Thomas J. D. Armbrecht

University of Wisconsin-Madison

C’est la (seconde) vie!

Using Second Life to Teaching

Language and Literature

Why Second Life?• Facilitates communication in French

– With native French speakers (large numbers in SL)

– For students hesitant to speak in class

• Links written and oral communication in French• Builds community (in classroom, on-line, and real-

world)• Capitalizes on interest and support

– Developed for specific class (Advanced Oral and Written Expression in French), but useful for other courses in any language

– Opportunities for collaboration with colleagues

– Strong student interest in gaming, technology, and project as demonstrated in surveys

Project Overview: 3 Types of Activities

1. Orientation: “How to” in Second Life (a.k.a. SL)

2. Scavenger Hunt: • Students "gather" knowledge & perform tasks• Completion of sequenced tasks creates an

“educational race”

3. Role-Playing and Observation • Creation: Students stage events in SL based

on in-class activities• Observation/narration: Students watch and

report on what they see

Orientation

Orientation Pedagogical Goals

1)Teach students to feel comfortable and capable in SL

2)Explain what I expect of students and what students should expect in this non-traditional pedagogical space

3)Explain project activities and means of assessment to students

Scavenger Hunt

Activities: Gather language- and literature-based knowledge 1. Complete SL-based tasks (e.g., find out this or that from a

native French speaker)

2. Quiz-master/concept tutor-based activities: e.g., "distinguish metaphor from synecdoche from metonymy"

3. Visit xyz and note abc about it.

4. Gather the following objects…

Assessment: Verify what students learn1. Complete sequenced tasks (to solve a larger knowledge-

based puzzle)

2. Write narrative explaining what happened

3. Real-life exam to reinforce what is learned in-world

Scavenger Hunt

Assessment:

Prof corrects captured transcript or summary of conversation

Completion of task would generate clueProf quizzes student about information found

Prof analyzes puzzle answersProf corrects essay

Activities

Scavenger Hunt Pedagogical Goals

1. Real-life communication/interaction with French speakers and web sites

2. Learn course material (e.g., literary devices) in a self-paced, sequential, fun way

3. Do “research,” assimilate and analyze material, synthesize ideas

Role Playing And Observation

Role Playing And Observation

1. Students as actors for and observers of each other

2. Students as observers of French (Second) Life

Role Playing & Observation Pedagogical Goals

1. Encourage creative thinking about and personal interaction with literary texts

2. Demonstrate understanding of dramatic texts, relationship of page to stage

3. Teach narrative analysis by having students write assessments of what they see

4. Provide extra-curricular communication opportunities with French speakers

A Francophone Learning Environmenthttp://slurl.com/secondlife/UW%20Madison/44/220/22

The Second Louvrehttp://slurl.com/secondlife/Tompson/177/37/98

The Globe Theatrehttp://slurl.com/secondlife/sLiterary/21/23/22

University of Wisconsin – MadisonSecond Life® Information for Students and Instructors

• […] The purpose of this document is to highlight UW-Madison standards and policies which apply to UW activities organized in SL, inform you of some of the potential challenges you may encounter in SL, and provide a means for resolving issues.

• UW-Madison Policies and Second Life– your activities are subject to all applicable university policies, including but not limited to UW-Madison codes of

conduct and information technology appropriate use policies. You can find more detailed information about these specific policies on the web

– Second Life also has community standards which must be followed. (Terms of service - http://secondlife.com/corporate/tos.php and Community Standards - http://secondlife.com/corporate/cs.php).

• Second Life Challenges – It is possible that faculty and students may encounter other users in world whose intention is to interrupt virtual

environments through what is referred to as ‘griefing’. Griefing means a disturbance to avatars by attempting to cage or restrain, push or use tools to throw avatars from a location or from Second Life® , and change an avatar’s appearance.

– Students should be alerted that they may encounter objectionable content and students should be encouraged to inform their instructor if they have concerns about participation in the virtual world class exercise.

– Instructors can also seek assistance from the university's Office of Administrative Legal Services (http://legal.wisc.edu/).

• Resolving Issues– If the problem occurred on the UW-Madison island, your instructor or you can also contact the Virtual World

Support group (virtualworlds@lists.wisc.edu) to request assistance in addressing problem avatars. The Virtual World Support Group may opt to pursue the issue with the Linden Labs (the company that makes Second Life). Instructors may contact other resources within UW-Madison including the Office of Administrative Legal Services (http://legal.wisc.edu/) or DoIT’s Academic Technology department (http://www.doit.wisc.edu/academictech/).

• By signing this document, you acknowledge that you have read and understand the above challenges and are ready to start your class activity in Second Life.

Assessing Student experiences: What questions to ask/How to answer them?

Quality of “in-world” experience• Solicited Student Feedback

– Did students understand the assignment and how to complete it?

– Perceived satisfaction: was it fun/interesting?– Did students feel safe/have problems?– Awareness of pedagogical objectives:

» Cultural and peer exchange» Reinforcement and practice of grammar, etc.

• Observed student experience– Incognito observer (akin to mirrored glass)– Videos and snapshots

Assessing Student experiences: What questions to ask/How to answer them?

Quantitative/Qualitative: Pedagogical usefulness• Pre-/post-surveys• “Real world” assignments about subjects taught

in SL– Quizzes– Essays

• Comparing multiple section courses (control group)

• Using the “video” and “snapshot” functions for data collection