Sticky Notes -- A Tool for Supporting Collaborative Activities in a 3D Virtual World

In this paper, we present the design rationale and evaluation of the Sticky Notes tool that we designed within the 3D virtual world of vAcademia based on our original method of using stream processors for displaying a large amount of media contents in a 3D environment. We explore the facilitation of creative collaborative activities, such as brainstorming, round-table discussions, and project work. This type of activities usually requires a large amount of media content to be displayed and available for modification in a shared space. We argue that 3D virtual worlds can be successfully used for facilitating such activities and can potentially be superior to the commonly used technologies, as they allow the sense of immersion close to reality and tools that might be even more convenient than in reality. The evaluation results demonstrate performance superiority of the method over those commonly used and the pedagogical value of the tool developed.