Researching Learning in Virtual Worlds (eBook)

Anna Peachey is Director of Innovations at Eygus Ltd, the company responsible for coordinating the Open University UK presence in virtual worlds. She was Academic and Organising Chair of Research Learning in Virtual Environments 08 and is an editorial board member of if International Journal for Advanced Corporate Learning, the International Journal of Virtual and Personal Learning Environments and Impact, The Journal of Applied Research in Workplace E-learning. Anna is currently researching identity and community in virtual worlds as Teaching Fellow with the Centre for Open Learning in Math’s, Science, Computing and Technology at the Open University, and has worked with students around the world using online and distance learning since 1995. Dr Julia Gillen is a Senior Lecturer in Digital Literacies in the Literacy Research Centre, Lancaster University. She is interested in literacy, language, multimodality, technology and learning in both formal and informal settings. In 2007-8 one of her main interests was working with children in virtual worlds, in the Schome Park programme, as described in this book. Parallel research projects involved interactive whiteboards and the school dinners debate. She has also published widely on a variety of topics concerned with young children, recently co-editing Ann Cameron of the University of British Columbia the volume: A day in the life: An international study of two-year old girls (Palgrave Macmillan. Julia Gillen is also a co-editor of the Journal of Early Childhood Literacy. The Edwardian postcard is a further area of research, offering fascinating parallels and contrasts with the contemporary digital revolution. See http://www.literacy.lancs.ac.uk/profiles/julia-gillen for a current list of projects and publications. Daniel Livingstone lectures on Computer Games Technology at UWS. Daniel is a co-funder of SLODDLE, co-chaired the first two Second Life Education workshops and initiated the HEA ‘Massively Multi-Learner’ workshop series. Daniel is the lead investigator on the Eduserv funded project ‘Online Learning In Virtual Environments with Sloodle’.

Contents 6
Author Biographies 8
Contributors 14
Editors Introduction: The Physical and the Virtual 16
Meeting in the Physical World to Discuss the Virtual 16
The Conference Themes 17
A Note on Terminology 19
Virtual Worlds 19
Game Worlds 20
Social Worlds 21
Chapter Introductions 21
ReLIVE08 Conference Acknowledgments 28
Acknowledgments 29
References 29
1 Virtual Environments: Issues and Opportunities for Researching Inclusive Educational Practices 30
1.1 What is Inclusive Education? 30
1.2 How Might Inclusive Education Influence Virtual World Research? 32
1.3 What Might Inclusive Education Look Like in Virtual Worlds? 34
1.4 Conclusion 41
References 42
2 Learning, Teaching and Ambiguity in Virtual Worlds 45
2.1 Background: The Learning from Online Worlds Project 45
2.2 Defining Second Life Doing Second Life Research
2.3 Contested Definitions and Community 48
2.4 Learning in Online Game-Worlds 50
2.5 Teaching in Second Life 53
2.6 Conclusion 57
References 58
3 The Second Life Researcher Toolkit An Exploration of Inworld Tools, Methods and Approaches for Researching Educational Projects in Second Life 59
3.1 Introduction: Researching Education in Virtual Worlds 59
3.2 Designing Second Life Educational Research Projects 60
3.3 Defining the Type of Activity to Investigate and the Aims of the Research Project 61
3.4 Learning Theories and Education in Virtual Worlds 62
3.4.1 Approaches to Education Theory: Behaviourism, Cognitivism and Constructivism 17
3.4.2 Situated Learning and Communities of Practice 19
3.4.3 Experiential Learning 19
3.4.4 Problem-Based Learning 20
3.4.5 Digital Game-Based Learning 21
3.5 Ethical Issues 64
3.5.1 Terms of Service and Second Life Ethical Guidelines 28
3.5.2 Obtaining Consent 29
3.5.3 Identity and Privacy 66
3.6 The Virtual Participants 66
3.6.1 Avatar Psychology 66
3.6.2 Building Your Avatar 67
3.6.3 Being an Avatar/Learner or an Avatar/Researcher 67
3.7 Research Methods 69
3.7.1 Physical World and Virtual World Methods 69
3.7.2 Virtual Ethnography in SL 70
3.7.3 SL Research Tools 70
3.7.3.1 Second Life Questionnaires 70
3.7.3.2 Recording Interviews and Focus Groups 71
3.7.3.3 Visitor Tracking and Monitoring, Source Tracking Systems 72
3.8 Practical Aspects of Researching Education in SL 72
3.8.1 Setting the Scene, Land and Venue Issues 73
3.8.1.1 Land Ownership 73
3.8.1.2 Land Varieties 73
3.8.1.3 Premium and Basic Accounts 74
3.8.1.4 Educational Islands 74
3.8.1.5 Renting from Established Educational Islands 74
3.8.2 Expertise Required? The SL Researcher Learning Curve 74
3.8.3 Supporting and Enhancing Participation: SL Cultures and Inworld Rules 75
3.9 Disseminating Results 75
3.9.1 Inworld Conferences, Education Groups, Media and Press 76
3.10 Conclusion 76
References 29
4 The Schome Park Programme: Exploring EducationalAlternatives 80
4.1 Introduction 80
4.1.1 The Context 80
4.1.2 Why Use a Virtual World? 81
4.2 The Schome Park Programme 83
4.2.1 Overview 83
4.2.2 Phase 1 87
4.2.3 Phase 2 87
4.2.4 Phase 3 89
4.3 Research Methodology 91
4.4 Dimensions of Practice 92
4.4.1 Experimentation vs. Control 92
4.4.2 Curriculum Dimensions 94
4.4.3 Role and Learner Voice 97
4.5 Conclusions 100
References 101
5 New Literacies in Schome Park 102
5.1 Bringing an Ethnographic Perspective to Bear on a Virtual World: Schome Park 102
5.2 Towards a Virtual Literacy Ethnography 105
5.3 The Literacy Practices of Interactions Inworld 106
5.4 The SPP Dictionary 108
5.5 Conclusions 113
References 116
6 The Third Place in Second Life: Real Life Community in a Virtual World 118
6.1 Introduction 118
6.1.1 Locations and Activities 119
6.2 Cetlment Island: Background and Context 119
6.2.1 Experimental Spaces 119
6.2.2 Island Design 123
6.2.3 Virtual Residence 123
6.2.4 Living in Halls 124
6.2.5 Home Sweet Schome 125
6.3 Socialisation 128
6.4 Community Building 129
6.4.1 Communities 129
6.4.2 Roles, Identity and Communication 130
6.5 The Third Place 131
6.5.1 The Character of the Third Place 131
6.5.2 The Third Place Online 132
6.5.3 The Third Place for the OU in Second Life 133
6.6 Conclusions and Next Steps 135
References 136
7 Design and Delivery of Game-Based Learning for Virtual Patients in Second Life: Initial Findings 138
7.1 Introduction 138
7.2 A Framework for the Design of Game-Based Learning for Virtual Patients 143
7.2.1 Influential Factors of Emerging Narrative 143
7.2.1.1 Emergent Narrative -- Linear Content 144
7.2.1.2 The Responsive Environment 144
7.2.1.3 The Psycho-Social Moratorium -- Cyclical Content 144
7.2.2 Framework: Context and Learner Specification and Narratives and Modes of Representation 144
7.2.2.1 Context, Learner Specifications and Pedagogic Considerations 144
7.2.2.2 Narrative and Modes of Representation 145
7.2.3 Designing Rewards 149
7.3 Web Application Development 149
7.3.1 Interaction and Call Management 151
7.4 Learning Design Interoperability 151
7.5 Experimental Methodology 152
7.5.1 Subjects 152
7.5.2 Instruments 152
7.5.3 Procedure 153
7.5.4 Results and Analysis 154
7.5.5 Attitudinal Components -- Both Groups 156
7.5.5.1 Affective Component 156
7.5.5.2 Perceived Usefulness 157
7.5.5.3 Perceived Control 158
7.5.5.4 Behavioural Component 158
7.5.6 Attitudinal Components -- Gender 158
7.5.6.1 Affective Component 158
7.5.6.2 Perceived Usefulness 159
7.5.6.3 Perceived Control 159
7.5.6.4 Behavioural Components 159
7.6 Conclusion and Recommendations 159
References 163
8 Learning and Teaching in Virtual Worlds: Boundaries, Challenges and Opportunities 166
8.1 Introduction 166
8.2 The Setting 168
8.3 Boundaries, Challenges and Opportunities 170
8.4 The Diffusion of Innovation Model and Its Applications to Education 171
8.5 Boundaries, Challenges and Opportunities 172
8.5.1 Identity and Role 173
8.5.2 Risk Assessment 174
8.5.3 Organisational Culture 176
8.5.4 Blended Learning 177
8.5.5 Time and Economics 178
8.6 Application of the Diffusion of Innovation Model to ILE 180
8.7 Conclusions 183
References 184
9 Mixed-Methods and Mixed-Worlds: Engaging Globally Distributed User Groups for Extended Evaluation and Studies 186
9.1 Introduction 186
9.2 Mixed Methods 189
9.3 Involving the Community 189
9.4 Phases of Research 191
9.5 Engagement in Mixed Worlds 192
9.6 The Second Pilot 194
9.6.1 Time-Shifting of Data Collection 194
9.6.2 Land and Servers 194
9.6.3 Ease of Use 195
9.6.4 Feedback from Students 195
9.6.5 Forums 196
9.6.6 Participant Engagement 196
9.7 Applying and Refining the Methods for Usability Testing and Development 197
9.7.1 User Centred Design 198
9.7.2 Workshop Survey 198
9.7.3 Virtual Focus Group 199
9.7.4 Exploratory Survey 200
9.8 Conclusions 200
References 202
10 This is Not a Game -- Social Virtual Worlds, Fun,and Learning 204
10.1 Introduction 204
10.2 Motivation to Make Learning Fun 205
10.2.1 Fun Learning is an Old Idea 206
10.2.2 The Edutainment Argument 206
10.2.3 Fun Learning vs. Learning for Fun 206
10.2.4 The Effects of Fun on Learning 206
10.2.5 Growth of Virtual Worlds in Learning 207
10.3 Defining Social Virtual Worlds 207
10.4 Valuing Fun 209
10.4.1 What Is Fun? Various Definitions 209
10.5 Motivations and Goals 210
10.6 What Is Fun in a Virtual World? 212
10.6.1 Why We're Not Talking About Games 213
10.6.2 (Re)creating Games 213
10.6.3 Ludification of Culture 214
10.7 How Can SL-Fun Be Leveraged for Learning? 215
10.7.1 Moving Forward 217
References 217
Index 219