Grading with Games: An Interview with James Paul Gee

Edutopia is running this excellent interview of James Paul Gee, Professor of Reading at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy (2003). Jim was omnipresent at GLS 4.0 this past July (I attended and presented), and can say it is without question THE conference for educators interested in gaming and its uses in the classroom.

Anyway, Jim’s interview below is worth watching both to hear Jim’s overall perspective as well as many insights about learning, teaching, curriculum, and more. My favorite quote: “…we’ve got to reprofessionalize teachers…” because, according to Jim, we have been marginalized by standardized curriculum (and, by extension, standardized testing). He also optimistically claims we will encounter another “Sputnik,” or globally-induced competitive threat, this time about creativity and innovation in schools. He feels will cause the US to rise to the occaison, revamping our education system in response. Inspiring, hopeful words indeed! See and hear Jim for yourself, and, spend some time getting familiar with his work. He’s already one of the most sought-after scholars in this small but growing field.

Designing for learning in Virtual Worlds

Designing for learning in Virtual Worlds | Virtual Worlds Research Project

Seminar at Roskilde University

Department of Communication, Business and Information Technologies
Monday, October 13, 2008, 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Room 43-2.29

———
This is my first event in Denmark this year, but not my last:)  Come join us in at Roskilde U:) 
Jeremy

If you’re planning to attend the SLCC in Tampa, Florida (or inworld in one of the many venues that will be hooking up to it) next week, you may be confused by the multitude of internet presences. This is a hands-built event, and the history of its Web iterations reflects that. Its online “face” started out with a Wordpress blog, moved to a  new address that basically revised its Wordpress design but maintains the blog look and aspect; and then, to my mind thankfully, blossomed into a very tidy and comprehensive wiki. That’s the one you want, ya’ll.

Let me be very clear: This is NOT a criticism, only an observation, and an attempt to highlight the process by which beginning efforts can, with community collaboration (and in a very short time) become extraordinarily rich and helpful. Useful linkage means everything to busy people. This site has it!

The SLCC Wiki!

Posted by Scottmerrick Oh

Metanomics “On the Spot” - Fleep Tuque Discusses SLEDcc 2008

On Monday, Metanomics host Robert Bloomfield (SL: Beyers Sellers) put Education Correspondent Fleep Tuque “On the Spot” about the upcoming Second Life Education Community Conference 2008 (SLEDcc), part of the official Second Life Community Convention in Tampa, FL from September 5 - 7th.

(Click the image to view video)

Fleep discussed the genesis of the SLEDcc name and gave an overview of the six conference strands and upcoming sessions in Tampa.  She also talked about the SLEDcc Working Groups, a new component of this year’s program, that will bring participants together to address four topics to generate useful resources for members of the Second Life education community.  Educators are invited to contribute to the SLEDcc Working Group discussions in the SLEDcc08 group on RezEd prior to the conference:

• Developing Template Language About Second Life for Course Syllabi/Parent Notices
• Creating an Institutional Use/Student Code of Conduct Policy for Second Life
• Organizing a Directory of Institutions & Courses Using Second Life
• Feedback to Linden Lab:  What Would Educators Like from Linden Lab in the Next 1-3 Years?

SLEDcc will also have a full program in-world, with streamed sessions from Tampa and an exciting schedule of tours, socials, poster sessions, and presentations.  Register for the in-world SLEDcc here!

Metanomics Guest - David Kaskel on Language Lab

Following the “On the Spot” segment, Beyers turned to the show’s main guest for the day, David Kaskel (SL: Edgeware Marker), CEO of Language Lab.  Language Lab teaches foreign languages in Second Life and their novel curriculum uses a staff of instructors and actors to immerse people in a foreign land, where they must use the native tongue in homes, restaurants, dance halls, job interviews and even airports.

Learn more about Language Lab’s innovative use of virtual worlds for language instruction - click the image above to play the video!

How do you demonstrate the educational potential of second life?

* bring together people with various sl teaching and learning experiences?
* create a wiki with tons of resources?
* demonstrate immersion?
* demonstrate social networking?
* demonstrate the power of creation as a constructivist tool?

This was the goal of the Monday NECC workshop called SLedupotential. Nine talented trainers, forty hardwired computers (that all connected to SL flawlessly!), thirty interested and tech-savvy participants, three hours. What more could you ask for?

But did this session really fulfill its promise? Is it possible to convey to new users what SL is all about by showing it or even encouraging them to explore it - in just three hours? It was a fun workshop; we got accounts worked out; we shared our own positive experiences with teaching and learning; we provided the context of muves in which sl exists, we played with the new avatar appearance and we visited a wide range of sims.

But I am left wondering if there are better ways to do this?

~Posted by Esme Qunhua

At the blogger lounge I met up with Al Upton from Adelaide, South Australia and Vicki Davis from Camilla, Georgia, United States.  Click to see clips of our conversations.

Al Upton

Vicki Davis

-posted by Esme Qunhua

While there were several events leading up to it, the Opening Reception was one of the events that marked the beginning of NECC 08. The Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center was full and the floor was bouncing to the rocking/country sounds of One Horse Shy, playing live just down the road from the Alamo in San Antonio Texas.

Meanwhile the music was streaming into SL where the band’s avatars performed to a crowd in front of the Alamo on ISTE Island. From time to time the lead singer, back in Texas, would look at her SL Avatar displayed on a huge screen to the left of the stage - and mimic her moves. (Life imitates art, art imitates life, or we and our avatars inform each other.)

Not far from the physical dance floor, at the Second Life Lounge, those too shy to dance in FL grabbed their laptops and their dancing shoes and cut the rug on the virtual dance floor.

This year the National Educational Computing Conference will offer workshops, poster sessions, hour long presentations, special interest playgrounds, and exhibitors for 18,000 K-20 educators who are concerned with the role of technology in education.

- posted by Esme Qunhua

Just stumbled across this– not directly SL, but if you are interested in virtual worlds in general… and are leveled up …

Starting today is a unique event running May 9-11 - Convergence of the Real and Virtual is the first scientific conference taking place in the MMORPG or World of Warcraft.

Lest you think this is not serious, check out the Science article of April 18 by Gonzo Scientist John Bohannon titled Scientists, We Need Your Swords!

This will not be your typical conference. Sure, there will be sessions devoted to various research topics involving virtual worlds, panel discussions, social activities, and those conference goody bags that we’ve all come to love. But to attend this conference, you don’t have to splurge on grant money or add to global warming by flying to another country. And in the goody bags, you won’t find brochures, pens, or those quickly lost notebooks.

Instead, each conference participant will receive (while supplies last) 10 gold pieces, a red “Sciencemag” shirt, a colorful conference tabard emblazoned with an infinity symbol, two extra bags for swag, a telescope, and a pet creature. Between sessions, there will be group field trips across landscapes inhabited by dangerous beasts–some earthly and extinct, others fanciful–an introduction to the world’s auction-based economy, and finally a massive joint assault on an enemy city. (Beat that, Gordon conferences!) Anyone with an Internet connection can take part, from anywhere in the world. All you have to do is install the game, create a character, and join the guild called “Science” on the Earthen Ring US server.

In addition to the main conference web page (which has a lot of useful links) there is much more in the conference wiki.

If there are an WoW educators out there, we’d love to hear some dispatches from this event.

Second Life Education Community Conference 2008

Call for Proposals

Conference Strands

Select a Session Format

How to Submit a Proposal

Resources for Attendees of your Session

Dates to Remember

Get Ready for SLEDcc 2008!

The Second Life Education community conference is a proud member of the Second Life Community Convention – the official Linden Lab-sponsored and approved event for everyone spending significant time in the best of all possible virtual worlds! This conference is for everyone currently or seriously thinking of engaging in teaching and learning in Second Life.

The SLEDcc is a peer-reviewed academic conference, with emphasis upon evidence-based practices and scholarly work that lead to innovation, the identification of best practices for teaching and learning in the Second Life virtual 3D environment. It is also designed to maximize the opportunities afforded by the Second Life medium itself – and the advantages of meeting face-to-face for an exchange that cannot (yet) be recreated in the digital milieu. Whether you wish to participate in the inworld events or the Tampa, FL (real world) events – please consider presenting and participating in SLEDcc 2008!

Conference Strands:

SLEDcc invites proposals that will address the following themes, or “strands” (please select one). The examples following the Strand Description are just a few ways your proposal might explore the theme.

NOTE: While your project or presentation might fit within more then one Strand Theme, please be judicious and select the single, most appropriate.

1. Games and Simulations (Red Strand): as significant, particular ways to engage learners within Second Life. This Strand will showcase the array of useful and effective ways that the SLED community engages users in game and/or simulation environments.
   • In what ways are SLED designers engaging learners in games, role-plays, and simulations?
   • What are the game development issues that educators-as-designers should know in their creation of engaging SLED materials?
   • How do designers, educators, scripters, and builders collaborate most effectively to create a “killer educational game” in Second Life?

2. Mixed Reality Learning (Orange Strand): as ways to bridge the so-called “real world” and the interface of a multi-user virtual environment as powerful as Second Life. This Strand will demonstrate the variety of ways that education in SL can be powerfully connected to things happening in RL – as well as ways that other media can add value to the SLED experience.
   • What approaches to Mixed-Reality Learning work best? What are the obstacles to overcome? What are some innovative ways to bring SL into the Real World?
   • What skills in the real world can be modeled in Second Life that might transfer best? What are some difficult areas for such transfer?
   • How do educators use multiple media types to best channel and enhance value to the Second Life experience?

3. Theory, Research, & Practice (Yellow Strand): as evidence-based practices to engage users of Second Life in creating intended learning outcomes, whether in formal or informal settings. Theoretical Frameworks from a variety of perspectives will be entertained in this Strand of SLEDcc – with emphasis on practical and scholarly application.
   • What does a successful Design-Based Research experiment in Second Life look like? Other qualitative or quantitative frameworks that work well (or not) in Second Life?
   • How do researchers adequately frame educational work in Second Life to gather data relevant to particular kinds of learning outcomes?
   • What meta-analyses of the literature on Multi-User Virtual Environments should every educator in Second Life know?

4. Differentiated Learning: International, Diverse, and Special Populations (Green Strand): as celebrating the many nationalities, cultures, ways of knowing, and educational efforts specific to particular kinds of learners in Second Life.
   • What are we learning in Second Life in Japan? Brazil? Europe? Australia?
   • How do we effectively teach students in Second Life who do not speak our primary language?
   • How do SLED designers create learning experiences for people of many backgrounds and skill levels?
   • What innovative approaches are emerging to engage exceptional students (e.g. learning disabilities and/or gifted education) in Second Life learning?

5. Projects and Events (Blue Strand): as a milieu for teaching and learning, SLEDcc showcases an amazing breadth of specific projects and events that educators are creating.
   • By examining a cross-section of SLED Projects, provide the audience with a “best practices” overview and assessment for engaging learners in SL.
   • Provide an in-depth look at a particular SLED Project created by your group or organization and highlight the “lessons learned”, challenges, and “next steps”.
   • What is the “magic formula” for creating an engaging, successful SLED event?

6. Educational Tools and Products (Purple Strand): with the vast array of tools and products for free or for sale in Second Life, SLEDcc can help develop capacity for the newcomer and the experienced practitioner alike to make informed choices.
   • Outline the technical specifications, design process, and creation of a functional SLED tool for the would-be designers and educational consumers in SL.
   • Showcase a compare and contrast session, looking at the variety of tools used for a particular purpose and hold a discussion with the audience.
   • Hold a workshop on a SLED tool or product of your choice – providing support and specialized integration assistance as needed.

Select a Session Format:

(a) There are a number of ways that you may present live at SLEDcc in Tampa, FL:

• Tampa Workshops: (90 minutes or ½ day). Get “face-to-face and hands-on” instruction from experts in Tampa (bring your own laptop).
  • Pre-conference workshops are specifically for “Newbies” to Second Life, to prepare them for the SLEDcc! Newbie Specialists, please propose something for this pre-conference day long event!
  • We recommend at least two facilitators for each workshop.
  • Facilitators need to provide all handouts and related materials for attendees.
  • Accepted workshop proposers will receive 50% of all workshop fees beyond those recouped for administrative purposes; the other 50% will go toward a fund to provide token compensation for the volunteer staff of SLEDcc.
• SLED Sparks: Present 20 slides in 2 minutes on a SLED topic of your choice.
• Speed mentoring: Teach skills in an informal, practical fashion – by roundtable.
• Paper Presentations: Presentations supported by more rigorous findings.

(b) Additionally, there are a number of ways for you to present within Second Life, itself:

• The SLEDccademy Awards – the “Sleddies”: Select a Strand Theme and develop a SLED build in that category – open for judging by all registered SLED participants (Note: Participants need not register to attend SLEDcc in Tampa to vote on SLEDccademy Award entries). All winning entries will be verified by an Independent Review Board, verifying the popular vote assessments prior to sponsored prize packages being distributed.
• Poster Sessions: create a display of your SLED project, event, or institution.
• Workshops: get “hands-on” instruction from inworld experts.
• Inworld Presentations: Presentations inworld by the leaders of the SLED community. Inworld presentations will follow the same review process and format as the Real Life sessions in Tampa with some exceptions, perhaps, allowed for special circumstances (email slcceducation @ gmail.com with subject line “Inworld SLEDcc Inquiry” to start dialogue with the SLEDcc Committee).

Whether you decide to be LIVE in Tampa or VIRTUAL in Second Life for your SLEDcc experience, you’ll have a chance to participate with the attendees of each – and many sessions will be taped and available for viewing / download later.

Proposals should (SLED Sparks and Speed Mentoring session proposals not included):

1. Clearly state the problem or issue that your proposal will address and to which Strand Theme it relates.

2. Indicate how your work has effectively addressed that problem or issue.

3. Indicate the outcomes participants should expect from your session and examples of how you will facilitate achievement of those outcomes.

4. Describe the strategies you will use to engage participants in discussing, analyzing, synthesizing, and applying the information you will share.

5. Describe how your work might be applied to a particular or multiple sectors of education, i.e. K-12, large universities, community colleges, adult education, Second Life-specific, etc.

6. Include links to relevant Web sites or electronic copies of the materials you will share (electronic copies of materials can be provided later).

7. Be aware that we will provide access to Tampa and inworld SLEDcc participants to ask questions and discuss how the work might be used to help students achieve essential learning outcomes (threaded discussions). We strongly encourage all presenters to be active in the SLEDcc Ning: http://sledcc.ning.com/

8. All accepted SLEDcc proposals will be notified by June 29^th. Presenters will be invited to add their materials to the SLEDcc wiki at http://sledcc.wikispaces.com/

How to submit a Proposal:

Submission

· In order to have your proposal considered, please submit it by June 4^th, 2008 to slcceducation @ gmail.com using the following guidelines:

o Your proposal should be in MS Word format and submitted via email. The file name should include the name of the primary author followed by .doc extension. If you are submitting multiple proposals, please add a unique number to each filename. e.g. my_name1.doc and my_name2.doc.

o Include the author’s name, title, contact info, and short bio (use the 1^st or primary author’s name only in the filename)

- If you are submitting to present in Tampa, FL, your email should use the subject line “Tampa SLEDcc 08“.

· Tampa Workshops: (90 minutes or ½ day). Get “face-to-face and hands-on” instruction from experts in Tampa (bring your own laptop).

o Pre-conference workshops are specifically for “Newbies” to Second Life, to prepare them for the SLEDcc! Newbie Specialists, please propose something for this pre-conference day long event!

o We recommend at least two facilitators for each workshop.

o Facilitators need to provide all handouts and related materials for attendees.

o Accepted workshop proposers will receive 50% of all workshop fees beyond those recouped for administrative purposes; the other 50% will go toward a fund to provide token compensation for the volunteer staff of SLEDcc.

· SLED Sparks: Please provide a brief paragraph extolling your 2 minute lesson.

· Speed mentoring: Please provide no more than one page explaining your speed mentoring proposal.

· Paper Presentations: please submit an extended abstract of no more than 2000 words (full papers will be due for selected proposals due by August 10 at slcceducation @ gmail.com for inclusion in the SLEDcc Proceedings – further instruction to be notified by email).

- If you are submitting to present in Second Life only, your email should use the subject line “Inworld SLEDcc 08”.

· For SLEDccademy Awards entries: please refer to the http://sledcc.wikispaces.com/ space for more information on guidelines, assessment rubrics for each strand, and procedures for the Awards.

· For inworld poster, and workshop proposals, please submit a brief abstract (400-800 words), including a short statement of the key lesson attendees will take away from the presentation.

· For InWorld Presentations: please submit an extended abstract of no more than 2000 words (full papers will be due for selected proposals due by August 10 at slcceducation @ gmail.com for inclusion in the SLEDcc Proceedings – further instruction to be notified by email).

Deadline: All proposals to present at either the SLEDcc in Tampa or inworld must be received by June 4^th, 2008

Notification: You will receive a message indicating receipt of your proposal when it is submitted.

Acceptance: You will receive notification of the status of your proposal by Monday, June 30^th, 2008.

Registration Fees: All presenters and workshop facilitators attending SLEDcc in Tampa, FL are responsible for the appropriate conference registration, fees, travel, and hotel expenses. Please be sure all presenters added to your proposal have this information and can be available to present at anytime during the SLCC in September 5 – 7 (or Sept 4, if a pre-conference workshop is proposed).

Resources for Attendees of Your Session: Conference attendees like to have resource materials from sessions they attend – whether inworld or live in Tampa. While we encourage all presenters in ANY format to post their materials to the SLEDcc wiki at http://sledcc.wikispaces.com/ we recommend, for those proposing in Tampa, approximately 75 printed handouts for conference-goers.

Please remember: that by submitting a proposal, you agree to register for the appropriate venue (inworld or live in Tampa) if the proposal is accepted and inform your co-facilitators about the proposals status and the need for all presenters to pay respective conference fees if presenting live in Tampa.

Dates to Remember

June 4^th : SLEDcc Proposals due by email to slcc @ gmail.com

June 30^th: Submitters notified of status of proposals

August 1^st: SLEDccademy Award entries open for voting

August 10^th: Accepted Paper Presentations (Inworld and Live in Tampa, both) due by email, 5:00 p.m. SLT (Pacific Daylight Time).

Now into Day 3 , the vBusiness Expo in Second Life has hosted a number of excellent sessions discussing the business of education in virtual worlds and Second Life. Be sure to register to attend and catch a session before it ends tomorrow! SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Clever%20Zebra%203/20/2/49

On Day 1 of the Expo, I was lucky enough to lead off the Education Track with a session about some practical tips for “Selling the Idea of Virtual Worlds to Stakeholders”. Getting institutional support for virtual worlds projects can be a little daunting, but a combination of compelling arguments and a well put together presentation can increase chances for success. One tip, dress your avatar in the same outfit you will be wearing in the real world to help bridge the “reality” gap for your audience. Another suggestion, falling flat on your face off a building in Second Life is also good for an element of humor in your presentation. =) See a sample PPT slide set on Slideshare for Pitching Second life to Educators in 15 Minutes.

Jonathon Richter (SL: Wainbrave Bernal) spoke about the SaLamander Project in the next session, describing a very clever tool that educators can use to tag, index, and search learning objects and environments in Second Life. By creating a repository of known learning objects, educators can share resources and help determine best practices for developing educational spaces in virtual worlds. Jonathon encouraged builders and creators of educational content to submit their creations to the index for possible inclusion in a MERLOT linked repository of 3D learning objects. Be sure to pick up your own SaLamander HUD from the Center for Advanced Technology in Education in-world to tag objects you create or find!

On Day 2 of the Expo, Barry Joseph (SL: GlobalKids Bixby) of Global Kids discussed “Doing Well by Doing Good: Supporting Non-Profits and Philanthropies in Virtual Worlds” and how Global Kids has been able to successfully create experiences that engage Global Kids teens in discussing and learning about real world social justice issues, while also bringing in such groups as the International Criminal Court into Second Life. They recently launched the International Justice Center in Second Life and will continue to foster collaboration between students and non-profits. He also announced the new RezEd Hub for Learning & Virtual Worlds and encouraged educators to get connected.

In a special session of Metanomics, Robert Bloomfield (SL: Beyers Sellers) of Cornell University interviewed Larry Johnson (SL: Larry Pixel) , CEO of the New Media Consortium about his recent testimony to Congress about virtual worlds. Larry also discussed how NMC has engaged and supported the educational community in Second Life to explore what really works in virtual worlds, from sharing information about their experiences developing campus spaces and islands to hosting events like the recent Symposium on Mashups. NMC’s focus on community, collaboration, and creativity is an excellent example for corporate organizations at the vBusiness Expo to emulate.

On Day 3, Aleks Krotoski (SL: Mynci Gorki) from the University of Surry and Mark Bell (SL: Typewriter Tackleberry) from Indiana University discuss best practices for performing survey research in virtual worlds like Second Life. One key affordance of doing research in virtual environments is the ability to capture reams of data, not just from the avatar, but also the environment itself. Aleks suggests researchers try to focus on the data they really want, since you can capture more than you need. Mark Bell announced a new SL HUD-based survey tool his team has created to simplify data collection while preserving the immersion of the environment. Both suggest that researchers approach campus IRB groups early on in the process to help ensure plenty of time for answering their questions about the environment.

Sarah Robbins (SL: Intellagirl Tully) of Ball State University chairs a panel with Jeremy Kemp (SL: Jeremy Kabumpo) of San Jose State University and Jeremy Hunsinger (SL: buridan Simon) of Virginia Tech about the future of education in virtual spaces. As long term veterans in SL education, Jeremy Hunsinger points out that educational gaming and 3D spaces have long been a part of the academic computing tradition, and asks, “The future isn’t all face to face, is it?” Jeremy Kemp remarked that he expected to see more concrete data about effective teaching practices in SL than we have seen up to this point. “We need to be studying the efficacy of these models,” he said. Sarah asks, “Is Second Life a ‘creepy treehouse‘?” referring to the term used to describe a place (physical or virtual) created by adults to lure kids in. Jeremy Hunsinger replied, “I’m asking my students to come in here to do their own work,” rather than putting them in a space he created, and he notices that his students are spending time here of their own volition in part due to the different types of experiences students can have here powered by their own curiosity. Excellent panel!

More to come as the vBusiness Expo continues!

- Posted by Chris Collins (SL: Fleep Tuque)