Best Practices to Form Online Multi-Users Best Practices to Form Online Multi-Users Virtual Environments for Education Virtual Environments for Education
in Developing Countriesin Developing Countries
Poonsri Vate-U-Lan, Ed.D.College of Internet Distance Education
Assumption University of Thailand, [email protected]
The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand
AgendaAgenda
The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand
• Assistant Program Director, Ph.D. in eLearning Methodology
• Doctor of Education from RMIT, Australia
• International Visiting Scholar, Brock University, Canada
• Translator of Don’t make me think! and
• Author of CourseBuilder for DreamWeaver
Poonsri Vate-U-Lan, Ed.D.Poonsri Vate-U-Lan, Ed.D.
Introduction and motivation!Introduction and motivation!
• In 2008, the logins rate grew 23 %• More than 250 institutes/museum active in
SL and the numbers is unending increasing • Majority or 7/10 of institutes in SL are
physically located in North America • Approximately 20 % of institutes in SL were
universities from Northern Europe
•Second Life (SL) is a significant online communication tools. •By the end of 2011, 80 % of active Internet users will join any kind of online 3D MUVE which similar to SL
The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand
ABAC: The First Thai University in SLABAC: The First Thai University in SL
• Professor Dr. Srisakdi Charmonman, Chief Executive Officer at the College of Internet Distance Education, Assumption University invented the first Thai online 3D campus in SLat ‘Charming Island’. The online 3D campus of Assumption University was recommended to be a place for visiting at ‘thaisecondlife.net’
The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand
Interesting of Second Life!Interesting of Second Life!
• SL, a free client program that most institutes would like to use for vibrant education
• The feeling of reality when residents avatar or transform themselves into 3D model in virtual computer environments
• In-world experiences for residents of SL are communication and transportation
• Examples of Learning typologies include demonstration, experiential, diagnostic, role play
The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand
University in SLUniversity in SL• Universities that occupied land were
branded with the institutions’ official logo • 2/5 of institutes used ‘notecard’ for
common greetings and almost half of the institutes (45.1%) had sidewalks, pathways, road or other types of footpaths
• Almost half the institutes (46.5%) created ‘Links’ direct to normal web sites of the universities which majorities were showcase institutes SL projects (75.5%), Home page of universities (63.8%) and solicit enrollment of new students (45.4 %) respectively (Watch Video)
The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand
Some facts about SLSome facts about SL
• Most educators see ‘SL is just a game’ but SL manifests itself not a game since it lacks of pre-defined goals
• Explored 13,000 regions during 2008 • a few regions have large populations • 45 % of regions were empty • 30 % of the regions are never visited during a six day period • only 2 % of regions had more than 20 avatars visited. • Characteristics of SL residents are similar to real humans
preferring to participate in small groups of about 2-10 avatars, visiting the same places and meeting the same avatars. Remarkably, 90 % of time spend in-world was for socializing rather than transporting
The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand
Profiles of participantsProfiles of participants
• 23 participants, 17 females and six males. More than half the participants (56.5%) were younger than 30.
• 52.2% of participants never experienced using online 3D MUVE
• 30.4% of participants have less than six months’ experience using online 3D MUVE
• 17.3 % of participants had had less than 12 months’ experience.
The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand
Research Finding: before and afterResearch Finding: before and after
The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand
Attitude towards SL
4.2 43.7 3.7 3.5
3.9 3.8 3.8 3.73.2
00.5
11.5
22.5
33.5
44.5
Belief Preference Interest Demand Confidence
five
-rat
ing
-sca
le
Before After
Barriers of SLBarriers of SL
The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand
3.9
3.6
3.6
3.5
3.4
3.4
3.2
3.2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5
insufficient Internet bandwidth
insufficient hardware capability
Not understanding English
Frequent server-time-out
teleporting
Not remembering functions
SL was complex and difficult
controlling and modifying avatars
installing the software
To Form 3D Online MUVE for EducationTo Form 3D Online MUVE for Education
HITS Model HITS Model
HumanStudents
Teachers Facilitators
InstructionMediaPedagogy Courseware
TechnologyNetwork Wireless
Open source
SocialFinanceCulturesLanguage
Best practices: HumanBest practices: Human
• Good: students, faculties and support teams commit themselves to adopting online 3D MUVE
• Better: students, faculties and support teams aim to practice online 3D MUVE
• Best: students, faculties and support teams are involved in and invent online 3D MUVE projects
The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand
HumanStudents
Teachers Facilitators
Best practices: InstructionBest practices: Instruction
• Good: Providing a list of required instructional features that include clear learning objectives and computer technology literacy
• Better: Preparing instructions that make user-friendly the potential of online 3D MUVE
• Best: Reviewing instructions that make user-friendly the potential of online 3D MUVE
The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand
InstructionMediaPedagogy Courseware
Best practices:TechnologyBest practices:Technology
• Good: Users have both adequate computer hardware and network connection
• Better: Institutions provide adequate computer hardware and network connection
• Best: Linden Lab reduce the high demand for resources which make Second Life needing less bandwidth, easier to function and clearer interface design
The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand
TechnologyNetwork Wireless
Open source
Best practices: SocialBest practices: Social
• Good: SL support multi-lingual functionality, especially the languages of developing countries such as Thai, Burmese Cambodia and so on. Non-English users of MUVE community should develop manuals in their own languages
• Better: SL support security concepts of sharable content systems to reduce investment in education
• Best: Linden Lab and all stakeholders develop policies regarding law, finance and ethics that support education
The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand
SocialFinanceCulturesLanguage
ConclusionConclusion
• The SL can be used to enlarge the potential of eLearning in many ways
• This research has found that graduate students were very interested in joining SL for educational purposes
• This paper has proposed the drafting of best practice guidelines to form online 3D MUVE for developing countries
• Further research in this field is urgently needed
The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand
Questions and DiscussionQuestions and Discussion
Thank you for your attention!
References of ImagesReferences of Images
• http://www.bautforum.com/attachments/off-topic-babbling/4466d1168305043-anyone-here-tried-second-life-avatar.jpg
• http://mpop99.com/mypopspace/pages/blog_images/secondlife_main_485.jpg
• http://popsci.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/12/13/bu_markey_avatar_bx103.jpg
• http://askehbl.wordpress.com/2007/07/
Top Related