How Can Massive Multi-user Virtual Environments and Virtual Role Play
Enhance Traditional Teaching Practice
Mrs Angela Addison & Dr W O’HareUniversity of Teesside
Electronic Learning Spaces
E-learning = Blended Learning
Computers in Education
A means of rapid content access not a social context for learning
Constructivist Theory
• Computers provide more opportunities for social interaction, communication and thinking!
• Construction of meaning and knowledge• Early uses of computers to promote social
construction were demonstrated with the development of Multi-user Dungeons (MUDs)
Replica Campus
Virtual Workplace
Poster Displays
Simulations
Double Helix – Genome IslandDouble Helix – University of Massachusetts (UMASS)
• http://www.umass.edu/molvis/tutorials/dna/dnapairs.htm
• Available in public domain
Advantages of MMUVE’s
• Social interaction
• Encourage fully immersive experience
• Detailed visual content
• Ability to overcome geographical problems
Motivation for Food Factory
• "everyone is interested in SL, there must be something WE can use it for too!"
• SL represents a real opportunity to improve student-to-student interactions.
• "Having watched a dyslexic child struggle with traditional teaching methods, and having encountered the same child's ability, not only to master activities in a gaming environment, but to recognise and replay errors, producing improved performance and successes, it is apparent that recreating a reality in which learning can take place through direct immersive experience can be beneficial.“
Motivation for Food Factory
• “identified difficulties for training new officers in the field “
• if these difficulties could be role played in a safe environment there could be some significant improvement in performance and understanding of the issues for new and retraining professionals."
• A final motivation arises from experiences of face-to-face role-plays.
Holodecks for Space Manipulation
Factory Development
•
Conclusion
• early educational developments in SL have focused on structures and information
• few have made the best use of the potential that the environment offers for student-to-student interaction
• traditional role-play has been one of the most powerful tools in the constructivist educator's toolbox
• towards the goal of independent learner.
Thank you for Listening