The challenge in delivering effective distance education remains the same: establishing and supporting presence. We have come a long way in figuring out infrastructure, pedagogy, accessibility, collaboration, communication … but we still have work to do in terms of helping online participants establish and maintain presence in the online environment. Presence refers to the perception that others are present and engaged in an online exchange. But just how do we facilitate that element of presence online?
Varying opinions exist, of course. We can look toward theoretical approaches, pedagogy, instructional design, and so forth for the answers. Technology is another source to consider. Some experts believe that the use of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) can help to support the development of social presence, and, by extension, the learning experience. The videos and readings this week all gave various examples of MUVE implementations for different age groups that served, at least in part, to facilitate online presence. Presence is just advantage of using a MUVE, however. The readings cited numerous other contributions MUVEs can offer when used to facilitate learning delivery.
MUVEs improve opportunities for and support activities such as team building, collaboration, and community building (Gee, 2008; Ussery, 2010; Wallace, 2010). Furthermore, the virtual environment opens up opportunities for students to act in novel and creative ways (Bers, 2008; Ussery, 2010). Ussery (2010), in particular, provided numerous examples of things that could be done in the MUVE that would otherwise be difficult or impossible:
- In-world presentations: Overcomes some of the logistical issues with trying to facilitate presentation skills in online classes.
- Student-led field trips or field trips to 3D simulations or models of concepts.
- Access to resources or experts that would require significant travel or money to access otherwise.
Ussery (2010) and Gee (2008) both noted that the MUVE environment allowed students a safe place to practice skills that could not be pursued in real life. Examples included simulations of emergency situations, dangerous experiments, or any scenario where the cost of failure in the real world is high. I once reviewed a simulation created for military applications where a "terrorist attack" had taken place. Simulated bodies were all over the place, buildings had been "blown up," and so forth. The players had to evaluate and care for the injured and work on locating the perpetrators. It was very easy to become engrossed in the simulation.
In reviewing the literature this week, it seems that MUVEs could offer benefits to various individuals and groups. Wallace (2010) noted that high context (relies on communication factors other than speech) and highly sociable individuals seem to be more willing to participate and interact with the broader range of participants in MUVE. So it is reasonable to believe those individuals my benefit from the MUVEs. Individuals who are more hands-on in their learning styles could also benefit, because MUVEs offer the opportunity to apply new knowledge immediately. Bers (2008) cited some advantages to having children engage in a MUVE to develop civic engagement. Children were able to engage with other participants and the environment on their terms, to listen in on conversations where they were less prepared to participate actively, and to take action privately. They were also able to apply new knowledge and concepts immediately within the environment. This is not to say that MUVEs are a solution for any of these demographics, but rather that they may offer certain benefits.
I want to close this week with a look at virtual worlds in education. It seems like their use is slowing down, but there are still some interesting initiatives taking place. One is the MERLOT 3D Campus. Some may know MERLOT as a repository for learning objects and other learning materials. So it makes sense that MERLOT would voyage into the land of MUVEs. You can watch a brief over of MERLOT's Second Life based virtual environment, and then visit the Center for Learning in Virtual Environments (CLIVE) website.
California State University. (2012). The Center for Learning In Virtual Environments (CLIVE). Retrieved from http://clive.merlot.org/index.html
If you are feeling adventuresome, visit CLIVE in Second Life. The link is on the CLIVE website. I have to admit, I visited and did not find much – perhaps because this is the weekend and very few people were visiting. But I have heard from other educators that Second Life is losing some of its popularity. Indeed, I found several "islands" I used to visit that either appear to be abandoned (outdated or broken information) or are gone all together. What do you think? Has the day of the MUVE come and gone, or is it still a viable option for online learning delivery?
References
Bers, M. U. (2008). Civic identities, online technologies: From designing civic curriculum to supporting civic experiences. In W. O. Bennett (Ed.), Civic life online: Learning how digital media can engage youth: The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation series on digital media and learning (pp. 139-160). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Retrieved from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dmal.9780262524827.139
Gee, J. P. (2008). Learning and games. In K. Salen (Ed.), The ecology of games: Connecting youth, games, and learning: The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation series on digital media and learning (pp. 21-40). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Retrieved from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/dmal.9780262693646.021
Ussery, J. (2010). Expanding educational realities – Exploring interactive and immersive learning experiences. Session presented at EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative 2010 Annual Meeting, Austin, TX. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/blogs/gbayne/eli-session-expanding-educational-realities-%E2%80%93-exploring-interactive-and-immersive-learning-experiences
Wallace, P. (2010). Some of my students are not human! Avatar interaction and collaboration in virtual worlds. Session presented at EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative 2010 Annual Meeting, Austin, TX. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/blogs/gbayne/eli-session-expanding-educational-realities-%E2%80%93-exploring-interactive-and-immersive-learning-experiences
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