JOVS 5
Journal of Virtual Studies (JoVS) Vol. 5 no. 1 (2014); ISSN 2155-0107
Acknowledgements
The Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference is held in trust for the Educational Community by Rockcliffe University Consortium who are responsible for the financial, copyright, and infrastructure concerns of the conference. The VWBPE Executive is made up of members from Rockcliffe’s Board of Directors and Advisory Board. The VWBPE Executive would like to thank each and every community member that has volunteered their efforts towards this year's conference. It is the dedication of these volunteers to the promotion of best practices in the education industry that makes this conference possible.
VWBPE Executive
Name SL Name Kevin Feenan Phelan Corrimal Leticia De León Letty Luckstone Dirk McKeenan Dirk McKeenan
VWBPE Organizational Committee
Chair Name SL Name
Programs Leticia De León Letty Luckstone
iSkye Silverweb iSkye Silverweb
Finance/Logistics Kevin Feenan Phelan Corrimal
Dirk McKeenan Dirk McKeenan
Information Technology iSkye Silverweb iSkye Silverweb
Timothy Carey Timm Short
Volunteers Becky Adams Elli Pinion
Elizabeth Stenger CallieDel Boa
Communications Lorraine Mockford LoriVonne Lustre
MOOC
Name SL Name Lorraine Mockford Leticia De León
Peer Reviewers
Andres Padilla Oviedo Carl Henderson Doug Switzer Edith Paillat Elisa Segoni Ewan Bonham Francisca Yonekura Irene Knokh Jane Wilde Justin Reeve Lisa Durff Lorraine Mockford Maricarmen Gil Mark Choman Michael Vallance Paul Rudman Peggy Daniels Lee RC Sharma Sandrine Han Sharon Kibbe Sheri Jacobson Stylianos Mystakidis Susanna Nocchi
Volunteers
Aine Bealtaine JB Hancroft Ambergris Baphomet Kate Miranda Anachen Sum Kim Anubis Angelle Marquette Ladyslipper Constantine Bevan Whitfield Letty Pienaar BigRed Coyote Linda Sautereau Blue Myanamotu Lloud Laffer Bluebarker Lowtide Maggie Larimore Brigitte Beaumont Mandie Mimulus Buffy Beale Marcia Kjeller CallieDel Boa Megan Hauser Carla Source Megynn Haus Caro Fayray Mimetic Core Chimera Cosmos Oronoque Westland Cyndyl Enyo petagna2 Dale Irata Pim Peccable Danger Lytton Pinksamurai Fairlady Damian Firecaster Pinocchio Jiminy Daniel Voyage Raven Luna Delenn Daines Sam55 Chester Delightful Doowangle Scarlett Sismondi Don Setzer Sensuous Maximus Edith Halderman Skyaxel Solo Elektra Panthar Slatan Dryke Elli Brewster Stephen Xootfly Eyem Beck Sum Anachen Grizzla Pixelmaid Taff Nouvelle Gwendolyn Beverly Tee Auster Harvey Tori Landau Heatherr MacMoragh VivienneAKittenn Holger Gilruth Wendz Tempest iSkye Silverweb Xavia Zuta
Second Life Build Crew
Paramparamm Papp Firery Broome Raskolnikow Roffo
OSGrid Build Crew
Phelan Corrimal
Film and Stage Production
Broadcaster Metaverse 2 Filmotrographer Mal Burns Production Assistant Petlove Petshop Production Assistant Emmo Wei Transcription Gentle Heron Transcription LoriVonne Luster
2014 Conference Summary
Raw Numbers
The 2014 Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference has been another very successful event for Educators interested in using virtual world technologies in the classroom. Some of the raw number for 2014 include these estimates:
Second Life OS Grid Livestream [1] Total Unique Visitors 3400 446 92 Highest Concurrency 100 30 n/a Average Concurrency 1000 550 n/a
The estimates provided are based upon statistical packages that are specific to each environment. We did not attempt to eliminate duplicate logins by the same person using different technologies. In other words, while we can tell you how many people visited our OSGrid location, we can’t tell you how many of the same people also visited our Second Life conference venue.
[1] Includes LiveStream, Metaverse.tv, and Treet.tv. Statistics were not available for all media suppliers.
A New Conference Look
This year, Firery Broome and Raskolnikow Roffo took the lead in creating a new look for the Second Life main auditorium, casting the conference into Greco Roman influences. The feel was open, with inspiring touches that included Roman numeral banners and a long palisade that spelled VWBPE, which could only be appreciated from an aerial view. Some whimsical Egyptian influences were also evident in the obelisk standing tall at the start of the palisade, the pyramid structure of the presenters Green Room, and the “star gate”-like portal leading to behind the main auditorium.
Conference Highlights
This year, the number of peer reviewed presentations was smaller at 60+, but the quality was higher, with a varied program from various disciplines. Keynote speakers included Philip Rosedale, who opened the conference, and Ebbe Altbert representing Linden Labs as an invited keynote, offering participants a historical perspective into past and future directions. The rest of our keynotes also offered the best of research and best practices in education, both in Second Life and OpenSim.
Additionally, five featured panels provided our participants with insights from popular and noteworthy groups that not only set trends for educators, but also offer some valuable support and encouragement to our education community.
Finally, this marks the third year that a massively open online course (MOOC) ran for three weeks after the conference, using a Moodle learning management system graciously donated by Jürgen Kappus at Ka:media for the second year.
Summary
Overall, the conference offered many opportunities for long-lasting professional connections. Once again, this proved the power of open collaboration and the ability of a community to come together to showcase the best of what is available. The conference itself would not be possible without the support of several dozens of volunteers who have been engaged in all aspects of the conference from planning, building, training, and communication within and among their peers. It has been our privilege to be at the forefront of where new technologies are leading education and collaboration. We are looking forward to many more years to come.
Kevin Feenan
SL: Phelan Corrimal
President, Rockcliffe University Consortium
VWBPE Executive Committee
2014 Online Content
As part of every VWBPE Conference, the conference organizers attempt to make as much of the conference materials available to the educational and research community as possible. As the conference is based, as much as possible, on an open source model, educators and researchers often find creative ways in which to use social media and other content aggregators to make their materials available. Below are just a few of the many sources that you may use to find information on VWBPE.
VWBPE.ORG This is the primary portal into most things related to VWBPE. Most of the information on past conferences
can be found under the FAQ section of the website
Twitter http://twitter.com/vwbpe
This is one of our main sources for news on the conference and best practices.
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/vwbpe
Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/67701516968/
The VWBPE Group has over 1000 members dedicated to the advancement of best practices within virtual
environments. There are a number of relevant links and articles published by members which can help keep
you up to date on happenings around the metaverse.
MetaWorld 2
YouTube http://www.youtube.com/vwbpe
VWBPE has collected various recordings of the conference proceedings produced both directly by
the VWBPE Conference and other members. These have been organized into playlists under VWBPE’s YouTube
channel.
SlideShare http://www.slideshare.net/search/slideshow?searchfrom=header&q=VWBPE
SlideShare is the most common source for slide decks (powerpoint) of past lectures
Flickr https://www.flickr.com/groups/vwbpe/
Snapshots and information on past conferences.
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/vwbpe/
You can find snapshots and information by searching VWBPE.
EventBrite http://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-worlds-best-practices-in-education-2014-tickets-5610926432
Each year we use eventbrite in order to communicate information about next year’s conference
to those people who registered in previous years. This is an excellent source of information
for those wanting to stay in the know ahead of everyone else (registration perk).
2014 The Thinkerer Award
The VWBPE Organizational Committee is instituting a new award to be presented annually starting in 2014. The Thinkerer Award is presented to an indivi dual whose deeds and actions have shown consistent selfless service towards the promotion of learning, community, and educational practices, and who exemplifies the spirit of cooperative development within immersive environments.
Selby Evans, also known as Thinkerer Melville in Second Life, is one of the elder statesmen of Second Life. Joining in July 2005, Selby is a retired psychologist and university professor who also ran his own consulting business for 25 years.
Selby’s activities in Second Life have included the enablement and understanding of various disciplines in a virtual setting including theater, video, music, art, writing, comedy, building, education, and newcomer Help. Selby has been involved with multiple community groups in Second Life including Hobo Junction, Inksters, Written Word, Virtual Railway Consortium, Rockcliffe University Consortium, and many more.
Selby maintains an active blog (http://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/) which is used by thousands of people as a primary source of information for learning about virtual worlds and how to integrate various technologies. In addition to providing up-to-date information on activities in virtual world settings, Selby has also been an active participant, lending support interm of time, energy, and resources, to help others. As both a humanitarian and philanthropist, Selby Evans exemplifies a constructive role model for how one can influence the world around them for the betterment of all.
It is for these reasons VWBPE has named this award in his honor and VWBPE is pleased to present to Selby Evans the first inaugural awarding of this award.
2014 Conference Proceedings
Track 1: Keynotes
Opening Keynote: Closing the Gap: Virtual Reality & Education
Author(s):
Philip Rosedale
Advances in technology for input devices, as well as improvements in networking and computing speed make it likely that new VR systems will substantially increase the already substantial potential of virtual worlds for education. Philip Rosedale, founder of Second Life, will talk about his latest work at High Fidelity and the implications for the coming few years.
Connections in an Open Place
Author(s):
Justin Clark-Casey
Work, play, culture, education - all these are either already primarily online phenomena or will soon become so. But to bring this movement to its full flowering, I believe that the Internet will need animmersive, general purpose 3D environment where people can explore, connect and create just as they do in the physical world. This is not a game but a place. I believe that this place will rest on foundations of open standards, open source and anarchic growth and experimentation. Just like the web, it must be possible for anyone to set up their own space but also travel, with their identity and inventory intact, to any other space without the permission or co-operation of any central entity. In this keynote, I will explore where I think OpenSimulator fits into this vision and why open places are critical for the connections that we need in a global online culture.
The Coming 3D Future Shock
Author(s):
Maria Korolov
If you think technology has been evolving too fast for you to keep up with, wait until you see what’s coming down the line. The Oculus Rift and similar devices will usher in an age of immersive 3D experiences to the wider population. This will transform the delivery of virtual experiences, the way that the Web has transformed the delivery of information. The field of education will never be the same again.
Using Virtual Worlds and Gamification to Enhance Learning
Author(s):
Andrew Hughes
Andrew Hughes will be speaking about how Designing Digitally, Inc. has used Gamification and Game Mechanics to create innovative and effective learning both in-world and out-world. This will include best practices, case studies, and stories along the way of both success and failures in this realm. We will explore the current state of virtual worlds, and discuss the obstacles Designing Digitally, Inc. has seen within corporate cultures when it comes to virtual worlds.
Reconnecting with the Education Market
Author(s:)
Ebbe Altberg
Having joined Linden Lab in February of this year, CEO Ebbe Altberg will share his initial thoughts on the importance of supporting educational use of Second Life, the company’s interest in rebuilding and strengthening the connection between Linden Lab and the community of educators using the platform, and some future plans relevant to this market. In the spirit of beginning a dialogue with this community and improving Linden Lab’s understanding of the needs of the educational market, Ebbe’s prepared remarks will be quite brief so that he can devote the majority of his time to Q&A and discussion.
Design Implications of Game-Based Analyses
Author(s):
David Gibson
The rise of digital game and simulation-based learning applications has led to new approaches in educational measurement that take account of patterns in time, high resolution paths of action, and clusters of virtual performance artifacts. The new approaches, which depart from traditional statistical analyses, include data mining, machine learning, and symbolic regression. This talk will briefly describe the context, methods and broad findings from two game-based analyses and describes key explanatory constructs use to make claims about the users, as well as the implications for design of digital game-based learning and assessment applications in virtual worlds.
Closing Keynote: “There’s always room for a virtual zipline”, and other lessons from SciEthics Interactive
Author(s):
Larysa Nadolny
How do you make room for fun when serious learning is the goal? Dr. Larysa Nadolny will share lessons learned from the NSF funded SciEthics Interactive project, a virtual world simulation with an ethics twist, to show it's possible. She will discuss how collaboration and global community are keys to success. Finally, she will challenge the audience to bring islands like SciEthics Interactive to the next level in order to overcome the current challenges present in today's virtual learning environments.
Track 2: Featured Panels
OpenSimulator’s Role in the Future of Virtual Worlds Research and Education
Panelists
Joyce Bettencourt RL/Rhiannon Chatnoir OS
Chris Collins RL/Fleep Tuque OS
Crista Lopes RL/Diva Canto OS
Melanie Thielker RL/Melanie Milland OS
Michael Cerquoni RL/Nebadon Izumi OS
Moderator
Linda Sautereau
The purpose of this panel is to discuss OpenSim's education community and AvaCon’s contributions to education and research, especially in regards to how the OpenSimulator Community Conference has been a powerful tool for this advancement.
Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable: A Best Practices Influence
Panelists
Evelyn McElhinney RL/Kali Pizzaro SL
AJ Kelton RL/AJ Brooks SL
Shailey Minocha RL/Shailey Garfield SL
Moderator
Stephen Gasior RL/Stephen Xootfly SL
The purpose of this featured panel is to discuss the kinds of trends that the VWER has seen over the course of its existence, and to what extent it may have influenced and advanced best practices in the use of virtual worlds for education. The connections established by the group have bonded a band of educators that share ideas weekly, and it is the persistent popularity of these meetings that make it such a noteworthy group in Second Life.
The Science Circle: Connecting Different Disciplines, and Inspiring Creativity and Inventiveness
Panelists
Chantal Snoek RL / Nymf Hathaway (Chantal) SL
Jesse Stannard RL / Jes Cobalt SL
Phil Youngblood RL / Vic Michalak SL
Hajime Nishimura RL / Yan Lauria SL
Steven Van Hook RL / Kip Roffo SL
Deepthinker Oh RL/SL
Moderator
Grizzla Pixelmaid
Celebrating over six years of continuous activities intent on connecting our world through thoughtful discourse and creative response, The Science Circle consists of over 200 scientists, educators, entrepreneurs, and students on four continents, governed by a Board whose members live in the Netherlands, Austria, Japan, Australia, and the United States. Members are invited to participate in lively, informative, fun, and respectful presentations, discussions, and virtual field trips which are offered at least monthly. Presenters must divulge their First Life (Real Life) identities to the Director to establish their credentials, and all members must remain active. On our website www.sciencecircle.org is a list of 40 fields of expertise and interests and over 60 presentations, many with transcripts/photos. The VWBPE Panel will share the story of its development and the challenges we have faced and overcome in establishing a functional and lasting community with members of diverse cultures and backgrounds. We will share some of the variety of topics we have explored and ways we have served our mission of outreach and collaboration within the context of a passionate exploration of science education. Comments and questions are welcomed. An optional field trip will be offered for those who wish to participate.
Connecting the Past, Present, and Future of Second Life
Panelists
Botgirl Questi SL
Will Burns RL/Aeonix Aeon SL
Terry Beaubois RL/Tab Scott SL
Kevin Feenan RL/Phelan Corrimal SL
Moderator
Dirk McKeenan
It is the essence of good management that an effective advisory board, properly composed and structured, provide informed guidance in the quest for superior corporate governance. That includes opportunities to seek out dissenting viewpoints that challenge the status quo and forces executives, and board members, to re-evaluate long held beliefs which may be holding back growth and profitability. Third party expert opinion provides a safe harbour which new executives can realise new opportunities without being prejudiced by internal politics.
This panel brings together four experts who bring a diversity of backgrounds and insights about Linden Lab’s past, present, future, and competitive environment. Each is an executive in their own right having extensive experience throughout the industries they are engaged with. Further, each is an outspoken proponent for the promotion of best practices whether it be in management, education, strategy, marketing, or research and development.
The objective of this panel is to develop a position paper which can help guide and inform Linden Lab’s new CEO on the opportunities, risks, cost benefits, and potential returns on investment based on a thoughtful analysis of the issues facing our communities of practice.
The Freedom Project: How Artistic Expression Transcends Real Life Challenges
Panelists
Jay Jay Jegathesan RL/ Jayjay Zifanwe SL
Alice Krueger RL/Gentle Heron SL
FreeWee Ling SL
Dianne Elton SL
Moderator
Elisa Segoni RL/Elektra Panthar SL
The purpose of this panel is to discuss how The Freedom Project helped spotlight artistic expression for people with invisible illnesses or other disabilities. Through this effort, people who have real life challenges can develop a connection to a community and be able to transcend real life challenges.
Track 3: Advocacy
The Theme of Creativity within Immersive Teaching Experience
Author(s):
Ridvan Atolia SL
This study focuses on the use of a virtual world, Second Life (SL), in higher education teaching and aims to discuss how teaching in SL gives participants in sight to enhance their classroom teaching approaches. The intent here is in determining whether and how educators’ teaching approaches are affected by immersive teaching practices. Data was gathered through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 20 educators from different countries, i.e. England, Scotland, USA, Sweden, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, and Turkey, and through observations in the case study. Thematic analysis approach was applied to identify key findings. The findings are then discussed in the forms of emerged themes. The data indicate that the concept of creativity could have a powerful impact on the teaching practices of the participants.
Track 4: Best Practices Showcase
Building 3D Learning Experiences beyond the Classroom Walls
Author(s):
Mari Carmen Gil Ortega RL/Maika Giordano SL
UWE Island in Second Life, home of the MA Education in Virtual Worlds, is an example of pedagogical innovation that capitalizes on what virtual worlds have to offer to social aspects of teaching and learning. In this programme we use Second Life to provide postgraduate “distance” learners –physically located in diverse geographical areas of the world- with a sense of community and connectedness that matches thesense of belonging that often accompanies the on-campus learning experience. In this presentation I will introduce the rationale behind the choice architecture of the learning environment as well as the instructional design of the programme to enhance co-presence and place presence, to build a true community of practice, and to foster collaboration for reflective learning. I will provide examples of students engaging in an environment where traditional conceptions of both ‘teaching’ and ‘learning’ do not apply, where the four-walled classroom is not the only setting where learning happens, where everyone in the group can potentially be an instructor or a peer, an expert or a novice, and learn from each other in a meaningful way.
Connections: Building a Community of Inquiry in a Virtual College Course
Author(s):
George Dale RL/G Buzzy SL
Diana Cary RL/Cabana DiLuca SL
Jane Wilde RL/Esme Qunhua SL
Colleen Gilroy RL/Gilzee SL
Carmita Sanchez-Fong RL/Karmi SL Fong SL
Teresa Dobler RL/TdobsVector SL
The Community of Inquiry Model is a framework for online instruction that takes into account the social, cognitive and teaching “presences” and their role in creating a meaningful educational experience (Garrison, et al, 2001). When teaching in a Multi-user virtual environment the instructor creates a space that expands the knowledge of students through building and exploring; activities meet the ability and objectives of students; activities take advantage of the virtual environment (Collins & Berge, 2008). Creating a space that is encouraging, positive, cooperative, professional and moderated by the professor can provide an environment where students take risks and engage in conversations that lead to a deeper level of understanding (Burgess, et al, 2010). We will present the learning experiences that contribute to an effective community of inquiry through the lens of the triggering events for each presence as spelled out by Burgess et al (2010). Cognitive presence TE: exploration, integration, resolution and integrated education tools. Learning experiences: Missions, blogs/journals, account setup, assignments in-world. Social presence TE: emotional expression, open communication, and group cohesion. Learning experiences: Discussions, collaborative missions/exploration, synchronous meetings, group exploration. Teaching presence TE: design and organization, facilitation and direct instruction. Learning experiences: Goal oriented missions, XP, teacher-led exploration.
Courage to Encourage - Origin Story Lessons
Author(s):
Renne Emiko Brock-Richmond RL/Zinnia Zauber SL
Every student superhero has a catalyst that changes their lives and is the incentive to improve themselves and the world around them. Discover students’ origin stories and principal motivation to turn passion into positive projects and promote partnerships. Virtual worlds foster flexible, imaginative play to reveal and utilize students’ individual stories. Create a safe learning environment where this vulnerable intersection transforms into a lesson of confidence, compassion, and connections with other superheroes. After exploring the events and elements of their influential story, implement transmedia storytelling through multimedia, blogs, social networks, and virtual world engagement to support student centered success and unique learning styles while inspiring universal listening, inquiry, and teambuilding.
Creating Teacher-free Learning Environments in the Virtual World: Possibilities and Difficulties
Author(s):
Hsiao-Cheng (Sandrine) Han
Virtual learning environments are designed by educators who spend large amounts of time and money to construct them, but during non-class time I see many of these environments with very few users. This situation has led me to wonder – what if we designed the virtual learning environment as a teacher-free learning environment in which students could learn at any time, even when the teacher is not around. Would this kind of virtual learning environment design change the current situation? In this session I will analyze the elements of a teacher-free learning environment and explain how to create one. Since this is based on a graduate level course that I am currently teaching, I will also have students’ virtual world samples to show the possibilities and difficulties of creating a teacher-free environment.
Developing a 3D virtual Geology Field Trip in Unity 3D: Reflection of our experiences
Author(s):
Shailey Minocha RL/Shailey Garfield SL
As a part of The OpenScience Laboratory, an initiative of The Open University, UK and The Wolfson Foundation, we have developed a 3D simulation of a Geology field trip, using the Unity 3D software. The learning activities within the 3D App are designed to mirror the experience of a real field trip. The design and development of the 3D App has involved people with diverse skills in a University environment while working closely with an external developer who brought in Unity and 3D modeling skills.
I will reflect on the design and development process and focus on: processes and technologies utilized for team-working (the university team and developers were not co-located); challenges faced by the educational researcher to ‘convince’ the team about moving to a 3D environment; gaps between the designer’s model and the developer’s perception of user interface design; integrating principles of user experience; controlling the ‘requirements-creep’; and the realization that many of the Second Life features can’t be replicated in Unity. At the end of my presentation, I will present a set of ‘guiding’ tips for colleagues who may be involved in the design and development of similar educational 3D projects. The 3D App is not yet available in the public domain. So, a couple of YouTube videos (each of 3-4 minutes long) will be demonstrated in-world during the presentation.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Business Education using Second Life
Author(s):
Peggy Daniels Lee RL/Linda Sautereau SL
Purchasing professionals are increasingly involved in negotiations that cross local and national boundaries. Typically, students learning to negotiate purchasing contracts engage in a two-dimensional in-class exercise where all of the students are purchasing students. Some teams will role play sellers, while others will role play buyers. Students unlucky enough to be put on the seller teams miss the opportunity to practice the negotiation skills. The F2F exercise is constrained by either a 3-hour or two 75-minute class periods. Student experiential learning can be hindered by the classroom setting as well as the “flat” nature of the negotiation. Negotiating in Second Life provided a richer experiential learning environment and addressed these issues: 1) purchasing students role played buyers who have an arm’s length relationship with their sellers, simulating a real professional negotiation; 2) the negotiation was more easily spread over a period of weeks and be done at the students’ convenience; and 3) students experienced doing business virtually. The negotiation transcripts were captured and analyzed. Students established connections with students at other universities with whom they would not normally have interacted. In this session, the presenter’s and students’ experiences lessons learned will be shared. Q&A will follow the presentation.
Teaching in My Own Image: Learning Styles, Teaching Styles
Author(s):
Graceful Beamish SL
Learning styles go virtual. Your learning style informs your teaching. Identify your own learning/teaching style and explore virtual activities that leverage your own teaching/learning style to move learners through the learning cycle. Interactive discussion of virtual teaching techniques that support each part of the learning cycle. Kolb learning style theory and 4Mat design for virtual worlds.
Transmedia Storytelling in Education: The Case of Cavendish
Author(s):
Sonicity Fitzroy SL
Donald Pettit RL/Lowe Runo SL
A discussion on the behind-the-scenes creation of a transmedia series employing multiple forms of media, from machinima, e-book, music to web, to engage various levels of K-12 students as well as parents and educators into an interactive mediated storyline. It is based on Margaret Cavendish's 1666 novella "The Blazing World," with her believed to be the first science fiction writer. Cavendish embedded her theories and critiques of science, and her vision for readers to create their own imaginary worlds of speculation, within this 67 page manuscript. As producers, we have taken the liberty to rewrite the story from its Middle English, streamlining it into a series where Cavendish serves as a role model for young girls, and students in general are inspired to initiate their own scientific inquiry through imagination and role play. The story centers on a kingdom of animals and diverse peoples who collaborate as scientists, inventors and philosophers with Cavendish as a young empress. Her throne is centered in a castle filled with books, a huge library of sorts, with laboratories in the side rooms and a long table for the knights of knowledge who seek answers to different sets of questions each episode. The story set in Second Life simulates Cavendish's world of magic, mystery and science, with original animations created specifically for this project and social media allowing participation and feedback.
Virtual Worlds and their Affordances for Language Learning: The Human Capital
Author(s):
Susanna Nocchi RL/Su Nacht SL
This presentation draws on Su Nacth’s (Susanna Nocchi) experience during two Italian courses she held in SL© in 2010 and 2012. Su is a teacher of Italian as a foreign language (FL) and is completing a PhD on the affordances of virtual worlds (VWs) for FL teaching and learning. The material collected during her courses showed how some educational affordances of VWs emerged during language tasks and contributed to their successful completion. The presence of target language (TL) native speakers is an invaluable asset of a VWs such as SL© and this presentation aims at showing how this exciting and ‘fluid’ potential was recognised and ‘exploited’ for language learning. Also, some examples from the data, will be used to present the affordances that emerged due to the presence of TL native speakers during the course.
CAMELOT Symposium
Author(s):
Barbara McQueen RL/Barbara Novelli SL
Christel Schneider SL
Gwen Gwasi SL
Tuncer Wise SL
EU funded CAMELOT is a 2-year project on how to use and how to create machinima for language teaching and learning. CAMELOT stands for" CreAting Machinima Empowers Live Online Language Teaching and Learning". CAMELOT is unique in that it aims to promote the role of video production in language teacher training. It is innovative in that it takes one of the latest technologies – machinima – and uses it to empower 21st century language learning and teaching through the use of a) user-generated video content, b) a task-based language teaching approach based on learner engagement, authenticity and creativity, and c) an online community of practice in which open educational resources (OERs) are available via a repository. The aim of CAMELOT is not simply to provide a set of language teaching resources that instructors can use, but to provide the technological and pedagogical know-how for teachers to create and adapt machinima for their own particular EU teaching environment. During this panel discussions, the project will be explained and some of the research and development presented. It seems that not a lot of research of using machinima for educational purposes is available and the project partners hope to connect to other educators in this field.
Creating an Entertaining Learning Environment: Game-like Environment in Virtual World for Education
Author(s):
Junsong Zhang SL
Letsdoan SL
Ge Shi SL
Annie Hung SL
nasim peikazadi SL
Hsiao-Cheng (Sandrine) Han SL
Do you feel your learning environment is boring and serious? What are the alternatives for an educational setting? Can we learn in an entertaining place? To what extent can entertainment boost the level of learning? Can the game-like environment be involved in current education systems? Will it help our students to learn better? Game-like pedagogy in the virtual world has expanded the vision of creating various learning environments. Taking the evolution of learning theories into account, which encourage the engagement of learners with the learning space, it seems that it is possible to design an entertainment learning environment that would secure learning within the virtual spaces. In order to make the positive change in the current educational environment; we use the virtual world as our sandbox of education to find out how we can make education fun, and also educative. The panelists are creating their entertaining virtual learning environment in the VCER (Virtual Commons for Education and Research) Open Sim. The panelists will discuss on this topic from theoretical perspective as well as from their hands-on experience and teaching demonstration. We also invite audiences to share your ideas and experiences with us!
MachinEVO Symposium
Author(s):
Barbara McQueen RL/Barbara Novelli SL
Christel Schneider SL
Edith Paillat RL/Cyber Placebo SL
Gwen Gwasi SL
Lloud Laffer SL
Jens Nerido SL
Roberta Kilkenny RL/Oronoque Westland SL
Angela Rizzo RL/Rosavioletta SL
Susanna Nocchi RL/Su Nacht SL
Can you imagine learning a language using machinima (a real-time video in virtual worlds)? Are you a language educator and can you see yourself learning how to create machinima for your students? If you do, there was - and still is - your chance to learn it for free, namely at MachinEVO. MachinEVO is a 5-week workshop for language educators to learn how to create videos (machinima) in virtual worlds. It took place from 12th of January 2014 to 16th of February 2014. With 12 moderators at hand, more than 190 participants were instructed on how to use screen capturing software in Second Life, how to edit and upload their production and the ins and outs of ‘video production’, from story boarding to adding credits.
A Hope and a Plan
Author(s):
Cooper Patterson RL/Cooper Macbeth SL
RebeccaLPatterson SL
Mathematics is taught in schools through various disjointed processes and topics involving much memorization and abstraction. This pedagogy of knowledge collection creates a fragmented understanding starting with the earliest acquisition of number sense and has lead to a national crisis in STEM education. Virtual worlds allow us to easily see and interact with the recent realization that numbers have shapes. Number shapes trigger our minds into making sweeping connections in the foundations of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and calculus via the visual cortex. Let us show you the forest AND the trees at the same time to give you the A-ha moment of synaptic growth.
Documenting Immersive Learning Village Experiences using Machinima of Object Displays
Author(s):
Marie Vans RL/Amvans Lapis SL
Lorelei Junot SL
Patricia Franks RL/precptor Amat SL
Documenting and preserving educational experiences in virtual worlds is a challenge. Vast amounts of data are generated including objects created in-world, project data, and educational events. While it is not feasible to preserve all related data for reuse in later courses, it is possible to document essential data for later development of similar courses. We will host a Sim Demonstration on SLIS Island in Second Life to present our Best Practices for documenting immersive virtual educational experiences using machinima of student-created, in-world, object displays. These arti facts connect past educational experiences with the design of future Immersive Learning Village courses for faculty and serve as models for future students designing their own projects. We will use the recent “Living in Tudor Times” course as an example. Bell, instructor for the course, will highlight the classroom environment, activities, and assignments; Franks will describe the role of the Virtual Center for Archives and Records Administration (VCARA) in housing artifacts from the course; and Vans will explain her role in creating and displaying machinima, including aggregating and storing the digital objects in-world and providing access through a school-sponsored blog and YouTube.
Multidisciplinary Explorers in the Metaverse
Author(s):
Ben Blanchard RL/Muffle Wumpus OS
Jane Wilde RL/Esme Qunhua OS
ArtemisMaat Last Name OS
Linda K Ryder RL/Daedalus Kari OS
For seven years I have taught a class called teaching and learning in immersive environments to graduate education students. My current students will provide a tour of our classroom in Jokaydiagrid and demonstrate how we use our avatars, communication channels, construction tools, and group missions to learn. We are able to connect in spite of our diverse perspectives, varied disciplines, ages and geographic location. And these differences are on the one hand neutralized, and on the other hand provide rich exchanges, because we meet in virtual space. Our classroom is a sandbox; it is not beautiful. It does not representative the real; it represents our understanding, exploration and interactions. We will show you what we do and why. Jokaydiagrid is accessible from OSGrid through any hypergate (hypergridding).
The Programmer & the Nurse – Using Second Life for Multi-Disciplinary Collaboration and Learning
Author(s):
Dee McGonigle RL/HoustonCCN Resident SL
Penny Galaxy SL
First Name IndianapolisCCN Resident SL
Purpose: Discussing and demonstrating our success in connecting our Nursing Informatics (NI) students with Computer Information Sciences (CIS) students to teach collaborative skills, project management, and programming. Objectives The collaborative effort started with the objective of honing in on the Nursing Informatics (NI) students’ project management and collaborative skills; and for Computer Information Sciences (CIS) students to collaborate with clients, learn scripting and important computer programming logic and design concepts. Impact NI students conceptualized their simulation or gaming projects and seek assistance from the CIS students who act as their vendors. The client/vendor relationship is established to bring the project to fruition; to date, 7 simulations have been developed in Second Life. Conclusion This program has provided an opportunity for CIS students to collaborate with nursing students. The program provides CIS students with actual project development skills including benchmark and deadline goals, and feedback related to their programming efforts. The NI students experience project management from conception through implementation regarding advancements in healthcare technology in a VLE that are not always available to students in actual clinical environments. Sim Demonstration
Creating Immersive Environments
Author(s):
Aaron Griffiths RL/Isa Goodman SL
In many virtual spaces I have experienced a sense of immersion purely because of what surrounded me; the artefacts, the atmosphere, the soundscape, the lighting; all combining to provide a sense of being there that was beyond that of a spectator; I was emotionally there. In my view this level of immersion can facilitate students’ connection with content, and with each other through this shared experience, such that far more meaningful and emergent learning occurs than when that same content is provided in a classroom environment. As Thomas states (2010) “engaged learning is an emergent property of learning spaces that are designed to provide affordances that actively encourage such engagement”. Over my years developing virtual educational spaces I have also come to realize that immersive environments need not be photo-realistic nor contain high degrees of fidelity. It is the mood that matters; how the build feels. In this workshop I intend to demonstrate these aspects to participants using a number of builds that I have developed, both as active educational spaces and research ideas generated from my participation in the MA Education in Virtual Worlds.
Using Creative Symbolic Processes in SL
Author(s):
Niela Miller RL/Marly Milena SL
We (Octagon: Creative Exploration founded by Marly Milena) offer programs which make use of visual arts-based tools combined with Gestalt role plays for enabling participants to gain insight, shift perspective and do problem-solving. The content focus can be ideas, values, feeling states or relationship issues. The process is interactive. We present a different way of using the virtual technology, symbolically and metaphorically.
Track 5: Games and Simulations
3d Virtual Immersive Environments as Enabler for Blended Gamified Learning Experiences
Author(s):
Stylianos Mystakidis RL/Stylianos Ling SL
The Library and Information Center (LIC) of the University of Patras designed the educational program “From the Ancient to the Modern Tablets”, an immersive multimedia learning experience about the history and future of the book. The experience consisted of an interactive game-based digital storytelling activity with playful elements followed by a collaborative creative hands-on activity. The combination of advanced technologies with active pedagogical methods enabled LIC to produce a cost effective yet rich learning experience for schools who could not otherwise afford to travel to the actual places. Utilizing the power of avatar psychology, the visualization and simulation affordances of 3d virtual immersive learning environments for situated learning and the appeal of storytelling and game-based learning, LIC designed a “gamified” blended narrative on the evolution of the book where learning is embedded and context-based.
Incorporating Cultural Competency Training in Virtual World Simulation
Author(s):
Yukon Footman SL
Jeckybean Galaxy SL
The purposes of this presentation are (1) to discuss how virtual learning environments can offer lessons in cultural competency that are not av ailable in actual clinical spaces and (2) to present a model for incorporating cultural diversity in virtual world simulations. Faced with striking changes in U.S. and global demographics, healthcare personnel need to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to work effectively and connect as professionals within culturally diverse clinical environments. Working collaboratively through cultural issues with scripted, avatar-based simulation and reflection helps students process their feelings, discuss strategies, and develop critical thinking skills in a safe environment. Unlike real organizations, Second Life offers the opportunity to design the environment, activities, characters, and narrative reflecting multiple cultural perspectives. This overview will include a review of relevant concepts, terminology, and theory specific to virtual learning and cultural competence, examined through the lens of the Ecology of Culturally Competent Design, a four-element framework specifically designed to create and evaluate virtual environment lessons related to culture and acculturation (Games & Bauman, 2011). A simulation designed to help graduate nursing education students deal with cultural diversity will demonstrate the use of storyboarding for the application of the model.
Literacy game: The Mythical World of Hīnātore
Author(s):
Merle Hearns RL/Briarmelle Quintessa SL
The Mythical World of Hīnātore is a literacy game that has been built to help address literacy needs in tertiary students. The rationale for game development will be presented as well as a taste of what the game offers. Literacy is vital for success in life. In New Zealand, particularly in South Auckland, there are high literacy needs. Students arrive at tertiary institutions with literacy gaps that are displayed in poor essay and report writing. The game will provide the connection between the writing skills they have and those that they need. This virtual world game offe rs students interactive, motivating and stimulating learning. The main aims of the game are to increase awareness of common errors in sentence production, to facilitate editing, and improve sentence structure. The game has a New Zealand background and each level of play is based on a Māori legend. This is an important aspect of the game as it focusses on connections. The indigenous student population are over-represented by those who are under-achieving and will benefit from the cultural relevance of the learning environment. The game offers all students the opportunity to make a connection between their cultural experiences and those represented in the game.
Questing for Knowledge WoW in Secondary Education
Author(s):
Christina Arnone RL/Doctrina2 SL
Diocletius SL
Jane Wilde RL/Esme Qunhua SL
Norana Cantrell RL/Noranac SL
Students in SUNY Albany's graduate course Teaching and Learning in Immersive Environments have been experiencing what Barne and Archambault (2010) describe as "learning in technology" by working and playing in three different virtual simulation and gaming worlds. Of particular interest to our group has been the potential benefit of World of Warcraft in a secondary education setting. Can WoW actually deliver educational experiences of a quality and quantity to be a usable resource? If not, does the added engagement and benefits of Colby and Colby's (2008) mix of emergent and progression learning/gaming make up for any methodological or traditional lack in rigor? Can a class or classes be designed around the incorporation of WoW? Using published articles as touchstone's of what to look for (or look for a lack of) the class played WoW and kept personal journals of our experiences. In this session we will share our finding regarding the potential benefits the MMORPG offers to the secondary class of today and tomorrow.
The Sound Garden: An Immersive Sound Experience
Author(s):
Ken Grunke RL/Key Gruin SL
Larysa Firehawk SL
The Sound Garden is a Virtual Generative Musical System hosted on a simulator in the Open Simulator Grid (OSGrid). Here disparate sounds are compos ed and connected into a continuous Immersive Musical Experience. It encourages divergent play and allows one to anticipate, blur and appreciate the boundaries of sound, music and noise. It allows connection to others by interacting in a Virtual Space through the language of Music. By being Virtual, an avatar is able to interact with music by touching sound loops, and manipulating them, and moving them around the three dimensional space. They can also introduce their own sounds to the musical landscape. It is an innovation to how music is composed, generated, recorded and appreciated in the Metaverse. By recording the Sound Garden, I have enhanced my outworld experience and made connections with people in new and innovative ways. The sounds start in a disparate way, and connect with each other. They range from the calls of a Weddell seal, a penguin, and frogs, to the sounds of a classical fl ute, and a jaw harp, and the generated sounds of a synthesiser that all connect into music that can border on noise. By inventing the Sound Garden it has taken me further into the nature of sound, and how I recognise sounds, and how they are created. They are all connected into one world wide musical landscape. The Sound Garden is a great medium for self-education and divergent play.
Wanted: Educational Risk Takers Looking for Innovative Adventure!
Author(s):
Brian Cleveley RL/Eyem Beck SL
Joey Peutz RL/Zoey Jeruben SL
K.D. Hatheway-Dial RL/Jorgia Blackburn SL
Karen Richel RL/Kaylee Innovia SL
Lori Wahl RL/Diantha Petrov SL
Our virtual world of Idahonia was born out of the need to support distance learning and connect educators with students. In our exploration of using virtual worlds to deliver education, we saw the potential for active thought-provoking learning environments where students could make choices without real world risk. With an Idaho State Board of Education Technology grant we designed and built two simulations - The Intrepid Healthy Lifestyle Hunter and Prosperity Quest. The Intrepid Healthy Lifestyle Hunter simulates a day of nutrition and exercise choices. The Prosperity Q uest simulates a month of living expenses. Both simulations may be explored by an individual or within a group. This SIM Demonstration will contain three sub-events. First we will gather in our region’s presentation area where we will introduce our simulations. This will be followed by mentor-led participation in our simulations to gain first-hand experience. The third sub-event will be a time of reflection in a town hall meeting back at the presentation area. Our ultimate goal is for our participants to share and connect in our learning adventure, to contribute to the educational community’s collective wisdom on active learning environments and most importantly to have fun!
Track 6: How‐To
Professional Education Connections in Virtual Worlds
Author(s):
Beth O'Connell RL/Beth Ghostraven SL
As educators, our professional connections are crucial for sharing ideas and knowledge, as well as support. This session will connect you to other educators and group events to enrich your teaching and learning. Virtual worlds enable us to connect with people inexpensively, at all hours and seasons, adding to our PLNs (Professional Learning Networks). A teacher-librarian with 18 years of experience, Beth came to Second Life over a year ago to network with VSTE (Virginia Society for Technology in Education), and quickly found other education groups for which she publicizes events. She attends four to six inworld events every week, and enjoys helping people connect with others. Beth is a VSTE Facilitator, the Producer for the ISTE Speaker series, and publishes the weekly transcript for VWER (the Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable). After this session, participants will have several more professional networking and marketing tools and connections at their disposal.
Second Life as Practicum Site: Taking on Professional Roles
Author(s):
Dee McGonigle RL/HoustonCCN Resident SL
Jeckybean Galaxy SL
First Name IndianapolisCCN Resident SL
The purpose of this presentation is to describe the development of a virtual practicum for graduate students in Second Life. Specifically, practicums for graduate nursing students in nursing education, nursing administration, nursing informatics, and healthcare policy will be discussed. Though specific to these particular majors, the principles could be applied in practicums or internships in other fields where students need to practice collaboration, such as education, computer science, and business. Connecting with other professionals for the good of the organization requires practice and Second Life is a safe environment for students to learn. Examples will be used to describe orientation activities, role-playing, simulations, problem solving, and building exercises that help students learn professional roles through social interaction.
Track 7: Museums and Gallery
Connections to the Past: the Motown Museum & Hitsville USA
Author(s):
Peggy Daniels Lee RL/Linda Sautereau SL
The Detroit City sim was built as a tribute to the musical heritage of Detroit, Michigan in the USA. The focus of this presentation is the Hitsville USA & Motown Museum part of the sim. Hitsville USA was the headquarters of Motown before the move to California. It housed the famous Studio A, where the Motown Sound was born, performed and recorded. Participants will be able to become a Supreme, play drums, or play the piano in a replica of Studio A. They will also be able to read about Motown and watch videos about the performers and the Funk Brothers, who backed every Motown performer or group. The Motown Museum, which is in an adjacent building, will have rotating exhibits. The current exhibit, "Here, My Dear", showcases the life of Marvin Gaye. We hope that music educators will bring their students to learn about a part of history which is still alive today in the music we all enjoy!
Track 8: Research
A Cyber Campus to Support Learning
Author(s):
Louis Nisiotis RL/Skoui Aironaut SL
This research aims to analyse the flexibility of virtual worlds to support learning and overcome some of the issues that restrict or exclude students from regularly attend the university. Due to chronic illnesses, medical conditions, financial or other issues, some students face barriers that restrict them from physically attending the university, missing important learning experiences. Thus, the ability of virtual worlds to support learning and overcome barriers of access and participation shall be empirically investigated, for which a prototype has been developed. We conduct a series of empirical studies investigating the efficacy of the proposed environment to support synchronous distant learning activities and ascertain the extent to which it can help students participate in learning activities more effectively. In particular we conduct a learning scenario experiment that demonstrate the learning capabilities of virtual worlds and we collect empirical data based on users perceptions of presence, sociability, communication and awareness during the virtual experience. Then we conduct a series of focus groups to collect opinions based on how virtual worlds can help people participate more effectively. Furthermore, we examine the associations between presence, sociability, communication a nd awareness with the ability of virtual worlds to overcome barriers and enable access and participation in learning activities.
Avatars and Open Learning Spaces
Author(s):
Carina Girvan RL/Sleepy Littlething SL
Virtual worlds provide learners with an opportunity to connect with others, supporting the development and sharing of their understanding. This lecture explores the experience of 24 postgraduate learners as they engaged in a SLurtle-based constructionist experience in Second Life, in which they worked in pairs to create interactive installations. Each pair was provided with a 40 x 40 meter platform in which to create their installation, and these platforms were accessible to all other learners. Open interviews, chat logs and learners’ artefacts and reflections were collected and analysed using qualitative methods. Findings show that most learners valued the opportunity to visit neighbouring installation, to discuss their ideas with peers, share experiences, ask questions and provide support. However for some learners, the open learning environment and sense of others’ presence was unwelcome. In discussing these findings, this lecture focuses on the role of the avatar and design of the learning environment, considering the implications for educators and their learners.
Creating Culturally Responsive Contextualized Chemistry Virtual World: Possibilities and Limitations
Author(s):
Mohana Krishnani SL
Hsiao-Cheng (Sandrine) Han SL
This study explores the possibilities and limitations of utilizing a Standalone OpenSim, the Virtual Commons for Education and Research (VCER), an educational virtual world for K-12 and higher education educators, hosted at the University of British Columbia, Canada, for creating a contextualized culturally responsive virtual world of science (CCRVWS), in this case, chemistry. Science is often taught as an abstract, neutral and objective enterprise. The rich cultural diversity present in today’s schools and the digitalized nature of young learners creates a need for making science culturally responsive through creating engaging, enjoyable, and relevant learning experiences for culturally diverse learners. The study involved, creating a CCRVWS to invite and engage Grade VII students of a Public elementary school in Vancouver, Canada, in learning of Chemistry throu gh participating in virtual experiments. The study presents the challenges encountered by the researchers in developing and carrying-out the CCRVWS and discusses the benefits and limitations of utilizing technology enhanced environments (virtual world) to teach science in elementary school settings. Insights shared through this study, provide reflective learning opportunities for other teachers and researchers who are willing to explore and integrate virtual contextualized, culturally responsive learning experiences in their classrooms.
Learning How to Use Climate Information with Machinima
Author(s):
Helen Farley RL/Helen Frak SL
The Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchments (ACSC) and the Australian Digital Futures Institute (ADFI) have been working together to craft machinim a to help farmers understand how to use climate information to make more informed climate risk management decisions. The project team first worked with Indian farmers and, using the feedback gathered from that project, are now working with sugarcane farmers in Queensland. The current project will involve the project team crafting five machinima in Second Life. The machinima cover harvesting, irrigation and other topics relevant to farmers. They show farmers how to use long range climate forecasts generated by the ACSC when making critical farming decisions. A preliminary evaluation has been done on the first of these and will influence the form of subsequent machinima. A more comprehensive questionnaire has been generated and will be deployed to sugarcane farmers at shed meetings and other relevant gatherings. The questionnaire will determine how convincing the machinima are and how farmers would access them, i.e. through desktop computers or mobile devices. This paper will discuss the lessons learned and opportunities for future applications and research.
Education in the Virtual World? Why are you stuck in the Dark Ages?
Author(s):
Denise Haugh RL/Denise Haugh SL
Diana Ihnatovych SL
Jennifer Zhao SL
Kwesi Yaro SL
Hsiao-Cheng (Sandrine) Han SL
Yoriko Gillard SL
For the general populace, education in the virtual world is still a new idea. However, to a sect of technology educators, the virtual world represents an old medium that should no longer be utilised. Although, the impact of our work in the educational field is evident, we have always been questioned as to why we have adopted the virtual world as a pedagogical tool and a medium for educational research. This session endeavours to answer these questions. The panelists are subject area specialists from art, music, math, language, and educational technology. We will discuss and invite the audience to engage indiscourse on the following questions: What are the characteristics of virtual worlds? What are the pedagogical affordances and constraints of using virtual worlds for education? When a technology or an idea is becomes old, does that mean we should not us e it any longer? Is there any technology that could replace virtual worlds today? And finally we will conclude the discussion with the question, should we continue to use virtual worlds for education?
Track 9: Tools and Products
"Virtual World Design" – a New Book about Creating Immersive Virtual Spaces
Author(s):
Ann Cudworth RL/Annabelle Fanshaw SL
Annabelle Fanshaw (Ann Cudworth) will present a comprehensive overview of her new book "Virtual World Design" which will be published in April 2014 by CRC Press. She will discuss the concepts and methodologies involving virtual classrooms, soundscape design, lighting design, color theory, avatar design and more. This book helps teachers and trainers make connections between the physical world and how that can be represented in a virtual envir onment for educational purposes. It connects the theories of color, sound and 3D design with the creation of immersive, relevant virtual environments that inspire collaboration and learning. “Design for All” is introduced throughout the book, to inspire the connections between the design process, and the consideration of creating universal accessibility. Various projects provided in the book, combined with the 3D content included help the reader make new connections between game design and virtual learning environments. Included are projects for making a sound based game, a 3D Resume, a virtual classroom, color/particle sensory space, and an Ideagora for class brainstorming sessions. More information about the author is available at http://www.anncudworthprojects.com/.
Paradigm Shift: Bringing the Library to the Students Virtually
Author(s):
Dee McGonigle RL/HoustonCCN Resident SL
Yukon Footman SL
Jeckybean Galaxy SL
Purpose: The old paradigm of going to the library to seek information and knowledge has changed in this technologically infused era. The new paradigm is to bring the library to the users; this is being accomplished on our islands in the Second Life (SL) virtual learning environment (VLE). Objectives: Develop library resources that support evidence based collaborative practice in SL. Create the heads up displays (HUDs) containing library resources that the student has access to when they enter their virtual learning space. Connections: This presentation will demonstrate the HUD and describe the collaborative effort, resources, and outcomes from enacting this new paradigm in SL to support evidence based collaborative practice. All of our SL users are able to access any of our college’s library resources from anywhere at any time in SL. The library resources are available using HUDs. This is extremely important for graduate nursing students; they can chat with a “live” librarian, search, order articles and resources or read immediately upon access as needed during their virtual interactions, simulations or games. Impact/Findings: Data collection is underway and preliminary research findings regarding this paradigm shift in the VLE will be shared during the presentation. Conclusion: This truly is a paradigm shift that puts information and knowledge at the fingertips of our nursing students and supports evidence based collaborative practice.
The Making of "Virtual World Design" Book - a Sim Demonstration
Author(s):
Ann Cudworth RL/Annabelle Fanshaw SL
Annabelle Fanshaw will give a tour of Alchemy Sims Grid, to show how the content and concepts for her new book "Virtual World Design" were developed and refined. The visitors will see regions containing projects about shop design, classroom design, lighting, sound-based game design, all-access design, and more. This demo will allow for the audience to explore the 3D content with their avatars, and support a visual and digital connection to the concepts about color theory, sound, and 3D design presented in the book. Located on Alchemy Sims Grid (Hypergrid Address is grid.alchemysims.com:8002:Triton), the content for this sim demo is spread over 7 regions. Annabelle Fanshw will take the attendees on a tour while she discusses the major builds for each of the projects displayed. Notecards and illustrations from the book will help the attendees make connections between the design concepts presented in the text and their practical utilization in the projects included. Consider it a 3D tour inside the mind of the book. Included are projects for making a sound based game, a 3D resume, a virtual classroom, color/particle sensory space, and an Ideagora for class brainstorming sessions. More information about the author is available at http://www.anncudworthprojects.com/.
The Community Cultural Hub - Teleport Connections to Immersion
Author(s):
Iggy Onomatopoeia RL/Beth Ghostraven SL
Scott Anstadt RL/Jasmine Lordenwych SL
Scott Anstadt RL/Ewan Bonham SL
The Cultural Community Info Teleport Hub (CCH) located in the Whole Brain Health sim is a coordinated development of easy to access teleport links in t he form of coordinated posters containing brief information and LM. More information including key informant interviews and resources are cross referenced in an attached library. The CCH is based on presenter's published research and is envisioned to be arena for further planned multidisciplinary research in virtual worlds. Benefits include a central spot for students and others to congregate, select exploration events, and/or use easy and efficient access to sims for completion of class assignments. Sims include communities of all kinds: educational technology, arts and sciences, worldwide cultures, representations of RL social issues, unique roles expressed in SL, and social support services. Such communities center around groups of dedicated persons working towards expressed purpose(s), agreed upon practices, events, and a form of governance. CCH can be a center for connected study of both RL and SL diversity, community development and expressive arts. We will provide a tour, describe collaborative efforts with educators and volunteers in creating CCH, and show a demonstration video. Participants will sample various transports and share impressions.
Track 10: Posters
A Hope and a Plan
Author(s):
Cooper Patterson RL/Cooper Macbeth SL
RebeccaLPatterson SL
Mathematics is taught in schools through various disjointed processes and topics involving much memorization and abstraction. This pedagogy of knowledge collection creates a fragmented understanding starting with the earliest acquisition of number sense and has lead to a national crisis in STEM education. Virtual worlds allow us to easily see and interact with the recent realization that numbers have shapes. Number shapes trigger our minds into making sweeping connections in the foundations of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and calculus via the visual cortex. Let us show you the forest AND the trees at the same time to give you the A-ha moment of synaptic growth.
Caledon Oxbridge — A Victorian Steampunk Portal for New Second Life Residents
Author(s):
Carl Henderson SL
Caledon Oxbridge is the Community Gateway of the Caledon estates — a Steampunk/Victorian themed group of thirty sims. One of the top-rated Gateways in Second Life, Oxbridge is built around a complete walk-through orientation tutorial for new residents. Oxbridge also offers on-site volunteer helpers, twenty-two classes in Second Life skills each week, freebies, a sandbox, self-paced building, texturing, & scripting tutorials, a branch of the Library of Caledon, and an active live help group.
Connect with VSTE Island
Author(s):
Mandie Mimulus SL
VSTE Island VWBPE 3D Poster Display: The Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) has had a presence in Second Life opening the first VSTE World Headquarters on EduIsland 3 in 2006. Three years later, VSTE Island came online and celebrated it s fifth birthday in January 2014 – Yay! With the help of passionate volunteers who recognize the potential of using a virtual environment as another avenue for professional development, VSTE in Second Life has been connecting its membership with program content every Monday night (5-6PM SLT) since November 2008. Each week one of four main programs strands is presented: Theme nights, tours of educational sims in Second Life, make-and-take building workshops, and a favorite among our members, mobile technology user group. No matter what the topic, every Monday night meeting is dedicated to building relationships with members through sharing and discussion. In this VWBPE 3D poster display, VSTE Island facilitators will create an interactive display of contributions and involvement of educators who support immersive environments and our best practices for making connections. Plus VSTE Island facilitators will be available during the conference to answer any questions in person.
Earth Science in MUVE
Author(s):
annalisa boniello RL/Lisa Tebaldi SL
This proposal is part of my PhD research in University of Camerino (Italy). I have build elearning path in Opensim on earth science. Some paths are for secondary school students and others for University's students. In these path there are simulation and serious game for students on volcanism and earthquakes.
Kamedia’s Language Village
Author(s):
Juergen Kappus SL
Kamedia’s language Village outlines the efficient combination of a Learning Management System and virtual worlds. The prototype of the language village was presented for the first time on VWBPE in 2013. Since then some improvements and many conceptual changes have been made. The Language Village can be used either as a kind of 3D Tool in your LMS, or your LMS can inworld be used to provide content. Additionally, our Language Village includes a solution, which enables the integration of voice in Cloud Party. The Language Village consists of a realistic reproduction of a German city and includes little learning units in the virtual world. The posters will illustrate beside the presentation of our “Language Village” the theoretical and scholarly background of how to improve learning languages in virtual worlds.
Superhero Education, Affinity and Alliances
Author(s):
Renne Emiko Brock-Richmond RL/Zinnia Zauber SL
Immersive learning environments open opportunities for people to become their best selves and develop superpowers to have a positive impact and foster altruistic acts. Alliances of superheroes accomplish amazing things by using individual superpowers to meet our own goals, while at the same time, they learn to “Share the Black Crayon” by exchanging the spotlight to be shone frequently on other teammates to encourage each other. Virtual worlds establish worldwide connections and access that teaches thoughtful responsibility and patience to build connected successful spheres of influence over selfish instant gratification. Amble and engage with lessons of how to reveal superpowers and weaknesses, develop authentic avatars, build inquiry and impact, explore a shared experience, create and communicate, and cultivate respect and mentor to unite focal points of good and inspire others.
The Cultural Community Info Teleport Hub - Poster
Author(s):
Beth O'Connell RL/Beth Ghostraven SL
The Cultural Community Info Teleport Hub (CCH) located in the Whole Brain Health sim is a coordinated development of easy to access teleport links in t he form of coordinated posters containing brief information and LM. More information including key informant interviews and resources are cross referenced in an attached library. The CCH is based on presenter's published research and is envisioned to be arena for further planned multidisciplinary research in virtual worlds. Benefits include a central spot for students and others to congregate, select exploration events, and/or use easy and efficient access to sims for completion of class assignments. Sims include communities of all kinds: educational technology, arts and sciences, worldwide cultures, representations of RL social issues, unique roles expressed in SL, and social support services. Such communities cent er around groups of dedicated persons working towards expressed purpose(s), agreed upon practices, events, and a form of governance. CCH can be a center for connected study of both rl and SL diversity, community development and expressive arts. The Poster will give a ' tour' of the CCH, describe collaborative efforts with educators and volunteers increating CCH, and link to a demonstration video. Observers will be able to sample a few posters displayed in the CCH , obtain the LM, and transport to get an experiential impression of how CCH can be readily used.
Virtual World Design Book - Illustrated Concepts from the Book in an Interactive Poster Display
Author(s):
Ann Cudworth RL/Annabelle Fanshaw SL
Built for attendees to VWBPE 2014, who would like a “self-guided” tour the content of her new book, “Virtual World Design”, this 3D display will present a slideshow of images from the illustrations, concepts and project builds. Interactive info cubes will dispense notecards full of information from the book to help the attendees make connections between the design concepts presented in the text and their practical utilization in the projects included. Consider it a 3D tour inside the mind of the book. Included are projects for making a sound based game, a 3D resume, a virtual classroom, color/particle sensory space, and an Ideagora for class brainstorming sessions. More information about the author is available at http://www.anncudworthprojects.com/.
Track 11: Featured Machinima
Connect ICT with ICE and Make a Machinima!
Author(s):
Angela Rizzo RL/Rosavioletta SL
Machinima link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ml6cu0myuI
Innovation, Creativity and Education mix and match in this video production for learners of English as a Foreign Language presented during MachinEVO 2013, the five week workshop in Second Life for language educators on how to create machinima. The experience of this video making for classroom use maintained its Innovative trait keeping up with new technology for its production and diffusion. An additional touch of Creativity expanded the Educational aims of the “Year of the dragon 2012”: the conversation is subtitled and can be used at different levels within the Common European Framework of Reference. Instructions on didactics are provided too. The topic of a hotel reservation then becomes the first step for a traveler where the use of language opens up to new connections with people, their history, culture, art... Entering the MachinEVO metaverse allowed connections in time and virtual space first and with its scattered around the globe community of practice thereafter. Contents and competences acquired by the author in the complex process of video making became remarkable personal tools shareable in the huge constellation made of educators and students of all ages and knowledge.
Real Virtuality: A Special Day
Author(s):
Stylianos Mystakidis RL/Stylianos Ling SL
Suzette Lewis RL/Suzician Lewis SL
Machinima Link:
A short teaser story on the History and Future of Humanity and Virtual Reality. Featuring Museum of Virtual Media, University of Washington, a project by the graduates of the 2012 Class of the UW Certificate Program in Virtual Worlds and Museum Island.
Using Minecraft for Digital Citizenship and Information Literacy
Author(s):
Valerie Hill RL/Valerie Hill SL
Machinima Link:
Today’s students are challenged to become digital citizens and responsible “prosumers” of information in participatory digital culture. A group of 5th graders, in an after school library technology club, used Minecraft to build a digital citizenship game with the goal of promoting information literacy and personal responsibility for digital citizenship. This machinima documents the project and demonstrates the importance of embedding 21st century learning standards through opportunities for creativity and innovation. The project illustrates how young people of all ages are ready to embrace virtual worlds for collaborative, constructivist learning and critical thinking.
Track 12: Quadrivium Unconference
Virtual Museum
Author(s):
Joe Rigby Pontefractal
A virtual museum using the Usher gallery laser scanned artifacts from the Lincoln museum in the UK has been developed. The Usher Gallery recently released (first from any institution) a series of these 3D scans of their museum artifacts http://lincoln3dscans.co.uk/gallery/ and we imported them into an online virtual museum which is available 24/7 at http://wa692.avay alive.com. Works on a PC or MAC but only with Safari at the present. This virtual environment is the first globally accessible venue for viewing actual existing scanned artifacts.
Making Sense of Second Life
Author(s):
Amber Marshall RL/Sadie Juan Eighty SL
In this seminar I invite the audience to think about how we are collectively sensemaking at this very moment. Who are we and how do we “know” each other? What are we doing and how do achieve ashared understanding of the activity? Where are we? And what are the artefacts and social norms that give sense to this place? By having this discussion I hope we can become more aware of what we take for granted in the virtual world. Furthermore, I hope to draw attention to the immense power we have to create and influence the virtual world in which we make sense.
Diseño de Espacios Participativos para Proyectos Virtuales Inmersivos
Author(s):
Arq. Camilo Andres Suarez Araque
Ahora que se abre un nuevo campo de exploración y creación en los mundos virtuales, se deben comprender e implementar las ventajas que como docentes y profesionales podemos obtener de estos mundos paralelos accesibles a todo público desde un computador. Los Videojuegos y mundos virtuales han generado una gran curiosidad en el mundo educativo, pues vislumbran una serie de posibilidades y metodologías en las cuales la interacción, la simulación, la inmersión y la práctica adquieren gran relevancia. A pesar de la gran cantidad de proyectos educativos que usan estas herramientas, aun es mucho el desconocimiento que tenemos de ellas, y estamos en el momento adecuado para empezar a conocerlas, a manejarlas, a usarlas en nuestros propios modelos educativos, y de este modo participar activamente en la preparación de una gran revolución educativa, la que está empezando justo ahora.
Track 13: Exploration of Virtual Worlds (Post‐Conference MOOC)
Innovation @UWE Island Tour
Author(s):
Mari Carmen Gil Ortega RL/Maika Giordano SL
We will explore the main environments in SL where students and tutors of the MA in Education Virtual Worlds have their weekly meetings. We will visit the library, where we will be able to ask bots to help us find interesting resources, to do team work such as sorting out a jigsaw puzzle and then find together the different places in the island represented in the puzzle. We will go to the sandbox to see students work and the building and simulations they carried out for their assignments. We will go to the harbour and its fun fair and the pub. We will go into a balloon ride. We will drum and dance at the beach. Above all we will have fun. No specific requirements for this tour.
Kamedia’s language Village
Author(s):
Juergen Kappus SL
Kamedia’s language Village outlines the efficient combination of a Learning Management System and virtual worlds. The prototype of the language village was presented for the first time on VWBPE in 2013. Since then some improvements and many conceptual changes have been made. The Language Village can be used either as a kind of 3D Tool in your LMS, or your LMS can inworld be used to provide content. Additionally, our Language Village includes a solution, which enables the integration of voice in Cloud Party. The Language Village consists of a realistic reproduction of a German city and includes little learning units in the virtual world. The the MOOC tour to our “Language Village” will extend the Sim demonstration and will allow to answer detailed questions.
Literacy game: The Mythical World of Hīnātore
Author(s):
Merle Hearns RL/Briarmelle Quintessa OS
The Mythical World of Hīnātore is a literacy game that has been built to help address literacy needs intertiary students. The rationale for game development will be presented as well as a taste of what the game offers. Literacy is vital for success in life. In New Zealand, particularly in South Auckland, there are high literacy needs. Students arrive at tertiary institutions with literacy gaps that are displayed in poor essay and report writing. The game will provide the connection between the writing skills they have and those that they need. This virtual world game offers students interactive, motivating and stimulating learning. The main aims of the game are to increase awareness of common errors in sentence production, to facilitate editing, and improve sentence structure. The game has a New Zealand background and each level of play is based on a Māori legend. This is an important aspect of the game as it focusses on connections. The indigenous student population are over-represented by those who are under-achieving and will benefit from the cultural relevance of the learning environment. The game offers all students the opportunity to make a connection between their cultural experiences and those represented in the game.
Nexus Portals to 3D Information Literacy: A Challenge to Explore New Worlds
Author(s):
AgileBill Krebs RL/AgileBill Firehawk SL
Valerie Hill RLValerie Hill SL
Renne Emiko Brock-Richmond RL/Zinnia Zauber SL
This session explores the future possibilities of the library beyond the close of the “Gutenberg Parenthesis”. Participants are invited to travel across virtual worlds, through portals to connect communities, and access high quality informative immersion. Emphasis on embedding information literacy in virtual worlds is demonstrated. Graduates of the University of Washington’s Certificate in Virtual Worlds will lead an interactive session with tour guides to help participants toggle between platforms. TIMES: Meet 3 Tuesdays at 5pm-6pm SLT (Pacific Time) Apr. 29, May 6 Day 1: Sococo tour to compare features of virtual world platforms in relation to information literacy skills needed in global participatory digital culture. Examples will include classrooms, content delivery and critical evaluation of content. Day 2: Kitely tour with interactive discussion on best practices of virtual worlds for embedding information literacy and digital citizenship with emphasis on digital footprints and online identity. Presenters will share resources on avatar identity, information literacy, and digital citizenship both in the various virtual worlds and on slideshare.
Track 14: Social Networking
The social networking track were a series of informal discussions on what’s hot, what’s not, what works, and what generally might be irking the education community about virtual environments. These were presented as opportunities to share insights with other colleagues and to pick up pointers from the vast array of knowledge available at the conference. Participants were able to share experiences and pick up new tips and tricks in these small work sessions at the VWBPE Quadrivium.
Social Networking: Tools
Moderator:
Vasili Giannoutos RL/ Bluebarker Lowtide SL
Social Networking: Research
Moderator:
Peggy Daniels Lee RL/Linda Sautereau RL
Social Networking: Technology
Moderator:
James Ollerton RL/ Big Red SL
Author Index
