際際滷

際際滷Share a Scribd company logo

VUW Romance languages pilot project

Download as PPTX, PDF
Edith Paillat
Edith Paillat

This document describes a project using Second Life to teach foreign language courses at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. It began with a small group exploring Second Life in 2008 and expanded to include language courses for French, Spanish, and Italian from 2011-2012. Students met in Second Life for 2-hour sessions twice a week over 5-10 weeks and conducted activities like interviews, discussions, and role plays with native speakers. Student feedback was generally positive about being immersed in the virtual environment, though some struggled with the interface or found early morning sessions distracting. The document concludes with recommendations for supporting such virtual world language education projects.

1 of 14
Download to read offline
Second Life: The next best thing to being there? Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
SLENZ project group on SL meeting 2008 Arch & Design school had an island but barely used Presented SL to library and ITS management in 2009 Brown bag lunches with guest speakers to librarians 2011 Initiated a project with Library Technology Services Presented SL to anyone who would listen Really kicked in at SLanguages 2009 Found a helpful, open and passionate Community of Practice Found a home in both Edunation and Arcachon Taught French, explored sims and read research literature
PROJECT BACKGROUND French 2nd year literature course 2011 trim1 no show up French 2nd year language course 2012 trim 1 3 students Lecturers back up Optional voluntary (intrinsic motivation) Connexion from home Started in Trim1 over 5 weeks Twice a week, 2 hours sessions Oral presentation in front of class 10% final mark Two reliable French helpers from France, Explored Paris mainly (as part of the course outline) No homework just show up VERY Positive feedback both from students and lecturer
2ND PILOT PROJECT Extended to Spanish level A2 and Italian Level A1 Funding for graphic cards and tutor training One language tutor for each language, no experience One month preparation time and equipment Over 10 weeks, 1h1/2 per session In the lab but some students connected from home Early morning Average time 2 hours prep
To provide a social and contextualised environmentwhere learning is viewed as a social process whereby knowledge is co-constructed. (Wenger and Lave, 1991) and (Herrington and Oliver, 1995) To bridge the gap between the theoretical learning in the formal instruction of the classroom and the real-life application of the knowledge in the work environment Next stage: With an Experiential approach (Kolb, 1984)
1. Learning environments (Herrington and Oliver, 1995) Provide authentic context Provide authentic activities Provide access to expert performances and the modelling of processes Provide multiple roles and perspectives Support collaborative construction of knowledge Provide coaching and scaffolding at critical times Promote reflection to enable abstractions to be formed Speaking the language of instruction Integrated assessment
Themes: Caf辿s and food, show business, philosophy, arts and fashion Authentic context Arcachon, Paris, Sims dedicated to arts, and holodeck Activities and articulation Interviews and discussions with native speakers Expert performance, modelling, coaching Native speakers, tutor and SL facilitator Integrated assessment: 6minutes per student, oral presentation 20% final mark
Themes: Shopping for food, clothes, giving opinions, directions Authentic context Arcachon, Venezia, Napoli, Museum Island, Art Sims Activities and articulation Role plays, questions on location interaction with objects Expert performance, modelling, coaching Native speakers, tutor and SL facilitator Integrated assessment: none
Course Themes: Business, technology, ideologies, hispanic culture etc.. 2 out of 3 students abandoned after the 2nd class Authentic context Machu Pichu, Opera Joven, SLVM, Costa Rica, Insituto Espanol Activities and articulation Discussions, questions on location, interaction with objects Expert performance, modelling, coaching Native speakers, tutor and SL facilitator Integrated assessment: none but student might choose to write or report to the class orally
6 respondents out of 12 to a quick survey for this conference 2 had played video games before (GTA and the Sims) None practise language online Getting used to the interface on a scale of 5 (1 = very easy) 1x1, 2x2, 2x3 For most, customising their avatar was difficult (x4) but 5 enjoyed customising it (identity) Despite issues with camera controls (3) and that technology was disruptive (5) they all felt immersed exploring the environment and listening to people 2 felt too distracted with the environment to focus on language and also 3 expressed the fact that sessions were too early 3 have made friends with people other than their group All felt it was a positive learning curve, 2 refreshing, 1 useful, 1 scary and 1 boring (multiple select possible)
Really difficult when you are not tech savy. Sometimes things happened to environment that you cant change back then you miss the whole conversation because you try to fix it - This is just a question of taste, but I French B1 dislike the realism of the sims because the illusion is inevitably shattered by the unrealistic There was a feeling of natural behaviour of the environment, (even though its vitual!) and objects, - French B1 authentic communication (did not feel forced to participate) Spanish B1 I liked having the other native speakers there, the only thing I didn't enjoy was having second life classes on things we hadn't gone over in class Italian A1
Together with the quality of selected guests, the variety of tools at disposition and the spontaneous involvement from students, I find the sessions to have efficiently led the group to reach the courses goals and Students have appropriately achievements. practised their listening skills and developed adequate strategies of comprehension (using virtual contextual elements) Being a total beginner implied for me to go through a process of initiation, which I must say was smooth and intuitive. Despite a certain reluctance inspired by a background of more classical academic approaches,.
Recommendations Off-World ITS support (firewall ports, hardware and broadband issues) Department support, VWs take a lot of preparation Inform and prepare your students well Inform and prepare your guest speakers well In-world Plan at least two training sessions (interface, camera, avatar etc) Know the environment(s) well to coach them well Get them to explore with a mission (short instructions) Get them to interact with people you trust Dont lose contact with them group management Multi-task (look and act while delivering and think ahead) Have a plan B (an exploration often works when thought through)
QUESTIONS? Touch the rotating box to get the references the slides of this session

More Related Content

VUW Romance languages pilot project

  • 1. Second Life: The next best thing to being there? Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
  • 2. SLENZ project group on SL meeting 2008 Arch & Design school had an island but barely used Presented SL to library and ITS management in 2009 Brown bag lunches with guest speakers to librarians 2011 Initiated a project with Library Technology Services Presented SL to anyone who would listen Really kicked in at SLanguages 2009 Found a helpful, open and passionate Community of Practice Found a home in both Edunation and Arcachon Taught French, explored sims and read research literature
  • 3. PROJECT BACKGROUND French 2nd year literature course 2011 trim1 no show up French 2nd year language course 2012 trim 1 3 students Lecturers back up Optional voluntary (intrinsic motivation) Connexion from home Started in Trim1 over 5 weeks Twice a week, 2 hours sessions Oral presentation in front of class 10% final mark Two reliable French helpers from France, Explored Paris mainly (as part of the course outline) No homework just show up VERY Positive feedback both from students and lecturer
  • 4. 2ND PILOT PROJECT Extended to Spanish level A2 and Italian Level A1 Funding for graphic cards and tutor training One language tutor for each language, no experience One month preparation time and equipment Over 10 weeks, 1h1/2 per session In the lab but some students connected from home Early morning Average time 2 hours prep
  • 5. To provide a social and contextualised environmentwhere learning is viewed as a social process whereby knowledge is co-constructed. (Wenger and Lave, 1991) and (Herrington and Oliver, 1995) To bridge the gap between the theoretical learning in the formal instruction of the classroom and the real-life application of the knowledge in the work environment Next stage: With an Experiential approach (Kolb, 1984)
  • 6. 1. Learning environments (Herrington and Oliver, 1995) Provide authentic context Provide authentic activities Provide access to expert performances and the modelling of processes Provide multiple roles and perspectives Support collaborative construction of knowledge Provide coaching and scaffolding at critical times Promote reflection to enable abstractions to be formed Speaking the language of instruction Integrated assessment
  • 7. Themes: Caf辿s and food, show business, philosophy, arts and fashion Authentic context Arcachon, Paris, Sims dedicated to arts, and holodeck Activities and articulation Interviews and discussions with native speakers Expert performance, modelling, coaching Native speakers, tutor and SL facilitator Integrated assessment: 6minutes per student, oral presentation 20% final mark
  • 8. Themes: Shopping for food, clothes, giving opinions, directions Authentic context Arcachon, Venezia, Napoli, Museum Island, Art Sims Activities and articulation Role plays, questions on location interaction with objects Expert performance, modelling, coaching Native speakers, tutor and SL facilitator Integrated assessment: none
  • 9. Course Themes: Business, technology, ideologies, hispanic culture etc.. 2 out of 3 students abandoned after the 2nd class Authentic context Machu Pichu, Opera Joven, SLVM, Costa Rica, Insituto Espanol Activities and articulation Discussions, questions on location, interaction with objects Expert performance, modelling, coaching Native speakers, tutor and SL facilitator Integrated assessment: none but student might choose to write or report to the class orally
  • 10. 6 respondents out of 12 to a quick survey for this conference 2 had played video games before (GTA and the Sims) None practise language online Getting used to the interface on a scale of 5 (1 = very easy) 1x1, 2x2, 2x3 For most, customising their avatar was difficult (x4) but 5 enjoyed customising it (identity) Despite issues with camera controls (3) and that technology was disruptive (5) they all felt immersed exploring the environment and listening to people 2 felt too distracted with the environment to focus on language and also 3 expressed the fact that sessions were too early 3 have made friends with people other than their group All felt it was a positive learning curve, 2 refreshing, 1 useful, 1 scary and 1 boring (multiple select possible)
  • 11. Really difficult when you are not tech savy. Sometimes things happened to environment that you cant change back then you miss the whole conversation because you try to fix it - This is just a question of taste, but I French B1 dislike the realism of the sims because the illusion is inevitably shattered by the unrealistic There was a feeling of natural behaviour of the environment, (even though its vitual!) and objects, - French B1 authentic communication (did not feel forced to participate) Spanish B1 I liked having the other native speakers there, the only thing I didn't enjoy was having second life classes on things we hadn't gone over in class Italian A1
  • 12. Together with the quality of selected guests, the variety of tools at disposition and the spontaneous involvement from students, I find the sessions to have efficiently led the group to reach the courses goals and Students have appropriately achievements. practised their listening skills and developed adequate strategies of comprehension (using virtual contextual elements) Being a total beginner implied for me to go through a process of initiation, which I must say was smooth and intuitive. Despite a certain reluctance inspired by a background of more classical academic approaches,.
  • 13. Recommendations Off-World ITS support (firewall ports, hardware and broadband issues) Department support, VWs take a lot of preparation Inform and prepare your students well Inform and prepare your guest speakers well In-world Plan at least two training sessions (interface, camera, avatar etc) Know the environment(s) well to coach them well Get them to explore with a mission (short instructions) Get them to interact with people you trust Dont lose contact with them group management Multi-task (look and act while delivering and think ahead) Have a plan B (an exploration often works when thought through)
  • 14. QUESTIONS? Touch the rotating box to get the references the slides of this session

Editor's Notes

  • #7: Make a texture slideshow + Notecard with LMs