JUDITH MOLKA-DANIELSEN [email protected] Design of
Collaborative Learning Activities in Virtual Settings: Case in
Learning about Disability
Slide 2
Educational Options for Social Educators Social educator
students need opportunities to interact with people with
disability, to learn from them, to practice communication and to
recognize that having a disability does not equate with having no
skills to offer. Our project: Using ICT to promote flexible
lifelong learning in communications, health and disability; allowed
lecturers with disability to deliver lectures using video and
supported student learning through reflection group meetings in a
virtual setting.Using ICT to promote flexible lifelong learning in
communications, health and disability
Slide 3
Virtual Worlds: Brief Introduction Virtual worlds are 3D
multi-user online computer simulated environments. One example is
Active Worlds Educational Universe (authors view: it lacks some
scripting capabilities.) A user can be represented as an avatar,
moving around and sharing world content with other avatars. Second
Life (publically available since 2003) is one example of a virtual
world where users can experience communication, networking and
shared activities, some that are not possible in the real world,
such as flying (without an aircraft).
Slide 4
In virtual worlds re-conceptualization of self is possible
(self- determination). Tasks can be designed in such a way that
they realistically simulate real life communicative scenarios in
the target context (i.e. language or subject). Completion of a
communicative task is a reward in itself. For example, in language
learning being understood and authentic communicative exchanges are
highly rewarding (thus motivating.) Why use them for learning?
Slide 5
Recognized Uses of SL in Learning Role play Historical
representations Information sharing Theme awareness 3D
visualizations Simulations (weather) Virtual office space,
campuses, stores.. Museums, libraries, art galleries Scripted
tools, objects, animations Performances, theatre, social events,
parties Political campaigns Workplace collaboration and
meetings
Slide 6
Ways of Teaching in Second Life Active Learning is an approach
that places responsibility on the learners working in pairs or
groups while actively working with materials. Activities can
include: role play, active discussion or debates, learning by
teaching exercises and other forms of cooperative and tandem
learning. Action Learning is an active learning approach that takes
place in phases: Explore & Plan context prepare learning
materials and digital media Act on the plan establish meeting for
viewing lectures and virtual meetings Reflection hold reflection
meetings to review, evaluate and form new meanings.
Slide 7
Explore & Plan context prepare learning materials, network
technologies and digital media
Slide 8
Collaborative Learning Objective We used collaborative
activities in SL to increase participants knowledge and awareness
of issues associated with lifelong disability, for example using a
wheelchair in a race around an island and playing football. The
participants could then use these experiences to help them reflect
on what they had gained in understanding and knowledge from the
lectures. Discussions of the lectures in SL will help students to
clarify and deepen the learning developed from the lectures and the
activities. The objective of reflection discussions also is to
strengthen the insights that the students gain from this two part
learning activity.
Slide 9
Example of questions for discussion that could follow a video
lecture
Slide 10
Act on the plan establish meeting for viewing lectures and
virtual meetings
Slide 11
Shared activity in SL: Wheelchair Race Everyone was given a
wheelchair and explained how to wear it. The race began at the
fountain. Despite given earlier instructions by email that Everyone
must go along the path at the bottom of the photo, the one by the
sea, and finish at the front door of Zelli s place and given a map
to show the route, most people went off in the opposite direction
of Zelli s place.
Slide 12
The Wheelchair Race The guest lecturer (a person with CP in
real life) was the first avatar to arrive at Zellis place. Second
came a student avatar. Several persons had to be teleported to the
spot in front of Zellis place. Some asked how to take off the
wheelchairs, and others imitated the action without asking whether
to do this or not. Some used the building teleport to go up the 3
rd floor of Zellis Place. Others were given teleports to arrive
upstairs. Eventually everyone in the group arrived on the 3 rd
floor and took seats in chairs or those with wheelchairs continued
to sit in those. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Virtual%20
Montmartre/184/186/49 http://slurl.com/secondlife/Virtual%20
Montmartre/184/186/49
Slide 13
Reflection Meeting T: what is the best thing about learning
using videos or even meeting people with disability in SL?' S1:
veldig lrerikt, vi fr se det fra deres perspektiv! S2: Det har
gjort sterkt inntrykk, og det rrer for det blir s nrt. S1: sttter
meg til S2 S2: For en blir invitert inn i deres livsverden p en
helt spesiell mte! T: what new impressions did you get that you
have not had in a lecture? S3: I think we can relate in a different
way now. In a lecture I think there is always a distance... If you
understand what I mean? T: or how might these videos help someone
working as a vernepleier S3: To understand whats important for the
people that we are assisting, not what we think is valid or
important... L: Yes, asking is very important, not assuming you
know what is best S3: Thats what I mean!! The reflective discussion
took place by using text chat. The session leader asked open-ended
questions and asked for the students to respond by text chat.
Slide 14
Shared Activity in SL: Football Match [1:41] RS-SoccerBall
V1.0: GOAL BY: L [1:42] T: jeg klarer ikke springe, hvor er
worldknappen eller moveknappen? [1:42] s1: nederst p skjermen
[1:43] T: Jeg har ikke moveknappen nederst p skjermen [1:47]
RS-SoccerBall V1.0: GOAL BY: S1 [1:47] S1: :( (it was an own-goal)
There was much laughter, verbal expressions and excitement
throughout the match.
Slide 15
Reflection Meeting T2: L1 var det mulig spille med lag kamerat
i den fotball kamp? L1: det var vanskelig manvrere L2: greide ikke
helt mestre fotballen, men det er vanlig for meg. var ikke med p
rullestol. greide ikke springe. S1: det var vanskelig bevege seg
slik man ville for treffe ballen og f ballen i den retningen man
ville T2: prvde dere sende ball til lag kamerat S1: det var umulig
S2: nei, det var vanskelig nok treffe ballen! S1: det var vel mer f
ballen i riktig retning som var mlet, og s hpe den kom i nrheten av
noen man var p lag med T1: Hva mener dere studenter om SL som et
redskap for bruk i undervisning i stedet for at faglrer str og
underviser S2: Jeg mener at det kan vre en spennende vri, og at det
kan engasjere studentene mer enn "normal" undervisning L2: greier
ikke helt se nytten i sl. foredragene var gode, men livet i sl ble
mere som en lek. S2: Men det kommer selvflgelig an p hvilken
undervisning det gjelder L1: ja dette er jo fremtida T2: hva har du
lyst prve i Second Life? S3: jeg har lyst g p en konsert L1: jeg
vil danse
Slide 16
Lessons Learned in the design of collaborative learning
activities 1. Familiarize participants with the environment.
Teachers need to know the general virtual space in which they will
operate and how to use in world tools with students, prior to the
planned virtual activity. 2. Prepare course content suitable for
SL. Choose setting that is suitable to the task. (i.e. Camp fire or
board room for discussion?) 3. Give clear information on course
objectives & learning goals. These should be outlined and made
available to all involved. There should be a plan for addressing
technical issues during the lesson. 4. Socialization should be
designed into the course activities. Teachers should motivate
activities so that social contact occurs. Make use of the sense of
sharing a 3D space. (Share building activities if participants are
prepared with building skills.) 5. Take prior attitudes and
expectations of SL into account. Teachers should investigate and
reflect on how students engage in the SL activities. The need to
collaborate and share should be grounded in the activity. Explain
the motivation for the SL activity to the students. (Other example,
researching a question for debate in teams.)
Slide 17
Concluding remarks and future research Students agreed that the
lectures had provided new insights into disability, that they were
useful, and that having people with disability involved made the
learning process more real. They also liked having the opportunity
to learn in Second Life and meet others with different experiences.
Although anecdotally people with disability have noted that virtual
worlds provide a forum where they can meet other people without
declaring their disability, the impact of this is not yet known.
Further research is required to ascertain what benefits people with
disability perceive that virtual worlds offer and what affordances
are required to ensure that virtual worlds are accessible to a
range of people with disability. This project focused on the social
educator student as the learning object of the learning system.
Other projects will focus on people with disability as the focus of
the learning objective. As Janis Light (1988) states:
characteristics of interactions intended to meet various social
purposes have the goals: Expression of needs and wants Information
transfer Social closeness Social etiquette Our future projects seek
to uncover how people with disability may use SL for learning to be
competent communicators.