ELESIG Digital Literacies

Literacies(?) for virtual worlds
Mark Childs

Literacies?
Are the following literacies/competencies/states of mind?
Included in literacy framework?
Derived from the experiences of the:
THEATRON project http://cms.cch.kcl.ac.uk/theatron/
PhD research http://go.warwick.ac.uk/ep-edrfap/
Presented in (roughly) the order in which they are acquired
Learning activities more effective when these are acquired

1. Technical literacy
Common to all use of technologies
For SL typically around 40 mins to 1 hour to learn to navigate, interact, dress, communicate
Longer to learn to search, open, edit, build,
Stages of unconscious incompetence through to unconscious competence
Typically need to have acquired unconscious competence to focus on learning the subject rather than the use of the technology

2. Beyond competency
SL is a very distracting environment,
Learning the things that can be done
(Dancing, flying, morphing, exploring)
And becoming inured to them (to some extent)
Perhaps an additional hour before learners are ready to focus

RL digression
body image “a set of beliefs, attitudes and perceptions that are about one’s body” (Carruthers)  body projects  performance of identity
body schema is “the information one needs in order to move one’s own body (e.g. bodily posture and position, bodily constraints like size and strength of the limbs, kinematical constraints like the degree of freedom of the joints, etc)” (de Vignemont)
‘body schema is for action and body image is for identification’’

3. Virtual body image
Avatars represent our identity to others,
personalise our engagement with the environment,
self-presence and self-attestation
Students’ discourse based on observing each other’s appearance
Making unfamiliar familiar

Addressing literacies 1 - 3
One activity inworld helps develop these three literacies
SHOPPING

4. Virtual body schema
With technology : appropriation
With bodies : proprioception
In combination : “approprioception”
Coincides with embodiment
A “physical” connection with the space
An emotional resonance with surroundings
Takes a long time to build – weeks
Enhanced through activity inworld (performance, interaction)

Chilbo
24th April
2007

5. Cultural literacy
Distinction between authentic (but different) online identity and roleplay
The different forms of engagement (augmentationist, immersionist, innovationist)
Being aware of the communities in SL
Understanding the cultures
Tolerating differences, awareness of etiquette
Can take months

Addressing literacies 4 - 5
One activity inworld helps develop these literacies
CLUBBING

0. Ideological (emotional?) literacy
Students may resist due to:
Perceptions about inauthenticity, or destructiveness, of virtual experiences
Anxiety regarding behaviours that challenge RL cultural norms
Perceived inappropriateness of “games” or fantasy in learning
Embodiment can raise problems
Begin with talking through issues