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Blended Learning
Combining Second Life with Online Tools
Howard [email protected]
www.avatarlanguages.com
Avatar Languages
• Online language school– English currently; Spanish and other
languages soon
• One-to-one classes• Flexible individualized service• Implications for use of virtual worlds
and online tools– Combination of Google Docs, Whiteboards,
Skype and Second Life
Target Audience and Purpose
• Target Audience probably one of… – New to Second Life– New to Virtual World Language Education– Some (not extensive) experience in virtual
world language education
• Language educators with experience in virtual worlds are extremely welcome!
Target Audience and Purpose
• Purpose… – How can virtual worlds be
incorporated into language education?
– Focus on where virtual worlds are unique
– New pedagogies for virtual worlds?
Online language education tools
• First consider other online tools – Skype– Google Docs– Whiteboards
• What are their relative strengths?
• Second Life and virtual worlds
Skype I
• Description– Messenger like MSN, Yahoo etc– Voice calls
• PC to phone calls • PC to PC
– Text chat (history function)– Video– Share images, files– Record voice conversations– Conference calls
Skype II
• Advantages – Easy to use– Often excellent call quality– Many extra functions (eg Whiteboard
Meeting)
• Use in Lessons– Voice – Text chat prompts
Google Docs I
• Description– Online version of Microsoft Word, Excel
and PowerPoint– Saved on server– Multiple users can simultaneously edit– Immediate changes
Google Docs II
• Advantages – Intuitive – Simultaneous– Track changes– Export to / import from hard-drive
• Use in Lessons– When linear structure important– Shared work space
Whiteboards I
• Description– Shared surface– Freely move text, images and
sketches – Drag and drop images from web
Whiteboards II
• Advantages – Intuitive – Responsive– Flexibility – Export to / import from hard-drive– Students love them!
• Use in Lessons– Matching words with meanings / images – Re-ordering words in scrambled sentence– Indicate specific word / image
Second Life vs Interactive Web
• Skype, Google Docs and Whiteboards – Complement virtual worlds
• Skype, Google Docs and Whiteboards – Simplicity is their Strength
• Second Life – Complexity offers variety of opportunities
• Focusing on virtual worlds…
Second Life’s Strengths
• Immersive and engaging
• Environments to explore– Real life replicas – Imaginary places
• Social space– Many users– Sociable culture
Second Life Challenges
• Learning curve / Complexity
• Not web– All content must previously exist– Limited media
Uses of Second Life
• Social and communicative learning / practice– Meet people anytime / anywhere– Interviews / conversation practice
• Exploring environments – Language tasks that refer to environment
• Game like learning – Second Life as a platform for games for
learning– Relatively cheap platform– Other presentations
Approaches to Virtual Worlds• Backpacker: Freedom
– Backpackers don’t own land– Make use of public spaces in virtual worlds
• Social quality for learning • Particular environment
• Landed Gentry: Control– Landed Gentry own land– Determine what happens on your parcel
• Who enters learning environment• What activities take place
Relative Advantages
• Advantages of Backpacking– Real life / natural interactions and
conversations– Flexibility to use different spaces– Low cost
• Advantages of being Landed Gentry– Control and security – Specific tasks and activities for language
learning
Avatar Languages Experience
• Moved from Land Ownership to Backpacking
• Desire to focus on individualized lessons
• Flexibility is a priority
A New Pedagogy for Virtual Worlds
Second Life: a diverse, immersive, stimulating, learning environment!
• So why have I not made use of this for this presentation? – Need for fast preparation – Time pressure– Control over presentation outcome
• Correct this with field trip in SLanguages 2008– Groups to visit different locations in Second Life– Guiding questions to answer at each location– Answers collaboratively drafted and edited using a wiki– Second Life discussion at EduNation for conclusion
Blended Learning
Combining Second Life with Online Tools
Howard [email protected]
www.avatarlanguages.com
slanguages.net
SLanguages 2008
This presentation was given at
SLanguages 2008
The Conference for Language Education in Virtual Worlds
