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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Solving particular solutions in SL teaching
Here's our collaborative docs on a few solutions
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfzrcdcd_59g3d9w4
CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS TO TEACHING IN SL
Problem addressed
We were part of a large class learning about Second Life, that has met synchronously once a week inworld. Class members were located in very different time zones from the UK to the US and through to Australia. We choose, as our group teaching project, to address "Facilitating New Users." We spent some time brainstorming beyond the basics of creating an avatar and learning to work. Our aim became to help new residents and new teachers learn some of the skills needed for teaching in SL, namely a relatively easy way to create a feeling of 'groupness', the ability of think about ambient sound as a factor in immersive learning and to think about what constitutes good manners and appropriate academic self-presentation in SL.
How we solved it
We created a class that offered three experiences that would address a range of necessary skills. We used tools and materials that were either already present in SL, or were easily constructed by novices. As using voice for group instruction has, in our experience, caused significant issues when some members of the audience have voice and some do not, we decided to conduct the class using chat. Chat is the 'natural language' of SL and reduces some technical difficulties, while improving accessibility.
The first activity divided the class into small groups and used making a T-shirt as an ice-breaker activity. This enabled students to build skills in both dressing and managing their inventory. Many of the students had not realized that simple clothes creation was a built in feature, and that there were fabric textures in their library. Students also learned negotiation and co-operation through the choice of the pattern for the shirt. Instructors could use this as an icebreaker in a class and also begin, through the design choice, to establish a sense of community and cohesiveness among their students. The activity concluded with a reflective discussion of learning and application for this exercise.
The sound exercise asked students to walk around the garden in which the class was held and to notice the ambient sounds and their internal reaction to them. The sounds included surf (the garden is close to the beach), ducks, hummingbirds, and a peacock, bees, locusts, squirrels, frogs, rain and thunder, This gave students an opportunity to think about ambient sound in relation to both speech and background environmental sounds. In the reflection discussion afterwards, they noticed that environmental sounds can really enhance some aspects of immersion such as setting mood or scene. There was a lively discussion about sound in relation to accessibility and enabling equal access to communication in terms of group discussion as well as physical ability.
While our manners class both taught SL skills in both teacher and student presentation and etiquette in a fun and lighthearted way, the presentation itself was complex. We prepared a powerpoint and presentation board ahead of time. The commentary for the slide show was stored on a note card to be copy-and-pasted in for each slide, taking into account an average reading speed. The presenter created 13 different costumes as folders that were dropped onto the presenter to quickly change appearance, based on the content of the slide and/or commentary. These included both human and non-human characters. Shortly after the presentation commenced, the other group members began "griefing" - changing into animal avatars and threatening and bumping audience members, repeatedly calling out stock phrases and generally behaving badly. The presenter continued the presentation, attempting to regain control, yelling (in text) "I AM THE TEACHER" several times. We found that our audiences appreciated the humor and profited from both good and non-examples of appropriate self-presentation.
Result
We have run this same session 3 times for different audiences and each time has been successful but, like any real-time presentation has turned out differently. Our learners have been from a wide range of backgrounds from non-academics to experienced online tutors and members of the international business community. Attendees have also been from a range of disciplines and interests. We found it interesting that we have managed to reach our audience each time, despite technical difficulties, by thinking quickly on our feet and adjusting the timing and content of the presentation. As teachers, we've also learned the value of extensive preparation and practice ahead of time and learned to solve problems quickly you as they arose. These are supported by the recommendations of Sanchez and Mayrath et al as follows:
Supporting the social system
a. Interaction between students should be designed for instructional as well as social occasions.
b. Social spaces should be created in the virtual environment to allow students to hold informal
gatherings. Encourage the social use of the tool 1
• Have clearly stated learning objectives for the activity that relate to overall course objectives
• Have interesting and debatable topics that are anchored in context of class for each session 2
Annie & Mauri
Sunshine & Ceclia
References
1. A Sociotechnical Analysis of Second Life in an Undergraduate English course Joe Sanchez School of Information University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A., joesanchez@mail.utexas.edu
A Sociotechnical Analysis of Second Life in an Undergraduate English Course
2. Using Second Life in an English Course: Designing Class Activities to Address Learning Objectives
Using Second Life in an English Course: Designing Class Activities to Address Learning Objectives
Michael Mayrath
Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment,
The University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A., mmayrath@austin.utexas.edu
Joe Sanchez
School of Information,
The University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A., joesanchez@mail.utexas.edu
Tomoko Traphagan
Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment,
The University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A., tomoko.traphagan@austin.utexas.edu
Joel Heikes
Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment,
The University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A., joel.heikes@austin.utexas.edu
Avani Trivedi
Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment,
The University of Texas at Austin U.S.A., avani.trivedi@austin.utexas.edu
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfzrcdcd_59g3d9w4
CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS TO TEACHING IN SL
Problem addressed
We were part of a large class learning about Second Life, that has met synchronously once a week inworld. Class members were located in very different time zones from the UK to the US and through to Australia. We choose, as our group teaching project, to address "Facilitating New Users." We spent some time brainstorming beyond the basics of creating an avatar and learning to work. Our aim became to help new residents and new teachers learn some of the skills needed for teaching in SL, namely a relatively easy way to create a feeling of 'groupness', the ability of think about ambient sound as a factor in immersive learning and to think about what constitutes good manners and appropriate academic self-presentation in SL.
How we solved it
We created a class that offered three experiences that would address a range of necessary skills. We used tools and materials that were either already present in SL, or were easily constructed by novices. As using voice for group instruction has, in our experience, caused significant issues when some members of the audience have voice and some do not, we decided to conduct the class using chat. Chat is the 'natural language' of SL and reduces some technical difficulties, while improving accessibility.
The first activity divided the class into small groups and used making a T-shirt as an ice-breaker activity. This enabled students to build skills in both dressing and managing their inventory. Many of the students had not realized that simple clothes creation was a built in feature, and that there were fabric textures in their library. Students also learned negotiation and co-operation through the choice of the pattern for the shirt. Instructors could use this as an icebreaker in a class and also begin, through the design choice, to establish a sense of community and cohesiveness among their students. The activity concluded with a reflective discussion of learning and application for this exercise.
The sound exercise asked students to walk around the garden in which the class was held and to notice the ambient sounds and their internal reaction to them. The sounds included surf (the garden is close to the beach), ducks, hummingbirds, and a peacock, bees, locusts, squirrels, frogs, rain and thunder, This gave students an opportunity to think about ambient sound in relation to both speech and background environmental sounds. In the reflection discussion afterwards, they noticed that environmental sounds can really enhance some aspects of immersion such as setting mood or scene. There was a lively discussion about sound in relation to accessibility and enabling equal access to communication in terms of group discussion as well as physical ability.
While our manners class both taught SL skills in both teacher and student presentation and etiquette in a fun and lighthearted way, the presentation itself was complex. We prepared a powerpoint and presentation board ahead of time. The commentary for the slide show was stored on a note card to be copy-and-pasted in for each slide, taking into account an average reading speed. The presenter created 13 different costumes as folders that were dropped onto the presenter to quickly change appearance, based on the content of the slide and/or commentary. These included both human and non-human characters. Shortly after the presentation commenced, the other group members began "griefing" - changing into animal avatars and threatening and bumping audience members, repeatedly calling out stock phrases and generally behaving badly. The presenter continued the presentation, attempting to regain control, yelling (in text) "I AM THE TEACHER" several times. We found that our audiences appreciated the humor and profited from both good and non-examples of appropriate self-presentation.
Result
We have run this same session 3 times for different audiences and each time has been successful but, like any real-time presentation has turned out differently. Our learners have been from a wide range of backgrounds from non-academics to experienced online tutors and members of the international business community. Attendees have also been from a range of disciplines and interests. We found it interesting that we have managed to reach our audience each time, despite technical difficulties, by thinking quickly on our feet and adjusting the timing and content of the presentation. As teachers, we've also learned the value of extensive preparation and practice ahead of time and learned to solve problems quickly you as they arose. These are supported by the recommendations of Sanchez and Mayrath et al as follows:
Supporting the social system
a. Interaction between students should be designed for instructional as well as social occasions.
b. Social spaces should be created in the virtual environment to allow students to hold informal
gatherings. Encourage the social use of the tool 1
• Have clearly stated learning objectives for the activity that relate to overall course objectives
• Have interesting and debatable topics that are anchored in context of class for each session 2
Annie & Mauri
Sunshine & Ceclia
References
1. A Sociotechnical Analysis of Second Life in an Undergraduate English course Joe Sanchez School of Information University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A., joesanchez@mail.utexas.edu
A Sociotechnical Analysis of Second Life in an Undergraduate English Course
2. Using Second Life in an English Course: Designing Class Activities to Address Learning Objectives
Using Second Life in an English Course: Designing Class Activities to Address Learning Objectives
Michael Mayrath
Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment,
The University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A., mmayrath@austin.utexas.edu
Joe Sanchez
School of Information,
The University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A., joesanchez@mail.utexas.edu
Tomoko Traphagan
Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment,
The University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A., tomoko.traphagan@austin.utexas.edu
Joel Heikes
Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment,
The University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A., joel.heikes@austin.utexas.edu
Avani Trivedi
Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment,
The University of Texas at Austin U.S.A., avani.trivedi@austin.utexas.edu
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
SL assessment and language learning
We've been thinking about assessment in terms of our intercultural project recently. Much of the recorded learning activity has taken place within a blog and it's been interesting to see how communication taken place within the blog. I've also been thinking about how different communication is in SL, and how best to take advantage of both. The blog offers a community an opportunity to share their reflections on culture and personal experience, and in-world ways to discuss and collaborate on shared tasks and adventures.
We're planning on using a quiz on cultural places in SL, and I've explored quiz balls such as the one mentioned in http://www.bretagdesigns.com/technologist/?p=92. The other forms of assessment in this week's reading are interesting, but beyond what I need at the moment.
Language learning involves 4 core skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking and these can be sub-divided further into other skills. Obviously there is a lot more to language learning than that, but it's not really the space here to talk about that in detail. With communication forming a core part of language learning assessment activities such as SL travel diaries, reflective actions, creative projects and discussions are simple and yet very effective for language teachers.
Sometime in the week I think I'm going to look at Second Life In-World English Assessment Test
Talkin' Assessment in Second Life http://www.bretagdesigns.com/technologist/?p=92
Evaluating the instructional effectiveness of Second Life. http://www.utexas.edu/academic/diia/secondlife/assess.php
Second Life In-World English Assessment Test http://esl-secondlife.blogspot.com/2007/10/second-life-english-in-world-assessment.html
We're planning on using a quiz on cultural places in SL, and I've explored quiz balls such as the one mentioned in http://www.bretagdesigns.com/technologist/?p=92. The other forms of assessment in this week's reading are interesting, but beyond what I need at the moment.
Language learning involves 4 core skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking and these can be sub-divided further into other skills. Obviously there is a lot more to language learning than that, but it's not really the space here to talk about that in detail. With communication forming a core part of language learning assessment activities such as SL travel diaries, reflective actions, creative projects and discussions are simple and yet very effective for language teachers.
Sometime in the week I think I'm going to look at Second Life In-World English Assessment Test
Talkin' Assessment in Second Life http://www.bretagdesigns.com/technologist/?p=92
Evaluating the instructional effectiveness of Second Life. http://www.utexas.edu/academic/diia/secondlife/assess.php
Second Life In-World English Assessment Test http://esl-secondlife.blogspot.com/2007/10/second-life-english-in-world-assessment.html
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Andragogy and SL
Andragogy and Malcolm Knowles
I enclose the full bullets from the first reference below (#1 ) as I felt that they should be included. I remember these articles from many years ago when I worked on an MLE project for a consortium delivering teacher training qualifications. Now, when I re-read these points I am amazed at how many of these reflect my experiences in SL. The self-reflection and growth of the self, the close relationships and bonds that encourage that personal growth in friends. That we bond together and try to help those around us to reach their full potential.
In terms of relevance to language learners, the Fidishun article raises interesting points about the autonomous learner and the autodidact. This type of learning is actively encouraged in languages, and is a movement that started when student numbers started to reach capacities beyond tutor availability. Language resource or self-access centres support the independent language learner, whether they are studying for a full-time course or evening classes. One of the issues that I frequently talk about is the need for autonomous learners to have access to help in choosing instructional models and appropriate resources. That, even if they have some confidence in creating a structured environment, they may like support or a means to move forward in their learning. (#2) Autonomous learning materials in resource centres suggest activities but may not include support materials or a learning path. Web-based materials may indeed offer the ability to experience alternative scenarios, and offer the opportunity for reflection (#2), but there is a need for instructional design at some stage in the learning. I feel that there is an opportunity to create rich and interactive autonomous language learning experiences in SL with good pedagogy and with Knowle's informal education goals.
Malcolm S. Knowles (1950) Informal Adult Education, Chicago: Association Press, pages 9-10.
Learning goals for adult informal learning:
#1 malcolm knowles, informal adult education, self-direction and andragogyhttp://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm
#2 Fidishun, D. (2006). Andragogy and technology: Integrating adult learning theory as we teach with technology. Retrieved on January 3, 2006, from http://markmcmanus.ca/Resources/Adult-Learners-Integrating-Adult-Learning-Theory-with-Technology.pdf
I enclose the full bullets from the first reference below (#1 ) as I felt that they should be included. I remember these articles from many years ago when I worked on an MLE project for a consortium delivering teacher training qualifications. Now, when I re-read these points I am amazed at how many of these reflect my experiences in SL. The self-reflection and growth of the self, the close relationships and bonds that encourage that personal growth in friends. That we bond together and try to help those around us to reach their full potential.
In terms of relevance to language learners, the Fidishun article raises interesting points about the autonomous learner and the autodidact. This type of learning is actively encouraged in languages, and is a movement that started when student numbers started to reach capacities beyond tutor availability. Language resource or self-access centres support the independent language learner, whether they are studying for a full-time course or evening classes. One of the issues that I frequently talk about is the need for autonomous learners to have access to help in choosing instructional models and appropriate resources. That, even if they have some confidence in creating a structured environment, they may like support or a means to move forward in their learning. (#2) Autonomous learning materials in resource centres suggest activities but may not include support materials or a learning path. Web-based materials may indeed offer the ability to experience alternative scenarios, and offer the opportunity for reflection (#2), but there is a need for instructional design at some stage in the learning. I feel that there is an opportunity to create rich and interactive autonomous language learning experiences in SL with good pedagogy and with Knowle's informal education goals.
Malcolm S. Knowles (1950) Informal Adult Education, Chicago: Association Press, pages 9-10.
Learning goals for adult informal learning:
- Adults should acquire a mature understanding of themselves. They should understand their needs, motivations, interests, capacities, and goals. They should be able to look at themselves objectively and maturely. They should accept themselves and respect themselves for what they are, while striving earnestly to become better.
- Adults should develop an attitude of acceptance, love, and respect toward others. This is the attitude on which all human relations depend. Adults must learn to distinguish between people and ideas, and to challenge ideas without threatening people. Ideally, this attitude will go beyond acceptance, love, and respect, to empathy and the sincere desire to help others.
- Adults should develop a dynamic attitude toward life. They should accept the fact of change and should think of themselves as always changing. They should acquire the habit of looking at every experience as an opportunity to learn and should become skillful in learning from it.
- Adults should learn to react to the causes, not the symptoms, of behavior. Solutions to problems lie in their causes, not in their symptoms. We have learned to apply this lesson in the physical world, but have yet to learn to apply it in human relations.
- Adults should acquire the skills necessary to achieve the potentials of their personalities. Every person has capacities that, if realized, will contribute to the well-being of himself and of society. To achieve these potentials requires skills of many kinds—vocational, social, recreational, civic, artistic, and the like. It should be a goal of education to give each individual those skills necessary for him to make full use of his capacities.
- Adults should understand the essential values in the capital of human experience. They should be familiar with the heritage of knowledge, the great ideas, the great traditions, of the world in which they live. They should understand and respect the values that bind men together.
- Adults should understand their society and should be skillful in directing social change. In a democracy the people participate in making decisions that affect the entire social order. It is imperative, therefore, that every factory worker, every salesman, every politician, every housewife, know enough about government, economics, international affairs, and other aspects of the social order to be able to take part in them intelligently.
#1 malcolm knowles, informal adult education, self-direction and andragogyhttp://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm
#2 Fidishun, D. (2006). Andragogy and technology: Integrating adult learning theory as we teach with technology. Retrieved on January 3, 2006, from http://markmcmanus.ca/Resources/Adult-Learners-Integrating-Adult-Learning-Theory-with-Technology.pdf
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Universal avatars
Take your SL identity between worlds. Interesting, but that could be an amazing tangle for authentication.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7038039.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7038039.stm
Virtual Worlds and the Visually Impaired
So one of my questions on technologies to support visually-impaired residents in SL is answered by this project. It looks as if IBM do some very interesting research, and we can only hope that it becomes widely available. I can also see the usefulness of this project for helping teach those that have recently lost their sight, to move around in real life.
Sonar is something of a dream, the project idea for the London Underground hasn't materialised. I've seen this product by Wayfinder, called Wayfinder Access, though I haven't tested it out. Their other software works well though. www.wayfinder.com
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6993739.stm
Sonar is something of a dream, the project idea for the London Underground hasn't materialised. I've seen this product by Wayfinder, called Wayfinder Access, though I haven't tested it out. Their other software works well though. www.wayfinder.com
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6993739.stm
British Sign Language and SL
This is a really interesting development in SL, and I'd love to see this in action. Particularly if there's a way to express BSL (British Sign Language) in all it's richness and subtlety. I'll never forget being in a crowded cafe which was filled with noise and energy as a group of excited teenagers talked with their teacher. However, the cafe to me was 'silent' and I didn't understand a word. I did enjoy watching and the experience though very much.
The enabling of signing communities could create a need for a whole new translator. One that translates between the different signing communities, and perhaps back into English, French, German, Greek and so forth. I'd hate to see any community be cut off from the potential to participate and build communities that we currently have. Just as voice can take away a hearing impaired person's ability to contribute fully, and the shy person's ability to participate.
Technique links words to signing
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6993326.stm
The enabling of signing communities could create a need for a whole new translator. One that translates between the different signing communities, and perhaps back into English, French, German, Greek and so forth. I'd hate to see any community be cut off from the potential to participate and build communities that we currently have. Just as voice can take away a hearing impaired person's ability to contribute fully, and the shy person's ability to participate.
Technique links words to signing
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6993326.stm
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
What is an Immersive Learning Experience in SL and what might it feel like?
Abandonment or enjoyment, or the ability to give oneself in, to immerse oneself totally in, the experience - in short, to live it to its full. No creative activity would ever be complete, or would lead to a meaningful and relevant conclusion without any of the [the following] conditions: Meaning, Questioning, Exploration, Experimentation, Adaptation, Open-mindedness, Insight, Fearlessness, Innovation and Risk-taking.
Creativity in Modern Foreign Languages Teaching and Learning, Margaret Anne Clarke http://complexworld.pbwiki.com/
Immersion is a powerful experience of gaming, and has been mentioned by gamers, designers and game researchers alike as an important experience of interaction. However, when trying to understand immersion for transfer to another domain, it is very difficult to find out what exactly is meant by immersion or indeed even whether the different research on immersion is talking about the same concept.
A Grounded Investigation of Game Immersion, Emily Brown and Paul Cairns http://complexworld.pbwiki.com/
What does an immersive experience mean to me as a learner?
I've been considering how an Immersive experience feels to me as a non MMORPG-er in comparison to the idea of 'stories' on the Complex World wiki. Whilst I can appreciate both these examples, they are not experiences that I would necessarily go out of my way to seek. At my institution I often represent the language learner perspective as an independent learner of Italian, so I began to explore writing on Immersive learning to compare to my own thoughts.
Brown and Cairns talk about the following conditions that are needed for full immersion or Presence to occur in Games, and discuss them in detail in their paper. Basically it involves the following:
Creative or artistic endeavours or those involving other people have far more appeal for me, and interestingly I've found there are a number of ex-MMORPG ers in SL. They have moved world for the creative potential of SL. SL to me seems to address the later immersive aspects such as emotional investment, empathy and atmosphere quite well through its affordances of social interaction, community and creativity. I aim to continue looking at the literature in the hope of finding more work on immersive learning in virtual worlds that involve creative or language learning activities.
I certainly want to explore these further than the small project I currently am running.
SL and learning styles
I'm still intrigued by Johnson and Levine's idea of communicating in 3D in a virtual world* and that of showing. As a kinesthetic learner, I was happily considering this on the bus to work. It's hardly a revelation that something like a virtual world could accommodate different learning preferences, in addition to the necessary language skills such as reading, writing, speaking, but I started to consider Gardner's Intelligences and SL.**Within the space of a few minutes I'd started mapping aspects of SL onto modified intelligences and also to the ontology of our language learning and teaching Learning Object repository.. Though as I'm over this week's word limit I shall save that for another day.
*Lawrence F Johnson and Alan H Levine http://immersiveeducation.org/library/Immersive_Learning-Johnson_and_Levine.pdf
** David Gibson, Clark Aldrich and Marc Prensky, 2007, Games and Simulations in Online Learning
Creativity in Modern Foreign Languages Teaching and Learning, Margaret Anne Clarke http://complexworld.pbwiki.com/
Immersion is a powerful experience of gaming, and has been mentioned by gamers, designers and game researchers alike as an important experience of interaction. However, when trying to understand immersion for transfer to another domain, it is very difficult to find out what exactly is meant by immersion or indeed even whether the different research on immersion is talking about the same concept.
A Grounded Investigation of Game Immersion, Emily Brown and Paul Cairns http://complexworld.pbwiki.com/
What does an immersive experience mean to me as a learner?
I've been considering how an Immersive experience feels to me as a non MMORPG-er in comparison to the idea of 'stories' on the Complex World wiki. Whilst I can appreciate both these examples, they are not experiences that I would necessarily go out of my way to seek. At my institution I often represent the language learner perspective as an independent learner of Italian, so I began to explore writing on Immersive learning to compare to my own thoughts.
Brown and Cairns talk about the following conditions that are needed for full immersion or Presence to occur in Games, and discuss them in detail in their paper. Basically it involves the following:
- Access e.g. that the style of game appeals and the controls are easily mastered
- Investment of time
- Investment of effort and corresponding rewards
- Emotional investment
- Empathy
- Atmosphere
Creative or artistic endeavours or those involving other people have far more appeal for me, and interestingly I've found there are a number of ex-MMORPG ers in SL. They have moved world for the creative potential of SL. SL to me seems to address the later immersive aspects such as emotional investment, empathy and atmosphere quite well through its affordances of social interaction, community and creativity. I aim to continue looking at the literature in the hope of finding more work on immersive learning in virtual worlds that involve creative or language learning activities.
I certainly want to explore these further than the small project I currently am running.
SL and learning styles
I'm still intrigued by Johnson and Levine's idea of communicating in 3D in a virtual world* and that of showing. As a kinesthetic learner, I was happily considering this on the bus to work. It's hardly a revelation that something like a virtual world could accommodate different learning preferences, in addition to the necessary language skills such as reading, writing, speaking, but I started to consider Gardner's Intelligences and SL.**Within the space of a few minutes I'd started mapping aspects of SL onto modified intelligences and also to the ontology of our language learning and teaching Learning Object repository.. Though as I'm over this week's word limit I shall save that for another day.
*Lawrence F Johnson and Alan H Levine http://immersiveeducation.org/library/Immersive_Learning-Johnson_and_Levine.pdf
** David Gibson, Clark Aldrich and Marc Prensky, 2007, Games and Simulations in Online Learning
Monday, October 8, 2007
A scavanger hunt - an idea from my friend Ceclia
Here is the description: The Darkwood Trail (starting point SLurl) is a scavenger hunt introducing the player to many regions of Second Life while teaching SL basics, such as when and how to walk and fly, along with providing helpful tips on themes such as, building, scripting, vehicles, clothes, nightlife, poses and animations, pets and land. The player picks up lots of freebies along the way.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
What is an Immersive Language Learning Experience in SL and where can I find one?
This week's post in an attempt at an answer for all those that asked...
'Hermeneutics is part of what Don Lavoie at George Mason University's Program on Social and Organisational Learning refers to as ‘interpretive approaches’. That is, a dialogue based approach that seeks ever greater understanding, in a social context, by entering conversation for the purpose of exploring.' Quoted from: Michael McMaster 1996 – Electronic Communication
‘When other people are also interacting in the same space at the same time, as in today’s massively multi-user environments, friendships, communities, and even societies and cultures can emerge, and the overall effect can become analogous to or an extension of experiences participants have in real world.'
‘Cultural mores and expectations can be very sophisticated, and socialization very much involves the learning processes of observation, reflection, and assimilation. ’
Lawrence F Johnson and Alan H Levine http://immersiveeducation.org/library/Immersive_Learning-Johnson_and_Levine.pdf
Languages are best learned in immersive environments where the learner has to use all the key language skills on a daily basis – they are surrounded by their target language. Many people think whole environments have to be constructed in SL to facilitate immersive learning, but there are many locations that enable speech, listening and reading to happen in a live and spontaneous way. As Johnson and Levine put it, communication is in 3D using texture, form, sight and sound. Virtual worlds encourage rich expression through tools, objects, video, images and demonstrations, as well as art, music, exhibitions and sculpture.
Many sims are focussed on particular language groups, for instance Parioli for Italian and Barcelona for Spanish. 'Though it’s possible to hear Russian, German, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese to name but a few. There are sims dedicated to particular cultural goals, such as Virtual Morocco which aims to promote an understanding of Arab/Muslim culture. You might also find yourself suddenly in a multilingual place with a babble of different languages being spoken all around you.
After many hours of exploring SL, I have found many places that facilitate cultural immersion. There are French cafes, Italian Pizzerias, Russian shipyards, Swedish country homes. There are the New Wonders of the World such as Chichen Itza, opera houses, fantasy themes, outer space and nature all of which promote conversation and creative language skills.
For small groups of autonomous learners, simply exploring the Metaverse and communicating using their chosen language can be the most effective thing. Spontaneity is a key aspect of language acquisition, and unexpected sights and sounds can encourage the further development of grammar, vocabulary, verbs and so forth. Chat and IM enable learners to use learning support such as verb engines, translation tools, dictionaries in their web browers or translaters such as Babbler in world - in a live environment that promotes intercultural understanding. Kate Borthwick and Ann Jeffery, 2007, http://preview.tinyurl.com/2wb8jk
Piccolo Mondo: Virtual worlds for language learning: a look at Second Life
However, you can never dispense of the teacher. The teacher can offer a curriculum to ensure continued progression of language skills, and can identify where other learning support is needed for difficult areas.
'Hermeneutics is part of what Don Lavoie at George Mason University's Program on Social and Organisational Learning refers to as ‘interpretive approaches’. That is, a dialogue based approach that seeks ever greater understanding, in a social context, by entering conversation for the purpose of exploring.' Quoted from: Michael McMaster 1996 – Electronic Communication
‘When other people are also interacting in the same space at the same time, as in today’s massively multi-user environments, friendships, communities, and even societies and cultures can emerge, and the overall effect can become analogous to or an extension of experiences participants have in real world.'
‘Cultural mores and expectations can be very sophisticated, and socialization very much involves the learning processes of observation, reflection, and assimilation. ’
Lawrence F Johnson and Alan H Levine http://immersiveeducation.org/library/Immersive_Learning-Johnson_and_Levine.pdf
Languages are best learned in immersive environments where the learner has to use all the key language skills on a daily basis – they are surrounded by their target language. Many people think whole environments have to be constructed in SL to facilitate immersive learning, but there are many locations that enable speech, listening and reading to happen in a live and spontaneous way. As Johnson and Levine put it, communication is in 3D using texture, form, sight and sound. Virtual worlds encourage rich expression through tools, objects, video, images and demonstrations, as well as art, music, exhibitions and sculpture.
Many sims are focussed on particular language groups, for instance Parioli for Italian and Barcelona for Spanish. 'Though it’s possible to hear Russian, German, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese to name but a few. There are sims dedicated to particular cultural goals, such as Virtual Morocco which aims to promote an understanding of Arab/Muslim culture. You might also find yourself suddenly in a multilingual place with a babble of different languages being spoken all around you.
After many hours of exploring SL, I have found many places that facilitate cultural immersion. There are French cafes, Italian Pizzerias, Russian shipyards, Swedish country homes. There are the New Wonders of the World such as Chichen Itza, opera houses, fantasy themes, outer space and nature all of which promote conversation and creative language skills.
For small groups of autonomous learners, simply exploring the Metaverse and communicating using their chosen language can be the most effective thing. Spontaneity is a key aspect of language acquisition, and unexpected sights and sounds can encourage the further development of grammar, vocabulary, verbs and so forth. Chat and IM enable learners to use learning support such as verb engines, translation tools, dictionaries in their web browers or translaters such as Babbler in world - in a live environment that promotes intercultural understanding. Kate Borthwick and Ann Jeffery, 2007, http://preview.tinyurl.com/2wb8jk
Piccolo Mondo: Virtual worlds for language learning: a look at Second Life
However, you can never dispense of the teacher. The teacher can offer a curriculum to ensure continued progression of language skills, and can identify where other learning support is needed for difficult areas.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Web 2.0 and SL
Initially I was going to write about the use of web 2.0 tags and repositories of SL objects e.g. SaLamander and MERLOT. Especially in comparison with the web 2.0 repository project that I work on CLAReT, which is developing an ontology/folksonomy for language teaching and learning with the input of teachers and others with expert knowledge in languages/language teaching. I was reminded of this by the article on (Yew, Jolt vol no 4 http://www.jolt.merlot.org/vol2no4/yew.htm) in comparison with my own project (http://claret.ecs.soton.ac.uk) after the comments on vocabulary and defining what terminology was, the polysemy of words and so forth. The CLAReT project is the first stage in the process of offering a formal agreed set of words to allow for a place to start, to help reduce vocabulary problems but also to allow for the creation and expansion of the learning domain too. The tags will be explorable with a concept map which would offer an interesting addition to the MERLOT/SaLamander project, which I was interested in.
I've played a lot with blogging inworld, and then thought about relationship that data can play in world too. How to interact with websites and so forth, and what role this could take pedagogically, for instance and language learning in relation to the SLURLblogging tool, posting to FLICKR and the other SL imaging site and so forth. I'm very motivated by these sorts of mashups, particularly when the content is fed back inworld.
However, what has really got me thinking today is the HUD that Mali gave me - Tiny Empires - which connects me to a network of unknown people. I find myself constantly watching the updates and am quite involved with the game. The date is now March 1183 and 6 months have passed since this morning... There is huge potential for this game to be modified to a role play or problem-based learning context, most obviously in humanities but also elsewhere. With a link to content in web 2.0 sites, and a MMRPG type interaction combined with SL simulation, there are very interesting possibilities indeed! I am motivated to find technologies that mean I don't have to leave my nice comfy virtual world too often. Particularly when everyone notices I'm lost in my browser. (Nearly as bad as being lost in my inventory, but not quite.)
Now I've just hatched my turtle Turnip, and I have to look after her like a Tamagotchi. Luckily I can check out Turnip's health via the website http://www.kunstgebaeude.de/secondlife/mypets.php?alias=you name Still in beta, but the role play possibilities are endless here too. Unfortunately, Turnip's eggmate exploded when I tried to hatch her. :)
I've played a lot with blogging inworld, and then thought about relationship that data can play in world too. How to interact with websites and so forth, and what role this could take pedagogically, for instance and language learning in relation to the SLURLblogging tool, posting to FLICKR and the other SL imaging site and so forth. I'm very motivated by these sorts of mashups, particularly when the content is fed back inworld.
However, what has really got me thinking today is the HUD that Mali gave me - Tiny Empires - which connects me to a network of unknown people. I find myself constantly watching the updates and am quite involved with the game. The date is now March 1183 and 6 months have passed since this morning... There is huge potential for this game to be modified to a role play or problem-based learning context, most obviously in humanities but also elsewhere. With a link to content in web 2.0 sites, and a MMRPG type interaction combined with SL simulation, there are very interesting possibilities indeed! I am motivated to find technologies that mean I don't have to leave my nice comfy virtual world too often. Particularly when everyone notices I'm lost in my browser. (Nearly as bad as being lost in my inventory, but not quite.)
Now I've just hatched my turtle Turnip, and I have to look after her like a Tamagotchi. Luckily I can check out Turnip's health via the website http://www.kunstgebaeude.de/secondlife/mypets.php?alias=you name Still in beta, but the role play possibilities are endless here too. Unfortunately, Turnip's eggmate exploded when I tried to hatch her. :)
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Second Life - important aspects for me
This entry relates to my own personal experiences and research in SL since Dec 06.
The benefits of the community
The idea of Communities of Practice (Wenger) is well known now to educators. I'm an advocate of Second Life's ability to nurture learning communities in the same way that other communities flourish in-world. A well-formed educational community can allow learners to:
Voice versus Chat and Language learning
... The intelligent use of voice and chat in identified contexts is desirable:
We did a presentation in February 2007 on the use of SL for language learning, particularly in relation to independent learning. In a discussion with the British Council, 2 things became apparent:
The benefits of the community
The idea of Communities of Practice (Wenger) is well known now to educators. I'm an advocate of Second Life's ability to nurture learning communities in the same way that other communities flourish in-world. A well-formed educational community can allow learners to:
- Personalise their environment to suit their interests.
- Students can actively build and create their learning environment
- They can be more engaged through social interaction and personalisation
- A sense of ownership and belonging from this direct involvement in the community.
- Develop higher-level social skills desirable to employers
- Learners might also have an increased sense of trust, confidence, satisfaction and personal development through the use of a community. (Wenger)
Voice versus Chat and Language learning
... The intelligent use of voice and chat in identified contexts is desirable:
We did a presentation in February 2007 on the use of SL for language learning, particularly in relation to independent learning. In a discussion with the British Council, 2 things became apparent:
- That learning preferences were extremely evident, this person was unhappy at the lack of voice and ambient noise. He placed a lot of emphasis on sound and voice in his needs for language learners.
- That chat-based interaction for languages allows accessibility for those with lower-level skills and less ability in speaking. It allows for creativity in language use, translators, widgets outside of SL such as dictionaries and verb engines and to take time in reading the conversation if it is conducted in IM. From personal experience as a learner of Italian, I found that my confidence and abilities increased, and that my verbal skills increased in conjunction with this. My greatly increased skills in language use through text directly translated to my ability to use spoken languages. An encounter with a learner of English as a Second Language confirmed this view, as she related a similar tale of how her English improved and will now use voice on occasion.
SL classroomHorizon report
Web 2.0 related technologies
These are already here, and being used to some extent in institutions. The main issue will be to do with how to consider authoring and IP in a collective work. In terms of academia, this availability before publication can mean that publishers will not be interested in formal publication of available/non exclusive content.
I'd agree that the old academic focus on strict disciplines can be out of step with the modern world. Interconnection and intertextuality is common in the Humanities, particularly after Postmodernism. Assessment doesn't seem less easy with new technologies, just different. Maybe this is an area where an educational technologist can help the teacher employ the inherent abilities of technologies, or perhaps it needs no more than to rethink how assessment takes place. There may have to be negotiation to ensure that these forms of assessment are seen as acceptable and equivalent, and not to forego entirely old forms of assessment. These old forms also teach valuable skills.
Features that are important:
New art forms offers interesting new ways to create
Cost of developing MMPG
Games I've encountered - Archaeological excavation and Roman life and customs
Communities need to be maintained and kept interested.
Good multimedia design is needed to create an engaging environment. Both in terms of educational design and graphic design.
Technologies and age groups???
In our informal research:
These are already here, and being used to some extent in institutions. The main issue will be to do with how to consider authoring and IP in a collective work. In terms of academia, this availability before publication can mean that publishers will not be interested in formal publication of available/non exclusive content.
I'd agree that the old academic focus on strict disciplines can be out of step with the modern world. Interconnection and intertextuality is common in the Humanities, particularly after Postmodernism. Assessment doesn't seem less easy with new technologies, just different. Maybe this is an area where an educational technologist can help the teacher employ the inherent abilities of technologies, or perhaps it needs no more than to rethink how assessment takes place. There may have to be negotiation to ensure that these forms of assessment are seen as acceptable and equivalent, and not to forego entirely old forms of assessment. These old forms also teach valuable skills.
Features that are important:
- sharing which creates a resources for future communities
- collaboration and community building
- shared wisdom
- inspiration/self evaluation for students through comparing work
- customisable interfaces using pageflakes/igoogle etc - death of the VLE?
- use of different media to communicate
- can tailor to suit learning styles
- move away from chalk and talk as sole method of teaching
- to build communities before the students arrive
New art forms offers interesting new ways to create
Cost of developing MMPG
Games I've encountered - Archaeological excavation and Roman life and customs
Communities need to be maintained and kept interested.
Good multimedia design is needed to create an engaging environment. Both in terms of educational design and graphic design.
Technologies and age groups???
In our informal research:
- Older - Second Life. We found SL was seen as sad with French students. However, the tutors were fascinated. I wonder whether that tutors have more developed social skills?
- Younger - MySpace/Facebook, social websites. Younger people seem more focussed on sharing and comparing content, ideas, interests. Finding those that are like minded.
- All - Instant messaging, VoiceOverIP
- Funding for developing MMPG and any other new technology
- Increasing teacher awarenesss and helping adoption
- Teacher support for new technology adoption
- Sustainability - people, services, maintenance
- Access to equipment in universities (Often poor quality)
- Access to services/websites in universities (e.g. Second Life)
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