Making the right MUVE Open Classroom Conference workshop Stockholm October 2007 Steven Warburton King’s College London, UK Margarita Perez-Garcia MENON Network, BE

workshop aims provide tools for critical decisions making in the implementation of MUVEs in education introduce immersive 3D worlds evaluate and analyse MUVEs in relation to learning and teaching settings

provide tools for critical decisions making in the implementation of MUVEs in education

introduce immersive 3D worlds

evaluate and analyse MUVEs in relation to learning and teaching settings

“ Are virtual worlds a breakthrough technology that will forever reshape learning and business? Or are they this season's over-hyped fad?” Jay Cross , author of Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways that Inspire Innovation and Performance http://elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=articles&article=44-1 E-Learn, March 2007

$1 billion were invested in 35 virtual worlds companies in the past 12 months 150 million users of Neopets current number of Second Life (SL) residents exceeds 9 million New Media Consortium (NMC) is running over 200 educational sims in SL why are we interested in MUVEs?

$1 billion were invested in 35 virtual worlds companies in the past 12 months

150 million users of Neopets

current number of Second Life (SL) residents exceeds 9 million

New Media Consortium (NMC) is running over 200 educational sims in SL

Identifying critical factors Hey! Where did my hair go?

a socio-technical activity tool developed for evaluating and making decisions on technological applicability

Q1. where would we place MUVEs (and why)? Q2. which technologies are difficult to place (and why)? activity 1 : placing technologies within an interpretative matrix

What is a Multi-User Virtual Environment? A valid learning and teaching tool? Or perhaps both? Or simply a game?

towards a simple typology of MUVEs Source: based on an original an original typology developed by: Lindy McKeown , University of Southern Queensland You are yourself. You are an extension of yourself. You are a character in role. The world is as close to the physical world as possible and is governed by the rules of physical world in relation to the intended simulation. The world may have elements of both a fictional and physical world and exists as a place for social interactions to occur. The world is a setting in which your story or narrative unfolds within the constraints of the rules and goals designed into the world. Distributed Observer Network Second Life Second Life Active Worlds Metaplace Habbo Hotel World of Warcraft Ardcalloch Rivercity project Revolution Simulation Social world Flexible narrative

Virtual universes landscape

Second Life: the current brand leader in social worlds

MUVE affordances Facilitating social interaction (death of distance) and cooperation Visualisation Contextualisation Relation to doing in the physical world (building and scripting) Informal learning opportunities Affective nature of immersion and motivational aspects Simulation and experiential learning (some physical constraints can be overcome) Roleplay Strong communities (group coherence around groups, sub-cultures and geography) Opportunities for content production that are both individual and owned (but with limited transferability)

Facilitating social interaction (death of distance) and cooperation

Visualisation

Contextualisation

Relation to doing in the physical world (building and scripting)

Informal learning opportunities

Affective nature of immersion and motivational aspects

Simulation and experiential learning (some physical constraints can be overcome)

Roleplay

Strong communities (group coherence around groups, sub-cultures and geography)

Opportunities for content production that are both individual and owned (but with limited transferability)

"What can this technology do that will enhance the learner's experience that my current learning technology portfolio cannot?" Flow , balancing inactivity and challenge in just the right proportions to keep people moving through the experience. Repetition , which allows learners to try-and-try again as many times as they choose. Experimentation , encouraging learners to try new things and learn in the process. Experience that is much more engaging than other digitally mediated technologies. Doing , because practice makes perfect and VWs are big practice fields. Observing , because if you're not ready to act now, you have plenty of opportunities to observe others and learn from them. Motivation , because all of these factors culminate in an environment that cultivates teachable moments at every turn. Motivation is baked into the context as people want to learn within it. Jay Cross , author of Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways that Inspire Innovation and Performance http://elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=articles&article=44-1 E-Learn, March 2007

Flow , balancing inactivity and challenge in just the right proportions to keep people moving through the experience.

Repetition , which allows learners to try-and-try again as many times as they choose.

Experimentation , encouraging learners to try new things and learn in the process.

Experience that is much more engaging than other digitally mediated technologies.

Doing , because practice makes perfect and VWs are big practice fields.

Observing , because if you're not ready to act now, you have plenty of opportunities to observe others and learn from them.

Motivation , because all of these factors culminate in an environment that cultivates teachable moments at every turn. Motivation is baked into the context as people want to learn within it.

how inspiring is our current use of this limitless virtual space?

suggested competency framework From: http://www.cxknowledge.com/SL_Levels.html and further developed by the Schome project Building Scripting Video/ Machinima Moving Objects Creating Objects Editing Objects Shopping Textures Prims Inventory Pie Controls Camera Controls Movement Controls Using the Map Notecard Opening Boxes Walking Flying Landing Sitting Teleport Appearance Friendship Search Chat vs IM vs Shout Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

projects exploring Second Life: Schome Sloodle Global Kids

Schome

Sloodle

Global Kids

Games need to be embedded into practice to ensure effective learning More research is needed to provide empirical evidence for how game-based learning can be used most effectively More effective supporting materials are needed to support practitioners New developments (e.g. serious games movement) are informing the development of games for learning Great potential and need for tutors and practitioners to become involved with games development for learning Need for more opportunities for staff development to support tutors wishing to adopt game-based learning Potential for learners to become more empowered with game-based learning reports and findings on the educational use of MUVEs and games:

Games need to be embedded into practice to ensure effective learning

More research is needed to provide empirical evidence for how game-based learning can be used most effectively

More effective supporting materials are needed to support practitioners

New developments (e.g. serious games movement) are informing the development of games for learning

Great potential and need for tutors and practitioners to become involved with games development for learning

Need for more opportunities for staff development to support tutors wishing to adopt game-based learning

Potential for learners to become more empowered with game-based learning

how can we deliver MUVE based learning and teaching within an educational setting? making decisions …

activity 2: analysing factors in the introduction of ICT Questions: Which factors can I comment on? What can I not comment on? Which factors can I influence ? Which factors can I not influence ? What actions or decisions can I take?

Questions:

Which factors can I comment on?

What can I not comment on?

Which factors can I influence ?

Which factors can I not influence ?

What actions or decisions can I take?

Steven Warburton King’s College London, UK Research at Prsim(lab) http://prismlab.wordpress.com Personal at Liquid Learning http://warburton.typepad.com Second Life: StevenW Bohm Margarita Perez-Garcia MENON Network, BE http://www.menon.org Personal research at prism(lab) http://prismlab.wordpress.com Blog at esphères identitaires http://www.margaperez.com Second Life: Paz Lorenz