10 Challenges & Solutions
to Teaching in Second Life
November 17, 2007
These responses were authored by graduate students and faculty, and compiled as part of a weekly assignment in EDTECH 597: Teaching & Learning in Second Life, Boise State University, EDTECH Island. Topics were chosen based on the authorÕs own interest.
1. Teaching Delivery Modality
Chris Haskell
Challenge: It happened in a predictably unpredictable way. After hours of preparing to teach our group project on creative instruction in second life, one simple and appropriate request obliterated our lesson plan. Despite the weeks of outlining, research, content development, dialog, and practice, we felt utterly unprepared. The request: ÒCan you present in text?Ó seemed entirely reasonable and undeniably impossible.
Interestingly, the original SL culture is built on text communication. For years, the only mode of communication was opening a chat window and allowing your avatar to pantomime in mid-air. The advent of voice communication has split the community of SL residents by creating an oddly ironic digital divide with haves and the have-nots. Some residents prefer the convenience of communicating to others using their voice. Proponents say itÕs faster, more direct, and can create a stronger RL relationship. The have-nots relish the other side of the coin. Those who are without, or in many cases chose to NOT to use, say that text chat is more pure, allows residents to communicate deeper meaning, offers separation, and is more appropriate as a form of communication in a virtual world.
The crux of the issue is NOT whether to promote or eliminate one method of communication in teaching in the SL environment, but how to include or make accessible first person instruction in world.
The litany of solutions:
When teaching in-world, it is a helpful solution to anticipate teaching to both modalities. At the minimum, the instructor has to consider being ready to teach with text. In being prepared to teach, it is good to outline the central points of a lesson and supporting details so that they can be copied into a chat window or handed off in a note card. This works best when the anticipation is teaching in voice but the possibility of teaching to some in text.
The Translator:
In group teaching, voice can work as the primary method. One solution is to assign someone to act as scribe and translator. As you speak, another voice enabled resident paraphrases larger thoughts and directions into the chat window. This is akin to 70Õs-80Õs era newscasts where a small window of the TV screen was dedicated to a sign language interpreter. This allows the presenter or teacher to be unencumbered by the keyboard while they teach but still communicate to the SL hearing impaired.
Text-delivering devices:
Several scripted objects exist in-world that allow the release of text on command. Above and beyond objects that ÒspeakÓ text indiscriminately, the scripted tools allow specific timing of elements, line-by-line release, and RT modification.
One object created by Yahon Althouse called ÒYo SpeakÓ will say a line up to 255 characters each. It works by reading a note card. The user creates the notecard, separating each line with a return, and then drops the notecard in the object. Once deployed, the creator (and the creator alone) clicks on the object and the next line of text is released. This type of pre-scripted object can help move a lesson through predictable lessons.
Another tool of this ilk is called ÒWhiteboardÓ by K & R engineering. In addition to video, slide, and text collection, it will support a pre-scripted notecard and deliver the lines (100 characters each) on to the Whiteboard object but NOT into local chat.
The podcast:
The process of communicating by text can, at times, result in cognitive overload. Much like that feeling one gets when they have read an entire page in a book while day dreaming, we Òwake-upÓ to find that (although our eyes were moving) there was no comprehension.
Consider the solution of recording a podcast that follows the same order and similar timing of your presentation or lesson. Participants who download the podcast could be prompted to see or do the same things as the class who is connected to voice chat in world.
Wrap-up:
While it would be much easier to exclude one modality of delivery, the climate in education and society of inclusion is not likely to weaken. We will, as teachers and learners, be expected to communicate to all learners with all needs. Finding and employing solutions to SL bi-lingual delivery is a must.
2. Corporate 3-D Learning
Platform Environments
Ric Robinson
The
Challenge
For
many companies, it is required that they have their corporate IT department
approval before hosting or contract-hosting any software platform. A virtual
learning environment platform is no exception. Some risks involved with
implementing a virtual world, according to a recent article (Broersma, 2007) on
a Gartner report, include: IT security, access management and confidentiality.
IT security deals with issue of preventing unwanted code through a corporate
firewall. Access management is the problem of knowing who the real person is
behind an avatar. And confidentiality involves the need for US companies, in
particular, to protect the content of business matters and meetings. Before a virtual
learning environment platform is approved by IT, these are some of the issues
that will need to be addressed.
A
Solution
One
possible solution to all three of issues is to host a virtual leaning
environment platform on a corporate intranet servers. Several software
solutions exist (Boslet, 2007), such as MPK20, Forterra Systems' Olive, or
using the Torgue Game Engine from Garage Game's. Second Life itself may
possibly have its own complete Open Source solution available later this year.
Hosting the
virtual learning environment within a corporate Internet provides the It
department with control over what code is added to an employee's workstation.
The IT department can also set up the avatar accounts so that they know who the
real person is behind an avatar and real world business content is protected
from "outside" ears. For example, training containing highly
proprietary information would not fall into the preview of someone outside the
company. Corporations contract for hosts outside their firewall could use
restricted areas and assign avatar ID's to address two of these issues, but
they would not have control over preventing unwanted code passing through the
firewall.
References
Boslet,
M. (2007). Virtual worlds catching on in workplace. Retrieved November 12,
2007, from Mercury News.com Web
site:http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_7134583?nclick_check=1
Broersma,
M. (2007) Virtual Worlds: Risky Business. Retrieved November 12, 2007, from PC
World Web site:http://www.pcworld.com/printable/article/id,135866/printable.html
3.
SL Access for the
Visually Impaired
Alice Bedard-Voorhees
Problem
I have been thinking about technological and sensory accessibility in
Second Life. The user in this post is in a wheel chair, a motor disability that
does not affect access. In an earlier blogpost, http://mocozone.blogspot.com/2007_10_14_archive.html,
I included an article about a headgear that allowed people with neuron-muscular
disabilities to direct avatar movement through though and transmission through
the headgear . But in that post I also wondered aloud about how people with
full visual impairment could participate in Second Life.
Potential Solution
An article entitled ÒIBM Project: Second Life Accessible of Blind People,Ó (Sierra,
2007), describes IBMÕs efforts to make SL accessible through sound (Òleaves
rustling,Ó for example) and text-speech software integration. It is still in
the R and D stage.
Bedard-Voorhees, A. (2007). Neuromobility. Mocozone Blog. Retrieved on
November
13, 2007, from http://mocozone.blogspot.com/2007_10_14_archive.html
Sierra. (2007). IBM project: Second life accessible for blind people.
Techpin: Daily Tech News. 24 September 2007. Retrieved on November 13,
2007, from
http://www.techpin.com/ibm-project-second-life-accessible-for-
blind-people/#comment-1205.
4.
Accessibility
Will Ober
This week's reflection begins with an excerpt from Dr. Dawley's post to
the SLED list-serve
=============begin SLED excerpt
2. I was doing a presentation in our amphitheater one day. A gentleman
in a wheel chair asked me if I could make the stadium accessible,
because there wasn't a seat large enough for him to "land" his
wheelchair and he had to float. I don't mind making an accessible area,
and happy to do it if it makes someone feel more welcome in our area.
At the same time, I also felt like a jerk for not considering his needs
in the first place. Does anyone have a list of accessibility issues to
be considered by SL educators (sorry if this has already been
discussed).
=============end SLED excerpt
The wheelchair anecdote really caught my attention. I find it interesting
that a person would choose to be confined to a wheelchair (and a flying
wheelchair, at that) In a world where literally almost anything is possible.
ItÕs hard to know what anyone else is thinking, but I admit my first guess
would be that the avatar belongs to someone who in the real world is either
a)wheelchair bound, b)emotionally attached to someone in a wheelchair, or
c)works with or advocates for people who need to use wheelchairs.
While some who canÕt walk in RL might want to have the full range of
body movement in SL, I can just as easily imagine why others might not. It
seems like this choice (and it is a choice that involves effort and probably
some expense, since the Lindens donÕt provide new users the option of a
physically impaired avatar) is really about an assertion of what the person
thinks SL is for. In the case of the wheelchair-bound avatar, the RL
counterpart might want to raise othersÕ awareness, maintain a self-identity, or
just get attention. In any case, the bias here is toward making SL like RL, and
that is a moral gray area.
In a way, SL is like a bunch of countries, each of which has its own
laws or mores. ThereÕs a wide variation on what is allowed (and sometimes
required) from sim to sim, and even in areas within the sims (e.g. roleplays
that require NPC tags for visitors). The Lindens really only provide technical
support for enforcing some of these laws. Landowners can restrict
indiscriminate building, vandalism, and some bandwidth-intensive activities
(prim restrictions).
RL felony behavior is determined by where the perpetrator and victim are
located. But if you dig into what constitutes a felony in SL, things can get a
little ridiculous. My sense is that most matters are of the kind that might end
up in civil court, but would never make it to a criminal judge. Statutory
issues such as gambling and child pornography are two exceptions.
But when I think of the disabilities issue, I canÕt help but wonder what
a PETA member would think if they went to a Neko RPG battle sim in SL. You
laugh (I hope), but if it doesnÕt exist, it probably will some day. Thinking
about this scenario leads me to the conclusion that SL can be a staging area
for the RL battles about the way the world should be. Harsh or accommodating?
Fair or unfair? Beautiful or ugly? The reality will always be a little of each.
Our experiences in SL will reflect our RL selves and associations (or at least
the parts that manage to transfer to our avatars). And the beauty---to a
certain extent---will remain in the eye of the beholder.
Personally, my accessibility issues in SL have more to do with solid
walls. And rezzing beneath the floorboards of a house when I TP to a foreign
sim. High altitude flight was an accessibility issue until I obtained a flight
aid. But that just shows my bias: SL does not need to be like RL in all the
ways that RL constrains and binds us. Some restrictions are useful (build
restrictions), and some are technically necessary (avatars being in only one
sim at a time; teleporting). But the rest is just opinion. And despite what we
think, we are usually (always?) just visitors in the foreign world that is
Second Life.
With all that as a preamble, the greatest challenge educators may face
is not related to graphics cards, or aligning prims, or even mastering the
intricacies of good scripting. These problems can be transient or permanent,
and this depends largely on the attitude of the learner. The spirit of the
learner---the capacity to develop a vision, and the determination to see it
through---needs to be fostered. And it may be that the best way to teach this
is by example.
References:
Dawley, Lisa. Accessibility post to SLED listserve, 11/12/07;
https://lists.secondlife.com/pipermail/educators/2007-November/015923.html
Vonnegut, Kurt. ÒHarrison BergeronÓ Retrieved on a 11/12/07 from
http://instruct.westvalley.edu/lafave/hb.html
Wikipedia page: Real Estate (Second Life)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_estate_(Second_Life)
5. Facilitating New Users
Jeremy Koester
One of the first and greatest challenges for teaching and learning in virtual worlds such as Second Life (SL) is the steep learning curve for navigation and operation in the environment. Many ÔresidentsÕ arrive with little direction, narrow support, few relevant skills and nary a hint of meaningful tools. This is evidenced in research (Mayrath, Sanchez, Traphagan, Heikes & Trevedi, p.2) where the authors describe the first semesterÕs assignment.
ÒOne of the instructional objectives of the first semester was for students to learn about the integration of visual and verbal rhetoric. The activity used to accomplish this included learning about various types of architecture on campus, writing about architecture, and then building their ideal campus in Second Life and explaining why it was ideal. This activity required a great amount of time for students to learn how to build objects and structures in Second Life. The survey and interview results suggested the students were frustrated because they perceived the Second Life activities as irrelevant to the course content, excessively difficult and time consuming, and not helpful to their learning.Ó
The fortunate part for the learners in this course was that they had the support through the educational institution that they were involved. Many people who hear reports of or see information about SL dive in to Ôcheck it outÕ and leave with less than desirable experiences and negative views. I continue to advise institutions and individuals to go in with a purpose and have a connection who can take you on a tour or set you on a positive path of experiencing meaningful spaces that are plentiful in SL. New Media Consortium (NMC) is headlong into providing solutions of relief in the form of an educational orientation space (SLED listserv communication, 8/20/07). There are also many educational institutions and individuals providing regular orientation meetings to assuage this learning curve, such as the ELVEN new teacher orientation.
Mayrath, M., Sanchez, J., Traphagan, T., Heikes, J., & Trivedi, A. (n.d.). Using Second Life in an English Course: Designing Class Activities to Address Learning Objectives. Retrieved November 13, 2007, from http://lisadawley.googlepages.com/SL.edmedia07.pdf
Levine, A. (2007, August 20). Entry Portals. Message posted to Second Life Educators electronic mailing list, archived at https://lists.secondlife.com/pipermail/educators/2007-August/013282.html
Public Post here: http://groups.google.com/group/gaming-and-learning-in-sl/web/jers-wannabeblog
6.
Training New
Students
John Miller
One of the biggest challenges for the instructor is dealing with the
training of the new students. It is highly desirable to get them quickly into
SL but have them comfortable with the basic needs for a student here.
In Jeremy Kemp's presentation, see below, he mentions three phases of
learning how to interact in SL. The first phase is monkey, where the newbie is
learning to move around, bumps into things and is fairly clumsy. Wants a roof
over structures and like them to remember more like the real world.
The second phase, bird, is where the user learns to fly and to camera
around, wants open spaces, no roofs, less structures.
Finally the third phase, angel, where there are out of rl body
experiences.
Strategies to help newbie in the monkey phase can include the following:
1. Use of shelters to learn how to do things in a safe, nonjudgmental
environment.
2. Notecards for basic needs in SL
3. Landmarks to important places, including more orientation sites.
4. Money to buy things.
5. Free basic and fun items, such as avatar radars and the flight
feather, to name a few.
Jeremy Kemp's ALASC Luminary Lecture: Second Life: 20 Lessons: http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/
7.
Facilitating New Users
Ann
Jeffrey, Lisa Blair, Mauri Collins, Salli DiBartolo
Problem addressed
We were
part of a large class learning about Second Life, that has met synchronously
once a week inworld. Class members were located in very different time zones
from the UK to the US and through to Australia. We choose, as our group
teaching project, to address "Facilitating New Users." We spent
some time brainstorming beyond the basics of creating an avatar and learning to
work. Our aim became to help new residents and new teachers learn some of
the skills needed for teaching in SL, namely a relatively easy way to create a
feeling of 'groupness', the ability of think about ambient sound as a factor in
immersive learning and to think about what constitutes good manners and
appropriate academic self-presentation in SL.
How we
solved it
We created
a class that offered three experiences that would address a range of necessary
skills. We used tools and materials that were either already present in SL, or
were easily constructed by novices. As using voice for group instruction has,
in our experience, caused significant issues when some members of the audience
have voice and some do not, we decided to conduct the class using chat.
Chat is the 'natural language' of SL and reduces some technical difficulties, while
improving accessibility.
The first
activity divided the class into small groups and used making a T-shirt as an
ice-breaker activity. This enabled students to build skills in both dressing
and managing their inventory. Many of the students had not realized that simple
clothes creation was a built in feature, and that there were fabric textures in
their library. Students also learned negotiation and co-operation through
the choice of the pattern for the shirt. Instructors could use this as an
icebreaker in a class and also begin, through the design choice, to establish a
sense of community and cohesiveness among their students. The activity
concluded with a reflective discussion of learning and application for this
exercise.
The sound
exercise asked students to walk around the garden in which the class was held
and to notice the ambient sounds and their internal reaction to them. The
sounds included surf (the garden is close to the beach), ducks, hummingbirds,
and a peacock, bees, locusts, squirrels, frogs, rain and thunder, This
gave students an opportunity to think about ambient sound in relation to both
speech and background environmental sounds. In the reflection discussion
afterwards, they noticed that environmental sounds can really enhance some
aspects of immersion such as setting mood or scene. There was a lively
discussion about sound in relation to accessibility and enabling equal access
to communication in terms of group discussion as well as physical ability.
While our
manners class both taught SL skills in both teacher and student presentation
and etiquette in a fun and lighthearted way, the presentation itself was
complex. We prepared a powerpoint and presentation board ahead of time.
The commentary for the slide show was stored on a note card to be
copy-and-pasted in for each slide, taking into account an average reading
speed. The presenter created 13 different costumes as folders that were
dropped onto the presenter to quickly change appearance, based on the content
of the slide and/or commentary. These included both human and non-human
characters. Shortly after the presentation commenced, the other group
members began "griefing" - changing into animal avatars and
threatening and bumping audience members, repeatedly calling out stock phrases
and generally behaving badly. The presenter continued the presentation,
attempting to regain control, yelling (in text) "I AM THE TEACHER"
several times. We found that our audiences appreciated the humor and
profited from both good and non-examples of appropriate self-presentation.
Result
We have run
this same session 3 times for different audiences and each time has been
successful but, like any real-time presentation has turned out differently. Our
learners have been from a wide range of backgrounds from non-academics to
experienced online tutors and members of the international business community.
Attendees have also been from a range of disciplines and interests. We found it
interesting that we have managed to reach our audience each time, despite
technical difficulties, by thinking quickly on our feet and adjusting the
timing and content of the presentation. As teachers, we've also learned the
value of extensive preparation and practice ahead of time and learned to solve
problems quickly you as they arose. These are supported by the recommendations
of Sanchez and Mayrath et al as follows:
Supporting
the social system
a.
Interaction between students should be designed for instructional as well as
social occasions.
b. Social
spaces should be created in the virtual environment to allow students to hold
informal
gatherings.
Encourage the social use of the tool 1
¥ Have
clearly stated learning objectives for the activity that relate to overall
course objectives
¥ Have
interesting and debatable topics that are anchored in context of class for each
session 2
References
1. A
Sociotechnical Analysis of Second Life in an Undergraduate English course Joe Sanchez
School of Information University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A.,
joesanchez@mail.utexas.edu
A Sociotechnical Analysis of Second Life
in an Undergraduate English Course
2. Using
Second Life in an English Course: Designing Class Activities to Address Learning Objectives
Using Second Life in an English Course:
Designing Class Activities to Address Learning Objectives
Michael
Mayrath
Division of
Instructional Innovation and Assessment,
The
University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A., mmayrath@austin.utexas.edu
Joe Sanchez
School of
Information,
The
University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A., joesanchez@mail.utexas.edu
Tomoko
Traphagan
Division of
Instructional Innovation and Assessment,
The
University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A., tomoko.traphagan@austin.utexas.edu
Joel Heikes
Division of
Instructional Innovation and Assessment,
The
University of Texas at Austin, U.S.A., joel.heikes@austin.utexas.edu
Avani
Trivedi
Division of
Instructional Innovation and Assessment,
The
University of Texas at Austin U.S.A., avani.trivedi@austin.utexas.edu
8. Synchronous or Asynchronous?
Salli DiBartolo
Most eLearning programs allow students to sign in as they wish (asynchronous learning/attendance). How will you pull all students together in one place? Let's face it--it can be a arduous task due to other obligations: work, family, job, health, etc. There are also individual preferences as to students working alone or in groups. Most students sign up for eLearning based on the flexibility the classes offer. But, we've all read the research, both formal and informal, that shows that more interaction with students causes students to complete the course with a higher rate and/or level of learning. So, how do you do it?
One way is to expect all students to attend all classes held in SL. But, truly, how realistic is that? Students take online courses for lack of formal scheduling they have to do. The very best way to get students to show up is to offer them options--pragmatic alternatives giving students responsibility for their own learning. If you state, "We're going to meet in SL on these ten dates (list the ten dates). Please choose 7 that you will attend,Ó then you're giving students the ability to look at their calendars, choose the seven dates that they can make and enough time to rearrange schedules where they need to. More than likely, you will see all students attend all ten dates; however, if one can't make it, there is no penalty.
This procedure is currently followed between our eLearning Math Department Chair's classes and his "meetings" in Elluminate. He started out making the study sessions optional but when students weren't showing up, he decided to make them part of a participation grade. He made them all mandatory and then felt bad when some were penalized for not making each Elluminate meeting. When he decided on and implemented the "choose your meetings," not only did attendance in each session rise, but so did grades. And, he had more attend EACH session based on the fact that they were given choices.
9.
Class Management
Jeff Pitcher
http://jpitcher.edublogs.org/
Challenge: Keeping track of and managing students in SL.
Outspoken students can approach instructors on multiple fronts while
quiet students may get lost in the static and unmotivated students might check
out sort inventory, angel about, IM, or do any number of things in RL. Teachers
in RL classrooms have developed techniques for interacting with their students
and SL teacher need to do the same.
Trying to keeping track of distracted students and focused students can
overwhelm a an instructors bandwidth and compromise their class. Likewise the
class views itself as an unorganized collection of avatars. Personally, I donÕt
know most of the class members from each other and have a difficult time
connecting their names, faces and their responses. So, the class is split into
two realms - the class of the avatars interacting and the thread of communication.
We need tools to tie them together and give the teacher a sense of the class.
Using color coded flags is a step in the right direction, but IÕm
interested in managing attendance and feedback with a whiteboard tool or HUD.
We need a class hud attachment or a screen that displays suites of non-verbal
feedback. We could also look at adopting some conventions for larger body
language. The MIT Òhot and coldÓ feedback asked students to move from one side
of a grid or another to provide feedback. Similar, and less complex setups
might be done with color coded circles in a sandbox.
10. Time Zones
Helen Farley
Challenge: It seems that I'm always turning up to events in Second Life early or late. Though SL is truly international, there's no getting away from the fact that it is US-centric (not that I especially have a problem with that!) This only gets worse with daylight saving. I turned up to last weeks' class an hour early.
I received an email from NMC through the week that listed various activities. There was a link to www.timeanddate.com and the event times were listed in SL time but also times in a number of timezones around the world. Bliss! It made it so much less complicated to plan my SL activities. If organisers of SL events would take a minute to set that up, would make life easier.
There is another issue with times and SL. I find it very difficult to fit SL activities into my ordinary workaday life. Our EdTech classes are 8 to 10 Friday mornings for me. (I turned up to the first one two hours early). Unfortunately, that's also prime meeting time in my School. I'm an academic so I can close my door for two hours but my phone still rings, students want to collect their papers or ask a question and sometimes I have to make the choice between attending an important meeting or attending my SL class. I understand that I'm in a better position than my UK cousins who are staying up way too late, and negotiating SL with a tired mind and bleary eyes.
That's just one example. There are lots of events I miss out on because they're on in the early hours. Whenever I turn my computer on it starts beeping at me telling me that various things I wanted to attend in SL, happened while I was blissfully snoring away in the early hours. When I was planning a SL class the other day, I had to try and choose time that would suit my Australian colleagues but not make it too inaccessible for others.
Again, www.timeanddate.com came to the rescue with its Meeting Planner. I could enter up to 4 cities and it would show me times but also tell me when people were likely to be asleep, when people would likely be at work and when people would likely be awake but not necessarily at work. There are no perfect solutions but certainly this was enormously helpful.
I planned my class using this tool and and ended up with a balance of Australians and Americans. I'll have to hold another class to accommodate the Europeans!