| 1. |
- Deutschmann, Mats, 1964-, et al.
(författare)
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Analyzing the Design of Telecollaboration in Second Life Using Activity Theory
- 2011. - 1
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Ingår i: Teaching and Learning in 3D Immersive Worlds. - Hershey : Information Science Reference. - 9781609605179 - 9781609605186 ; , s. 151-168
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Internationally, Second Life (SL) has in recent years become accepted as a platform for innovative educational activities at many universities. One such activity includes ways of enabling students coming in contact with other students in so-called telecollaboration. Using an Activity Theoretical model, the present case study describes the design and initial implementation of a telecollaborative learning activity between four universities in Second Life. The four student groups were all attending quite different programs and the main challenges encountered were that of accommodating the different needs taking the diverse motivational objectives of each group into account, and making use of affordances the tool (SL) in this pursuit.
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| 2. |
- Deutschmann, Mats, 1964-, et al.
(författare)
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Designing oral participation in second life : a comparative study of two language proficiency courses
- 2009
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Ingår i: ReCALL. - Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. - 0958-3440 .- 1474-0109. ; 21:2, s. 206-226
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The following paper presents two stages of an action research project involving two oral proficiency courses held in the virtual world Second Life. Course 1 was conducted during the Autumn of 2007. Based on the experiences of this course, we redesigned many aspects of it in order to improve student activity in terms of oral participation and gave the course again in Spring 2008. By analysing the recordings of four 90-minute sessions, two from each course, we were able to measure student participation based on floor space, turn lengths and turn-taking patterns, and in the study we discuss how different changes in design may have contributed to more favourable outcomes. Results seem to indicate that meaning focussed task design, which involves authenticity and collaborative elements, has a direct impact on learner participation and engagement. Furthermore, our results seem to suggest that technical and social initiations into a complex environment such as SL are important factors that have to be worked into the course design.
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| 3. |
- Deutschmann, Mats, 1964-, et al.
(författare)
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Instructional Design : Teacher Practice and Learning Autonomy
- 2009. - 1
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Ingår i: Learning and teaching in the virtual world of second life. - Trondheim : Tapir Academic Press. - 9788251923538 ; , s. 27-44
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This chapter is based on the experiences from language proficiency courses given on Kamimo education island and addresses concerns related to teacher practice in Second Life. We examine preparatory issues, task design and the teacher’s role in fostering learner autonomy in Second Life. Although the chapter draws mainly on experiences from and reflections in the domain of language education, it has general pedagogical implications for teaching in SL.
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| 4. |
- Deutschmann, Mats, 1964-, et al.
(författare)
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Talking into empty space? : signalling involvement in a virtual language classroom in Second Life
- 2009
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Ingår i: Language Awareness. - oxon : Routledge. - 0965-8416 .- 1747-7565. ; 18:3-4, s. 310-328
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this study, we compare the first and the last sessions from an online oral proficiencycourse aimed at doctoral students conducted in the virtual world Second Life. The study attempts to identify how supportive moves made by the teacher encourage learners to engage with language, and what type of linguistic behaviour in the learners leads to engagement in others. We compare overall differences in terms of floor space and turn-taking patterns, and also conduct a more in-depth discourse analysis of parts of the sessions focusing on supportive moves such as back-channelling and elicitors. There are indications that the supportive linguistic behaviour of teachers is important in increasing learner engagement. In our studywe are also able to observe a change in student linguistic behaviour between the first and the last sessions with students becoming more active in signalling involvement as the course progresses. Finally, by illustrating some of the language awareness issues that arise in online environments, we hope to contribute to the understanding of the dynamics of online communication.
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| 5. |
- Deutschmann, Mats, 1964-, et al.
(författare)
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Towards Models for Designing Language Learning in Virtual Worlds
- 2013
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Ingår i: International Journal of Virtual and Personal Learning Environments. - : IGI Global. - 1947-8518 .- 1947-8526. ; 4:2, s. 65-84
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents some of the overall frameworks and models for language learning that were used under Avalon (Access to Virtual and Action Learning live ONline), an EU co-funded project aimed at developing language-learning scenarios in virtual worlds. The introduction and background summarize some of the theories that constitute the starting points for the designs and are followed by a discussion of how the affordances of virtual worlds support the communicative language-learning model used in the project. The authors’ main focus then turns to pedagogic design, where the authors present the methods used during the project and some generic aspects of course designs that were developed. The article ends with a more specific look at examples of task design from the courses given under the project framework.
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| 6. |
- Deutschmann, Mats, et al.
(författare)
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Virtual Learning, Real Heritage Benefits and Challenges of Virtual Worlds for the Learning of Indigenous Minority Languages
- 2010
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Ingår i: Conference Proceedings International Conference ICT for Language Learning3rd Conference Edition. - Florence : Pixel. - 9788876475696 - 8876475699
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper will present the Island of Avalon Learning in the virtual world of Second Life® (SL). Avalon Learning has been created under the ongoing European project AVALON for the design, testing and implementation of language teaching and learning in virtual worlds. Avalon (Access to Virtual and Action Learning live ONline) is a 2 year multilateral project funded under the EU EACEA Life Long Learning Programme (LLP) and runs until December 2010. The 10 participating European partners include 5 state funded universities (University of Manchester, University of Vienna, University of Pisa, Molde University College and Mid Sweden University) and 5 other public and private organisations (Verein Grenzenlos — Interkultureller Austausch, Verein Offenes Lernen — Sektion ‘TALKADEMY’, ICC International Language Network (International Certificate Conference e. V.), LANCELOT School GmbH and the British Council) operating in the following areas: language education, teacher training, intercultural training, language testing and certification, online education, publishing, business communication and networking, design of 3D environments and language learning in virtual worlds.The project is also associated with 5 other universities and 11 smaller educational institutions. The project is a transversal programme which targets language learners from the Leonardo da Vinci, Erasmus and Grundtvig communities. Not only does the project aim to create a platform in which these diverse learning communities can come together but it also has a particular interest in providing access to technology and language learning to learners in remote locations. The ultimate aim of the project is to create both a virtual environment and a sustainable community of practitioners and users which will outlive the project itself. Recent literature in the field endorses virtual worlds as a particularly appropriate platform for the development of oral language proficiency in distance education, collaborative and intercultural learning contexts and vocational training. The free client programme of Second Life®, for example, is a 3D virtual world accessible via the Internet and which enables its users to interact with each other through ‘Avatars’. An ‘avatar’ is the graphical representation of a computer user representing himself/herself or alter ego and communication with others is possible via both voice and text chat. Examples of learning scenarios from the Beginners Course of North Sami carried out in conjunction with the Avalon project will help to illustrate some of the benefits and challenges of using virtual worlds for the teaching and learning of languages in general and for indigenous minority languages in particular. Some of the benefits include the provision of online synchronous communication for linguistic communities which are dispersed over vast geographical areas, the co/re-construction of cultural and linguistic identity, opportunities for authentic language contact between native, heritage and L2 learners, the unparalleled creative dimension of the platform in particular in terms of individual and collaborative building and learner movement and freedom within the environment. This paper will conclude with a discussion of some of the challenges of using virtual worlds as a distance education platform in different language education contexts and how they may be overcome.
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| 7. |
- Molka-Danielsen, Judith, et al.
(författare)
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Designing Transient Learning Spaces in Second Life : a case study based on the Kamimo experience
- 2009
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Ingår i: Designs for Learning. - Stockholm : Stockholm University Press. - 1654-7608 .- 2001-7480. ; 2:2, s. 22-33
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Through the grant “Virtual Campus for Life Long Learning” (NUV, 2007), we have gained experience in the design and building of a virtual island or “sim” in Second Life for the purpose of education. This paper discusses the virtual representations, tools, context and spaces used in courses. While SL can replicate the classroom lecture, it gives further opportunities for interactive and active teaching as learning activities can be in dispersed and diversified virtual spaces. These are transient learning spaces because participants, activities and representations are in frequent change. Designing transient learning spaces raises different challenges and opportunities from the traditional physical classroom. Challenges include enabling new users to know where to go or how to behave. One opportunity is the ability to design and develop a new space for each course. This article will help the teacher and “sim” designers to recognize the factors of designing effective transient learning spaces.
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| 8. |
- Molka-Danielsen, Judith, et al.
(författare)
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Reward Models for Active Language Learning in 3D Virtual Worlds
- 2010
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Ingår i: 3rd International Conference on Information Sciences and Interaction Sciences, ICIS 2010. - Chengdu, China : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). - 9781424473854 - 9781424473861 ; , s. 40-45
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Games are often used as incentive based approaches in learning a foreign language. A common part of DVD based toolkits; for example, include vocabulary, sound clips of the target language, exercises for learners to record their own voice, and games. The games can be matching exercises involving sound, text and images. What is missing from such standalone tools are other active speakers. Chat rooms can somewhat address this, but students often meet other students at the same level. In contrast, the 3D multi user virtual environment (MUVE) of Second Life, also referred to as a virtual world, offers social context that can allow for voice and text communication for language learning, often with native speakers of the target language. Reward models in such social contexts can have greater effect on the engagement and motivation of language learners. This article first presents a literature review of reward models used in learning and teaching in virtual worlds. We secondly identify the elements that need to be included in a reward model for active language learning in Second Life. We describe the stakeholders’ perspectives (educators and students) and suggest how the model should be integrated into the design of the virtual island or “sim” and into a course design.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Panichi, Luisa, et al.
(författare)
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Language learning in virtual worlds : Research issues and methods
- 2012. - 1
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Ingår i: Researching Online Foreign Language Interaction and Exchange. - Bern : Peter Lang Publishing Group. - 9783034311557 - 9783035104141 ; , s. 205-232
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The chapter addresses three central issues related to research into the use of virtual world environments for language learning, namely the increasing interest in such environments by educational communities and bodies, the nature of communication and human interaction in educational processes in these environments and the methods and tools currently at disposal for investigation.The first part of the chapter gives an overview of the present status of virtual worlds in language education and discusses current best practice models. Why are educators opting for this particular type of platform? In what way does it differ from other CMC tools and face-to-face learning? Can it be classified as a multimodal environment or is it something different again? What is the added educational value, i.e. the special affordances and situations that these types of environments represent both for teachers and learners in terms of motivation, immersion and participation How does created identity or lack of identity (the hiding behind the avatar issue, or even manipulation of identity through the avatar) affect the learning situation and communication? What are the parallels with gaming environments?The second section takes up specific examples of research fields. One example is the type of research the authors already have conducted, i.e. the investigation of language pragmatic issues in an environment where traditional visual cues are more or less absent. This part also presents some viable methodological research frameworks such as Action research and Activity Theory models. The question of quantitative vs. qualitative research is also discussed.The final part of the chapter deals with practical and ethical issues in this type of research. Practical issues include those of data collection (i.e. tools for recording), identification of relevant data (a constant problem in this area is that often too much data is collected) and interpretation of data and contextualisation of data. Issues of identity are central here – is a female avatar the same thing as a female student, for example? Ethical issues are also addressed with particular reference to the open and anonymous nature of virtual worlds. How do we inform and get our respondents’ consent? Can an avatar sign a consent form and is it legally binding? And how can we be sure that the avatars really represent the real people they claim to represent?
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