Victoria Lynn Walker UNC TLT Virtual Worlds Presentation

3-D Virtual World Learning Environments (i.e.- Second Life) in Blended and Online Education With: Victoria Lynn Walker

About

Victoria Walker, Web Developer/Instructional Designer

Regent University

School of Psychology and Counseling

Area of research interest includes emerging technologies for traditional and distance education

Victoria Lynn Walker email: viwalker@regent.edu or victoriasdrive@gmail.com SL - Zeana Tammas

Topics to be Covered

3D Virtual Worlds in Education

Unique needs of Online Education – Blended and Distance Education Courses

Pilot Study – Online and blended courses in counseling

What Constitutes a Learning Environment? Victoria Lynn Walker email: viwalker@regent.edu or victoriasdrive@gmail.com SL - Zeana Tammas

Unique Needs of Online Education

Maintaining student engagement

Developing a community

Providing immediate feedback

Similar learning opportunities

Hands-on interactive activities

Unique Needs of Online Education

Student content interaction

Faculty student

Student student interaction

3D Virtual Worlds

Commonly referred to as MMORGs, MMOGs, MMORLs, or other similar acronyms

Online persistent world

3D Virtual Worlds

Users to exist as an avatar and interact with other players/residents

Popular 3D virtual environments – Second Life, There, Active Worlds, World of Warcraft (WoW)

3D Virtual Worlds & Education

Authentic learning environment

Extension of a traditional classroom or as the medium for distance learning

Marketing opportunities - programs and research

Partnership among educational professionals globally

3D Virtual Worlds in Hybrid & Online Courses

Social interaction

Collaboration

Visual instruction

Role-playing and simulation

Immersion

Authentic learning experiences

Pilot Study - Topics

Problem State & History

Implementing Desired Solution

Architecture Phase

Launch

Outcomes

Suggestions to You

Problem State and History

Several online counseling programs at Regent

New programs scheduled to launch in 2009

Students learning counseling skills in isolation

Faculty struggling improve student experience and student understanding

Program Technology Needs

Asynchronous and synchronous technologies to teach students

Method to appraise/assess student skills

Administration support

IT /Instructional designer support

The Course

Human Services Counseling (HSC) - Online counseling program

Learning nonclinical counseling and group therapy skills

Professors stressed to find methods to assist in teaching students

Faculty Needs

Instruction tools

Virtual counseling training facility

Privacy expectation

Administration support

IT / Instructional design support

Student Needs

Professor to student & student to student learning opportunities

Access to university asynchronous and synchronous learning technologies

Learning environment conductive to learning counseling skills with peers

Instructor feedback and support

IT support

Privacy (ethical expectations)

The Problem

No counseling lab experience with instant critique

Unable to see professors or peers model skills

Classmate practice experience was not providing adequate understanding

Long gaps with no feedback

Before the Second Life Build

Blackboard

discussion board

group areas

Wimba

chat

white board

Skype

chat

voice

Situated Learning Theory

Situated Learning (Lave) – learning is function of activity, context, culture in which is occurs

Principles:

1. Knowledge needs to be presented in an authentic context, i.e., settings and applications that would normally involve that knowledge.

2. Learning requires social interaction and collaboration - critical, learners within a “community of practice”

Implementing Desired Solution Victoria Lynn Walker email: viwalker@regent.edu or victoriasdrive@gmail.com SL - Zeana Tammas

Planning Stage – Formulate Strategy

Find a format that will serve both the program and student needs

visual environment

secure and private

ease of access

financially plausible

educationally appropriate

Virtual World - A Useful Tool

Customized simulated setting

Ease of access

Integrate with other technologies in use

Skype

Link to current LMS course (Blackboard)

Streaming video

Identify Resources Needed

Authority/Empowerment – From Admin

Contributors

Instructional Designer – builder, trainer, support

Instructor – to teach course testing technology

Program Director - guidance

Software/Hardware

Architecture Phase Victoria Lynn Walker email: viwalker@regent.edu or victoriasdrive@gmail.com SL - Zeana Tammas

Formulation of Environment

Closed Access for approved persons only

Technology tools – (whiteboard, note box, video screen)

Facility with areas for:

group sessions

counseling labs

classrooms

Labs

appropriate furniture and decor

one-way mirror

even a box of Kleenex

Launch Victoria Lynn Walker email: viwalker@regent.edu or victoriasdrive@gmail.com SL - Zeana Tammas

Pre-Launch

Final Review

Develop Tutorials

Train Faculty

Train Students

Site Launch

A Truly Live Virtual Counselor Training Facility

Outcomes Victoria Lynn Walker email: viwalker@regent.edu or victoriasdrive@gmail.com SL - Zeana Tammas

Overall Data Review

Almost half the students considered themselves computer literate

Time for comfort level seems to be 2-3 weeks – this was consistent across computer literacy levels

On average students logged in 3 times per week

Students want increased opportunities for live, media rich interaction – but don’t want a steep learning curve

Overall Data Review

The most negative responses came from those who self reported as very illiterate

Students who reported the most learning overall were those who reported the highest degrees of affective learning

This lends additional support to the psychosocial aspects of SL

The implication is that the SL experience impacted the relational aspects of the learning experience to a greater extent than the cognitive ones

Student Perceived Learning

Some students reported more learning, the majority reported the same level of learning.

This implies that the SL experiment didn't detract from the overall learning.

Need for visual demonstration to model skills

Recognized place of online world to deliver counseling

Instructor Perspective

Steep learning curve

Steady support & encouragement are needed

Scheduling logistics need to be considered

“ A delight to watch their excitement after their virtual session”

Our Suggestions

Require 1 credit course or training prior to use in courses

Write/build your own tutorials

Have IT/Instructional Design support

Get buy-in from all: Admin to students

Buy an island - Make area and rooms private

Incorporate course materials in building

Schedule group practice times –students learn from eachother

Have a back-up plan

Resources

Second Life Listserv (SLED) – www.listssecondlife.com

Second Life Wiki – www.simteach.com

International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) - http://slurl.com/secondlife/ISTE%20Island/93/83/30

Contact – viwalker@regent.edu

Victoria Lynn Walker UNC TLT Virtual Worlds Presentation

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