Virtual Worlds as Web 2.0 Learning Spaces Sarah “Intellagirl” Robbins Ball State University, IN ELI 2008

PEDAGOGY FIRST TECHNOLOGY SECOND STUDENTS FIRST UNIVERSITIES SECOND

encourages contact between students and faculty develops reciprocity and cooperation among students encourages active learning gives prompt feedback emphasizes time on task communicates high expectations respects diverse talents and ways of learning Chickering and Gamson 7 Principles for Good Practice in Higher Education

encourages contact between students and faculty

develops reciprocity and cooperation among students

encourages active learning

gives prompt feedback

emphasizes time on task

communicates high expectations

respects diverse talents and ways of learning

WHAT IS WEB 2.0?

Prosumer

Remote Applications

Social

Application Program Interface

WHERE DO UNIVERSITIES FIT IN?

Who are our STUDENTS ? Where do they LIVE ? How do they LEARN outside the classroom?

TODAY’S STUDENTS

89 % USE EMAIL

67% GET NEWS ONLINE

64% SEND IMs

74% WATCH VIDEOS ONLINE

89% USE FACEBOOK

43% PLAY ONLINE GAMES

56% DOWNLOAD MUSIC

91% INTERNET SEARCH FOR ANSWERS

52% READ BLOGS

60% SEND/RECEIVE TEXT MESSAGES

57% SEARCHED FOR INFO ABOUT COLLEGE

Encyclopedia Britannica

BENEFICIAL NARCISSISM

FLEXIBLE IDENTITY

FACING A DIFFERENT WORKPLACE

TOMORROW’S STUDENTS

No Medial Hauntings Sloane. “Haunting story of J” Passions and Pedagogies in the 21 st Century . Hawisher and Selfe

New Learning Models Sheri Graner Ray Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding the Market (2003)

Hypermediated

See the Similarities?

VS.

WHERE WE TEACH THEM

HOW WE DELIVER INFORMATION

LET’S COMPARE

VS.

VS.

REACHING THE NET GENERATION: 3 APPROACHES

1 SOCIAL NETWORKING TWITTER

INSTANT MESSAGING

FACEBOOK

55% of American 12-17 year olds have used a Social Networking website

BENEFITS SOCIAL COMMUNITY LOCAL / GLOBAL IMMEDIATE

2 CONTRIBUTED CONTENT YOUTUBE

WIKIPEDIA

BENEFITS PARTICIPATORY COMMUNITY AUTHENTIC IMMEDIATE

M ULTI U SER V IRTUAL E NVIRONMENT 3

SELF EXPRESSION THROUGH AVATARS

“ [Today’s “game generation”] want to be to be treated as “creators and doers” rather than “ receptacles to be filled with content.”(Prensky, 76)

COMMUNITY

TRANSLATING IDEAS

ENCOURAGING SPECIFIC BEHAVIORS

PLAYING A ROLE

CHANGING ROLES IN DRAMATIC WAYS

INTERACTING WITH FANTASY

CRITIQUE AND PARODY

BENEFITS COLLABORATION CREATIVITY AUTHENTICITY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

MUVE/Immersive Networks Participatory NEW FACE OF EDUCATION THE EQUATION

Sarah “Intellagirl” Robbins SL: Intellagirl Tully Email: intellagirl@gmail.com Web: intellagirl.com Skype, Yahoo, AIM, Gchat: Intellagirl