Best Practices to Form Online Multi-Users Virtual Environments

Best Practices to Form Online Multi-Users Virtual Environments for Education in Developing Countries

Poonsri Vate-U-Lan, Ed.D. College of Internet Distance Education Assumption University of Thailand, poonsri.vate@gmail.com

The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand

Agenda

The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand

Poonsri Vate-U-Lan, Ed.D. • Assistant Program Director, Ph.D. in eLearning Methodology • Doctor of Education from RMIT, Australia • International Visiting Scholar, Brock University, Canada • Translator of Don’t make me think! and • Author of CourseBuilder for DreamWeaver

Introduction and motivation!

•Second Life (SL) is a significant online communication tools.

•By the end of 2011, 80 % of active Internet users will join any kind of online 3D MUVE which similar to SL • In 2008, the logins rate grew 23 % • More than 250 institutes/museum active in SL and the numbers is unending increasing • Majority or 7/10 of institutes in SL are physically located in North America • Approximately 20 % of institutes in SL were universities from Northern Europe The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand

ABAC: The First Thai University in SL • Professor Dr. Srisakdi Charmonman, Chief Executive Officer at the College of Internet Distance Education, Assumption University invented the first Thai online 3D campus in SL at ‘Charming Island’.

The online 3D campus of Assumption University was recommended to be a place for visiting at ‘thaisecondlife.net’ The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand

Interesting of Second Life!

• SL, a free client program that most institutes would like to use for vibrant education • The feeling of reality when residents avatar or transform themselves into 3D model in virtual computer environments • In-world experiences for residents of SL are communication and transportation • Examples of Learning typologies include demonstration, experiential, diagnostic, role play The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand

University in SL • Universities that occupied land were branded with the institutions’ official logo • 2/5 of institutes used ‘notecard’ for common greetings and almost half of the institutes (45.1%) had sidewalks, pathways, road or other types of footpaths • Almost half the institutes (46.5%) created ‘Links’ direct to normal web sites of the universities which majorities were showcase institutes SL projects (75.5%), Home page of universities (63.8%) and solicit enrollment of new students (45.4 %) respectively (Watch Video) The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand

Some facts about SL • Most educators see ‘SL is just a game’ but SL manifests itself not a game since it lacks of pre-defined goals • Explored 13,000 regions during 2008 • a few regions have large populations • 45 % of regions were empty • 30 % of the regions are never visited during a six day period • only 2 % of regions had more than 20 avatars visited.

• Characteristics of SL residents are similar to real humans preferring to participate in small groups of about 2-10 avatars, visiting the same places and meeting the same avatars. Remarkably, 90 % of time spend in-world was for socializing rather than transporting The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand

Profiles of participants • 23 participants, 17 females and six males. More than half the participants (56.5%) were younger than 30.

• 52.2% of participants never experienced using online 3D MUVE • 30.4% of participants have less than six months’ experience using online 3D MUVE • 17.3 % of participants had had less than 12 months’ experience.

The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand

Research Finding: before and after

five-rating-scale

Attitude towards SL 4.5 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0

4.2

3.9

Belief

4

3.8

Preference

3.7 3.8

Interest Before

3.7 3.7

Demand

3.5

3.2

Confidence

After

The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand

Barriers of SL installing the software

3

controlling and modifying avatars

3.2

SL was complex and difficult

3.2

Not remembering functions

3.4

teleporting

3.4

Frequent server-time-out

3.5

Not understanding English

3.6

insufficient hardware capability

3.6

insufficient Internet bandwidth

3.9 0

1

2

3

4

The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand

5

HITS HITSModel Model

Human Instruction Students Media Pedagogy Teachers Facilitators Courseware

Technology Social Network Wireless Open source

Finance Cultures Language

To ToForm Form 3D 3DOnline OnlineMUVE MUVEfor for Education Education

Best practices: Human

Human Students Teachers Facilitators

• Good: students, faculties and support teams commit themselves to adopting online 3D MUVE • Better: students, faculties and support teams aim to practice online 3D MUVE • Best: students, faculties and support teams are involved in and invent online 3D MUVE projects The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand

Best practices: Instruction

Instruction Media Pedagogy Courseware

• Good: Providing a list of required instructional features that include clear learning objectives and computer technology literacy • Better: Preparing instructions that make userfriendly the potential of online 3D MUVE • Best: Reviewing instructions that make userfriendly the potential of online 3D MUVE The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand

Best practices:Technology

Technology Network Wireless Open source

• Good: Users have both adequate computer hardware and network connection • Better: Institutions provide adequate computer hardware and network connection • Best: Linden Lab reduce the high demand for resources which make Second Life needing les s bandwidth, easier to function and clearer int erface design The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand

Best practices: Social

Social Finance Cultures Language

• Good: SL support multi-lingual functionality, especially the languages of developing countries such as Thai, Burmese Cambodia and so on. NonEnglish users of MUVE community should develop manuals in their own languages • Better: SL support security concepts of sharable content systems to reduce investment in education • Best: Linden Lab and all stakeholders develop policies regarding law, finance and ethics that support education The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand

Conclusion • The SL can be used to enlarge the potential of eLearning in many ways • This research has found that graduate students were very interested in joining SL for educational purposes • This paper has proposed the drafting of best practice guidelines to form online 3D MUVE for developing countries • Further research in this field is urgently needed The Sixth International Conference on eLearning for Knowledge-Based Society, 17-18 December, 2009, Thailand

Questions and Discussion

Thank you for your attention!

References of Images • http://www.bautforum.com/attachments/off-topicbabbling/4466d1168305043-anyone-here-tried-second-lifeavatar.jpg • http://mpop99.com/mypopspace/pages/blog_images/second life_main_485.jpg • http://popsci.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/12/1 3/bu_markey_avatar_bx103.jpg • http://askehbl.wordpress.com/2007/07/