Second Life as Knowledge Medium in Distance Education Marianne Riis, PhD Candidate, Aalborg University

Second Life is not a game ! Second Life is a world – the resident (user) must create his/her own purpose for being in-world  “ Hallo, it’s 1’s and 0’s that disappear as soon as you unplug or loose your internet connection!”  So, is it possible to use Second Life to share and create knowledge??

Second Life is not a game !

Second Life is a world – the resident (user) must create his/her own purpose for being in-world



“ Hallo, it’s 1’s and 0’s that disappear as soon as you unplug or loose your internet connection!”



So, is it possible to use Second Life

to share and create knowledge??

PhD (2008-2010):3D-mediation as a supplement in problem based blended learning at the Master programme on ICT and Learning, MIL and in the COMBLE project Respectful and radical remediation within Didactic Design Action Research inspired approach  explain, understand but also change existing practice

PhD (2008-2010):3D-mediation as a supplement in problem based blended learning at the Master programme on ICT and Learning, MIL and in the COMBLE project

Respectful and radical remediation within Didactic Design

Action Research inspired approach  explain, understand but also change existing practice

Research design Multiple case study MIL (re design/ participation)  3-4 cycles Blended COMBLE (design/ participation)  2 cycles Online/Blended + Continous multiple in-world observations and interviews

Multiple case study

MIL (re design/

participation) 

3-4 cycles

Blended

COMBLE (design/

participation) 

2 cycles

Online/Blended

+

Continous multiple

in-world observations and interviews

The MIL-SL course Period :5 weeks (November/December) Subject : Analysis of ICT and Didactic Design (course 1 out of 2) Analytical object : Locations and processes in Second Life Goals : identify, analyze, assess and reflect based on theory and practice  Think out-of-the-box Participants: 12-15 students, 1 teacher, 2 guest lecturers and several guests Mode : Blended (methods, tools and locations)

Period :5 weeks (November/December)

Subject : Analysis of ICT and Didactic Design (course 1 out of 2)

Analytical object : Locations and processes in Second Life

Goals : identify, analyze, assess and reflect based on theory and practice  Think out-of-the-box

Participants: 12-15 students, 1 teacher, 2 guest lecturers and several guests

Mode : Blended (methods, tools and locations)

MIL’ing class ’08

FirstClass (FC) setting

Second Life (SL) setting Respectful office Radical classroom

Respectful office

Radical classroom

SL pics Fall’08

Get-off-to-a-good-start MI build Connectivism course

MI build

Connectivism course

25 scheduled activities (1-3 hrs.) Get-off-to-a-good-start Building class Didactic Design Discussions Visits (education and business) Friday Bar Your Tour X-Mas celebration Ad hoc meetings

Get-off-to-a-good-start

Building class

Didactic Design Discussions

Visits (education and business)

Friday Bar

Your Tour

X-Mas celebration

Ad hoc meetings

Building Class

Quantitative outcome (1) 12 students participated full time , 1 student analyzed SL and GC and 2 students participated ad hoc There were 25 scheduled activities lasting between 1-3 hrs. The students were expected to participate in 1 – all of them participated in several The meta-conference in FC contained 232 postings (5 weeks) …

12 students participated full time , 1 student analyzed SL and GC and 2 students participated ad hoc

There were 25 scheduled activities lasting between 1-3 hrs. The students were expected to participate in 1 – all of them participated in several

The meta-conference in FC contained 232 postings (5 weeks) …

Didactic Design Discussions

Quantitative outcome (2) FC discussion postings: Didactics and target groups – 32 postings by 12 students and me (8). Approx. 40 A4 pages. Orientation and navigation – 8 postings by 5 students and me (1). Approx. 8 A4 pages. Interaction – 0 posts! Learning processes – 68 posting by 11 students and me (21). Approx. 83 A4 pages. Audio-visuals – 9 postings by 2 students and me (4). Approx. 15 A4 pages.  almost 10 (3) postings pr. student (146 pages (36) )

FC discussion postings:

Didactics and target groups – 32 postings by 12 students and me (8). Approx. 40 A4 pages.

Orientation and navigation – 8 postings by 5 students and me (1). Approx. 8 A4 pages.

Interaction – 0 posts!

Learning processes – 68 posting by 11 students and me (21). Approx. 83 A4 pages.

Audio-visuals – 9 postings by 2 students and me (4). Approx. 15 A4 pages.  almost 10 (3) postings pr. student (146 pages (36) )

Danish educational visits Percipitopia - SDU WD’s holodeck - Wonderful Denmark

Percipitopia

- SDU

WD’s holodeck

- Wonderful Denmark

Qualitative outcome (1) SL learning curve is very steep Takes a lot of time, practice and patience SL is still an emerging technology Huge potential but too time consuming at this point Considerations about target groups are important – teacher/facilitator crucial Any pedagogical strategy can be used – all work with different purposes

SL learning curve is very steep

Takes a lot of time, practice and patience

SL is still an emerging technology

Huge potential but too time consuming at this point

Considerations about target groups are important – teacher/facilitator crucial

Any pedagogical strategy can be used – all work with different purposes

International educational visits Rockcliffe University - Canada Metaverse Labs - Israel

Rockcliffe University

- Canada

Metaverse Labs

- Israel

Qualitative outcome (2) A very social and personal environment International/inter-cultural Immersive and augmented depending on goals and processes Avatar-mediation can be very fruitful, but also has some disadvantages Communication and dissemination possibilities not good enough … yet Don’t dismiss anything before trying – don’t judge a book by it’s cover!

A very social and personal environment

International/inter-cultural

Immersive and augmented depending on goals and processes

Avatar-mediation can be very fruitful, but also has some disadvantages

Communication and dissemination possibilities not good enough … yet

Don’t dismiss anything before trying – don’t judge a book by it’s cover!

International debate visits Metanomics Science Friday

Metanomics

Science Friday

Flexibility in Distance Education? SL lacks sufficient asynchronous communication possibilities At MIL synchronous communication is rarely used between teachers and students in the course periods – rationale: flexibility MIL’s SL-course emphasized synchronous communication possibly creating a Rosenthal (pygmalion) effect!

SL lacks sufficient asynchronous communication possibilities

At MIL synchronous communication is rarely used between teachers and students in the course periods – rationale: flexibility

MIL’s SL-course emphasized synchronous communication possibly creating a Rosenthal (pygmalion) effect!

SL entreprenuers Pop Art Lab (non-profit) Electric Pixels (profit)

Pop Art Lab

(non-profit)

Electric Pixels

(profit)

Friday Bar

Your Tour Genome Island FLS

Genome Island

FLS

Student creations A conceptual model (Cement Canning) A photostory (Halis Luminos)

A conceptual model

(Cement Canning)

A photostory

(Halis Luminos)

Yes! SL can be used as Knowledge Medium

Future changes … Earlier (more focused) course start, includes rethinking f2f-seminar Change assessment criteria Limit activities (2-3/week)? + audio/video recordings Annotate relevant places (SL pics) and references Qualify entrance (SL tutors and Danish OI) Qualify visits (planned dialogue) Qualify Didactic Design Discussions (one for each element + ad hoc topics based on students’ interests) Amplify use of student-knowledge (tours, teach each other) Rethink building class concept Rethink FC structure and use (SLoodle  COMBLE)

Earlier (more focused) course start, includes rethinking f2f-seminar

Change assessment criteria

Limit activities (2-3/week)? + audio/video recordings

Annotate relevant places (SL pics) and references

Qualify entrance (SL tutors and Danish OI)

Qualify visits (planned dialogue)

Qualify Didactic Design Discussions (one for each element + ad hoc topics based on students’ interests)

Amplify use of student-knowledge (tours, teach each other)

Rethink building class concept

Rethink FC structure and use

(SLoodle  COMBLE)

Thx! Marianne Riis/ Mariis Mills [email_address] http://milmariis.wordpress.com/

Marianne Riis/

Mariis Mills

[email_address]

http://milmariis.wordpress.com/