The document discusses the benefits and challenges of teaching in a virtual classroom using online identities and Web 2.0 tools. It argues that virtual identities can provide more freedom of expression, reduce power differentials, and help form online communities of interest. However, evaluating teaching quality in this environment requires new approaches and adapting to changing media. Overall, virtual classrooms offer opportunities to experiment with identities and roles in learning, but also present challenges in evaluating quality and adapting to new technologies.

1. «How playing with identities might
change the way we teach & learn»
«Liberté, égalité,
et fraternité»
in the virtual classroom
Prof. Dr. Marcus Birkenkrahe
Berlin School of Economics and Law
The video: http://bit.ly/wjtWdw The wiki: http://bit.ly/wOUYrn

2. Overview
Quality of teaching in «Freedom, equality, community»
Quality of teaching in
aavirtual classroom
virtual classroom
using online identities What does „virtual
What does „virtual
using online identities identity“ mean
identity“ mean
for participants?
for participants?
Discussion: what
Discussion: what
What is aavirtual
What is virtual would Open
classroom anyway? would Open
classroom anyway? Science 2.0
Science 2.0
How should we
How should we mean for you?
mean for you?
evaluate the
evaluate the
Course format and tools
quality of Web 2.0
quality of Web 2.0
teaching & learning?
teaching & learning?
Quality control

3. Where are we?
Quality of teaching in «Freedom, equality, community»
Quality of teaching in
aavirtual classroom
virtual classroom
using online identities What does „virtual
What does „virtual
using online identities student identity“
student identity“
mean?
mean?
Discussion: what
Discussion: what
What is aavirtual
What is virtual would Open
classroom anyway? would Open
classroom anyway? Science 2.0
Science 2.0
How should we
How should we mean for you?
mean for you?
evaluate the
evaluate the
Course format and tools
quality of Web 2.0
quality of Web 2.0
teaching & learning?
teaching & learning?
Quality control

4. The virtual classroom I:
Course format and examples
Value-add: spatial
advantages; inter-
national platform;
Distance course
Distance course converting concepts
or blended learning?
or blended learning? In 3 dimensions
Blended learning:
Blended learning:
Company succession
Company succession
Laboratory in aa
Laboratory in
Distance course: dedicated program
dedicated program
Distance course:
Practice supervision
Practice supervision
in an international
in an international
Bus. Mgmt. program
Bus. Mgmt. program
Block event includes virtual
The video: http://bit.ly/wjtWdw both physical and virtual
Course can only take place lectures & exercises; ca. 35
virtually/online; ca. 40 participants; 3D installations
participants world-wide. based on textbook; „company
Two 2 hr in-world meetings succession house“ and sample
per week (runs since 2010). firm building with avatar-bots.

5. The virtual classroom II:
virtual Web 2.0 toolbox
Analogous to the
Virtual island of the
Virtual island of the physical classroom:
Berlin School of
Berlin School of avatars meet at agreed
Economics (BSEL): 6 ha
Economics (BSEL): 6 ha times in a dedicated
land in Second Life®
land in Second Life® work space.
Off-World tools
Off-World tools In-World tools
In-World tools
(not in Second Life)
(not in Second Life) (in Second Life)
(in Second Life)
Regular computer- Virtual space is
supported mode (non-trivially) larger
than physical space
= Blended Learning
and can be exploited
more flexibly.

6. The virtual classroom III:
Off-world tools and media
Google tools
Off-World Werkzeuge
Off-World Werkzeuge Sharing of Facebook
Sharing of
(not in Second Life®,
(not in Second Life®, presentations; Twitter
presentations; Slideshare
but can be reached
but can be reached shared media
shared media Wiki...
and used from there) walls; social media
walls; social media etc etc
and used from there)
Blogs as course
Blogs as course
Platform:
Platform: journal, for case
forum discussions journal, for case Change of media
forum discussions studies, discussions
studies, discussions
and course materials
and course materials is the standard
WordPress blog in the virtual
BSEL: Moodle classroom, not
Wiki for structured
Wiki for structured the exception!
post mortem and
post mortem and
discussion with
discussion with
external experts
external experts
BSEL: Moodle-Wiki
Wikiversity-Wiki

7. Where are we?
Quality of teaching in «Freedom, equality, community»
Quality of teaching in
aavirtual classroom
virtual classroom
using online identities What does „virtual
What does „virtual
using online identities identity“ mean
identity“ mean
for participants?
for participants?
Discussion: what
Discussion: what
What is aavirtual
What is virtual would Open
classroom anyway? would Open
classroom anyway? Science 2.0
Science 2.0
How should we
How should we mean for you?
mean for you?
evaluate the
evaluate the
Course format and tools
quality of Web 2.0
quality of Web 2.0
teaching & learning?
teaching & learning?
Quality control

8. Benefits of virtual identity:
freedom, equality, community
Freedom (of expression)
Freedom (of expression)
Equality (of position)
Equality (of position)
Community (of interest)
Community (of interest)
„Community“:
„Community“:
„Freedom“: Create and support
Create and support
„Freedom“:
Teaching and learning the formation of
the formation of
Teaching and learning
profoundly alter groups or tribes;
groups or tribes;
profoundly alter
identity & personality. establish friendship
establish friendship
identity & personality. „Equality“:
„Equality“:
"On the Internet
"On the Internet
nobody knows
nobody knows
you're aadog"
you're dog"

9. Benefits of virtual identities I:
Freedom to express oneself
„Freedom“:
„Freedom“:
Teaching and learning Learning alters
Learning alters
Teaching and learning
profoundly alter/change the learner
the learner
profoundly alter/change
identity & personality.
identity & personality.
Student in Second Life:
Student in Second Life:
Teaching alters
Teaching alters
“My avatar was robot from
“My avatar was robot from
Break down
Break down the teacher standard collection of
standard collection of
the teacher avatars. Others would
establishedpersona,
establishedpersona, avatars. Others would
probably think that im
changeone's mask
changeone's mask
probably think that im
boring or lazy or have no
boring or lazy or have no
sense of beauty or imagine
sense of beauty or imagine
Experiment
Experiment
myself an Iron Man from the
myself an Iron Man from the
Role plays work fairy-tale and in search of
much better in the
virtually with
virtually with fairy-tale and in search of
real heart.”
virtual classroom changes, try
changes, try
real heart.”
than in the physical new things on
new things on
classroom situation

10. Interlude: learning
alters the learner
You don't just learn "stuff", you also
learn things about yourself.
The things you (really) learn about yourself
become part of your identity.
Your identity as a learner becomes part of your
learning experience.
Your learner identity can be helpful or
hindering to your learning "stuff".

11. Interlude: learning
example = you
Take yourself:
When you look at your avatar as it is right now:
what message are you sending about yourself
as a learner?
Source: The Paper Chase (1973)

12. Interlude: teaching
alters the teacher
You don't just teach "stuff", you also
model identity.
The things you (really) teach influence your
students' identities.
Your identity as a teacher becomes part of your
teaching performance.
Your teacher identity can be helpful or hindering
to your teaching.

13. Interlude: teaching
example = me
Take me in
Second Life® ;-)
When you look at
my avatar as a
teacher's avatar:
what message am I sending about me
as a teacher?

14. Benefits of virtual identities II:
equality of power position
Studentin in Second Life: „Equality“:
„Equality“:
Studentin in Second Life: Reduce power
«To be very honest, my first
«To be very honest, my first Reduce power "On the Internet
"On the Internet
thought on your avatar's differential by
differential by
thought on your avatar's
appearence was: "so weird". Of changing your
nobody knows
nobody knows
appearence was: "so weird". Of
course it was not weird, but rather changing your that you're aadog"
course it was not weird, but rather appearance
appearance that you're dog"
clever of you to choose the
clever of you to choose the
centaur. Your avatar told us to
centaur. Your avatar told us to
embrace the possibilities of
embrace the possibilities of
identity change within second life,
identity change within second life,
while the human part of the
while the human part of the
centaur was some sort of
centaur was some sort of
concession to the seriousness of
concession to the seriousness of
Active Plenary
Active Plenary Relaxation
the module. However, I don't think by role changes Relaxation
the module. However, I don't think
you would have needed a big, by role changes For both teachers
For both teachers
you would have needed a big, and letting go
and letting go and learners
mighty appearence to maintain and learners
mighty appearence to maintain
your authority. Maybe you should
your authority. Maybe you should
try a very little avatar, like a flying
try a very little avatar, like a flying
mouse with a human body, on the
mouse with a human body, on the
next course to see if this does In virtual worlds, avatars can
next course to see if this does
anything to students' attention or freely choose appearance,
anything to students' attention or
respect of you.» gestures, voice etc.
respect of you.»

15. Benefits of virtual identities III:
forming communities of interest
Cohesion:
Cohesion: Student in Second Life:
Home stead for Student in Second Life:
Home stead for “I am convinced that changing one's
“I am convinced that changing one's
„tribal meetings“
„tribal meetings“
personality can potentially enhance the
personality can potentially enhance the
learning experience. This might
learning experience. This might
Networking
Networking
especially be true where social
especially be true where social
as aapart of "handcuffs" or group dynamics prevent
as part of "handcuffs" or group dynamics prevent
students that are rather shy or don't
education
education
students that are rather shy or don't
trust in their capabilities from
trust in their capabilities from
developing their full potential. ”
developing their full potential. ”
Supporting
Supporting
Community:
Community: individuals
Create and support individuals
Create and support by forming
by forming
the formation of
the formation of groups &
groups & «Most of our thinking
groups or tribes;
groups or tribes; teams
teams has a social purpose.»
establish friendship (N.A.Christakis)
establish friendship

16. Where are we?
Quality of teaching in «Freedom, equality, community»
Quality of teaching in
aavirtual classroom
virtual classroom
using online identities What does „virtual
What does „virtual
using online identities identity“ mean
identity“ mean
for participants?
for participants?
Discussion: what
Discussion: what
What is aavirtual
What is virtual would Open
classroom anyway? would Open
classroom anyway? Science 2.0
Science 2.0
How should we
How should we mean for you?
mean for you?
evaluate the
evaluate the
Course format and tools
quality of Web 2.0
quality of Web 2.0
teaching & learning?
teaching & learning?
Quality control

17. Quality of teaching with Web 2.0:
Media-compliant evaluation?
Media-compliant
Media-compliant Do we need
Do we need
Evaluation 2.0:
Evaluation 2.0: new indicators
new indicators
Marshall McLuhan:
Marshall McLuhan:
Quality of teaching and criteria or «Electromagnetic technology
Quality of teaching and criteria or «Electromagnetic technology
requires utter human docility
& learning supported just look more
just look more requires utter human docility
& learning supported closely?
and quiescence of meditation
and quiescence of meditation
by Web 2.0 tools
by Web 2.0 tools closely? such as befits an organism
such as befits an organism
that now wears its brain
that now wears its brain
«Don't trust in anything. outside its skull and its nerves
outside its skull and its nerves
Discuss everything.» outside its hide. Man must
outside its hide. Man must
(J Calacanis) serve his electronic technology
serve his electronic technology
with the same servo-
with the same servo-
New, more
New, more mechanistic fidelity with which
mechanistic fidelity with which
open ways of he served his coracle, his
open ways of he served his coracle, his
research & Higher or lower canoe, his typography, and all
research & Higher or lower canoe, his typography, and all
other extensions of his
teaching? quality or simply
quality or simply other extensions of his
teaching? physical organs. But there is
different?
different?
physical organs. But there is
this difference, that previous
Performativity in this difference, that previous
technologies were partial and
research & technologies were partial and
fragmentary, and the electric
Open Science 2.0 «Pass it on, let it go, fragmentary, and the electric
is total and inclusive.»
let it flow.» is total and inclusive.»
(T Nørretranders)

18. Conclusions so far...
●
To maintain the quality of teaching in the
virtual classroom, new tools must be mastered
and space must be used as a new metaphor
●
The virtualisation of teaching can yield more
freedom, more equality and more community
●
Teaching with Web 2.0 tools requires adaptationof
evaluation procedures and interpretations
●
Processes of re-positioning and sense-making
happen in many knowledge areas right now

19. Quality of Open Science 2.0:
Ignore, ignite, irritate or incend?
Source and explanation: http://bit.ly/OffenesWissen

20. Questions for discussion
●
What are your experiences with virtual classrooms
or how do you imagine it would be?
●
Which possibilities and threats do you see?
●
How could playing with identities be relevant for
research?
●
What would implications be for your own work?
●
What could your next steps be?

21. Thanks for your attention!
msb @ hwr-berlin.de
Blog: http://elerner.de
Wiki: http://bit.ly/wOUYrn
The video: http://bit.ly/wjtWdw