Social interaction in virtual worlds: Designing for ICC in 3D

Ton Koenraad, Mabelle Hermandéz, Lex Hermans

Agenda

• MUVEs?• Design principles for NIFLAR 3D VLE’s• Task and object driven activities• Demo • Hands-on

• To enrich and innovate academic programs of foreign languages and make them more rewarding and relevant

Promoting blended learning by the use of two technologies:– Video web communication (Adobe Connect)

– 3D Virtual Worlds (Second Life / Open SIM)

• To study the added value of implementing networked interactions

Three target groups: – FL learners at secondary and tertiary levels

– Pre- (in) service teachers

Main NIFLAR objectives :

Second Life

Open Sim

Adobe connect

VAN TEKST- MOO naar…

Educational Potential

• multimedia• time & place independent• synchronous & asynchronous, written & oral

interaction • flexible• Identity experimentation

d

http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/educationaluses

Link

Good Practice Analysis: Design principles for NIFLAR 3D-VLE

• Objectives for (student) teachers + L2 learners• Pedagogical principles:

– Pedagogy re ICC-training & assessment – Blended approach– Teacher Ed.:

Experiential learning (competence development)

• Analysis of good practice (Warburton, 2009; Molka-Danielsen & Deutchmann, 2009; Sweeney, 2009; Jauregi et al., 2009; 2010)

• Scalable, sustainable

Reception / Exploratorium

Game SpaceSimulation Space

Open Simulator Platform

VLE

COMPONENTS

Exploratoriumfor cultural info, encounters and events

Simulation Spacefor ICC-training & assessment

Game Spacefor cultural knowledge quests & games

NIFLAR @ Second Life NIFLAR Launchroom @ Virtlantis SIM

NIFLAR @ Second Life Launchroom & Holodecked Tasks on Virtlantis

Task Example : Discovering Mexico

NIFLAR OS design processfrom first ideas to realisation

Specifications Realisations

NIFLAR OS MegaSim: Four (4) voice-enabled Regions

• Reception

• Spanish SIM

• Asterix Village

+ Projectlandia

NIFLAR OS MegaSIM: 4 regions

Reception SIMProject Home, International Meeting & Communication Area,

Tandem Language Learning Space

Cartoon PuzzlerInfo Gap: collaborative problem solving

Talking Lottery BallsInspired by: Talking Dice

• oral proficiency practice with embedded ICC development goals through symbols & images that trigger statements and interactions on personal lives and cultural topics.

Cultural Knowledge Quiz:exchange, discuss, convince, move, apologize…

SLOODLE for NIFLAR OpenSim Worlds

• WebIntercom -- links text-chat in-world to a Moodle chatroom

• Quiz Chair -- students can do a Moodle quiz from in-world, and receive audio-visual feedback on their progress

• CultureQuest• Awards system

Asterix Village 3D-visualisation of Third Place concept and historical dimension (ICC pedagogy)

Asterix village: PUB + antique tourist artefacts

Asterix: Harbour & Campo Sportivohistorical approach to folk/street games

Spain: Urban area (Valencia design by Nadia Revenga García)

NIFLAR Valencia city

Projectlandia: default scenario & facilities + ad hoc activities &

projects (e.g. Adventures in 3D)

•Projectlandia: Regions for future target groups, e.g. ChinaVillage (holodeck approach)

Student involvement & CoP development

• Ownership: student profiles / cultural knowledge sharing

• Authorable content objects facilitating blended approach

• Partner consortium • OS-LingoGrid

Implementation issues.Prerequisites (Contexts: University / 2nd Ed.)

• Technology:• Computer access

(school / home)• Installed Viewers +

voice finetuning• User training

• Partners:• Projectplanning (!) +

content (3D / tasks)• Curriculum:

shared & local learning goals + assessment

Experiences

• Pilot experiences in Second Life for academic students (Spanish L2) and student teachers.

• Pilot with secondary pupils in OpenSim (Spanish & English L2, tandem approach) and student teachers.

Data sources

• Recorded interactions• Pre & post oral tests• Surveys (pre, mid and post)• Interviews

Would you like to know more about the NIFLAR project?

Read about results in our publications &

Join us at niflar.ning.comwww.niflar.eu

Thank you for your attention!!