Learner participation and motivation in virtual reality

L. Panichi - CALL 2010 Universiteit Antwerpen

Learner participation and motivation in virtual reality

Luisa Panichi

CLI-University of Pisa, Italy

Department of Modern Languages, University of Hull, UK


Overview

• Virtual worlds• The Avalon project• Discussion of motivation• Literature in the field/theoretical perspective• Research in the field:• Questionnaires/recordings/transcripts/

observations/interviews• Conclusions about motivational factors• Avalon feedback questionnaires (ongoing

research)


Virtual worlds

• MUVE’s (Multi-user virtual environments)• 3 Dimensional: movement• Avatar: a 3D rendering of yourself• Games (role play): The Sims• Gaming: WoW (World of Warcraft)• Socialising and entertainment: Active Worlds, Second

Life• Highly immersive and participatory/hot cultureHighly immersive and participatory/hot culture


The AVALON project

• AccessAccess to Virtual and Action LearningAction Learning Live Online

• A two year multilateral and transversal project funded under KA3 (ICT) of the LLP of the EACEA ending in December 2010.

• Partnership: 26 European partners• 10 state funded universities

• 16 other public and private organisations


Create and test activities

Design and run Language courses

Design and run a teacher training

course

Provide models and best practice guidelines

Create a motivational modelthat rewards learner

engagement

Experiment with and explore virtual worlds for language education


Interest for language education

• Virtual platform for online and distance education

• Complement to face-to-face learning

• Integration with other LMS (sloodle)

• Communication: synchronous, multimodal (text chat; voice chat), streaming (sound and video)

• Creative and representational: Building/cultural artefacts (permanent/non permanent)

• Performative: Avatar


Motivation in virtual worlds

• Motivation to participate and engage• Why is it helpful to investigate them? • Participation and motivation in virtual worlds

are a general educational concern• Participation and throughput/dropout rates• Project mandate to consider individual

accessibility accessibility and community sustainabilitycommunity sustainability• Designing for participation includes an

understanding of learner motivation


Participation and engagement in virtual worlds

• What is participation and why is it important to us?• In online learning it is indicated as some form of

activity (i.e. White 2003; Hratinski 2007)• Participation is a high-stake issue in online

education.• The special nature of participation in virtual worlds: • Lack of visual cues and body language• Increased Importance of linguistic cues• Participation as engagementengagement/involvementinvolvement leading

to further participation


Motivation and the reward model

• Molka-Danielsen et al. 2010• Discussion of motivation in language

education in virtual worlds• Gaming theory • Self-determination theory • The ultimate reward for learners is

accessaccess to full participationparticipation in the learning community


Panichi et al. (2008)

• Small scale, qualitative and exploratory investigation under Kamimo Islands

• An American/Swedish telecollaboration course

• Student questionnaires about beliefs about language learning, collaboration, digital literacy and the specific environment.

• Questionnaires were complemented with student interviews and teacher/researcher/course designer feedback and observations.


Learner beliefs

• Learner beliefs about language learning

• Learner pre-conceptions of the environment

• Learner digital literacy

• Learners’ expectations

• Learners’ experience


Key areas potentially influencing motivation and participation

• Compulsory or optional course• Previous experiences of virtual environments (degree

of technology literacy)• Previous experiences of intercultural contact and a

pre-existing degree of intercultural awareness• Belief that peer to peer interaction is beneficial to

learning• Belief that you can learn a language from interacting

with a native speaker• Degree of acceptance of SL for language education


Example of a successful exchange

• Frequency of meetings• Suitable times• Buddy was more knowledgeable about SL

and willing to provide information• Turn taking occurred • Alternated between course related topics and

personal conversation• Activities were motivational learning

opportunities for both


Indications and results from Swedish students

• Students we were working with already displayed high levels of language learning awareness and intercultural awareness

• Prior experience of Second Life is not necessary for the exchange to be a successful learning experience

• Curiosity about SL may play an important role in motivating students


Similar feedback from the American students showed:

• The educational value of SL is not immediately apparent to learners

• Students who volunteered for the buddy exchange were more verbally active in the composition course

• Students tend not to talk about their learning experiences from an affective perspective (beliefs)

• Prior intercultural experiences (or lack there of) may contribute to less effective engagement with language learners


Additional recommendations for future exchanges

• Create more formal joint tasks and specific requirements within the courses

• Creating pedagogical space for talking about the affective aspects of learning

• Need to make the “rules of engagement” as clear as possible (language and technical skills that are required)

• Make all participants clear as what to expect and what is expected of them in the student exchanges

• Increase feedback opportunities


Deutschmann et al. 2009

• Course designer for learner participation in a CMC context

• Oral participation in terms of floor-space, turn length and turn-taking

• We conclude that meaning-focussed task design involving authenticity and collaborative elements had a direct impact on learner participation and engagement.

• Results also suggest the importance of including technical and social initiation in complex environments


Deutschmann & Panichi (2009)

• Learner engagement and Language Awareness• We compare two courses in SL• We look at floor space and turntaking patters

(quantity)• We carry out discourse analysis of back-channelling

and elicitors (quality)• We conclude that supportive linguistic behaviour of

teachers is important in increasing learner engagement

• We find that students become more active in signalling involvement over time


Swertz et al. (2010)The environment

• The bias of the environment and the mediatic turn (Friesen & Hug, 2009)

• 3D worlds are a cold media (McLuhan, 1964)/multimodal communication

• Hot culture expects involvement with other people and participation in activities

• The nature of the environment has an impact on learner participation preferences


Swertz et al. (2010)The teacher perspective

• Most important learning objective Most important learning objective for teachers is to get the students involved and that the students feel comfortable in the process.

• The learning processThe learning process itself becomes a learning a learning objectiveobjective

• Anonymity Anonymity is considered an important advantage by teachers

• Task designTask design: Careful task design is very important in virtual learning environments


Swertz et al. (2010)The learner perspective

• AnonymityAnonymity is not preferred and not considered helpful in language learning by students.

• Individualisation Individualisation is important• Task designTask design: Assumption that careful task design is

very important in virtual learning environments is confirmed by students

• Group and peer workGroup and peer work vs teacher-led activitiesteacher-led activities:• Group sessions vs teacher-led sessions are

preferred by learners but• Teacher-led sessions are also helpful depending

on the type of task at hand


Swertz et al. 2010Technical initiation

• Most students experience technical problems at the beginning of the course (i.e. sound)

• Most students feel comfortable by the end of the second lesson

• Technical initiation for newbies contributes to learner comfort in the environment and to the speed at which this is achieved


Conclusions about motivational variables in virtual worlds

• The nature of the environment• Appropriate technical initiation• Strong sense of identity/need for

self-determination/autonomy• Strong group ties/community/Peer and group

work/relatedness• Clear framework (expectations, roles, tasks)• Meaningful course design (individualisation and

authenticity)• Teacher as facilitator and model for interaction• Feedback and discussion opportunities (course

ownership)


Avalon course feedback questionnaires 2010

• Questionnaires are part of the Avalon course design to maximise participation

• http://avalonlearning.pbworks.com/Feedback-Questionnaires

• Examine changes in learner beliefs before and after the learning experience

• Determine what factors bring about change in beliefs

• Implement changes to our course design• Results are pending

http://avalonlearning.pbworks.com/Feedback-Questionnaires

http://avalonlearning.pbworks.com/Feedback-Questionnaires


Final considerations about participation

• Participation, engagement and motivation can be promoted by appropriate course design

• Participation is both an indicator of motivation and a catalyst for motivation

• Participation is a learning skill which can be developed over time

Date post:	15-Jan-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	natala
View:	31 times
Download:	0 times

Learner participation and motivation in virtual reality

Documents