The purpose of this study was to examine spatial cognition in virtual environments for multimedia instructional materials. A virtual park space was made using 360-degree cylindrical panoramic images. It was necessary to be able to enter the environment, walk freely and explore the space. Video techniques do not allow such freedom of movement, so it was necessary to use VR media. It was expected that spatial cognition would be different between actual and virtual space. The participants were 7-12 year old children, whose task was to walk along the route-map and search for benches in the virtual park. Their processes of spatial cognition were analyzed. The results of the experiment highlighted the particular difficulties of using VR media in education. Several methods of improving VR media materials are proposed.

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This paper provides some analysis of the distance education for multiple classes. We performed some distance instructions for multiple classes and some questionnaires. Furthermore, we analyzed the questionnaires by using the quantity method III. The following results are obtained. The important factors in distance education for multiple classes are ordered as follows; 1. unique features of the distance education, 2. comparative evaluation with broad cast education, 3. reality that students feel, 4. familiarity with the teacher, 5. facility to ask some questions, 6. comprehension of the instructed contents. In addition, the most important factor of the desirable distance education, which includes the factors from 1 to 6, is that a teacher recognized each student It also is pointed out that it is not so important that students can ask some questions in the class. This indicates that the most important factor of successful distance education for multiple classes is individual relationship between the teacher and the student. Moreover, the results derive that the unique instruction techniques based on distance education for multiple classes are 1. teacher manages to recognize each student, and 2. teacher manages to call many student's name and ask them some questions.

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In general, it is difficult for Japanese language learners of foreigners to master Chinese characters (KANJI). We developed an online instruction system of Chinese characters named "TERAKOYA KANTA" for foreign Japanese learners. This system evaluates the Chinese characters (KANJI) written by a user with a light pen or a tablet, and shows appropriate guidance about it. At first we considered features of Chinese characters seen from foreigners' eyes and realized an evaluation method by using vector information and stroke-speed information. Main features of this system are to be able to accommodate characters having a mistake in stroke order and to support learners not only as a drill of self-practice but also as a virtual teacher until getting up the Chinese characters' features, "HANE (Hook)" and "Harai (Stretch)" and so on. Moreover the effect of this system and learners desire to study is stimulated by using Multimedia. The experimental by 14 students from abroad indicates that our system "TERAKOYA KANTA" has much effective for mastering Chinese characters.

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[in Japanese]

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