Something I am slowly beginning to accept as a tool rather than a “game” is virtual worlds. I stumbled across an article written by David Antonacci and Nellie Modaress who did an excellent job of opening my eyes to the potential benefits Massively Multiplayer Virtual Worlds (MMVW’s) to the field of education. The main focus of David and Nellie’s presentation was the potential value of using Second Life as an educational tool. The focus of the article was to create awareness of developments in computer games and simulations. The EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) is an organization focused on learning transformation within higher education through technology. ELI has identified games and simulations as an emerging theme affecting teaching and learning.
I have, in my daily activities, had much exposure to simulations however gaming is not something that has interested me. After reading Antonacci and Modaress’ explanation I see where gaming could greatly benefit one’s ability to present as well as learn. Gaming and simulations as their core depend on constructivist thinking. This thinking promotes learning through doing. Students engaged in educational games and simulations are interpreting, analyzing, discovering, evaluating, acting and problem solving. Second Life provides a means of developing a virtual world where learners are presented with real life scenarios and in turn collaborate with others to arrive at a solution.
One thing I found interesting about Second Life was the idea that many times real life thoughts and biases are carried over into the virtual world. This is somewhat unfortunate however, I do see where it may be advantageous for individuals to experience what someone of a different race or a person with handicap has to overcome while carrying out activities of daily living.
In conclusion I feel that virtual worlds such as Second Life should be embraced as a tool in the field of education. Using such a tool allows educators a means to get away from simply lecturing by promoting an environment in which learners are given real world tasks in return for solutions. In arriving at these solutions learners many times must collaborate with others, promoting social learning which is priceless in the real world. I am a big proponent of learning by doing. Many times in my field individuals appear to be an asset on paper however when presented with an actual problem are unable to intuitively work towards a resolution. Virtual worlds are creating an environment in which learners required to think through and issue on the way to a resolution. Learners are not reading and regurgitating information.
Informative Links:
http://www2.kumc.edu/tlt/SLEDUCAUSESW2005/SLPresentationOutline.htm
http://www.educause.edu/GamesandSimulations/11263
2 comments:
I agree that virtual worlds will impact how material will be disseminated to students in the very near future. One thing that struck me was your statement "One thing I found interesting about Second Life was the idea that many times real life thoughts and biases are carried over into the virtual world." Could you expand on that? My first thought was the focus of the different islands, some being educational and business related while others are more social in nature (thus allowing for more the expression of more bias)but then wondered if you were speaking more about individual interactions. AS my experience with Second Life has been limited to wandering around somewhat anonymously, perhaps you have some more insights you can share.
Thanks!
Shanda Veach
A huge THANX for this article, because I’ve been hearing about Second Life these days but always putting it on my ‘to do’ list to find out more about it. What an excellent step-by-step article describing Second Life, while explaining how it contributes to student learning of a wide range of skills. I also agree with your view, Mike, of ‘learn by doing’. This article provided many examples of adolescents and adults learning from MMVW’s, however I could also envision young learners (kindergarten, grade 1 – 3) engaging and discovering a range of skills such as social skills, basic values, and the fundamentals of math, geography, and science. It is an especially difficult task for young students to sit through a lesson and then perform pencil and paper tasks. I am not saying these tasks should be 100% abandoned, but I think MMVW’s would enhance the learning environment in a positive, motivating way for both teachers and students. Unfortunately the demonstration links did not work, so I'll just have to find the time to explore Second Life on my own!
Post a Comment