C’est la (seconde) vie!
Using Second Life to Teaching
Language and Literature
Thomas J. D. Armbrecht
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Why Second Life?
• Facilitates communication in French
– With native French speakers (large numbers in SL)
– For students hesitant to speak in class
• Links written and oral communication in French
• Builds community (in classroom, on-line, and realworld)
• Capitalizes on interest and support
–
Developed for specific class (Advanced Oral and Written Expression in
French), but useful for other courses in any language
– Opportunities for collaboration with colleagues
– Strong student interest in gaming, technology, and project
as demonstrated in surveys
Project Overview: 3 Types of Activities
1. Orientation: “How to” in Second Life (a.k.a. SL)
2. Scavenger Hunt:
• Students "gather" knowledge & perform tasks
• Completion of sequenced tasks creates an
“educational race”
3. Role-Playing and Observation
• Creation: Students stage events in SL based
on in-class activities
• Observation/narration: Students watch and
report on what they see
Orientation
Orientation in Second Life
Second Life Basics
How to:
Create avatar
Navigate
Fr 312 in Second Life
Ground rules
Other SL tasks
Appropriate
behavior
Activities
Dealing with
problematic
situations
Scavenger
Hunt
Role
Playing
Event
observation &
narration
Orientation Pedagogical Goals
1)Teach students to feel comfortable and
capable in SL
2)Explain what I expect of students and
what students should expect in this nontraditional pedagogical space
3)Explain project activities and means of
assessment to students
Scavenger Hunt
Activities: Gather language- and literature-based knowledge
1. Complete SL-based tasks (e.g., find out this or that from a
native French speaker)
2. Quiz-master/concept tutor-based activities: e.g., "distinguish
metaphor from synecdoche from metonymy"
3. Visit xyz and note abc about it.
4. Gather the following objects…
Assessment: Verify what students learn
1. Complete sequenced tasks (to solve a larger knowledgebased puzzle)
2. Write narrative explaining what happened
3. Real-life exam to reinforce what is learned in-world
Scavenger Hunt
Activities
Talk to a
French
Speaker
•Ask opinion about
presidential
candidate
•Summarize
response
•Receive next task
from prof
Go to
location in
SL. Complete
task
•Complete
“Concept-Tutor”
assignment on
metaphor
•OR
•Go to French
language web site:
gather info.
•Receive clue
Assemble/
analyze clues
gathered
•Solve puzzle
•OR
•Write something
using gathered
information
Assessment:
Prof corrects captured transcript
or summary of conversation
Prof analyzes puzzle answers
Prof corrects essay
Completion of task would generate clue
Prof quizzes student about information found
Scavenger Hunt Pedagogical Goals
1. Real-life communication/interaction
with French speakers and web sites
2. Learn course material (e.g., literary
devices) in a self-paced, sequential,
fun way
3. Do “research,” assimilate and analyze
material, synthesize ideas
Role Playing And Observation
Activities: Students observe and participate in French Second Life
1. Students stage events:
a. Role-plays based on characters
b. New endings to stories read in class
2. Students observe events:
a. Above role-plays
b. “Real life” events in Francophone spaces
i.
Performances
ii.
Spontaneous interactions
Assessment: Integrating activities into second language learning
1. Written transcripts of what occurs
2. Narrative/analytical reports of what they see
Role Playing And Observation
1. Students as actors for and observers of each other
Actors write a new ending to a
Perrault fairy tale in dialogue
form
•Observers would assess the
dialogue for content and
style.
Actors buy or create
costumes, sets and props that
demonstrate their
understanding of the tale
•Observers would analyze the
“mise en scene” (staging)
Actors perform their story in
front of classmates
•Observers write a critique of
the performance
2. Students as observers of French (Second) Life
Students watch a
spontaneous event
or attend a
performance in
Paris 1900
Create screen
captured/transcript
of in-world
communication
Write a summary
or analysis of what
takes place
Role Playing & Observation
Pedagogical Goals
1. Encourage creative thinking about and
personal interaction with literary texts
2. Demonstrate understanding of dramatic
texts, relationship of page to stage
3. Teach narrative analysis by having students
write assessments of what they see
4. Provide extra-curricular communication
opportunities with French speakers
A Francophone Learning Environment
http://slurl.com/secondlife/UW%20Madison/44/220/22
The Second Louvre
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tompson/177/37/98
The Globe Theatre
http://slurl.com/secondlife/sLiterary/21/23/22
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Second Life® Information for Students and Instructors
•
•
•
•
•
[…] The purpose of this document is to highlight UW-Madison standards and policies which apply to UW activities
organized in SL, inform you of some of the potential challenges you may encounter in SL, and provide a means for
resolving issues.
UW-Madison Policies and Second Life
–
your activities are subject to all applicable university policies, including but not limited to UW-Madison codes of
conduct and information technology appropriate use policies. You can find more detailed information about
these specific policies on the web
–
Second Life also has community standards which must be followed. (Terms of service http://secondlife.com/corporate/tos.php and Community Standards - http://secondlife.com/corporate/cs.php).
Second Life Challenges
–
It is possible that faculty and students may encounter other users in world whose intention is to interrupt virtual
environments through what is referred to as ‘griefing’. Griefing means a disturbance to avatars by attempting
to cage or restrain, push or use tools to throw avatars from a location or from Second Life® , and change an
avatar’s appearance.
–
Students should be alerted that they may encounter objectionable content and students should be encouraged
to inform their instructor if they have concerns about participation in the virtual world class exercise.
–
Instructors can also seek assistance from the university's Office of Administrative Legal Services
(http://legal.wisc.edu/).
Resolving Issues
–
If the problem occurred on the UW-Madison island, your instructor or you can also contact the Virtual World
Support group ([email protected]) to request assistance in addressing problem avatars. The
Virtual World Support Group may opt to pursue the issue with the Linden Labs (the company that makes
Second Life). Instructors may contact other resources within UW-Madison including the Office of
Administrative Legal Services (http://legal.wisc.edu/) or DoIT’s Academic Technology department
(http://www.doit.wisc.edu/academictech/).
By signing this document, you acknowledge that you have read and understand the above challenges and
are ready to start your class activity in Second Life.
Assessing Student experiences:
What questions to ask/How to answer them?
Quality of “in-world” experience
• Solicited Student Feedback
– Did students understand the assignment and how to
complete it?
– Perceived satisfaction: was it fun/interesting?
– Did students feel safe/have problems?
– Awareness of pedagogical objectives:
» Cultural and peer exchange
» Reinforcement and practice of grammar, etc.
• Observed student experience
– Incognito observer (akin to mirrored glass)
– Videos and snapshots
Assessing Student experiences:
What questions to ask/How to answer them?
Quantitative/Qualitative: Pedagogical usefulness
• Pre-/post-surveys
• “Real world” assignments about subjects taught
in SL
– Quizzes
– Essays
• Comparing multiple section courses (control
group)
• Using the “video” and “snapshot” functions for
data collection