Task Design in Virtual Worlds: Towards a Frame of Reference

Paul Sweeney

Cristina Palomeque

44th IATEFL Conference: Harrogate 2010

Outline

Taxonomy of virtual worlds

This presentation

What do language teachers want of virtual worlds?

3 examples

Principles for task design

A curriculum approach

Principles for CALL and MUVE design

Concluding remarks

Typology of Virtual Worlds

Flexible narrative

Social Worlds

Simulation Workspace

MMPORGs + serious games

3D chat rooms, virtual worlds

Reflections of the real

3D realisations of CSCW

World of Warcraft

Second Life Flight simulator

Open Wonderland

S. Warburton (2009)

Virtual worlds

Open Wonderland

Second Life

World of Warcraft

Flight simulator

How has the presentation evolved?

Initial aim: explore the potential of a range of virtual worlds

Reality: SL is the VW which is most popular among educators

Revised aim: to explore different possibilities and approaches for language learning in SL Methodologies Technical possibilities

What do language teachers want out of VW?

Free access for learners.

(Scott)

Flexibility to create content.

(Antonella)

Flexible environment which is rich

and updatable. (Calisto)

Has a more mature look than other VW. (Kyle)

Networking and

learning opps for teachers.

(Julie)

Variety of locations and

content.(Pete)

Provides what

educators are looking

for. (Graham)

Well-suited for

cooperative learning. (Scott)

Full of native speakers. (Kyle and

Julie)

Example 1: Spanish course

Languagelab Hotel

Principles behind the course

Challenge: teaching beginners

Functional – situational approach

Iterative process: learning from mistakes

Environment design

Classroom management (team teaching, staging, voice, group work)

Class materials

Affective side of learning

Learning curves

Example 2: Quests

Robin Hood Quest (British Council)

Principles behind BC Quests

Story line

Role of the environment

Challenge from game

Self-access and cooperative work

Balance: challenging – doable

Incidental focus on language

Example 3: Italian soap opera

Oscars for the film: il marito della parrucchiera (Antonella Berriolo)

Principles behind the film

Initial approach

New challenge: MachinimaTask-based approachStudent-centeredStudent-led project focus is primarily on meaningTechnical issues: editing the video

Principles for task design

Role of the environment

Tasks that promote interaction

Balance: challenge and doable tasks

Classroom management + practicality

‘fun’ or ‘gaming’ element

use the full potential of the MUVE

Authenticity = “authentic” cognitive experience

Metalinguistic descriptions and terminology should be presented through optional supporting material, not as part of the core gameplay

Learning content should be organized around tasks, not presented taxonomically

New concepts should be introduced gradually and interspersed with other content before requiring difficult responses from players

All elements of the game, particularly communication and input mechanisms, should have a playful spirit to them.

At least as much thought needs to go into the design of failure states as for success states

R. Purushotma, S. Thorne, and J. Wheatley

Interviews

www.schome.ac.uk

A‘curriculum’ approachFrom Twining, P. Mistakes we have made

Externallydefined

Self-determined

Cur

ricul

um d

efin

ition

Traditionalschool

Group A’sprep work

Imposed Free choice

Curriculum choice

Discrete

Integrated

Dissociated

Authentic

No control

In control

De-motivating

Motivating

CALL principles in task design (Chapelle)

QUALITIES QUESTIONS

Language learning potential

Do task conditions present sufficient opportunity for beneficial focus on form?

Learner fit Is the difficulty of the targeted linguistic forms appropriate for the learners to increase their language ability?Is the task appropriate for learners with the characteristics of the intended learners?

Meaning focus Is learners’ attention directed primarily toward the meaning of the language?

Authenticity Is there a strong correspondence between the CALL task and L2 tasks of interest to learners outside the classroom?

Impact Will learners learn more about the TL and about strategies for language learning through the use of the task?

Practicality Are hardware, software and personnel resources sufficient to allow the CALL task to succeed?

Principles in MUVE task designQUALITIES QUESTIONS

Language learning potential Do task conditions have a communicative potential?

Learner fit Is there a balance between task feasibility and challenge? / is there appropriate scaffolding?Is the task technically feasible for a student who is not proficient in a VW?

Meaning focus Is learners’ attention directed primarily toward the meaning of the language? / Does that task make sense in the environment? Is the task engaging, and challenging enough for the language to become secondary?

Authenticity within the MUVE environment

Is the task embedded in the MUVE environment? Is it immersive? Is it cognitively authentic? (Scott Grant)

Impact Will learners get a positive experience from the MUVE task?/ Will learners feel the MUVE experience is worthwhile?

Practicality Does your school meet the technical requirements needed?Does the task take longer to set up than actually carry out the task?

Concluding remarks- SL: good starting point

- Anticipate failures

- Great number of approaches

- Educator’s creativity

- Decisions: pedagogical & technical practicalities.

- Consider learning curves

- Mistakes are an integral part in the learning process

References

Chapelle, C. (2001) Computer Applicatons in SLA - foundations for teaching, testing and research.

Twining, P. Mistakes we have madehttp://www.slideshare.net/PeterTwining/mistakes-we-have-made-09-03-29

Purushotma, R. ; Thorne, S. & Wheatley, J. “10 Key Principles for Designing Video Games for Foreign Language Learning”

Warburton, S. (2009) “SL in higher education: Assessing the potential for and the barriers to deploying VW in learning and teaching”

List of intervieweesName Institution Web address & contact

James T Abraham / Calisto Encinal (SL)

Glendale Community College,University of Arizona

Mi Casa Es Su Casahttp://calistoencinal.spaces.live.com/http://slurl.com/secondlife/GCCAz/73/79/24james.abraham@gcmail.maricopa.edu

Antonella Berriolo / anna Begonia (SL)

Istituto Italiano,Barcelona, Spain.

http://italianiamo.wordpress.com

Scott GrantXilin Yifu (SL)

School of Asian Languages and Studies, Monash UniversityAustralia

http://arts.monash.edu.au/chinese/staff/sgrant.php

Kyle Mawer British Council,Barcelona,Spain

http://kylemawer.wikispaces.com/ http://digitalplay.info/blog/

Pete MacKichan/Pete McConachie (SL)

Freelance pete@e-lang.co.uk

Wlodzimierz Sobkowiak -Wlodek Barbosa (SL)

School of English, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland.

http://ifa.amu.edu.pl/~swlodek/research.html

Graham Stanley British Council & Turismo Sant Ignasi ESADE Escuela de Turismo, Universitat de Ramon LulBarcelona, Spain

info@grahamstanley.comhttp://digitalplay.info/blog/

Julie Watson Centre for Language StudyModern LanguagesSchool of HumanitiesUniversity of SouthamptonUK

http://www.elanguages.ac.uk/secondlife/index.html  J.Watson@soton.ac.uk

Thank you!

Paul Sweeney (paul@eduworlds.org)

Cristina Palomeque (cpalomeque@ub.edu)

You can find our presentation here:

http://eduworlds.org

http://www.slideshare.net/friss