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Presence of Avatars

Sabine Lawless-Reljic, Ed.D.Communication Chair, ARVEL SIG

Athabasca University,Second Life Campus

9/22/2011

Poll tool

Click on the red button if you teach a distance class

Click the green button if you teach face to face

Click the yellow button if you teach both

Type in chat

What differences are there in the teacher-student relationship in F2F vs Online?

Quick Reminders

Educational technology: (also called learning technology) is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources. (Richey, R.C. (2008). Reflections on the 2008 AECT Definitions of the Field.)

Transactional distance: is not a physical phenomenon. It is an instructional event in a learning situation. (ref. Michael G. Moore)

Mediated Social Presence: From a low level awareness that another being is co-present to more intense sense of the accessibility of psychological modeling of the other’s intentional states. (Harms & Biocca, (2004). Internal consistency and reliability of the networked minds measure of social presence.)

Dissertation

• “The Effects of Instructor-Avatar Immediacy in Second Life, an Immersive and Interactive 3D Virtual Environment”

• Examine the role of instructor-avatar behaviors and the ways these behaviors influence the degree to which avatars are perceived as “real”, “authentic”, “empathetic”

• “Being there” and “being there with others”

MultiUser Virtual Environments

The 3 Ps• Sense of Presence: MUVEs have the potential to “significantly

reduce the subjective feelings of psychological and social distance often experienced by distance education participants” (McKerlich, 2007)

• Sense of Place: MUVEs are “richly expressive environments that immerse the participant in a setting that includes sound and visual cues, rich textures, and realistic perspectives…and vividly create a sense of place” (Johnson & Levine, 2008)

• Sense of Power/Autonomy: MUVEs allow users “to move around in the virtual world and see it from different angles, to reach into it, grab it, and reshape it” (Rheingold, 1991)

Avatar Presence

• Heeter (1992): VE responds to a person’s actions (environmental presence).

• Witmer & Singer (1998): subjective experience of being in one place or environment, even as one is physically situated in another.

• Russo (2001): degree to which a person is perceived as real in a mediated environment and recognized as they are communicating with another human being.

Immediacy Behaviors

• Measure of the number, combination, and intensity of immediacy behaviors in relevant and appropriate learning event contexts according to modern American presentation conventions.

• Frequency + Intensity + Appropriate use of behaviors.

Immediacy Behaviors: Examples

Verbal Cues (Gorham, 1988)• Call students by name• Use inclusive pronouns• Use humor• Provide feedback• Use personal examples• Ask questions• Refer to class as “our” class• Praise students’ work,

actions…

Nonverbal cues (Richmond et al, 1987)•Move in front of/away from desk•Gesture while talking•Use variety of expressions•Smile at students•Make eye contact•Move around classroom•Other proxemics (body lean, openness, orientation, etc.)

Automated Immediacy Behaviors

http://www.slideshare.net/sreljic/presentationsMUVE Your Avatar, pp 19 to 21

Conclusion

Strong correlations between student perceptions of social presence and student perceptions of specific immediacy behaviors.

Observations from the field

ARVEL SIG InWorld Discussionshttp://arvelsig.ning.com/

• Social presence and community• Current online best practices• Avatar nonverbal immediacy (sp. Gestures)• Gaming background• Activity categories in VW

RecommendationsParalanguage behaviors Text* Voice quality * Tone, Style* Emotion & Speaking Style * Spatial arrangement of* Prosodic Features words

* Use of emoticons * Use of symbols &

NonVerbal infographics*Proxemic behavior, body Avatarlanguage/posture * Clothing, hairstyles* Facial expression & gaze direction * Physique* Gestures

+

Course Structure

Type in chat

Rate your sense of presence: 0-1-2-3-4

(0) I felt completely alone (4) I felt right in the middle of the conversation

Rate your sense of place:0-1-2-3-4

(0) This was just too unreal (4) I felt immersed in the setting

Rate your sense of power/autonomy:0-1-2-3-4

(0) I could not do anything with this thing (4) I could do things! I moved around, I grabbed objects!

Contact InfoEmail: Sabine@Reljic.com

Web: Sabine Reljic (LinkedIn, Skype)SReljic (Twitter)http://sabinereljic.wordpress.com/http://www.arvelsig.com

Virtual Worlds: Willow Shenlin (3rd Rock Grid, 3DXplorer, ExitReality, InWorldz, Reaction Grid, Science Grid, Second Life, SmallWorlds); Willow Virtual (Grand Central Sim); WillowWarC (Minecraft, World Of Warcraft); SKYlawless (Blue Mars); Sabine Reljic (AET Zone, ScienceSim); Radarr (3D GameLab)