Virtual Worlds

While reading the first article titled Educational Frontiers: Learning in a Virtual World, I asked myself the question “What is it that we can do in the Second Life but cannot do in our real teaching?” – the same question which was posed in the article Virtual Worlds: Moving Beyond Today. These two articles, as well as the exploratory case study on learner participation patterns and strategy use in Second Life, helped me formulate my own understanding of the use of virtual worlds in an EFL environment.

It’s true that virtual worlds are engaging, stimulating spaces which differ from traditional courses due to 3D graphical design. They increase the sense of community, allow to make mistakes which are great opportunities for learning. Shifting Ss from the passive roles of survivors to the active roles of researchers and explorers requires a change in their perception of themselves and their willingness to participate. Another benefit is that virtual worlds can support Ls with different learning styles: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic.

Moreover, the exploratory study mentioned above found that the highly learner-centered nature of interaction represents a positive finding that lends support to one of the main benefits hypothesized for network-based learning. This kind of interaction may facilitate learner autonomy. Also, the participants commented positively on low stress atmosphere of virtual worlds compared to a regular language class. These findings coupled to the presence of errors suggest that Second life can be useful in developing fluency rather than accuracy.

However, both Cynthia Calongne and Donald Welch remind that’s it is not easy to set up a successful virtual environment. The latter requires a blend of technology, tools, content, student ownership, engagement, course structure, feedback and other factors.

I believe that this is s big challenge for course designers. Donald Welch hopes that soon we will take a step further. But in the Armenian EFL context, taking into consideration of the current situation in our EFL classrooms, I feel that this step is very far; but how far is this far, is a question.

 

Digital Games

There is the impression that computer games have always been attributed at best an insignificant, and at worst a negative role in children’s learning life. It seems that the only function of games is to create fun or relaxing atmosphere. However, studying all today’s material for homework Ts can discover digital games as a powerful educational tool in the 21^st century. The main perspective in all these materials was to advocate the media literacy in education.

Thus, I totally support the argument in the video material “No Gamer Left Behind” that putting people in the environment where they can experience what they need to learn, where they can make mistakes, take risks, and try new things, can bring better learning than just sitting in the classroom and throwing info at them. These simulated environments can help beginners become experts. Moreover, when Ss become not just consumers, but producers of simulation technologies, they are able to express individualization and creative skills. Similarly, these skills of innovation, creativity, problem solution, collaboration, production are advocated in the material titled “Grading with Games”, as they are necessary to survive in the developed world. I’d like to quote the speaker’s idea that we need to be able to work in a group where the group is smarter than the smartest person in the group. One important thing for me was that games do not separate learning from assessment, which is really a painful part of learning for Ss. The frequent feedback given by games motivates the learner, when he fails, to continue on to success. The same idea is stated be Sasha Barab who says that failure is motivating and not smth to be avoided. It’s true that we limit our Ss in the classroom to be vessels to be filled with information. But games can allow them a vast opportunity of trying on various roles, which helps them see themselves as people who could possibly have that future.

Obviously, we cannot do this in the real world for a 10-year-old boy, but in a game. This is the reason that Sasha Barab and Marc Prencky voice their concern about “powering down” our Ss at schools. We, Ts, need to win this competition be creating a space where children can be passionate about learning.

We need to understand the reason behind the increased interest in games. Thus, the reason is the combined weight of 3 factors, which is discussed in the article Digital- Based Learning by Richard Van Eck. The first factor is the ongoing research conducted by DGBL proponents. The second involves today’s “Net Generation” or “digital natives” who have become disengaged with traditional instruction. And the third factor is the increased popularity of games. I believe that time brings cognitive changes as well which dictate fundamental shifts, in this case, in education. Marc Prensky in his book Digital Game-Based Learning has identified the 10 main cognitive changes in the Games Generation. There are twitch speed vs. conventional speed, parallel processing vs. linear processing, graphics first vs. text first, random access vs. step-by-step, connected vs. standalone, active vs. passive, play vs. work, payoff vs. patience, fantasy vs. reality, technology- as- friend vs. technology- as- foe.

Along with all these incentives for the use of digital games, there is an issue raised by Harvard Health Publications where some researchers claim that exposure to violent media can contribute to real-life violent behavior, while others argue the opposite. Although there is no foolproof evidence that any particular behavior could produce the profile of a likely “shooter”, parents should protect their children from the hazardous effects of games by providing limits and guidance as necessary.

The game that I chose to play was Darfur is Dying. I immediately started playing the game without reading the instructions. I composed this experience to the argument stated in grading With Games that scientists have always learned the language of science by doing science. I will describe my experience by the principle of situated cognition explained by Richard van Eck in the article Digital Game-Based Learning. I practiced multitasking skills, inductive reasoning, frequent and quick interactions with content and visual literacy skills. This interaction required a constant cycle of hypothesis formulation, testing, and revision. And this happened with immediate feedback. From the language learning point of view, it practiced active reading skills, and from the moral perspective, it taught perseverance, sensitivity, and humanism.

I would sum up all my exploration described above in the consideration that games thrive as teaching tools when they create a continuous cycle of disequilibrium and resolution while also allowing the player to be successful, and the implementation of DGBL requires careful analysis and matching of the content, strengths, and weaknesses of the game to be studied.

 

 

Digital Video

I recognized the fact that digital video brings the power of studio production to the personal computer. With just a video camera or a phone, a computer, and a proper software, Ls can create their own innovative and unique movies for personal and educational use. They can take advantage of today’s technology and to make their learning more engaging, more purposeful and more efficient. This tool provides a huge audience, which makes learning more responsible and meaningful.

As a learner, I learned new interesting things from this lesson as how to shoot my footage effectively, how to transfer it to the computer, how to use editing software to build and enhance material. And how to export it to the Internet. The video material by Santa Fe University taught me the 7 steps of video production, starting from the Treatment step to the ‘getting it seen’ step. The Tutorial by Lights FilmSchool illustrated various framing shots, such as a fool shot, a medium full shot, a close shot, a close up, etc. Curtis Brownjohn’s material revealed a lot of filmmaking techniques including camera shots, camera angles, camera movement, conversation shots, focus techniques, composition, animation, and editing. Moreover, the other two materials helped me understand the basics of lighting and discover some interesting tricks of camera angles.

Here, I’d like to mention that I read a lot, but I learned through my experience. The point is that if listening, speaking, reading, or writing can help the learner retain 60% of information, doing can help him retain 90% of information. This means that technology as an educational tool provides the opportunity which fosters collaboration and creativity where real learning takes place.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJVMXr2WGog

Creativity is an important component of learning as it brings the learner from the knowledge-based level to a level of the higher-order of thinking. I think educational technological tools can serve this goal providing room for exploring, reflecting, creating and sharing their creations with others across the globe.

 

 

 

 

 

Digital Storytelling: a powerful tool for learning

I started my research on digital storytelling with Tonya Witherspoon’s podcast which gave me insight into the role of digital storytelling in an EFL classroom. It’s true that pen and paper have never been a motivating tool for Ls in writing. Now, with the invention of digital storytelling we can help our Ss create smth more than just a text. This is the ability to weave images, music, narrative and voice together to create stories and give more dimensions and colors to situations, characters, and experiences. This ability can help kids get what’s in their heads out. The programs that can be implemented are paint, clay animation, virtual field trip, wiki, kidspiration, photostory, and Bubble share.  I found Paint and Adventure stories in Wiki rather engaging. At this point I would like to quote the famous philosopher Galileo Galilei’s remark as “You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it in himself”. This is what information and communication technologies can offer now.

The examples of digital stories on the suggested websites were really so attractive that I wanted to watch all of them. I saw that this tool enabled them to represent themselves.

The project conducted by Clifford Lee and Yumi Matsui with immigrants revealed that the Ss were impacted by the project as they knew they were going to share their real life experiences with an authentic audience. Still another study that revealed the Ss’ increased engagement was the one conducted by Janette Hughes and Lorayne Robertson. I was truly touched by Hilary’s digital literacy story dedicated to her Mom. In both cases, the Ss were given the opportunity to share their identity texts with real audience. This experience helped them make gains in self-confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of community. I think Hilary’s digital story was emotionally charged not because it had images or lyrics but because she had the chance to write her own voice.  I remembered one story I read once about a teacher who taught his Ss how to write an essay telling them to write their own voice. At the same time, his Ss helped him to open up and finish his unfinished book.

I would sum up my findings with Paige Baggett’s list of skills that digital storytelling synthesizes and adds one more skill. These are: researching, writing, organizing, presenting, interviewing, problem-solving, assessing, employing personal and technology skills, and writing your own voice.