Nothing virtual about it:
Successful language learning
in 3D worlds
Paul Sweeney
paul@eduworlds.org
Virtual Tools & Spaces – IATEFL 2009

Seeing is believing
Video (Machinima) 1: Excerpts from Upper
Intermediate (CEF B2) Travel module. (Greeting class,
setting up activity for individual student and activity
feedback. Introduction to actor characters)
Video (Machinima 2): Excerpts from Intermediate and
Upper Intermediate (CEF B1 & B2) writing module.
(Task introduction, instruction giving, pairwork, task
discussion. Student meeting in city café)

Pedagogy: what's happening?
n
latio
• highly realistic & relevant
Functio
Simu
nal contexts
•Direct learning & learning as a
byproduct
• Activates sociolinguistic aspect
Task based
• interaction with teachers, actors, Role play
native speakers & other learners
• Real & meaningful experiences
tive
ca
mmun i Learn
mediated through English
Co e
comm r
u ni ty
Competency based
(Common European Framework)

Theorists agree: Learning as doing
(Diana Laurillard – 2008)
1890 John Dewey Inquiry-based education
. Jean Piaget Constructivism
. Lev Vygotsky Mediated learning
1940 Jerome Bruner Discovery learning
. Learning as problematization
Paulo Freire
. common Learning as conversation
Gordon Pask
1960 conception
Problem-based learning
Terry Winograd
. of the learning
Reflective practice
Seymour Papert process
.
Meta-cognition
Lauren Resnick
1980
Experiential learning
John Seely Brown
.
Learner-oriented approach
Ference Marton
.
Social constructivism
2000 Roger Säljö
Situated learning
. John Biggs
. Jean Lave

A conversational framework (Diana Laurillard – 2008)
Concepts Ideas
Answers
Learner’s
Teacher’s Other
ideas
ideas learner(s)
Questions
Outputs Ideas
Adapt Adapt
actions actions
Reflect Reflect Reflect
Task goal
Draft
Feedback outputs
Learner’s Other
Practice
practice learner(s)
environment
Draft
Actions
outputs
Instructivism + Constructionism + Social learning + Collaborative

Misc references
Rethinking pedagogy for a digital age: designing and delivering e-learning
Helen Beetham, Rhona Sharpe, Routledge, 2007
ISBN 0415408741, 9780415408745
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ix2I9H0qHu4C
Rethinking university teaching:
a conversational framework for the effective use of learning technologies
By Diana Laurillard, 2nd Ed. Routledge, 2002
ISBN 0415256798, 9780415256797
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=99eQakJyAj4C
Diana Laurillard – inaugural presentation for London Knowledge Lab
http://www.lkl.ac.uk/cms/files/jce/presentations/laurillard-inaugural-20080226.ppt available from here
http://www.lkl.ac.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=userProfile&user=127
http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Laurillard_conversational_framework

Contact me
paul@eduworlds.org -
http://www.eduworlds.org