Modding the Metaverse: The Pedagogy of Participation AoIR 2007 Tracy Kennedy , University of Toronto / Virtual Research Assistant, GNWC Joanna Robinson , Brock University / Virtual Research Assistant, GNWC Dr. Gerri Sinclair , Director, GNWC Centre for Digital Media http://mdm.gnwc.ca/

Traditional Didactic Modes of Learning Lecture styles with a top-down approach Information delivery is linear and static Legitimates disciplinary discourses, knowledge & information Problematic power relations between professor and student - hierarchies Does not always allow for nor encourage constructive interaction between students, and between students and instructors

Lecture styles with a top-down approach

Information delivery is linear and static

Legitimates disciplinary discourses, knowledge & information

Problematic power relations between professor and student - hierarchies

Does not always allow for nor encourage constructive interaction between students, and between students and instructors

Participatory Pedagogy Content: Incorporating personal experiences, skills, knowledge and individual context Process: More interactive and empowering pedagogical style of learning and knowledge construction inside and outside the classroom Students take an active role in the learning process

Content:

Incorporating personal experiences, skills, knowledge and individual context

Process:

More interactive and empowering pedagogical style of learning and knowledge construction inside and outside the classroom

Students take an active role in the learning process

Internet & Education Web 2.0 Collective & interactive Synchronous Flat Web ie: Wikis, Blogs, Moodle etc Web 3D Incorporates Web 2.0 features Self expression & self direction Diverse ways of learning Hands-on technical skill building Three dimensional spaces Transformation of personal experience and researched content into a tangible visual form Virtual Worlds ie: Second Life, Active Worlds, Metaplace, Google Sketch up and more...

Web 2.0

Collective & interactive

Synchronous

Flat Web

ie: Wikis, Blogs, Moodle etc

Web 3D

Incorporates Web 2.0 features

Self expression & self direction

Diverse ways of learning

Hands-on technical skill building

Three dimensional spaces

Transformation of personal experience and researched content into a tangible visual form

Virtual Worlds

ie: Second Life, Active Worlds, Metaplace, Google Sketch up and more...

Why Participatory Pedagogy? Self directed learning can increase their sense of empowerment Using student’s own knowledge can improve the perceived relevance of subject material and therefore can improve their motivation Can allowing students to gain insight into their own value systems and improve their confidence Exercising reflexivity and contemplation can improve their level of ‘self-awareness’ skills generally (Aldrich 2004)‏

Self directed learning can increase their sense of empowerment

Using student’s own knowledge can improve the perceived relevance of subject material and therefore can improve their motivation

Can allowing students to gain insight into their own value systems and improve their confidence

Exercising reflexivity and contemplation can improve their level of ‘self-awareness’ skills generally

(Aldrich 2004)‏

Why Participatory Pedagogy? We are living in a time of emerging participatory culture, fluency in this culture is an asset Need to prepare students for work in the information age ICT use among students is pervasive mp3 players, cell phones, laptops, video games Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, Skype

We are living in a time of emerging participatory culture, fluency in this culture is an asset

Need to prepare students for work in the

information age

ICT use among students is pervasive

mp3 players, cell phones, laptops, video games

Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, Skype

Centre for Digital Media (Latitude: 49:16:0.383N, Longitude: 123:5:26.329W)‏

Virtual Centre for Digital Media University Project (150, 84, 23)

Thank You!

Thank You!

Thank You!

Modding the Metaverse Workshops How can a group collaborate to modify or create their own learning space? What are the processes involved? What are some of the factors that must be considered? How might the findings be beneficial to our students? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp5FNID5kMU

How can a group collaborate to modify or create their own learning space?

What are the processes involved?

What are some of the factors that must be considered?

How might the findings be beneficial to our students?

Modding the Metaverse Workshops Call for participants sent to potential students, SL educators & researchers lists 3 workshops: 2 discussions, 1 modding & building Objectives: Support small teams and large group work Individual/reflexive tasks Design and creation Flexibility – can one environment facilitate all of these things?

Call for participants sent to potential students, SL educators & researchers lists

3 workshops: 2 discussions, 1 modding & building

Objectives:

Support small teams and large group work

Individual/reflexive tasks

Design and creation

Flexibility – can one environment facilitate all of these things?

What we learned Exercise helped us think about how we might envision virtual learning spaces Collaborative modding and building is possible in SL A design brief is only useful if participants adhere to it Roles need to be well defined in the team Need to have a clear concept of what the space will be used for to best facilitate learning objectives

Exercise helped us think about how we might envision virtual learning spaces

Collaborative modding and building is possible in SL

A design brief is only useful if participants adhere to it

Roles need to be well defined in the team

Need to have a clear concept of what the space will be used for to best facilitate learning objectives

What we learned Skill divides bring about challenges in participation in building and even discussing Circular designs emerged Builds had no roof in many cases Disagreement among participants as to whether replicating first life classrooms was useful in virtual spaces Placement/style of screen/display/whiteboard device was important in most designs

Skill divides bring about challenges in participation in building and even discussing

Circular designs emerged

Builds had no roof in many cases

Disagreement among participants as to whether replicating first life classrooms was useful in virtual spaces

Placement/style of screen/display/whiteboard device was important in most designs

CDM’s other Second Life activities to date: Blended reality open house Community partner Vancouver Police Department's Second Life experiment Blended reality book launch by MDM advisory board member William Gibson Hosting a virtual conference - CITASA MC 3.0 2007 Blended reality program launch with Premier Campbell Projects for ‘The Visual Story’ and ‘Building Virtual Worlds’ Exercises and exploration in ‘Interdisciplinary Improv’ Use in courses & future events proposed

Blended reality open house

Community partner Vancouver Police Department's Second Life experiment

Blended reality book launch by MDM advisory board member William Gibson

Hosting a virtual conference - CITASA MC 3.0 2007

Blended reality program launch with Premier Campbell

Projects for ‘The Visual Story’ and ‘Building Virtual Worlds’

Exercises and exploration in ‘Interdisciplinary Improv’

Use in courses & future events proposed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLTDwzpPWMI

Professor Tracy JoannaTrail Blazer GerriTrail Blazer [email_address] [email_address] [email_address]

http://mdm.gnwc.ca/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnwc http://www.youtube.com/user/gnwc