The learning potential of gamification
This article will provide an overview of the learning potential of virtual environments. Given how much of their free time young people spend on computer games, why not include students’ knowledge and experiences with game universes in teaching? This would mesh well with the long tradition in Danish primary schools of including "real life" in our teaching.
What are 3D learning environments?
The following two links to machinima, short films in virtual worlds, environments is in my illustrate 3D learning environments.
Arcadia is a current virtual island project (TILA - http://www.tilaproject.eu/)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFsXbqXwt8Q
Pookymedia - "Pest control" was made in the virtual world known as Second Life. Avatars act as the characters in the role play.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxUtGjzGrGc&feature=c4-overview&list=UUNgJusnD1PUh_9O8oavD7jw
Why work with language training in a 3D universe?
Students use English in their spare time every day
Birgitte Holm Sørensen, a professor at ForskningsLab IT and Learning Design at the Department of Learning and Philosophy at Aalborg University, Denmark, and head of the research project "Serious Games in a Global Marketplace," has noted that “students play computer games every day, and in the games there is a need to learn English to succeed." (http://videnskab.dk/kultur-samfund/computerspil-kan-forbedre-skolernes-undervisning) She, therefore, recommends:
What is gamification?
In recent years, the learning potential of "gamification" via computer games has become more and more a part of school instruction, and businesses have been using simulation games for years.
André Chercka from Glostrup Production School, Denmark, (http://www.spiliskolen.dk/fantastiske-fortaellinger-i-minecraft/)
wrote in an article about his work with Minecraft:
"In many ways this project is similar to a course in process-oriented writing. Here writing is complimented by building in virtual spaces and supplemented by test and feedback.”
Games for teaching--range of subjects
The Danish game developer "Serious Games Interactive" was the winner of the prestigious European award "Best Education and Learning Serious Game" at the festival "Fun and Serious Game Festival" in Bilbao, Spain, in 2013 with their game "Cargo Dynasty."
Cargo Dynasty is an educational computer game where you are an entrepreneur building your own transport dynasty. (http://cargodynasty.dk/en/)
2 different types of virtual worlds
Computer games and Second Life/Open Simulators--what's the difference?
Computer games are geared towards a specific purpose and consist of tasks. To solve the tasks, certain skills are required. Second Life/Open Simulator are more user-driven in terms of content. Users can come up with their own purposes and tasks.
The virtual world of Second Life used as a simulation of "Innovative Learning"
In 2009 the winner of "The Danish National e-Learning Award" was the VIA University College, Campus Horsens v/ Åge Staghøj, who established the island "Innovative Learning" in Second Life.
The learning environment was designed as a building site and intended for the safety and environmental courses.
EU - Commission
Several pan-European educational projects are dealing with teaching in 3D virtual worlds.
I participated in the 2011 EU project “AVATAR: Added Value of Teaching in a Virtual World."
In 2014 the EU Commission also supported two new large educational projects dealing with teaching in 3D virtual worlds.
1) EU project TILA - (Telecollaboration for Intercultural Language Acquisition-- http://www.tilaproject.eu/)
For movies on Arcadia, the project's virtual island built in OpenSim, watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFsXbqXwt8Q (2 min.)
For an example of a language project of German teachers at two schools in the U.S., watch “Language teaching in OpenSim,” David Parrott and Barbara Simpson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNTDRwbbWbs (8 min.)
2) The EU CAMELOT stands for "Creating Machinima Empowers Live Online Language Teaching and Learning." (http://camelotproject.eu/) This project is a 2-year project for language teachers on how to make movies (machinima) in a virtual world.
MOOC teacher course "Film production for language teachers in a 3D universe"
In January-February of last year, I was a moderator for a free teacher e-learning course--MachinEVO. It was the third year we organized this Global MOOC course (Massive Open Online Course, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_open_online_course). We had more than 200 registered participants from 18 different nations.
How to use the virtual world of Second Life beyond teaching?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1maNUDd5wEC5F7o2syBHxPxzhpQydlqJp6mjHiNjxLDQ/edit
Why use 3D virtual worlds for language teaching?
Barbara McQueen, a teacher trainer for Oxford Seminars and the University of San Francisco, produced “Why SLESL?” to answer this question. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bam8livync (9 min.)
THE CHALLENGE
What is the educational and didactic value of gamification and virtual worlds now and in the coming years?
About the author:
Apart from being a good friend of mine, Jens is a teacher, writer, film maker and ICT consutant.
Jens Kjaer Olsen: Danish Language Teacher, Media and ICT Adviser Educational Diploma in ICT - Adviser from DPU 2001 Virtual Learning Consultant at RealDream Editor at EMU - “Træneren” http://traeneren.emu.dk/ Case study: "Learning English as a Foreign Language in SL" - http: //www.avatarproject.eu/avatar/images/handouts/AVATAR_handout_Jens_Kjaer_Olsen.pdf Since 2011 Jens has also been involved in designing courses for educators on filmmaking in a virtual environment, like Machinevo Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |