VIRTUALLY HERE Information for Students and Parents

This project is funded by Australian Flexible Learning Framework.June 2010

What is the Virtually Here Project?

Virtually Here will provide the opportunity for Online Hospitality students to meet and learn with their teacher and classmates in a 3D virtual world.

The Project will explore ways to make learning a more engaging, interactive experience with the potential for increased achievement and learning.

What are Virtual Worlds?

Second Life and Reaction Grid are two of many “computer-generated, three-dimensional, multi-user spaces, where people interact with each other and the environment through their avatars”

www.virtualworldsreview.com/onfo/whatis.shtml

AVATARSAvatars have movement and sensory

features much as a human would. In the virtual world an avatar is an icon or representation of a user and can be customised.

Examples of Virtual WorldsQuest AtlantisReaction GridThereAdventure RockAlpha WorldBarbie GirlsBlue MarsClub FishSecond LifeClub PenguinWhyville

Educational Benefits of Virtual Worlds

The potential for increased achievement and learning is evident in educational research:

Virtual worlds have the “ capacity to facilitate engaging and immersive experiences.” http://www.rezed.org

“..... immersive activities draw students deeper

into the content and processes as they learn.” http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2009-Horizon-Report-ANZ-Edition.pdf

Practical Examplehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARf8VMYRQy0 Immersive Learning: It’s Game On!

Aims of Virtually Here

To improve learning and results

Build relationships and a sense of belonging

To empower students with 21st C skills

 

Safety for StudentsStudent Safety Issues -

Privacy – personal information protection covered in student safety induction. Written permission will be sought for the use of images of students related to this project.

Access to inappropriate content – Reaction Grid is PG

Copyright – part of safety induction

Second Life and Reaction Grid Practical Session

Questions and Answers

Discussion and CompletionAcceptable Use PolicyAcceptable Use AgreementConsent forms for groups or individuals

appearing in any material for use on websites, in print or other media.

Virtually HERE TeamMaree Swanson - 11/12 Teacher - Polytechnic St. Helens. VET

Hospitality Online Delivery Teacher - Tasmanian Online Campus since 2002 and TCE Introduction to Sociology and Psychology since 2008

Philip Walker - Coordinator- Online Learning - Department of Education Tasmania, Online Campus.

Angela Cooke - Senior Education Officer eLearning Delivery - Centre for Extended Learning Opportunities - Department of Education Tasmania. This includes management and delivery of e learning programs to gifted and talented students across Tasmania. BUOY for Quest Atlantis in Tasmania. Has worked with students in Quest Atlantis for several years.

Roger Stack - Flexible Learning Facilitator - Tasmanian Polytechnic.

The Future “ Virtual worlds, especially as kind of campus

centres, as community spaces for students, are going to be very powerful. They are going to provide a sense of co-presence that distance learners don’t always get...”

( Robbins, 2009 )

This project is funded by Australian Flexible Learning Framework.

The Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework) is the vocational education and training (VET) sector’s national e-learning strategy. It provides the VET system with the essential e-learning infrastructure and expertise needed to respond to the challenges of a modern economy and the training needs of Australian businesses and workers.

References http://www.edna.edu.au/edna/go/news/podcast/eli/ELIEP9 https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/features/blog/2009/04/16/the-seco

nd-life-economy--first-quarter-2009-in-detail http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/03/16/second-life-still-alive-an

d-kicking http://www.rezed.org http://www.rezed.org www.virtualworldsreview.com/info/whatis.shtml http://www.associationofvirtualworlds.com/publication/the-blue-book/ http://virtualworlds.flexiblelearning.net.au/content/section%202(backgroun

d).htm http://virtualworlds.flexiblelearning.net.au/ http://www.holymeatballs.org/pdfs/VirtualWorldsforLearningRoadmap_0120

08.pdf -

http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2009-Horizon-Report-ANZ-Edition.pdf http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARf8VMYRQy0 http://www.eden-online.org/contents/conferences/OCRCs/Porto/AM_LM.pdf http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/ http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/educationaluses http://secondlifegrid.net/slfe/education-use-virtual-world http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/gettingstarted#about http://secondlife.com/

http://secondlife.com/whatis/ http://sl.nmc.org/join/ http://secondlifegrid.net/how/education_and_training http://teen.secondlife.com/whatis http://www.flickr.com/photos/hclearning/sets/72157601759232526/ http://virtualworlds.nmc.org http://slurl.com/secondlife/Teaching/112/117/23 http://jokaydia.com http://bit.ly/arAla http://virtualworlds.flexiblelearning.net.au/content/section%204.4(P

&Doverview).htm- http://virtualworlds.flexiblelearning.net.au/content/section%204.5(in

troduction).htm http://thejournal.com/articles/2007/08/09/the-teen-grid-bringing-you

r-school-into-second-life.aspx http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/educationaluses http://sites.google.com/site/rogerstackonline/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOFU9oUF2HA http://video.google.com.au/videosearch?q=educational%20uses%2

0of%20second%20life&hl=en&safe=active&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mro9Qzv--k8&feature=related

Sarah Robbins: “A pretty crazy ride” - The History of Education and Second Life- REZED REVIEW Volume 2. Issue 1. Spring 2009