OLCC2007 How the Read/Write Web Challenges Traditional Practice

Todays session of OLCC2007 was not about the learning theory as such but more about the oportunities for connected learning or as one chat comment said: I don't think there is a completely distinct line between this theory and others--for myself, I see this as one more set of tools to use

We see the undeniable effect of Web2 or public authorship tools creating an engaging and relevant context for learning. Students who would never write an essay contribute to Wikipedia, Youtube, Myspace etc. Players of World of Warcraft are heavily dependant on text communication. The old school will criticise it for bad spelling and grammar but it is effective communication, suited to modern times.

I have written previously on this blog on the value of WoW, as a programming environment, an example of economics but mostly as a supportive global village where children learn management skills from a community.

Second Life was mentioned in chat. I think that the attempt to re-create traditional learning spaces in SL is misguided, it remains a creative space with much potential.

The internet has given access to a wide range of educational material, Maths Demo's, Applets and Virtual Manipulative this is really fun stuff,

Networking creates the opportunity to meet people of common interests. The edublogging community is great for teachers, but have students benefited? We need to teach students to be lifelong learners, teachers need to model this, teachers need to be transparent learners. For example, kids need to be shown how they can set up RSS feeds.

The opportunities for collaboration have increased. My experience with kids learning mathematics and programming through making computer games is that you create an environment where peer tutoring arises naturally but that experience is not universal .

The concept of “trusted sources” worries me. The advice was to assemble a network who think like us. That could lead to isolated extremist thinking.

The Kuurian Expedition

The Kuurian Expedition is a guild on War of Warcraft for teachers, education researchers and so on.

"The first Kuurian Expedition has been founded in World of Warcraft, on the Silver Hand server, Alliance side. To join, speak to a guild officer and give the secret word, which you can obtain by contacting SWI directly."

So I joined the guild and became a WoW player rather than an observer. What have I learned that I did not know as an observer? I already knew that WoW developed leadership skills , that fantasy worlds can develop new literacies, that virtual worlds are powerful tools for social research, there are big skills and conceptual age skills, that WoW could develop moral values, that raids take hours of meticulous planning, that a guild master must be adept at many skills, and that WoW has more population than Israel Denmark Finland NewZealand or Ireland.

What I have learned is that playing WoW is a continuing complex decision making process. You have to make judgements on incomplete information (or maybe the info is complete but you cant possibly remember it all) you have to decide which items to keep and trade, which quests to do and when, which attack and defensive moves to do in which order and in which circumstances, where to go and how to get there, mapreading skills, navigation skills.

I have an increased respect for WoW players

Plutarchus
Kuurian Expedition
Silver Hand

Plutarch
Frostmane

Australis Gondwana
Secondlife

Games for the Web: Ethnography of Massively Multiplayer On-line Games

From Bill Mackenty

term papers written by undergraduate students in the class "Games for the Web: Ethnography of Massively Multiplayer On-line Games."

These students used a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods to explore sociological issues associated with massively multiplayer virtual worlds. Each student in the class pursued a different research question.

http://www.trinity.edu/adelwich/worlds/students.html

eg.
Second Life and School:
The Use of Virtual Worlds in High School Education
Manny Alvarez
Trinity University, San Antonio, TX1
Abstract
This paper explores the possibility of the use of virtual worlds in high school education to teach or supplement classes. Scholars have for some time discussed the benefits of role playing, technology, and social learning in the classroom, while games have been used recently as models in the classroom. The author interviewed the players of major virtual worlds about their views on using virtual worlds in classes, while also interviewing teachers for their professional advice. The fact that virtual worlds combine technology, social learning, role playing and games make them a “sleeping giant” in education, despite concerns of cost and widespread acceptance.