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Monday, May 10, 2010

Virtual Worlds for Distributed Learning

I have been working on finding a place for Virtual Worlds in a Distributed Learning environment for 2 years. I have tried a couple of different platforms during this time. Google Lively seemed to fit the bill but it closed down in Dec 2009. I have been using 3dxplorer, a Java language web browser based program this year. This program integrates well with our Desire to Learn (D2L) Learning Management software and is easy for teachers and students to use.

NIDES has a very rich text based learning environment and a Virtual World component allows students to experience the curriculum in context. No longer is there a need to describe an environment when we can recreate it in 3D rendition. Not only can students interact with the environment they can communicate in a more natural curricular setting with their peers and teachers.




There are some elements in a Virtual World that do need to be attended to. There should be a teacher presence to moderate the environment. Students will need to be given direction and assistance to navigate the world and get the experience that the virtual world is intended to impart. Bandwidth is always a concern. Image and media rich environments requires large bandwidth and a lagging virtual world is like walking through molasses. There should be a backup in case bandwidth is an issue. In our Learning Management System (D2L) this can be chat, pages, discussions and dropbox options for traditional text messages and assignments.

Virtual Worlds opens up many possibilities to create a better learning environment. There are many different platforms available, both free and subscription based. Some are browser based and others require client software. All expand the learning experience for the student and allows the teacher to explore new ways to present the curriculum.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Avatars and Self

An interesting read about the avatar-self relationship. I find it fascinating to see how people are digging deeper into virtual worlds and the opportunities they offer us. Ms. Schultze, the professor being interviewed, explains her interest in avatars and the implications of the avatar-self relationship. Her full paper can be found here.

I have been a resident of Second Life, the platform she discusses, for just over a year. The first time I entered the world it gave me shivers...I could instantly see the potential for learning....imagine being able to learn by doing...no matter what the concept or venue...I visited a world where the focus was Shakespeare's Macbeth...I could open books, listen to voices eerily reciting the play....I lived it for a short time...

I started imagining what it would have been like if when I had read Macbeth in high school, I could have come to this place with my peers and teacher...we could have designed avatars and re-enacted the play. Maybe the learners in the class that just sat through each lecture, totally disengaged, may have come to life when they saw the grisly bits of the story...or got to take on the roles of Macbeth themselves...

I also had an image of "The Magic School Bus" series come to mind when looking at the potential of using virtual worlds and simulations within an educational context. In those books/videos, Ms. Frizzle, the coolest teacher ever (in my opinion), takes her learners on amazing trips with a magic bus to learn first hand e.g. a trip to an underwater volcano, a journey inside a classmate's body to find out why he's sick, traveling to outer space and becoming part of the food chain. Experiences the learners in her classes will NEVER forget because "they've been there and done that".

Well...that is what I want to do for the learners I teach. I want them to fly their own ship to outer space and complete a mission that saves the Earth. I want them to experience rescuing others needing help. I want them to explore themselves and their abilities in as many environments as possible as a variety of different characters. I want them to be inspired into new directions. For instance, maybe by joining a mission to reclaim treasure from a sunken ship a child may be inspired to try diving, archeology or anthropology.

In no way am I saying regular classrooms cannot provide inspiration. However, I do believe that being able to live and "do" the experience, even in a virtual context may be the way to help leave a lasting impression with some learners.  Living these experiences through their avatars may also help to teach character and morality that could also impact real life interactions...we shall see...
- Alissa