Organisation Building: Opportunities for
group work and knowledge sharing using
virtual wolds
JUDITH MOLKA-DANIELSEN
[email protected]
FOR CDPF & FFO IN JUNE 2011
Virtual Worlds: Brief Introduction
 Virtual worlds are 3D multi-user
online computer simulated
environments.
 A user can be represented as an
avatar, moving around and sharing
world content with other avatars.
 Second Life™ (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).
 Chinese example of virtual world is
HiPiHi. VWs can also be based on
open source technologies (OpenSim).
Advantages for group work and knowledge sharing
using virtual worlds
1.
Can support meetings of up to 60 simultaneous
participants (in SL, greater than video conferencing
systems). Video conferencing allows only 8 or 9
participants. Newer virtual technologies may increase this
number.
2.
Organisations can create flexible & replicable
pedagogical design – the scenarios can be changed or
repeated as needed.
3.
Participants that are active learners are more engaged
– they can contribute to course activity and group meetings.
4.
Role play is possible – participants can take on virtual
identities during role play and gain empathy for others.
Various Ways of Meeting/Networking in SL
Ways of sharing knowledge in SL
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Lecture
Whole group discussion
Small group discussion
Collaborative projects
Scavenger hunts
Peer observation and feedback
Surveys, tests
Note-taking
Field trips
Simulations
Guest speakers
Design & building
Commerce-based learning
Interviews
Three projects
Development of flexible learning methods – This project
allowed part-time Social Educator students, living in different
locations to meet in a virtual world to do group work such as
collaborative writing. (Brask & Molka-Danielsen, 2011)
2. Virtual spaces for building friendships and learning
about lifelong disability – The goal of this project is to
evaluate the effect of a virtual world (Second Life) on reducing
loneliness and increasing social interaction for adults with
lifelong disability. (Balandin , Molka-Danielsen, & Stendal,
2010-2012)
3. Using ICT to promote flexible lifelong learning in
communications, health and disability – This
knowledge sharing project allowed people with disability to
lead course lectures and reflection meetings with Social
Educator students. (Balandin & Molka-Danielsen, 2010)
1.
Project 1: Development of Flexible Learning Methods
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Pre-phase: recruitment (3 groups, 6-8 people)
Phase 1: Discussion (week 5-7)
Phase 2: Collaboration (week 9-12)
Phase 3: Collaborative writing (week 17)
Phase 4: Focus group interviews (week 18-19)
 Phase 1 – Participants become familiar with the technology, meet in a
group room and speak to each other.
 Phase 2 – Exchange information with group members, both academic and
social. Access information from the Internet while in the virtual world.
Groups do something social together in the virtual world (e.g. ice skating).
 Phase 3 – The group meets in the designated meeting room and use a blend
of technologies (SmallTalk, Google Docs, Second Life) to write their
academic work together.
 Phase 4- Evaluate the students impressions of how the ICT contributed to
their group work and collaborative learning. The evaluation results of the
interviews are not yet available.
Project 2: Virtual spaces for building friendships and
learning about lifelong disability
 Little is known about how
people with lifelong
disability use and interact
socially in the virtual
worlds, and if virtual
worlds create personal
value to this group of
people.
 During VW sessions a
member of our research
team will be a participant
observer in various
activities and social
settings in which the
participant chooses to
engage.
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.
The 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.
Project 3: Using ICT to promote flexible
lifelong learning in communications,
health and disability
Explore & Plan – prepare learning materials,
network technologies and digital media
Prepare questions for student discussion that follow the video
lecture
Theme of Thor’s Lecture:
 Disabled – Burden or
Resource?
Questions for students:
 What values does Thor wish
to present in his lecture?
 What are Augmentative and
Alternative Communication
(AAC) devices?
 Explain how communication
can be prepared for people
with CP that cannot write
themselves.
 How prepared is our society
to create the right conditions
for disabled people?
Act on the plan – establish meeting for viewing
lectures and virtual meetings
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 and given
a map to show the route, most people
went off in the opposite direction of
Zelli’s place.
The Wheelchair Race
 The guest lecturer (a person with CP
in real life) was the first avatar to
arrive at Zelli’s place. Second came a
student avatar. Several persons had
to be teleported to the spot in front
of Zelli’s place.
 Some used the building teleport to go
up the 3rd floor of Zelli’s Place.
Others were given teleports to arrive
upstairs. Eventually everyone in the
group arrived on the 3rd floor and
took seats in chairs or those with
wheelchairs continued to sit in those.
Reflection Meeting
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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.
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T: what is the best thing about learning
using videos or even meeting people
with disability in SL?'
S1: very learning rich, we get to see it from
their perspective!
S2: It left a strong impression, and it moved
me to be so near.
S3: To be invited into their daily lives in a
completely special way!
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 social educators
S3: To understand what’s 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!!
Summary of Organisation Building Opportunities
 Meetings opportunities for a greater number of people to
atttend regular scheduled training courses. Sometimes not
everyone is able to travel to the meeting (because of cost or
illness). Meeting in VW is not as good as a meeting in real
life, but it is better than not being able to participate.
 Meetings at other times: In VW those that live far apart but
wish to share knowledge and experiences with their peers
at the same level of the organisation (horizontally). These
types of meetings are not official courses, but give
opportunity to talk with peers, in non-formal ways.
Challenges:
Choose the right VW for
organisation building
 Second Life is not widely
used in China
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High speed Internet access and
powerful PCs are needed to use
SL
High lease and management costs
to host your own regions
TOS defined by Linden Lab
Allowed access for all is unclear
User training, learning curve
 Solution: explore HiPiHi
(www.hipihi.com) or
develop OpenSim
(http://opensimulator.org)
based solution.