Knue2009 Final

Virtual World Teaching & Design for New Media Literacy Learning

Lisa Dawley, Ph.D.Dept. of Educational Technology

[email protected]

Audience

How many have been in a virtual world of any kind?How many have created an account, an avatar in

Second Life?How many are inworld more than 1 hour per week?How many are inworld more than 3 hours per week?How many currently teach in SL?

Web 2.0 Tools

Ø Explore social networking technologies…

Blogs - web journal www.blogger.com

Wikis - collaborative online space, editable by community

www.pbwiki.com

Photo & Video Sharing www.flickr.com photobucket.com www.youtube.com

Virtual Worlds - online 3D, immersive environments

ActiveWorldsSecond LifeThereHipihiHabbo GogofrogWhyVilleToonTownClub Penguin

Why Virtual Worlds?

Ø The Internet is Going 3D

In 2007, 24%, or 8.2 million children, visited virtual worlds.

By 2011, the estimate is 53% or 20 million.

3DLearn Interactive Academy http://www.3dlearn.com/

• Over 100 virtual worlds are in use or planned for release this year.

•By the end of the year, Club Penguin will be the largest with over 50 million kids.

•By 2011, 80% of internet users will use virtual worlds.

Participatory Culture & The New Media Literacies Play

Performance

Simulation

Appropriation

Multitasking

Distributed Cognition

Collective Intelligence

Judgment

Transmedia Navigation

Networking

Negotiation

Visualization

Play the capacity to experiment with one’s

surroundings as a form of problem-solving

Performance the ability to adopt alternative identities for the

purpose of improvisation and discovery

Simulation the ability to interpret and construct dynamic

models of real-world processes

Appropriation the ability to meaningfully sample and remix

media content

Multi-tasking the ability to scan one’s environment and shift

focus as needed to salient details

Distributed Cognition the ability to interact meaningfully with tools that

expand mental capacities

Collective Intelligence the ability to pool knowledge and compare notes

with others toward a common goal

Judgment the ability to evaluate the reliability and

credibility of different information sources

Transmedia Navigation the ability to follow the flow of stories and

information across multiple modalities

Networking the ability to search for, synthesize, and

disseminate information

Negotiation the ability to travel across diverse communities,

discerning and respecting multiple perspectives, and grasping and following alternative norms

Visualization the ability to interpret and create data

representations for the purposes of expressing ideas, finding patterns, and identifying trends

edtechisland.wetpaint.comedtechisland.wetpaint.com

EDTECH Island ThenJanuary 2007

EDTECH Island NowSeptember 2009

• 9 graduate courses, $150K tuition

• 7 instructors, multiple GAs

• “Construction Junction” workshop

• Avg. 450 unique visitors per week

• Numerous guest speaker events

• “Home” to over 50 international educators

• EDTECH Community group over 1,400 members

• Sandbox, classrooms, amphitheater, and learning centers open to the public

• Professional organizational partnerships

Pedagogy in Second Life

Ø What teaching approaches and techniques are used in Second Life?

Ø LectureØ Whole group discussionØ Small group discussionØ Collaborative projectsØ Scavenger huntsØ Peer observation and feedbackØ Surveys, testsØ Note-takingØ Field tripsØ SimulationsØ Guest speakersØ Design & buildingØ Commerce-based learningØ InterviewsØ And more….

K-12 Education in Second Life

Ø Examples of Second Life in K-12 Education

Camp Global Kids was the first virtual summer camp.

Global Kids Island in the teen grid is a place for teen

residents to learn about important social and world

issues.

Kids Connect is a series of workshops for young people in

multiple locations, teaching them to connect and work together

via performance, storytelling

and collaboration by both physical and digital

means.

Exploratorium in San Francisco, the museum of science,

art, and human perception, mixed real- and virtual-

world

experiences when they presented a live Webcast of

a solar

eclipse from Side, Turkey, in three virtual SL

amphitheaters.

Impact of Social Networking

Ø Why Use Social Networking? Web 2.0 technologies are changing the way we communicate. Communication

influences how people think and learn.

Historically, mass communication has involved transmission from a main source to

many users. Note the same is basically true for all levels of education since the

Industrial Age.

Teacher, TV, advertiser

Student

Student

Student

Teacher’s Role in Social Networks

Ø Why Use Social Networking? Social networking promotes mass

communication among all users, thus supporting constructivist approaches to teaching.

Examples of influence of social networks:

political campaign blogs, YouTube,

MySpace

Role of teacher: facilitator of the network

In an era of social networking, those

participating WITHIN the network are most

credible.

Teacher

Parent

Student

Student

Student

Teacher Student

Educator Networks In Second Life

Educator Networks Around Second Life

Educator Networks In and Around Second Life

Social Network Knowledge Construction

Table 1 Matrix for Designing SNKC New to Virtual

Worlds Some Experience with Virtual Worlds

Experienced with Virtual Worlds

Social Network Engagement Level

1. Identify networks

Provide single entry portal to virtual world (through a web page or wiki).

Introduction to inworld small group networks; create a group for specific course members.

Identification and inclusion of multiple in and out of world networks.

2. Lurk Enter, observe, and learn the culture and norms of the environment, as well as the tools provided.

Begin participation in inworld small group networks (attend a building class, hear a lecture); lurk on relevant listservs.

Encourage visitation to networks used by others related to course.

3. Contribute Begin interactions with others. Help other learners when possible.

Assist those hosting inworld events with marketing, traffic coordination.

Require contributions to multiple social networks, both inworld and out-of-world.

4. Create Build something inworld…a book, an object giver, a simple car.

Participate in a group build, such as an exhibit or build out a place for yourself.

Design your own network around a given topic, or build out a place for others.

5. Lead Establish a special interest group of like-minded peers on relevant topics.

Create an inworld group on a special interest topic.

Leverage partnerships among multiple group members to promote new knowledge development and learning opportunities.

Pedagogical framework

Develops “avatar capital”

1,200 Members

Professional Presentations

Hosting formal and informal social events

Text

Teach people how to build

Design of EDTECH Island for learning

Designed in response to students’ needs:

• Building skills• Information• Meeting place• Social area• Living areas• Amphitheater

What is persistence in virtual worlds?

the world continues to change and develop whether or not any particular subscriber is logged into it (Gehorsma, 2003).

what remains when the game is turned off and on--buildings, quests, NPCs, etc. (Bartle, 2004).

active and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (Wikipedia)

spaces in which the artifacts of others help guide new learners and where users are free to move and interact as they please (Jones & Bronack, 2007)

Aha!

Physical Design

DESIGN TO MEET NEEDS

building, living, sharing information, attending events, socializing, experiential learning

Use nodes and pathways to promote persistence

Physical Design

Aug. 2-9 Aug. 10-17

Data collection:Using Maya Realities, a web-based database, and an event log

Physical DesignPhysical Design

Physical design: What we’ve learned

Use pathways, nodes, signage

Group notices support persistence




Offer living spaces to community members

Offer free services to the public (sandbox)






Know who and when people are participating (time events, keywords)






Know who and when people are participating (time events, keywords)

Challenges & Concerns

Ø Some Challenges and Concernswith Second Life

Mature content on the main grid

TOS and community standards

Access for all students

Faculty training, learning curve

Costs & management

Griefers

Videos on Second Life

Ø Watch These Videos to See What SL is All About…

New Media Consortium Second Life Video www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8wm_1TIHGA Global Kids in Second Life (3 videos)

http://secondlife.com/businesseducation/education.php

NOAA's Virtual Island www.youtube.com/watch? Architecture in Second Life Machinima www.youtube.com/watch?v=KruzH82Z2qQ

The Making of Suzanne Vega's Second Life Guitar www.youtube.com/watch?

v=bQL8_HB1HtQ

Getting Started in SL

Ø Getting Started in Second Life…

Second Life Education Wiki - everything you need to know about SL. http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/

Introducing your Real Life Students to Second Life - provides overview

of things to consider when using SL with your students.

www.cxknowledge.com

Rez Ed: The Hub for Learning & Virtual Worlds

http://www.rezed.org/

Second Life Education Grid http://secondlifegrid.net/slfe/education-use-

virtual-world

How do I teach in Second Life?

1. First, be a learner, not a teacher. Spend time on the main grid. 2. Take as many free classes as you can!3. Understand the basics of the interface (Torley’s YouTube videos!)4. Get involved in virtual educator groups:

Second Life (listserv) Teen Second Life (listserv) Rez Ed (website)

5. Learn where to find information: SL Education wiki SimTeach wiki

6. Learn to build7. Carefully plan your Teen SL project 8. Stock up your avatar before you move over9. Keep it fun! Allow you and your kids to be creative