Virtually educated… … the reality of using Second Life and other virtual worlds in FE

Outline – 4 parts some issues to think about Sloodle SL usage in UK HE and FE the wider MUVE environment

some issues to think about

Sloodle

SL usage in UK HE and FE

the wider MUVE environment

some issues to think about 1. some issues to think about

Orientation can be disorienting high percentage of new users never make it past the SL orientation experience… why? technical issues identity issues coolness issues orientation is confusing NMC Orientation: http://sl.nmc.org/create.php

high percentage of new users never make it past the SL orientation experience…

why?

technical issues

identity issues

coolness issues

orientation is confusing

Technical issues… the SL client may require special ports to be open in your firewall are your techies willing to do this? the SL client requires a reasonably high end machine (memory, processor, graphics card) a well spec’d gaming machine will give best results can you (or your students) afford this?

the SL client may require special ports to be open in your firewall

are your techies willing to do this?

the SL client requires a reasonably high end machine (memory, processor, graphics card)

a well spec’d gaming machine will give best results

can you (or your students) afford this?

Identity issues… every avatar has a name but in SL it’s not your real life name suspect that some people feel uncomfortable about this it also means that the teacher has to remember 2 names per student

every avatar has a name

but in SL it’s not your real life name

suspect that some people feel uncomfortable about this

it also means that the teacher has to remember 2 names per student

Appearances can be misleading… on the Internet no one knows you’re a dog in SL no one knows you’re a bloke appearance can be changed instantly wings and tails (‘furries’) seem oddly popular!

on the Internet no one knows you’re a dog

in SL no one knows you’re a bloke

appearance can be changed instantly

wings and tails (‘furries’) seem oddly popular!

Embodiment some people (students and staff) simply do not “get it” they do not relate to being “in” a virtual world possibly as many as 90% will feel alienated therefore not safe to build pedagogic activities solely around SL

some people (students and staff) simply do not “get it”

they do not relate to being “in” a virtual world

possibly as many as 90% will feel alienated

therefore not safe to build pedagogic activities solely around SL

Coolness issues… don’t assume that SL will necessarily appeal to a young audience demographics indicate otherwise some ad hoc evidence that value of SL more obvious in ‘distance learning’ scenarios than ‘on campus’ July 2007 survey of 501 students aged 16 to 18 from across the UK, commissioned by the JISC http://tinyurl.com/yw8mvx When discussing Second Life, students felt that games and virtual worlds as part of learning could easily become “tragic” – technology being used for its own sake, and used rather childishly. They would need to understand the educational benefits of virtual worlds or games, it is not enough that they are simply ‘new’.

don’t assume that SL will necessarily appeal to a young audience

demographics indicate otherwise

some ad hoc evidence that value of SL more obvious in ‘distance learning’ scenarios than ‘on campus’

SL is a big “group hug” SL is an open world where all sorts of activities are undertaken mostly good but some bad, e.g. ‘griefing’ this probably won’t impinge on your use of SL for teaching but best to be aware of what is out there

SL is an open world

where all sorts of activities are undertaken

mostly good but some bad, e.g. ‘griefing’

this probably won’t impinge on your use of SL for teaching

but best to be aware of what is out there

A world divided one consequence of this is that SL is segregated 14-17 year olds live in Teen SL 18s and over live in SL this divide is exclusive if you teach across both age groups then you’ll have to deal with this – e.g. by replicating work

one consequence of this is that SL is segregated

14-17 year olds live in Teen SL

18s and over live in SL

this divide is exclusive

if you teach across both age groups then you’ll have to deal with this – e.g. by replicating work

Communication / collaboration multiple modes of in-world communication supported chat IM group IM voice each mode brings with it some issues in terms of usability

multiple modes of in-world communication supported

chat

IM

group IM

voice

each mode brings with it some issues in terms of usability

Pedagogy SL can be used to deliver lectures, but… most suited to “active” learning styles building coding discussion groups machinima and drama production role-play

SL can be used to deliver lectures, but…

most suited to “active” learning styles

building

coding

discussion groups

machinima and drama production

role-play

Sloodle 2. Sloodle

We’re all familiar with this… ‘traditional’ online learning environment sharing documents and learning objects management and tracking discussion coursework submission assessment

‘traditional’ online learning environment

sharing documents and learning objects

management and tracking

discussion

coursework submission

assessment

… but not so much with this? multi-user virtual learning environment relatively informal and open-ended non-obvious goals rich social & technical environment collaborative (but difficult to set object permissions correctly)

multi-user virtual learning environment

relatively informal and open-ended

non-obvious goals

rich social & technical environment

collaborative (but difficult to set object permissions correctly)

Sloodle intended as bridge… Second Life as a Moodle client providing better support for in-world learning & teaching Second Life and Moodle as complimentary and integrated learning environments

Second Life as a Moodle client

providing better support for in-world learning & teaching

Second Life and Moodle as complimentary and integrated learning environments

Sloodle tools authentication toolbar classroom tools chat support blogging glossary drop box quiz tool gestures

authentication

toolbar

classroom tools

chat support

blogging

glossary

drop box

quiz tool

gestures

SL usage in UK HE and FE 3. SL usage in UK HE and FE

Use of SL in HE the Eduserv Foundation has funded a series of 4 snapshots - undertaken by John Kirriemuir (Silversprite Helsinki) last one due Sept 2008 - if you have something to contribute, please get in touch active development at over 80% of UK universities most of the developments are team-driven, rather than by individuals some evidence that people are starting to look at alternative virtual worlds http://tinyurl.com/3ps2f3

the Eduserv Foundation has funded a series of 4 snapshots - undertaken by John Kirriemuir (Silversprite Helsinki)

last one due Sept 2008 - if you have something to contribute, please get in touch

active development at over 80% of UK universities

most of the developments are team-driven, rather than by individuals

some evidence that people are starting to look at alternative virtual worlds

Use of SL in FE FE use is much lower but there is some out there, e.g. Bromley College (SL: Clive Pro and Skipper Abel) Myerscough College (RL: Gary Elliot) there appear to be some examples of use in schools but this mostly seems to be in collaboration with a university

FE use is much lower but there is some out there, e.g.

Bromley College (SL: Clive Pro and Skipper Abel)

Myerscough College (RL: Gary Elliot)

there appear to be some examples of use in schools but this mostly seems to be in collaboration with a university

The wider MUVE environment 4. the wider MUVE environment

Life beyond Second Life SL is one of many virtual worlds there.com, Project Wonderland, Entropia Universe, Active Worlds, OpenCroquet, Metaverse, OpenSIM, HiPiHi, Twinity, … it is not clear that SL is the answer SL client now released as open source software clear demand for server to made OSS also some commitment to this by LL (partly because people are reverse-engineering the server anyway) and working with IBM on OpenSim

SL is one of many virtual worlds

there.com, Project Wonderland, Entropia Universe, Active Worlds, OpenCroquet, Metaverse, OpenSIM, HiPiHi, Twinity, …

it is not clear that SL is the answer

SL client now released as open source software

clear demand for server to made OSS also

some commitment to this by LL (partly because people are reverse-engineering the server anyway) and working with IBM on OpenSim

Some examples… OpenSIM, HiPiHi, Twinity not the only options but chosen because they are all ‘SL-like’ environments open-ended, multi-user – MUVEs, not games modifiable avatars pseudonymous support for building and scripting in-world currency chat, IM and voice for communication

OpenSIM, HiPiHi, Twinity

not the only options but chosen because they are all ‘SL-like’ environments

open-ended, multi-user – MUVEs, not games

modifiable avatars

pseudonymous

support for building and scripting

in-world currency

chat, IM and voice for communication

OpenSim Open source SL-compatible server – i.e. can use standard SL client to access it alpha release full functionality under dev. easy to install (on PCs) in standalone mode can be run in ‘grid’ mode used as the basis for production environments such as CentralGrid http://opensimulator.org/ http://www.centralgrid.com/

Open source SL-compatible server – i.e. can use standard SL client to access it

alpha release

full functionality under dev.

easy to install (on PCs) in standalone mode

can be run in ‘grid’ mode

used as the basis for production environments such as CentralGrid

Twinity dedicated client closed beta ~4000 members can use RL names currency (Globals) based in Europe real world geographic metaphor slow and somewhat primitive to use http://www.twinity.com/

dedicated client

closed beta

~4000 members

can use RL names

currency (Globals)

based in Europe

real world geographic metaphor

slow and somewhat primitive to use

HiPiHi dedicated client based in China only partial translation of user-interface and documentation into English non-intuitive to use (for those used to SL) but some nice features, e.g. built in support for swimming empty but clearly getting new registrations http://www.hipihi.com/

dedicated client

based in China

only partial translation of user-interface and documentation into English

non-intuitive to use (for those used to SL) but some nice features, e.g. built in support for swimming

empty but clearly getting new registrations

Conclusions SL remains the market leader by far despite all the negativity around SL it remains the best educational MUVE offering but… competition is coming which is good for everyone (except Linden Lab!) it is probably too early (i.e. expensive) for most educational institutions to experiment with other virtual worlds right now

SL remains the market leader by far

despite all the negativity around SL it remains the best educational MUVE offering

but… competition is coming

which is good for everyone (except Linden Lab!)

it is probably too early (i.e. expensive) for most educational institutions to experiment with other virtual worlds right now

Questions questions…