1.SECOND LIFE & VIRTUAL WORLDS A SHORT PICTORIAL HISTORY OFDEVELOPING DIFFERENT TYPES OFVIRTUAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES Eileen OConnor, Ph.D. Empire State College Eileen.oconnor@esc.edu

2. What will be addressed The following is largely a pictorial essay ondifferent types of applications that have beencreated by Dr. Eileen OConnor The first slides show simple college & graduateapplications ending with a metaphor The next slides show K12 uses from pilot work and show increasing more sophisticatedgraduate applications The end has peer-reviewed publications relatedto Dr. OConnors work 3. Key considerations in anyvirtual design for educationApplications ranging fromcollege and graduateschool to K12 will be How do they What do they highlighted learn whats do there? going on and Whathow to behave?expected? How do you teach & assess them? 4. Some startup graduate/collegeapplications Use simple startups ideas Meeting, interactions, discussions Find existing materials, virtualislands, activities that are already inexistence Have student create some simplevirtual development Practice as a meeting space for your ownwork first 5. Graduate students started at the MAT ScienceCenter for meetings & presentations 6. Students across the stategive virtual presentations of their own work, plans, activities and ideas 7. They met with the Dean 8. Took Field Trips: InternationalSociety for Technology in Education (ISTE) 9. Had class meeting using ISTE space 10. Visited virtual science: such as theNational Oceanographic &Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 11. NOAA virtual, real-time weather Map (Northeast) 12. Much more is possible too in allcontent areas 13. Best expressed through an instructional metaphor: likedesigning an intelligent experience (field trip / discussions/ role playing / construction) . . . with an assessment Discussions /collaborations /role playingExplorations Building / More advanced- Field trips uses creating - Simulations 14. Over time, the science-educationapplications moved into a privatespace Thus, K12 applications were possible (still under research and study) A science-education island was designed (looked like the USA); virtual meetings and presentations continued NOW though students (pre-service teachers) did some basic development too K12 pilots have been conducted too 15. Pods werecreated in summer2011 so that pre-service gradstudents couldcreate & sharescience projectsNew science pod area 16. The new science pods empty at first To be developed by graduate students with minimal knowledge of Second Life 17. Later, students created pods &presented their science projects withintheir team podsGenuine sharing, community & caring was evident; students asked relevantquestions & added extending ideas all at a distance 18. A few more student-created pod areason the private island 19. A few more student-created pod areason the private island 20. Some of workreported in thepods includedscience studieswith K12 studentsthat had actuallybeen conducted 21. Now that a private spaceexisted, K12 students could bebrought in too, as was begun in2009 In fall 2009 & spring 2010, a pilot with 9students was conducted the studentsmet, researched (using internet), and thenpresented in the space Results reported at conference Peer reviewer paper now available on this pilot (seethe end of this presentation) 22. The STEM Exploratory Real/Virtual Environment(SER/VE) the main Science Center w/ the bulk of the meetings and interactions during the pilot 23. At the end of the 6 weeks of research and development, the K12 students gave final presentations 24. The students & judges were very engaged they came forward to see better 25. Efforts to integrate K12students continue 30 students from the Science Technology EntryProgram from a summer workshop at U-Albanyparticipated during 2011 This cohort were from under-represented STEMgroups The results were reported at a SUNY STEMconference in Nov. 2011 at the Crowne Plaza inAlbany More on this project http://www.slideshare.net/eoconnor/serve-the-stem-exploratory-realvirtual-environment 26. For the first day, students used the 2-dimensional shapes in Microsofts drawingprogram to develop game ideas 27. That afternoon they tested avatarappearance and clothing 28. By the second afternoon, students areready for more creative uses of SER/VE 29. Creativity and boldness were evident 30. Students adjusted avatarsappearances, and moved camera angles 31. Some shapes became vehicles, withscripts that made them move 32. Students integrated 21st century communicationsalmost instantly - texting on the computer while talking in real time in the classroom 33. Value of STEM virtual providingexpanded access for K12 & for under-represented A working space that transcends geography &Meeting, developing, sharing creates a sense of reality and presence Assembling professionals and educators Represent STEM experiences Simulations & experiences safe, practical, virtual Integrate with REAL and with education Providing expertise and experiences beyond theEnhancing classroom practice classroom Allowing participation outside the school day too 34. Virtually any application ispossibleand, context, proximity, and creativityDO make a differenceEileen.Oconnor@esc.edu 35. Eileen A. OConnor, Ph.D. (Eileen.oconnor@esc.edu )Recent Publications Emerging technologies:OConnor, E. A. (in press). Developing effective online collaborative science projects by using course scaffolding, a virtualworld, and web 2.0 technologies. Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2012.Abendroth, M.A., Golzy, J., & OConnor, E.A. (in press). Self-created YouTube recordings of microteachings: their effects uponcandidates readiness for teaching and instructors assessment. Journal of Educational Technology Systems.OConnor, E. A. (in press). A survival guide from an early adopter: how Web 2.0 and the right attitude can enable learning andexpansive course design. Journal of Educational Technology SystemsOConnor, E. (2011). Practical considerations when using virtual spaces for learning and collaboration, with minimal setup andsupport. In H. H. Yang, & S. C. Yuen (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Practices and Outcomes in Virtual Worlds and Environment.Hershey PA: IGI Global.OConnor, E. A. (2011) Migrating Towards K12 in Virtual Spaces: Second Life Lessons Learned as Higher Education Meets MiddleSchool Students. Published with the AACE Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education InternationalConference, March 2011OConnor, E.A. (June 2010) Using Second Life (a virtual reality) in Language Instruction: Practical Advice on Getting Started;published with the proceedings of the 4th International Scientific and Methodological Conferenceon "Information and Communication Technologies in Foreign Language TeachingOConnor, E. A. (2010- 2011) The effect on learning, communication, and assessment when student-created YouTubes ofmicroteaching were used in an online teacher-education course. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 39(2), pp. 135-154.OConnor, E. A. (2010) Practical Considerations When Using Virtual Spaces for Learning and Collaboration, with Minimal Setupand Support. A book chapter published in the Handbook of Research on Practices and Outcomes in Virtual Worlds andEnvironment, IGI Global publishers 36. Eileen A. OConnor, Ph.D. (Eileen.oconnor@esc.edu )Recent Publications Emerging technologies:OConnor, E. A. The Use of a Wiki in Teacher Education: How Does Learning andInstruction Change When Work Can Go Public? Published with the AACE Societyfor Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference in March2010OConnor, E. A. (2009-2010) Instructional and Design Elements that Support EffectiveUse of Virtual Worlds: What Graduate Student Work Reveals about Second Life.Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 38(2), pp. 214 234.OConnor, E. A. and Sakshaug, L. (2009) Preparing for Second Life: Two TeacherEducators Reflect on Their Initial Foray into Virtual Teaching and Learning, Journal ofEducational Technology Systems, 37(3), pp. 259-272.OConnor, E. (2008). Becoming a Virtual Instructor: How Can Higher Education FacultyPrepare for Second Life?. In G. Richards (Ed.), Proceedings of World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2008 (pp.1144-1149). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.OConnor, E. A. (2008) Initial Study of Pre-Service Teachers Comments on a Reality-Based, Urban-Student Video Streamed within an Online Course, Journal ofEducational Technology Systems, 37(2), pp. 139-158.