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on July 27, 2013 at 2:46:34 am
 
 

EDTC 6325.01 Cooperative Project: 

 Second Life--Team 3

  

     

 

April Canales 

aprilrcanales@yahoo.com

Username: aperez04

Profile Page

Christine Claudio 

cclaudio0516@gmail.com

Username: SandeEmeli

Profile Page

Dara Cepeda 

darakeyla@gmail.com

Username: MrsCepeda

Profile Page

 

Isabel Cabrera 

izzymadero@yahoo.com

Username: icabrera

Profile Page

 

Santos Alvarado 

salvara85@yahoo.com

Username: salvara85

Profile Page  

 

 

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 Using Second Life for Educational Purposes

 

University of Washington Project Maya Island

 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/University%20of%20Washington/114/122/26

 

Click on the following links to Teleport to the different areas of the Maya Island

 

Maya Astronomy Start

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/University%20of%20Washington/237/62/113

 

Maya Fishing

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/University%20of%20Washington/229/44/21

 

Maya Agriculture

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/University%20of%20Washington/120/101/26

 


 

ABSTRACT     

  

Second life can be a digital technology tool that can be integrated into the classroom for educational purposes.  We found several destinations that teachers could use to take their students for virtual field trips. Destinations such as museums, college or university campus tours, the virtual aquarium, oasis zoo, and the Maya Island.  There are currently 63 educational destinations.  The destination we want to further explore is the UW Project: Maya Island in which students can learn more about the Mayan civilization and way of life such as the medical village, a science and astronomy center and an explorer's cove.  Bouta and Paraskeva (2013), state that in order for these 3D virtual environments to be fully effective educational tools they need to be well-designed and have a teaching purpose behind it such as enhancing a history lesson on the Mayans.

 


RESEARCH AND THEORY REVIEW 

Research Report: The team will conduct research on a 3-D virtual environment to analyze its potential for teaching and/or training applications:

 

The literature review provides relevant background information and a summary of the relevant research and theory to support the utilization of Second Life as a tool for teaching and learning.  The literature review cites relevant research and theory addressed in the text.  15 points.

 

According to Omale et al., they have been exploring the use of 3D multiuser virtual environments (3-D MUVEs) for online problem-based learning (2009). They want the human computer interaction along with communication, collaboration and socialization.  These 3D MUVEs are very popular and are gradually growing because they provide online learners with a sense of belonging.  They are visually appealing, animated and interactive. They can teleport from one world to another world in a matter of seconds.  Students feel empowered because they can customize their own avatar whether they want it to look like them or not.  It is learner-centered, these residents (avatars) can decide what destinations they would like to visit and learn about.  

 

Research was conducted to investigate the effect of 3-D MUVEs have on learning outcomes.  Their findings were that it did not enhance student learning because students were easily distracted and were off task during their online activity.  Participants (8 part-time graduate students) were so preoccupied with exploring the 3-D space that they subsequently failed to concentrate on their assignment.

 



 

Furthermore, the feedback was useful so that they can concentrate on the framework on the cognitive element in these 3-D virtual environments.  First, they would like to incorporate concepts of reflection and critical thinking among online learners.  Second, the element of having social presence is important by keeping the communication open amongst participants.  They will keep the Bubble dialogue Box that look like comic strip conversations that are like the modern text messages.  These were proven to be an effective communication tool that helped them to stay engage and interact with others.  The third element was the teaching presence. Teachers play an important role as facilitators of communication within the online learning context.  PBL activities need to be structured to allow group investigating, group synchronization, document management, discussion, and task assignment that must be supported.  If these design concerns are taken into account, 3-D MUVEs may be a suitable platform for collaborative online PBL group activities which will lead them to work together to find a solution to a given problem.

 

Omale, N., Hung, W. C., Luetkehans, L., & Cooke-Plagwitz, J. (2009). Learning in 3-D Multiuser Virtual Environments: Exploring the Use of Unique 3-D      Attributes for Online Problem-Based Learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 40(3), 480-95.

     Retrieved from:  http://pathfinder.utb.edu:2048/login?auth=utblib&url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eft&AN=508063486&site=ehost-live"

 


SECOND LIFE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES 

 

Educational Uses of Second Life

 

Second Life is a 3D multiuser virtual environment that has been around for a decade and joining is free.  According to Thompson (2012), it provides educators with an innovative new tool for their classrooms and that these virtual learning environments lend themselves to critical thinking, problem solving, real world situations, and provide highly social learning experiences. Second Life is different from 3D games such as World of Warcraft.  Users can decide where they want to go and how they want to interact with other users.  Second Life allows them to customize their avatar in a multitude of features. Users begin to gain a sense of identity through their avatar.  Some common features include that they share a space with other users, they are in an avatar form, they interact with other users and objects in 3D, and their virtual environments are similar to the real world. Avatars in Second Life can travel by walking, running, riding, and flying.  Teleporting is a unique feature because it automatically takes you to another destination in a matter of seconds.  You can communicate in Second Life using the text or voice chat or use the instant messaging.  In order to use the voice chat, you must have a headset.  

 

There are currently over several million people on Second Life.  There may be over 50,000 users logged on at one time.  Second Life has its own economy and currency in Linden dollars.  Linden dollars can be exchanged for US dollars ($270:$1).  Residents can create and own objects and develop their own social networks.  They can buy or sell objects and land using Linden dollars.  In 2009, more than 200 post secondary institutions were involved in using Second Life. This 3D virtual environment offers role-playing simulations and activities that increase student engagement, motivation, and learning.  It also gives students an opportunity to work collaboratively and give them a sense of community.  Second Life is a synchronous learning environment where they can meet in real-time. Students can provide guided virtual field trips to other groups so that they can learn about the various virtual environments that can be further explored.  The only drawbacks in using Second Life is that users need to use newer computers and high speed Internet.  Technical skills will also need to be taught in order for users to navigate their avatars within the virtual environments.  Time spent teaching students on how to use Second Life will be well spent when this educational tool is utilized for educational purposes.

 

Leveraging Avatars in Second Life

 

Entertainment-Education (E-E) is used to educate students about important health and social issues.  It is designed to incorporate media messages and bring about changes in their attitudes, behavior, and social. This study explored the educational potential of utilizing Second Life and taking advantage of their 3D virtual world to integrate their curriculum.  Avatars, also known as residents, will participate in virtual lectures, conferences, and build communities such as patient support groups.  Second Life currently has various medical and health education projects in which learners can play and learn which is an entertainment strategy.  They can interact with the Nutrition game which allows them to make healthy choices in various restaurants and provides them with feedback on how their choices impact their health.  The Heart Murmur Sim provides cardiac auscultation training.  Virtual Hallucinations Lab educates people about Schizophrenia.  There are many learning opportunities.

 

Using the Entertainment-Education (E-E) framework, two experiments on college students were conducted to investigate the effects of using avatars as instructors to teach about e-health education.  Study 1 tested the message framing and the role of students' motivation and enjoyment.  It proved that interaction in message framing did play a significant role in students motivation and enjoyment of the e-learning module.  Study 2 examined the influence of students' para-social interaction (PSI) with an avatar on the cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of the E-E process.  Again, it proved that the instructional avatar influenced their interaction  and enjoyment of learning in the virtual environment.

 

Using Second Life to Assist EFL Teaching

 

Second Life has gained increasing attention to Language educators to use it as an instructional tool.  They explored this virtual environment so that learners could have real time interactions with native English speakers.  They believed that this program could assist in language learning.  A study was conducted in an English as foreign language (EFL) class in China and were assigned to develop a Second Life manual in Chinese by translating SL's English tutorials, manuals, and instructions (Wang et al, 2012).  The participants were 39 freshmen from the University of China. They were also grouped into pairs or triads to translate assigned web pages or video clips.  Students did find the collaborative approach helpful in learning and completing the tasks. 

 

They did encounter problems such as not having newer computers to install the program and having the high speed Internet in order to effectively use Second Life. In addition, this program requires frequent updates and instructors may need help to overcome all of the technical issues.  Another issue can be that Second Life can be intimidating for novice users. At first, they may have difficulties navigating their avatar within the three dimensional interface.  Time will need to be set aside to introduce and train the students on the use of Second Life.  A virtual field trip by the instructor may be helpful to guide the students and teach them about Second Life.

 

In conclusion, the EFL students found Second Life to be an interesting game that they were interesting in joining.  They were fascinated by the beautiful characters, fluent pronunciation and amazing, virtual environments that were created.  They were motivated to learn English while they played games.  The findings of this study proved ways of integrating a technology into education.

 

 

Jin, S.  (2011). Leveraging Avatars in 3D Virtual Environments (Second Life) for Interactive Learning: The Moderating Role of the Behavioral Activation      System vs. Behavioral Inhibition System and the Mediating Role of Enjoyment. Interactive Learning Environments, 19(5), 467-486.      

    doi:10.1080/10494820903484692

     https://myutb.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_255_1

 

Thompson, L. (2012). Educational Uses of Second Life in the Teaching of Child and Youth Work. Relational Child & Youth Care Practice, 25(1), 43-51.

 

Wang, F., & Shao, E. (2012). Using Second Life to Assist EFL Teaching: We Do Not Have to Sign in to the Program. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice      To Improve Learning, 56(4), 15-18. doi:10.1007/s11528-012-

 

 

SECOND LIFE SCENARIO INTRODUCTION

 

Second Life is 3D virtual learning environment.  It is a game-like application that engages and motivates students to learn.  Students are able to create their own avatar which makes it fun for them to select features that are similar to their own such as the color of their hair or their preference in clothing. Students can interact and communicate with peers in their classroom and/or others who have joined Second Life from around the world. Second life allows students to take virtual field trips that are for educational purposes.

 

Teachers can use Second Life as an educational tool that can be integrated into their classroom because there are over 64 destinations for Education & Nonprofits. 

 


SCENARIO

 

Mrs. C.A.S.I.D is a  history professor at UTB who would like to integrate Second Life into her course this year.  She found a unit on the Mayans and would like to take her students on a virtual field trip at the end of the unit. This will enhance student learning as they will be visiting Maya Island in which they will learn more about the Mayan civilization.  Some highlights include a Mayan medical village and a science and astronomy center.

 

The Mayans were a very advanced and flexible ancient Meso-American Civilization.  Their understanding of astronomy and the development of mathematics lead to developing a complex multi-faceted calendar that facilitated the Mayans to have a reliable food source. Resulting in advances in agriculture that enabled their people to thrive.  Their creativity was also demonstrated by their use of irrigation and unusual fishing techniques.  A reliable food source lead to their being a political powerhouse in their time and place with leisure time for the arts and other cultural pursuits.

 

Second Life would definitely enhance student learning as they will teleport to a 3D virtual environment to learn about the Mayan civilization.  They will be able to experience their life as they are taken back to where they lived, it would provide them with examples of how they lived in their homes, and what they did for a living. The students would benefit by participating, collaborating, and socializing with their professor and their classmates and may even meet other people from around the world who may also be exploring Maya Island.

 


EXPERIENCES AND PERCEPTIONS OF SECOND LIFE 

The team clearly and accurately describes its experiences while interacting in Second Life.  Team members provide their perceptions of Second Life as an instructional platform and discuss future potential uses for Second Life in education and training situations.  15 points

 

April Canales:

 

Christine Claudio: I have had technical issues that have limited me to experience Second Life to its fullest. However, from other's comments I can see the benefit of using the classroom setting to engage the students to communicate.

 

Dara Cepeda: When I learned this collaboration project consisted of using a 3-D virtual world game for educational purposes, I was skeptical about it.  I'm not a game person, even though I love technology and animation, games are not my thing.  I get very frustrated if I don't know how to control the avatars in the game.  At the beginning of this project, I would get frustrated with Second Life for I didn't have the patience to study and practice the keys to control the avatar.  I still gave it a chance and continued visiting it until I finally got it!  I found this project to be a unique experience for it virtually takes you to different worlds; real and unreal worlds.  After collaborating in this project, I find it fascinating, so entertaining and interesting that I'm afraid I might get addicted to it.  It's a very nice experience to see how games can motivate and promote learning.  I will continue using Second Life to explore more worlds and use it as an educational tool with secondary schools (8th grade, high school and up).

 

Isabel Cabrera: I enjoyed our virtual field trip we took on Thursday.  It is like taking a field trip with our little avatars walking around and following the teacher as the tour guide. We were also able to communicate with one another using the chat box or using our microphone headsets.  I can see how students will be engaged and be motivated to learn.  The game-like application will also increase student participation.

 

As I explored Maya Island, I could see the potential that Second Life could have for students in a classroom.  They could teleport to places and explore how the Mayans lived in the past.  A history teacher could teach them about how the Mayans were very advanced with their understanding of astronomy, their development of mathematics, and their Mayan calendar that helped them with their agriculture that provided food for their people.  When you explore this place, you will also learn that they lived near the ocean that was a water source for these people and that fishing was an important part of their lives.  In addition, it takes you to their living quarters and how and what their homes were made of.  I learned so much about the Mayans in such a short amount of time and I was engaged from the beginning to the end.  

 

I can see how Second Life could be an instructional platform for many educators.  Educators can take their students on virtual field trips such as the International Space Flight Museum, which hosts a series of exhibits and events about real world travel. The University of Texas which provide them with different campus tours.  The Oasis Zoo is a walk through zoo that displays animals and enables people to see first hand how animals live and interact with each other.  There is a wide variety of mammals, reptiles, and birds to see. The Virtual Grand Canyon lets you experience and enjoy the natural scenery. Second Life users are increasing every year and designers are actively building new 3D environments that have future potential uses for educational and training solutions.  

 

Santos Alvarado:

 


 

VISUAL DOCUMENTATION 

 


 

MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATION

 

  • PowerPoint Introduction for our online Virtual Field Trip on July 18.

 

 

 

 

  • Video: For our narrated Multimedia Presentation, we used Brain Shark.

 

 

 

 


 

 

REFERENCES  

 

Bouta, H., & Paraskeva, F. (2013). The Cognitive Apprenticeship Theory for the Teaching of Mathematics in an Online 3D Virtual Environment. Retrieved      from:     http://pathfinder.utb.edu:2080/ehost/detail?sid=6b0387f8-f99b-4fca-adf2-5b703d446d4a%40sessionmgr10&vid=3&hid=21

 

Brainshark. (2013). Online Video Presentations. Retrieved from: www.brainshark.com

 

Google Drive. (2013). Google Drive PowerPoint Presentation. Retrieved from: https://drive.google.com/

 

Jin, S.  (2011). Leveraging Avatars in 3D Virtual Environments (Second Life) for Interactive Learning: The Moderating Role of the Behavioral Activation      System vs. Behavioral Inhibition System and the Mediating Role of Enjoyment. Interactive Learning Environments, 19(5), 467-486.      doi:10.1080/10494820903484692

     https://myutb.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_255_1

 

Omale, N., Hung, W., Luetkehans, L., and Cooke-Plagwitz, J. (2009). Learning in 3-D Multiuser Virtual Environments: Exploring the Use of Unique 3-D           Attributes for Online Problem-Based Learning.  British Journal of Educational Technology, 40 (3), 480-495.  Retrieved from       http://pathfinder.utb.edu:2048/login?auth=utblib&url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eft&AN=508063486&site=ehost-live"

 

Second Life. (2013). 3D Virtual Worlds. Retreived from: http://www.secondlife.com

 

Thompson, L. (2012). Educational Uses of Second Life in the Teaching of Child and Youth Work. Relational Child & Youth Care Practice, 25(1), 43-51.

 

Wang, F., & Shao, E. (2012). Using Second Life to Assist EFL Teaching: We Do Not Have to Sign in to the Program. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice      To Improve Learning, 56(4), 15-18. doi:10.1007/s11528-012-

 

 

 

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