous online teaching and learning is not suitable or sufficient for young students and teachers. The learning experiences of these students heavily rely on hands-on activities and interactions with peers and teachers that are challenging to replicate. Additionally, teachers face difficulties in effectively monitoring student progress. To address these challenges, we propose a Synchronous Accessible Immersive Online Learning System (SAILS). It offers an immersive and interactive platform for young learners by integrating real-life school activities with a virtual learning environment. Using the system, teachers can easily organize classes, assess students' work. We evaluated the effectiveness of SAILS through a user study involving 40 young learners from a kindergarten and several primary schools, along with their teachers. The results demonstrated a strong preference for our system among the participants, highlighting its ability to provide a more immersive and engaging online learning experience.