EUROCALL 2010
8-11 September 2010
Conference main theme and title:
Languages, cultures and virtual communities
Vassilios Linardos
Project Manager
Exodus SA
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Contents
– Introduction
– Consortium
– Project Facts
– Village Environment
– Pedagogical Aproach
– Vill@ge Prototype
– Product Features
– Early exploitation plan
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Introduction (What is VILL@GE)
• VILL@GE is a language learning facility that provides entertaining,
game-like activities that will motivate the user to invest on his
needs/wishes/ambitions for broadening his foreign language knowledge
horizons
• It is aimed for primary school children & higher education students as a
complementary tool for language learning
• The users will visit a dedicated region in Second Life, in order to join the
sophisticated edutainment activities of VILL@GE, and interact with each
other
• This environment will allow young people from Greece, UK and Hungary
to come together, as if they were physically present in the same place
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The Consortium
The VILL@GE consortium is composed of a competent institution from the
technological sector, two experts from the linguistic and pedagogical
sectors, and two primary schools, coming from a variety of European
countries such as Greece, Hungary and the UK.
Partners:
Sector:
Exodus SA. (Greece)
Swansea University
(UK)
University of Szeged
(Hungary)
Doukas School S.A. (Greece)
Dunvant Primary School (UK)
Technological
Linguistic and pedagogical/Academic
users
Linguistic and pedagogical/Academic
users
Primary School
Primary School
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Project Facts
OK
Project Title: Virtual Language Learning through
Edutainment Activities
Project Acronym: Vill@ge
Contract No.: 143370-LLP-1-2008-1-GR-KA2-KA2MP
LLP Action: KA2 – Languages – Multilateral Projects
Total Cost : 527.099 €
EU Contribution: 395.323 €
Starting Date : 01/01/2009
Duration: 24 months
URL: http://village.exodus.gr
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The VILL@GE Environment
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6/12
The Second Life (SL) Environment
• It is a virtual world developed by Linden Lab
• Was launched on June 23, 2003
• Accessible via the Internet through a client program called the
Second Life Viewer.
• Ability to integrate VR and avatar technologies, multiuser
community platforms and new linguistic approaches and teaching
methods
• Three pilot sites representing each country are: UK, Greece,
Hungary for practice local language with other users
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Structure of VILL@GE world and activities
Vill@ge
Activities
Zoo
Country Sites
Super Market
UK
Clothes Shop
Greece
City Orientation
Hungary
Museum
Real Estate Agency
……..
Travel Agency
Primary
School
Area
Common Activities
Language
supporting
application:
Vocabulary
University
Students
Area
Interactive
tools:
Poster
Generator &
karaoke Bar
Bank
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Village LLP Private Island (SL)
• The VILL@GE consortium bought a particular island in
Second Life. (SL)
• This island hosts the VILL@GE world and activities
• The island’s name is
Village LLP
• Total area of 65536 m2
• Completely safe. Only SL users that have been given access by the
Admin can visit the island
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Vill@ge LLP island – Bird’s eye view
• 4 areas:
•
•
•
•
UK
Greece
Hungary
Karaoke Area
• The 4 areas are:
•
•
distinctly separated
Presented by the
specific country’s
character
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Vill@ge LLP island – More views 1/3
U.K.
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Vill@ge LLP island – More views 2/3
Greece
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Vill@ge LLP island – More views 3/3
Hungary
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Why Interactive Language Learning in VR?
• “Language tends to be vast, communicative, interactive,
abstract, flexible and often unpredictable.” (Milton &
Jacobs, 1995)
• “Students remember 20% of what they hear, 40% of what
they see and hear, but 70% of what they see, hear and do.”
(Ainge D,1995)
• Language has a “multimedia” nature. Can be spoken,
heard, seen in texts, pictures, videos.
• Foreign language can be best learnt at an early age and
within real world context.
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Thus, the Vill@ge project:
…creates a virtual real-time language learning area for school
children (8-11yrs) and university level student where:
• Children and university level student can “meet” and learn
with fun, become friends, exchange cultural, historical
information.
• Learners can actively become involved in the learning
process and learn at their own pace.
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The pedagogical approach
• Presentation: models of language use appropriate for the
notions and functions supported via demonstration videos
• Practice: Structure and controlled use of target language while
interacting with others through competitive and collaborative
activities in the VR areas (clothes-shop, super-market, etc)
• Performance: Interactive projects to allow tangible outcomesMuseum & Karaoke bar
• Support: Provide tools to support language learning and
practice-Lexicon
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Notions Supported:
•
For students between 6-9 years old, beginners of foreign language learning level
–
–
–
–
Clothes shop: to practise describing appearance, clothes and colours
Supermarket: to practise likes and dislikes, food and drink
Zoo: to practice expressing plurality and numbers, animals and numbers
City/town location: to practise describing places, expressions of location and
directions
– Museum: provide exhibits of posters created by learners themselves, to initiate and
motivate discussions among the learners who proudly present their work.
•
For academic learners of more advanced language learning level
– Bank: to practise language usage in a variety of situations around banking and
finance
– Real estate: to practise language usage around home inquiries/ lending/buying in
interactions with a real estate agent
– Travel agency: to practise language usage around traveling also in a variety of
situations.
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3D activities
Zoo
Bank
Museum
Supermarket
Travel Agency
Clothing
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Language Supporting Application
Lexicon
allowing searching translations, sounds and images of words activities context
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Language Performance Application
Karaoke
allow participants to choose a song from a list, learn it, and perform it for other
students that are in the Vill@ge world
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Poster Generator
School children can create their posters based on activities they have participated and
post them in a specific areas in the museum of each country- Create each other
motives for tangential learning (Presenting each other’ country’s landmarks)
The tool
The output
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Poster Gallery in Museum
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Early Vill@ge Prototype
VRML and Flash prototype to
evaluate, the concepts and
moving around in VR
Super Market
Clothes Shop
City Navigation (primary school)
Web prototypes
demonstrating our
intentions
Poster Generator
Lexicon Application
Banking (University level )
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Aim and purpose of prototyping
Prototype aimed to evaluate with target users in all partner countries:
•Whether the technical demands of the proposed environment were realistic
and the
•proposed users had the resources to use it
•Whether the choices made concerning language, design and appearance,
and methods of language interactivity were comprehensible and practicable
•Whether the 3D environment was clearly structured and navigable for
learners
•Methodology developed, followed by all countries
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Prototype evaluation process
User Groups Involved (Participants profile)
•
•
The learners: This group has two clear sub groups
– school learners aged about 8
– university level learners aged about 20)
The teachers:
Had to understand and endorse the appropriate use of the environment in
support of their normal classroom activities.
Participating Countries and Groups
Country
UK
Hungary
Greece
Group
University
University
-
Group
Primary School
Primary School
Primary School
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Major Prototype Evaluation Results
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Learners at both primary and more adult level liked the idea but the young learners
were particularly enthusiastic
The pupils themselves endorsed the selection of thematic content
The modes of interaction are considered appropriate and motivating
All learners appreciate the usefulness of a demonstration mode
Both groups relish the opportunity to interact directly with other users and particularly
native speakers on a one-to-one basis
The choice of an on-line dictionary support that looks like a pictionary is appreciated
For younger learners the choice of a poster generator was also endorsed
Primary age learners in particular relish the opportunity of interacting linguistically with
a bot driven by the computer itself.
The 3D world was easy to understand. Both groups of learners said that it was
practical, useful and easy to use. More realistic environment was requested.
Users also expressed a clear wish for more and brighter colours
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Outcomes
Regarding the design of the environment, the consortium has
taken into consideration the remarks from the Prototype
Evaluation
• ...bright colours and a joyful mood are primary elements of
the developed world ...
• …access to the island is controlled through the IP address of
the Universities and the schools, so that no learners of
different age and activities meet on the island…
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Early Exploitation plan-Market Indicators
•
Vill@ge is a “Serious Game”: designed with the intention of learning a
specific aspect, knowledge material (foreign language practice)
•
US: 97% of young people aged 12-17 play computer games (99% males
and 94% females), UK: 37% of the population 16-49 play computer
games, out of which 78% of 16-19
•
IDATE currently generates 1.5 billion EUR in revenue around the globe,
and that by 2015 sales will be almost seven times what they are in 2010
– with an average annual growth rate of 47% between 2010 and 2015
Product Features 1/3
A virtual world hosted by the largest online virtual community in the world,
representing spaces for practicing vocabulary of the target learner’s level:
•
For Young students between 6-9 years old, beginners of foreign language
learning level:
– Clothes shop to practice describing appearance, clothes and colours
– Supermarket to practice likes and dislikes, food and drink
– Zoo, to practice expressing plurality and numbers, animals and numbers
– City/town location: to practice describing places, expressions of location and
directions
– Museums in each country, providing exhibits of posters created by learners
themselves, to initiate and motivate discussions among the learners who
proudly present their work.
Product Features 2/3
•
For academic learners of more advanced language learning level:
– Bank to practice language usage in a variety of situations around banking
and finance
– Real estate to practice language usage around home inquiries/
lenting/buying in interactions with a real estate agent
– Travel agency to practice language usage around traveling also in a variety
of situations.
Product Features 3/3
•
Interactive activities to enable both teachers and learners from various
European countries to communicate, interact and practice the language
•
Disperse educational content in order to address the needs of both kids and
University students, a multimedia, multilingual lexicon
•
Museums in each country, providing exhibits of posters created by learners
themselves, to initiate and motivate discussions among the learners who
proudly present their work
•
Karaoke bar, for practicing and entertaining oneself in English (currently)
modern songs
SWOT Analysis
Strengths




Innovative edutainment training for language learning

Entertaining language learning, that encourages interaction
between teachers and learners across the globe, enthusiasm
is already there when students are active themselves
Exploits the fact that today children are growing up with
technology and Vill@ge adapts to this kind of learning
Vill@ge aligns with the fact that students assimilate better
topics they are interested in, rather than topics they are forced
to learn.

Weaknesses
Second Life
demands a 3D
video card
installed in the
student’s PC not
often available at
school
environments
Requires
subscription.
SWOT Analysis
Opportunities





Radical increase of internet utilization by Europeans

Second Life includes virtual universities/classes, but not many
game-like activities for language learning

Second Life has established number of users worldwide and we can
exploit them
Serious games provide a market opportunity with some potential
worldwide
Vill@ge can be a form of Tangential learning, a learning facilitator,
through which learners can be attracted to history or region that
appear in the game and therefore refer for more information.
Threats
Numerous virtual
worlds available
Serious games are
being developed
by competitors.
Business Model-A
Subscription based
• Packages of users per organisation (school/academic)
• Individual packages’ subscription for home users
Business Model-B
Advertising / Sponsorships based
• Free entrance
• Promotion activities for bookstores, DVDs, Videogames, schools,
shops, etc. who would like to exploit the users’ base to advertise
• Sponsorships from professional groups who are interested in
creating a community for professional language learning-association
of real estate agents-association of banks-association of travel
agents
Thank you
for your time!
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