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