Explicit Bargains: Setting Realistic ( Yet Powerful ) Expectations for Teaching in Virtual Worlds Sarah “Intellagirl” Robbins SLCC 2008

You RAWK!!

I have to learn WHAT?

I don’t see the point

I have to support WHAT?

Can’t you just use our LMS?

The faculty want to do WHAT?

Are we going to be sued?

I know this will work! Just give it a chance!

How can we ensure that teaching in Virtual Worlds is as powerful as we believe it can be?

A better approach to implementation

Here Comes Everybody : The power of organizing without organizations Clay Shirky Read My book!

The Promise

The Tool

The Bargain

The Promise

Increased “presence” NOAA‘s Meteora

Community bonding

Fun! www.squonksl. blogspot.com/

The Tool

Stigmergy Lumiere Noir the Ivory Tower of Primitives

Customized Avatars

Global Community

Multi-modal Communication Ed Lamoureux Sl.nmc.org

The Bargain

The Learning Curve Install and learn to get around Customize Avatar Learn to Build Learn to Script

The Learning Curve

Students suspend self-limitations Loyalist College Border Crossing

Best, justified use of the tools

Necessary expertise to serve as guide, advisor, AND instructor

Course Eval: “The whole SL thing just didn’t make sense to me. Why did we do it?”

Students spend only minimal time and effort in SL.

Your SL island is trashed/griefed/abandoned.

“ My students keep coming up with problems/issues that I can’t solve!”

“ We built this great space and now our faculty don’t seem interested in using it.”

“ My students have trouble logging in.”

Administration: “I thought you said that our SL space would increase our enrollment!”

What deal are you making?

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