ARVEL SIG 2011 Spring by Sabine Reljic

arvelsigNewsletter Applied Research in Virtual Environments for Learning

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2011 AERA Annual Meeting 2

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Spring 2011 Vol 1, n1

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Welcome to the ARVEL SIG AERA Edition The 2011 AERA Annual Meeting is gathering this year in New Orleans. The ARVEL SIG team has an outstanding program for you. The focus for ARVEL SIG this year – in line with this year’s conference theme, “"Inciting the Social Imagination: Education Research for the Public Good", will be on educational research topics relevant to 3D Virtual Environments, Augmented Reality, Alternate Reality, and Future Concepts. See you all see in New Orleans!

"Inciting the Social Imagination: Education Research for the Public Good"

ARVEL SIG is an American Education Research Association Special Interest Group for educators, scholars, and practitioners researching computer-mediated 3D communities. ARVEL seeks to steward a robust community of educators, scholars, and practitioners dedicated toward research in and on virtual 3D environments. Using a variety of research methods, we support a diverse approach to understanding the optimal use of virtual worlds and environments for educational purposes. We're interested in developing a comprehensive research agenda intended to encompass the breadth and scope of learning potentialities, affordances, challenges, and shortcomings of immersive virtual learning environments.

arvelsigNewsletter, Applied Research in Virtual Environments for Learning. March 2011, Volume 1, Issue 1 “AERA Annual Meeting Edition.” http://www.arvelsig.com/

Messages from Officers Message from the Chair: by Jonathon Richter

Dear ARVEL SIG members and friends, Spring 2011 is here and that means AERA in New Orleans! For the fourth year running ARVEL SIG has a great program of outstanding individual, symposia, and roundtable presentations of high quality virtual educational research. Take a look at the ARVEL SIG conference schedule reprinted conveniently here in this newsletter and I think you'll find a good variety spanning the spectrum of virtuality from cogent research perspectives. And again this year we're hosting a special conference workshop on virtual learning research methodologies. This active (and catered!) event was so popular last year that we decided to include it again. Check it out! Under the Special ARVEL Event title, "Virtual Jazz", we have an annotated machinima contest for SIG members and a membership drive for (re)new members – with the incentive to join us on a tour of the Tulane Center for Advanced Medical Simulation and Team Training on Monday, April 11th with faculty members from Tulane University, The University of New Orleans, and Loyola University. Following the Business Meeting, the "Virtual Jazz" event continues with dinner and a "parade of avatars" featuring research-related dimensions of our learning research. Indeed, our collective interest in developing a comprehensive research agenda intended to encompass the breadth and scope of learning potential, affordances, challenges, and shortcomings of immersive virtual learning environments really is progressing: come and help us blur the boundaries between work and play! For the second year, ARVEL is awarding our two official AERA-sanctioned SIG awards. The quality of each proposal submitted to ARVEL SIG was considered using the following five (5) criteria to determine the awards: literature review theoretical framework methods data sources and analysis First, the "Emerging Virtual Scholar Award" will be presented to Jodi Asbell-Clarke, Teon Edwards, Jamie Larsen, Elizabeth Rowe, Elisabeth Sylvan, and Jim Hewitt for their paper, "Collaborative Scientific Inquiry in Arcadia: A Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming Environment on Blue Mars". Come and see their presentation of this awardwinning research in Roundtable Session 7 on Friday, Apr 8 from 4:05pm - 5:35pm in the Sheraton New Orleans / Grand Ballroom A Our "Best Paper Award" goes to David Michael Mijerich, Catherine C Schifter, Angela Shelton, and Diane Jass Ketelhut for their paper, "Effects of Reading-While-Listening Affordance on Students' Hypotheses Developed in an Inquiry-based Virtual Environment Assessment". Their presentation of this award-winning research will be in The Virtual World and Games Assessments session on Saturday, Apr 9 from 8:15am - 9:45am in the Sheraton New Orleans / Napoleon Ballroom B1. Please be sure to congratulate each of these scholars on their ARVEL SIG achievements. The continued high quality of our SIG is dependent upon such well crafted research and its submission through our SIG. Thank you very, very much. In addition to presenting the ARVEL Awards to these scholars at the ARVEL SIG Business meeting and hearing brief reports from each of the ARVEL SIG Officers, we will induct a new SIG Chair and Program Chair, invite nominees for open positions on the Executive Committee for the coming year, and hear a short presentation by incoming Chair Lisa Dawley on market trends in virtual environments before adjourning the meeting and opening the floor for an 3

all-SIG discussion on the implications of these trends and needs for virtual learning research. Outlining the needs and near-future of our research community focus, we plan to look for ways for the SIG to engage your own professional interests. As such, we believe this activity holds great potential for us to continue building the framework for ARVEL to continue leading the way in immersive learning research. Won't you join us? See you in New Orleans! ~ Jonathon

Message from the Program Chair: By Greg Jones

ARVEL SIG @ AERA will be here before we know it, and after a year of planning, this year’s program is as solid as past years. AREA downsized the total number of sessions this year, so we do have fewer sessions and papers for the SIG, but the strength of research and topics has improved. The SIG is hosting 65 researchers to present their work over seven sessions. Our sessions are being held either in the Double Tree or the Sheraton hotels. Our program begins Friday afternoon and finishes on Tuesday morning. We have several special sessions beyond the traditional paper, symposium, and roundtable sessions. On Sunday, the SIG will host for a second year a research workshop. Drop by, get some food and drink, and participate in our meet-n-greet with over 15 researchers focusing on different research into virtual worlds and environments. Spend time chatting with ARVEL SIG officers, and learn more about ARVEL SIG in virtual worlds, as well. Also, Jeffery Jacobson of PublicVR will be showing a portable digital dome during the Sunday workshop and a session on Tuesday. The workshop refreshments are provided by our most-appreciated sponsors: Tulane University, University of New Orleans, Loyola University-New Orleans . This year business meeting is right after ARVEL’s Virtual Jazz event on Monday. Instead of having a special keynote, the SIG meeting will focus on discussing the future direction of research in our field and how the SIG can respond. Lisa Dawley, Chris Dede and others will be hosting the discussion at the business meeting. A special thanks to this year’s program chair-elect Scott Warren and to Amy Cheney for her outstanding work on the SIG workshop! Also, a special thanks to all those that volunteered to review papers last summer and those who will be working as chairs and discussants during the conference. Without active membership participation, the SIG could not accomplish what it does every year. I look forward to seeing everyone at the conference. Greg Jones

ARVEL NEWS 2011 AERA FELLOW Please share in our congratulations to Chris Dede, a founding member of the ARVEL SIG for being selected as an AERA fellow!

AERA press release: “WASHINGTON, D.C., March 3, 2011 – The American Educational Research Association (AERA) announces the selection of 31 scholars to be AERA Fellows in recognition of their exceptional scientific or scholarly contributions to education research or significant contributions to the field through the development of research opportunities and settings. The AERA Fellows are known both nationally and internationally for their outstanding contributions to education research. Through the Fellows Program, the Association aims to convey its commitment to excellence in research and to underscore to new scholars the importance of sustained research contributions in the field. In announcing the new Fellows, AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine applauded these education researchers for their substantive and sustaining scholarship. “The Class of 2011 Fellows continues this professional society’s strong commitment to sound and rigorous research on education and learning that advances knowledge and thereby serves the public good.” These Fellows will be inducted on Saturday, April 9, 2011, during AERA’s 92nd Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the Association’s expectation that Fellows will be visibly engaged in important AERA programs and activities and that they will serve as models and mentors to the next generation of scholars long into the future for the field.” (See: https://www.aera.net/newsmedia/Default.aspx?menu_id=60&id=11482) The ARVEL Special Interest Group started in 2008 and is listed in the AERA Special Interest Group page as SIG #173

TIME SENSITIVE Special Membership Drive Are you a member of the American Educational Research Association (AERA)? Do you plan on being in New Orleans next month for the Annual Conference? The FIRST 20 (re)new members of ARVEL SIG will qualify for the ARVEL-sponsored tour the Tulane University Center for Advanced Medical Simulation and Team Training on Monday, April 11th, 2011 at 4:20 p.m. or 4:40 p.m. -Grab the opportunity to become a member of ARVEL and tour this unique learning simulation!

The Annotated Research Machinima project If you presented your virtual learning subject of study to fellow educational researchers in a movie that lasted one minute and put it on YouTube... what would it look like? Make sure to: 1. Put an original title, your name, your institution and other relevant information on the title slide. 2. Place titles at key points in your presentation that highlight at LEAST three of the following: content

area, teaching/learning potential, research method/s, research problem, instruments, data gathering, analysis, conclusions, future areas for inquiry, etc.

3. Choose appropriate, lively music to set your presentation to - and embed if possible (please honor copyright and fair use guidelines - as this may be used for publication to the web) into your presentation. 4. Send the link to your "ARVEL Annotated Research Machinima" presentation to AERA-ARVEL Chair

Jonathon Richter at arvelsig173@gmail.com by Tuesday, April 5th.

The top 15 Machinimas get to go to the Tulane University Center for Advanced Medical Simulation and Team Training.

Camera! Action!

SPECIAL EVENTS

Virtual Jazz Our virtually action-packed day is Monday April 11, 2011! YOU CAN STILL WIN A TOUR TO THE TULANE SIM! We will mix among inventive costumed selves as research topic or avatars (http://arvelsig.ning.com/page/virtualjazz-11), view the winning machinimas (http://arvelsig.ning.com/page/annotated-vr-machinima), and tour of the Tulane simulator (http://tulane.edu/som/sim/)

Workshop Mark Sunday April 10th in your calendar. Do not miss this very special event. You will get to meet 30

participants organized in 16 tables from 10:35 AM to 12:05 PM. Some are live demonstrations in the virtual environment chosen for the research. The workshop is sponsored and the refreshments are provided by

Business Meeting Open to all, we conclude Monday with our business meeting . Be here when we address all the SIG’s update

and join us to applaud the best papers when we distribute the awards. Finally, take part in our interactive panel titled Growth, Trends & Implications in Virtual World and Augmented Reality Research. Panel experts comprising of Chris Dede, Lisa Dawley, Sasha Barab, and SIG officers will examine the growth trends in virtual world and augmented reality, and discussing implications for future educational research and how the SIG can respond.

After Event

Let’s go eat! We will then decide where to go eat dinner when we conclude the business meeting. It’s New Orleans! Poboys, jambalaya, gumbo, crawfish ….

ARVEL Sponsors

ARVEL at AERA: Program Friday, April 8 4:05pm to 5:35pm

Using Virtual Worlds for Teaching and Learning (Roundtable session 7) Chair: Dennis Beck (U. of Arkansas)  Learning Complex Causality in Ecosystems via a Multiuser Virtual Environment, by Shari J. Metcalf (Harvard U.), Michael Shane Tutwiler (Harvard U.), Amy M. Kamarainen (Harvard U.), Tina A. Grotzer (Harvard U.), Chris J. Dede (Harvard U.)  A Case Study of Three-Dimensional Immersive Learning Strategies, by C. Candace Chou (U. of St. Thomas), Rama Kaye Hart (U. of St.

Sheraton Grand Ballroom A

Thomas)  Collaborative Scientific Inquiry in Arcadia: A Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming Environment on Blue Mars, by Jodi Asbell-Clarke (TERC), Teon Edwards (TERC), James L. Larsen (TERC), Elizabeth Rowe (TERC), Elisabeth Sylvan (TERC), Jim Hewitt (OISE/U. of Toronto)  Visual Signaling in Virtual World-Based Assessments: The Situated Assessment using Virtual Environments for Science (SAVE Science) Project, by Brian C. Nelson (Arizona State U.), Younsu Kim (Arizona State U.), Cecile M. Foshee (Arizona State U.)

Saturday, April 9 8:15am to 9:45am

Virtual Worlds and Game Assessments. Chair: Sabine Lawless-Reljic (San Diego State U.-U. of San Diego Discussant: Brian C. Nelson (Arizona State U.)

Sheraton Napoleon Ballroom B1

 A Framework for Designing Assessment Activities for Virtual Worlds, by Michael Charles Mayrath (Harvard U. ), Jody E. ClarkeMidura (Harvard U.), Chris J. Dede (Harvard U. ), Jillianne Code (Harvard U.)  Effects of Reading-While-Listening Affordance on Students’ Hypotheses Developed in an Inquiry-Based Virtual Environment Assessment, by Davis Michael Majerich (Temple U. ), Catherine C. Schifter (Temple U. ), Angela Shelton (Temple U.), Diane Jass Ketelhut ( Temple U.)  Scaling Transformational Disruptive Technologies, by Patrick K. Pettyjohn (Indiana U.), Sasha A. Barab (Indiana U.), Asmalina Saleh (Indiana U., Bloomington)  Validating Embedded Assessment Strategies in Game-Based Learning Environments: An Expert-Novice Study, by Kurt D. Squire (U. of Wisconsin, Madison), Matthew Gaydos (U. of Wisconsin, Madison), Ben Devane (U. Of Florida).

Sunday, April 10 10:35am to

Workshop Research in Virtual Worlds and Virtual Environments. Chair: Amelia Cheney (Appalachian State U.), Scott Warren (U. of North Texas), Greg Jones (U. of North Texas) 12:05pm Participants:  Jody Clarke-Midura, Jillian Code, and Chris Dede (Harvard University) Assessing Science Inquiry: The Virtual Assessment Project  Jeremy Kemp (San Jose State University), Measuring the Impact of 9

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Demographics and Attitude on Graduate Student Acceptance of Virtual Worlds as Distance Learning Tools  Jonathon Richter (University of Oregon), Exploring the Virtual Wilderness, Searching for Evidence of Learning: Virtual Safaris from a Research Perspective  Shari Metcalf, Amy Kamarainen, Tina Grotzer, and Chris Dede (Harvard University), EcoMUVE: Ecosystem Science Learning via Multi-User Virtual Environments  Scott Warren and Jonathan Gratch (University of North Texas), Using Critical Ciné-Ethnographic Methods  Lisa Dawley and Chris Haskell (Boise State University), 3D GameLab: Supporting Quest-Based Learning and Assessment Across Multiple Virtual Environments  Amy Cheney, Robert Sanders, Nita Matzen, Terry McClannon, and Krista Terry (Appalachian State University), Steve Bronack (Clemson University), Presence Pedagogy as Framework for Research in Virtual Environments  Patrick O’Shea (Appalachian State University), The Viability and Value of Student- and Teacher-Created Augmented Reality Experiences  Greg Jones (University of North Texas), Virtual Environment Technologies: Choosing One that Can Support Your Educational Research  Constance Steinkuehler, Elizabeth King, Crystle Martin, Amanda Ochsner, Caro Williams, and Gabrielle Anton (University of Wisconsin, Madison), Connected Cognitive Ethnography of Online Games  Jori Clarke (Idea Seeker Universe), Confronting Social Issues Using KidsCom.com’s Virtual World with Kids 3rd-8th Grade  Sabine Lawless-Reljic (San Diego State University), ARVEL SIG in Virtual Environments  Youngkyun Baek (Boise State University)and Soojeong Lee (Kyungnam University, South Korea), Designing Intrinsically Motivating Educational Games  Jennifer Elliott (University of Virginia), The Future of Augmented Reality in Education  Tom Atkinson and Atsuri Hirumi (University of Central Florida), The Game Brain: New Theories & Concepts for Experiential Learning

 Jeffrey Jacobson (Public VR), The Virtual Egyptian Temple 12:25pm Agents and Avatars in Virtual Environments (Roundtable Session 34) to Chair: Shari Metcalf (Harvard University) 1:55pm  MUVE Your Avatar: Experimenting With Instructor-Avatar Social Presence and Immediacy in Second Life, by Sabine Lawless-Reljic (San Diego State U.-U. of San Diego)

Doubletree International Ballroom

 Investigating Perceptions of Avatars in an Interactive Digital Simulation, by Joseph C. Pietro (Morehead State U.), Willie Maddox (U. of Florida), Diego Rivera-Gutierrez (U. of Florida), Benjamin Lok (U. of Florida)  The Virtual World as Multiagent System: A Model for Online Learning in the New Millennium, by Robert J. Hancock (Southeastern Louisiana U.), Becky Sue Parton (Southeastern Louisiana U.), Jeffrey Oescher (Southeastern Louisiana U.)  Influence of Avatar Choice on Teacher Expectations and Perceptions of Student Success, by Dennis Beck (U. of Arkansas) 2:15pm to 3:45pm

Research into Virtual Worlds for Education (Roundtable session 37) Chair: Jodi Askell-Clarke (TERC)  Gender and Spatial Ability Research in Virtual Environments: The Virtual Morris Water Maze, by Suzanne de Castell (Simon Fraser U. ), Jennifer Jenson (York U.), Nicholas Taylor (York U.), Stephen R. Campbell (Simon Fraser U.), Nis Bojin (Simon Fraser U.), Olga V. Shipulina (Simon Fraser U. ), O. Arda Cimen (Simon Fraser U.)

Doubletree International Ballroom

 Using a Virtual World to Investigate Collaborative Innovation, by Philip J. Vahey (SRI International), John J. Brecht (SRI International), Ken Rafanan (SRI International), Charles Patton (SRI International), Britte Haugan Cheng (SRI International)  “What Did I Learn in Second Life?” A Discussion of Methodological Issues and Instructional Implications, by Yueh-hui Vanessa Chiang (U. of Texas –Austin), Amy Schmitz Weiss (San Diego State U.)  Educators’ Perceptions About Using MultiUser Virtual Environments (MUVE) for Teaching, by Vumani Gamage (Masey U.)

Monday, April 11 2:15pm to 3:45pm

Innovative Assessments in New Media (Virtual + Games + Mized-Reality) Session Organizer: Mina Catherine Johnson-Glenberg (Arizona State U.) Chair: Mina Catherine Johnson-Glenberg (Arizona State U.)

Sheraton Oak Alley

Discussant: James Paul Gee (Arizona State U.)

6:15pm to 7:45pm

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Innovative Assessment Techniques in Mixed-Reality, Gesture Control Learning Environments, by Mina Catherine JohnsonGlenberg (Arizona State U.)

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Embodied Learning in Two-Dimensional versus ThreeDimensional Environments, by David Birchfield (Arizona State U.)

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Assessing Students’ Intuitive Understanding of Physics Through Game Play Data, by Douglas B. Clark (Vanderbilt U.), Mario Manuel Martinez-Garza (Vanderbilt U.), Brian C. Nelson (Arizona State U.), Kent Slack (Arizona State U.), Cynthia M. D’Angelo (Arizona State U.)

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Student Perceptions of the Assessment Utility of Immersive Virtual Environments, by Jillianne Code (Harvard U.), Jody E. Clarke-Midura (Harvard U.), Chris J. Dede (Harvard U.), Michael Charles Meyrath (Harvard U.)

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Natural Language Processing Solutions for Providing On-Line Feedback and Assessment in Game-Based Tutoring Environments, by Danielle McNamara (The U. of Memphis), Tanner Jackson (The U. of Memphis)

ARVEL SIG Business Meeting Chair: Jonathon J. Richter (U. Of Oregon.) Business Meeting

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Award Presentations Growth, Trends & Implications in Virtual World and Augmented Reality Research. This interactive panel discussion with experts Chris Dede, Lisa Dawley, Sasha Barab, and SIG officers will examine the growth trends in virtual world and augmented reality, and discussing implications for future educational research and how the SIG can respond. This is a great opportunity to explore developing trends in our field, share your work with others, and network with like-minded colleagues. We hope to see you there!

Tuesday, April 12 8:15am to 9:45am

Virtual Spaces in Portable Digital Domes for Learning in Science and Cultural Heritage Session organizer: Jeffrey Jacobson (PublicVR) Chair: Lisa Dawley (Boise State U.) Discussant: Jonathon J. Richter (U. of Oregon)  Presentation and demonstration by Jeffrey Jacobson (PublicVR). The first presentation features the virtual Egyptian Temple, which

Sheraton Rhythms Ballroom 1

serves regular museum goers and school groups for years. The second presentation demonstrates science learning with a virtual forest, now under development.

HAVE A SAFE TRIP BACK HOME

ARVEL News ARVEL Officers for 2010-2011 Chair: Jonathon Richter http://cate.uoregon.edu/index.php/clive/1-jonathon-richter-edd Chair Elect: Lisa Dawley http://lisadawley.wordpress.com Program Chair: Greg Jones http://courseweb.unt.edu/gjones Program Chair-Elect: Scott Warren http://www.scottjwarren.com Secretary/Treasurer: Brian Nelson Communication Officer: Sabine Lawless-Reljic Membership Officer: Dennis Beck Special Events: Amelia Cheney Awards: Shari Metcalf LOGO: ARVEL wants to recognize Ann Randall for the simplified logo for use on the web, 3D VWs and paper. WEBSITE Bookmark this page as your main gate to all ARVEL SIG information. >>ARVEL SIG Website: http://www.arvelsig.com/ NING Join the ARVELSIG Ning to stay informed with ARVEL events in real life and inworlds. The Ning is open to all. Add your events, create your group, share your projects with blog, picture and video posts. >>ARVEL SIG Ning: http://arvelsig.ning.com/ WIKI Join the ARVELSIG Wiki community to help develop terminologies, research methodologies and teaching best practices in virtual environments. ARVELSIG Wiki is open to registered SIG members. Join ARVELSIG. >>Arvelsig Wiki: http://sites.google.com/site/arvelsigaera/

We need help manage and develop the wiki. Please contact Sabine Lawless-Reljic (sabinereljic@gmail.com) or Jonathon Richter (jrichter@gmail.com) INWORLD EVENTS ARVEL Inworlds has hosted several discussions in Second Life since it opened its CAVE headquarters.

Applied Research in Virtual Environments for Learning

ARVEL Stats: AERA-ARVEL SIG: 118 members ARVEL ning members: 321 members Dear Ning members, please make sure that you have officially registered at AERA and added ARVEL in your Special Interest Group section. We kept the SIG’s dues low ($10, student $5). AERA Membership: http://www.aera.net/membership.htm

ARVEL Contacts JOIN ARVEL SIG at AERA.net http://arvelsig.ning.com/ http://twitter.com/ARVELSIG

ARVEL locations in VWs: ARVEL in 3rdRock Grid (Tierra Paz 125,80,25) ARVEL in ReactionGrid (Ontos2 50,82,46) ARVEL in Second Life (CAVE 12,241,42) ARVEL in SmallWorlds Do you own some space in a VW? Contact us to establish an ARVEL headquarter in your VW.