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