Literacy practices in Schome Park: a virtual literacy ethnography

In this paper I deploy a synthesis of methods I term virtual literacy ethnography to investigate the diverse literacy practices of the project Schome Park. Participants have been engaging over a 15‐month period in an innovative out‐of‐school project centred on use of the (Teen) Second Life three‐dimensional virtual world. Some ethical aspects of working with children in virtual worlds are briefly discussed. I analyse evidence from the three main communicative domains of the project: chat logs, wiki and forum, demonstrating the complexity and creativity of student literacy practices. I include in my data selection exemplars that draw on persistently valued literacy texts and demonstrate that attentive examination to literacy practices may be more fruitful than maintaining overly dichotomised boundaries between new literacies and those more established.     

Second Life in higher education: Assessing the potential for and the barriers to deploying virtual worlds in learning and teaching

Second Life (SL) is currently the most mature and popular multi-user virtual world platform being used in education. Through an in-depth examination of SL, this article explores its potential and the barriers that multi-user virtual environments present to educators wanting to use immersive 3-D spaces in their teaching. The context is set by tracing the history of virtual worlds back to early multi-user online computer gaming environments and describing the current trends in the development of 3-D immersive spaces. A typology for virtual worlds is developed and the key features that have made unstructured 3-D spaces so attractive to educators are described. The popularity in use of SL is examined through three critical components of the virtual environment experience: technical, immersive and social. From here, the paper discusses the affordances that SL offers for educational activities and the types of teaching approaches that are being explored by institutions. The work concludes with a critical analysis of the barriers to successful implementation of SL as an educational tool and maps a number of developments that are underway to address these issues across virtual worlds more broadly.     

Improving teaching and learning of computer programming through the use of the Second Life virtual world

The emergence of new technologies such as three‐dimensional virtual worlds brings new opportunities for teaching and learning. We conducted an action research approach to the analysis of how teaching and learning of computer programming at the university level could be developed within the Second Life virtual world. Results support the notion that it is possible to use this environment for better effectiveness in the learning of programming. The main results are the identification of problems hampering the teacher's intervention in this virtual world and the detection of solutions for those problems that were found effective to the success in using this environment for teaching/learning computer programming.     

智能时代教育研究的认识论变革与方法论转变

文章对教育领域的"三个世界"及其智能虚拟映射进行了认识切割,在此基础上提出了三个新的智能虚拟世界:代表数字化教育事实和存在的世界一’、代表人工智能教育认识的世界二’、代表人工智能教育思想和知识库的世界三’。文章指出,这三个新的智能虚拟世界是教育领域的"三个世界"在人工智能环境下的智能虚拟映射,扩展了传统教育研究的本体论假设,进而导致认识论的全方位变革。此外,文章还从认识主体、研究对象、研究范式、推理思维、知识表征等五个方面的变化,阐明了教育研究的认识论变革所引发的方法论转变。文章的研究有助于理解智能时代教育的过程与本质,并为教育人工智能系统的设计、开发与应用提供理论依据。     

A framework for monitoring instructional environments in a virtual world

Virtual worlds are gaining momentum as a platform for delivering simulation‐based educational experiences to students. However, a key aspect of virtual world‐based education that has received little attention is recording and analyzing students' in‐world actions. This capability is essential for assessing what students have learned through their simulation experience, and engaging the students in post‐simulation reflective learning. In this research, we present a framework for recording and analyzing students' actions in a virtual world. This framework is based upon pedagogical theories of exploratory and experiential learning, and is defined in a virtual‐world agnostic manner. The framework consists of two parts: (1) the Avatar Capabilities Model, which defines the educationally relevant actions that a student can take within a virtual world and (2) the Simulation Capture and Analysis toolkit that records and analyzes these actions, from an educational perspective. These analyses provide instructors with systematically collected evidence of the students' actions during their virtual world experience. This alleviates the need for instructors to directly observe students, thereby allowing for the scaling‐up of virtual worlds use in education. We have demonstrated the usefulness of the tool via a pilot study, with two students, in an emergency medical education context.     

Three-dimensional virtual worlds and distance learning: two case studies of Active Worlds as a medium for distance education

Online three‐dimensional (3D) virtual worlds are emerging technologies that offer unique learning opportunities for traditional and distributed education. One of the more popular 3D virtual worlds, Active Worlds, is currently being used as a medium for synchronous and asynchronous distance learning. This investigation presents two exploratory case studies of different, but exemplary educational activities using Active Worlds for formal and informal education. The focus of each case study is to investigate how Active Worlds is being used for distance learning and to determine the type of learning experiences afforded by this 3D virtual environment. Whilst more research is necessary to explore fully the potential of 3D virtual worlds for learning, this initial investigation illustrates how Active Worlds affords opportunities for experiential learning and situated learning within a collaboration learning environment.     

Teaching in 3D: Pedagogical Affordances and Constraints of 3D Virtual Worlds for Synchronous Distance Learning

Three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds are a new technology that holds some promise as constructivist learning environments for distance education. This investigation presents an evaluative case study of the pedagogical implications of using one 3D virtual world, Active Worlds, for synchronous distance education. The research design for this qualitative study focuses on the pedagogical affordances and constraints. Methods employed in the data collection include participatory observations, class logs, and formal and informal interviews with the instructor of a synchronous distance learning course offered through Active Worlds University. Findings reveal that although Active Worlds provides tools that support constructivist learning environments, the affordances and constraints of the tools (discourse, experiential, and resource) may, to varying degrees, impact the pragmatic use of this medium. While this initial investigation reveals that this technology supports constructivist learning environments, more research needs to be conducted to fully explore the potential of 3D virtual worlds as both distance and traditional classroom learning environments.     

Psychological Benefits of Participation in Three-dimensional Virtual Worlds for Individuals with Real-world Disabilities

One hundred and ninety-six individuals with real-world disabilities were administered a battery of psychological adjustment measures soon after joining the three-dimensional virtual world of Second Life^®. After three months, 61 participants who continued to be actively involved in Second Life were re-administered the adjustment measures and completed a survey about their virtual and real-life experiences during the interval between assessments. Participants’ scores significantly improved on measures of affective states (depression, anxiety, positive emotion, life satisfaction, and feelings of loneliness) and self-evaluation (self-esteem). An index of overall change was associated with the number of virtual friends and group affiliations in Second Life, as well as feelings about the self as a result of involvement in the virtual world. The current study provides initial empirical support that three-dimensional virtual worlds can serve as a psychologically beneficial context for individuals with real-life disabilities.     

The satirical value of virtual worlds

Imaginary worlds have been devised by artists and commentators for centuries to focus satirical attention on society’s problems. The increasing sophistication of three‐dimensional graphics software is generating comparable ‘virtual worlds’ for educational usage. Can such worlds play a satirical role suggesting developments in distance education practice and policy? The article examines the emergence of Hinterlife, a cartoon world run by a disarmingly despotic academic known to the real world only by his virtual name, Professor Horace. This article suggests that a healthy dose of satire can help distance education to overcome the problems generated in difficult economic times.     

替代性世界：学习环境新方向

教育领域一直以评价和采用交互创新技术为先驱,这些交互创新技术为教育技术专家探索计算机辅助的教学提供了实践的土壤＂。替代性世界＂（Alternative worlds）是完全实时的、高保真的、用户高度介入的学习环境。其特点是具有丰富的环境、丰富的接口、操作驱动和有效应用于教与学＂。替代性世界＂在混合式学习中可以冲破传统教育屏障,拓展教师和学习者角色,为学习者提供时间和空间的便利,实现终身学习＂。替代性世界＂学习环境是一个新的研究领域,它为专注于人机交互、社会网络和虚拟现实的教育技术专家开拓了新方向和新空间。     

Meaningful learning and creativity in virtual worlds

Virtual worlds open new possibilities for learners, prompting a reconsideration of how learning takes place, and setting education in a context of playfulness, delight and creativity. They provide environments in which it is not only possible but also necessary to generate and try out ideas. They therefore offer opportunities to explore new possibilities related to teaching and learning about creativity and to challenge assumptions about the creative capabilities of young learners. The research reported here focuses on a group of teenaged learners who worked together online in the virtual world of Second Life®, as well as using other online tools. It applies thematic analysis to a 120-post forum discussion carried out over two weeks, in which 19 learners and educators debated how to develop their virtual island, and sets this discussion in the context of ongoing interaction within this group. Their focus widened from building plans to cover the creation and maintenance of a community, creatively synthesising considerations relating to environment, ethics, governance, aesthetics and purpose. The teenagers’ creativity when dealing with this authentic problem extended well beyond the elements identified by England's National Curriculum, and was supported by staff's active and supportive engagement in the debate.     

文化再制中的教育公平——在现实与虚拟中跃迁的教育解读

文化再制不会因为虚拟世界的介入而销声匿迹,恰恰相反,对于在现实与虚拟中不 断跃迁的教育而言,文化再制策略将更隐蔽、更温和,也更容易以误认为前提被确认。教育公平 论域扩展的同时可能也是文化再生产扩展的继续,话语和话语权的复杂与不确定,主动参与式的 权力再生产,文化任意性的施加,都可能使教育公平以及与之相关的公共教育政策遭遇质疑,并 进而获得一种重新解读。     

Network-Based Business Simulation Activities in Technical Professional Education

For a long time on-the-job training has been considered as the single point of contact of technical education with the real world job market. Indeed, traditional on-the-job training activities are of great educational value and complement uniquely any classroom-based learning activity. However, it has been observed that several obstacles arise when integrating on-the-job training with traditional learning and that new network-based tools can be used to improve the situation. Following this concept, in this paper we introduce a network-assisted educational structure for business simulation activities which can be considered as an alternative or a complement to on-the-job training activities in technical professional education. Business Simulation Activities are based on the execution of business scenarios in a controlled educational environment with support by network tools. A simulation of the real world business environment is created and virtual companies are established in order to participate in a virtual marketplace using network-based learning support and aiming to provide on-the-job experience without the shortcomings of traditional on-the-job training. An operational structure, network distribution, implementation issues, as well as some experience from a pilot implementation of the concept, are presented in this paper.     

Understanding the Theoretical Framework of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A collaborative self-study to understand teaching practice and aspects of knowledge

This paper describes a self-study research project that focused on our experiences when planning, teaching, and evaluating a course in initial teacher education. The theoretical framework of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) was used as a conceptual structure for the self-study. Our understanding of the framework in relation to our teaching practice was in focus. The principal educational goal of the course was to develop the pedagogical use of web 2.0 resources to support learning in the preschool/school context. As a result, the focus, content, form of distribution, teaching, and assessment of the course went beyond what is common in initial teacher training in Sweden. The potential of the different digital tools was explored by situated use in the design and teaching of the course. Analysis highlights the challenges and opportunities that teacher educators and student teachers may encounter while working with, and learning about, information and communication technologies to support learning. Some of the findings discussed are related to the identified challenges and opportunities for both teachers and students to integrate content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technological knowledge into a TPACK. Taken-for-granted organizational and institutional assumptions about teaching, learning, and assessment in teacher education were identified in the study.     

The role of emotions and task significance in Virtual Education

This paper analyzed the role of emotions in a virtual world (Second Life) through students' level of enjoyment and boredom and their influence on students' achievement level. The virtual world was an educational tool used to fully immerse students in the content of the course. In addition to supporting prior research on the importance of task value on academic enjoyment, the current research provides a new perspective on the relationship between academic emotions and academic success, particularly for virtual worlds. A regression analysis was conducted to measure the relationship of task value and emotions on two types of academic performance: Individual exam scores and team scores on their Second Life assignment. Pekrun's Academic Emotions Questionnaire (AEQ) was used to measure two academic emotions: boredom and enjoyment. Both academic emotions were measured on an individual level. Results from this study show that task value was positively related to enjoyment and negatively related to boredom, yet it was unrelated to academic performance. While enjoyment had a positive relationship to exam performance, boredom also had a positive relationship to the team assignment conducted in the virtual world. The possibility that students might have answered the AEQ relating to the theoretical aspects of the course instead of the practical aspects of the Second Life Assignment, may be one possible explanation for this result.     

Voices and choices: how education influences the career choices of young disabled people

The changing British society with new commitments to educational inclusion for disabled people should mean increased individual freedom of choice and greater chance of participation. However, juggling this with the continuing emphasis on education for the economy brings the danger of new forms of social exclusion of those who do have different needs and require additional support to take advantage of opportunities and make informed decisions about their professional futures. This contradiction encourages the deteriorating academic and career-oriented foresight of special schools and the inclusion of all disabled students in mainstream education, without providing enough support to cater for the diversity and differentiation it generates. This paper adds to this debate by reporting on the work in progress of a project funded by the European Social Fund, concerning the educational experiences of a group of young disabled people still in full-time mainstream or special education. It presents some personal accounts of the young people's perceptions of how their educational environment influences their personal aspirations for future careers and post-school choices. This research strives to give a voice to young disabled people, informing policy concerned with young people, education and transitions to work.     

Teaching Cases in a Virtual Environment: When the Traditional Case Classroom is Problematic

The rise in interactive digital media has catapulted faculty‐student contact abilities from the traditional Web 1.0 model to a post‐Web 2.0 world where students and faculty can have much more interaction in classroom exchanges. Since business cases have long been a pedagogy of choice among professors concerned with training the next generation of decision makers, the intent of this exploratory teaching execution was to gain insight into the case teaching experience in Second Life (SL). SL is a virtual world developed by Linden Lab that enables its users to interact with each other through avatars (virtual representations of the self). While online classrooms in SL are not new (a number of universities throughout the world have set up virtual campuses), business education scholarship is lacking as related to the use of virtual worlds for educational purposes. The aim of the execution was not to suggest that SL case teaching should displace the traditional case classroom interactions. Rather, the exercise found that a case‐based class can be held and attended independent of time, distance, and location should the need arise. Case teaching in SL offers an availability alternative or supplement to the traditional case teaching and learning approach.