Slanguages 2009 Abstracts

SLanguages 2009 Abstracts www.SLanguages.net The State of the Nations Gavin Dudeney et al [ Dudeney Ge ] With the SLanguages conference now in its third year, I wanted to take the time out to reflect with everyone in the audience on where we've come from and where we currently are: have we developed as in-world teachers over three years? what are the current approaches? has any research reached maturity? where do we go from here? Writing 101 Iffaf Khan [ Iffaf Ling ] This talk looks at interactive writing activities in SL Avalon Learning Heike Philp [ Gwen Gwasi ] In January 2009 the AVALON project was awarded EU funding within the Leonardo da Vinci, Transversal Program. 26 European partners in 8 European countries joined in a development project which will last 2 years. AVALON stands for Access to Virtual and Action Learning live ONline. The partners’ goal is to explore Second Life for scenario based language learning. A brief 10-min presentation about the latest development will lead into a discussion as to what scenario based learning really is and how a course for a ‘mobile worker’ could be designed. The idea about the mobile worker is, for example, that this person would like to live in a target country (for example Iceland) in order to work there. To prepare his departure he starts learning the target language and upon arrival he might be confronted with any of the following situations: a) a medical emergency b) looking for a flat c) bureaucratic paperwork ... apart from needing to go shopping, small talk in a pub and other human needs. For these situations, we will design a course in Icelandic and all ideas on how to do this are welcome. LMS-Integrated Holodeck Scenes Kip Boahn [ Kip Yellowjacket ] A discussion on/demo of recent integration of the Claroline LMS and the Horizons Holodeck. Focus will be on the development of future LMS-integrated holodeck scenes - what is possible, desired, etc. Second Life as an Education Virtual Support António dos Reis/Xabier Basogain [ Barak Zapatero/Zubiria Rauch ] SL has been used successfully running during some years as a 3D tool for several branches of activities. Daniel Goleman, based in its "Emotional intelligence Theory" suggests that, pedagogic games and other activities using emotional approaches should be used in education. In the other hand our students today, are mainly digital learners. This it means, that SL has an enormous potential to be used in education process. A deep reflection, about strong and week points, improvements in the SL technology and "good practices" recommendations in education environment, is the main purpose of our presentation. Social Relationships in English City Jessica Driscoll [ Jessica Teacher ] How do The English City People characters in English City provide particular areas of language input for students? How have these relationships between students and the 'characters' facilitated interesting cases of language in context. The Project ‘ViTAAL’ revisited: Evaluation & Follow up Ton Koenraad [ Koen Antonioni ] In this session we would like to present the results of the evaluation research of the project ViTAAL. The project, introduced at SLanguages 2008, was an initiative of a partnership of a number of secondary schools and teacher education institutions, facilitated with a research grant by Kennisnet, the Dutch national

Schoolnet. We will focus on the organizational set-up and the lessons learned in the 2008 pilots realised in Active Worlds: - 3D Language Village: a virtual version of a current, real-life assessment practice for lower secondary education in which student teachers help pupils through virtual role-play and coaching activities to prepare for and do oral proficiency, performance-oriented assessments. - The SurReal Quest ‘ Panique à Bord’: this LanguageQuest is situated on a 3D version of the Titanic and centres on a detective-like problem solving task, involving integrated training of language skills and triggering interviews with the avatars of the story characters. Finally we present the project’s further developments. In this context we would like to discuss the definition of and first ideas for the EU-project Networked Interaction in Foreign Language Acquisition and Research (NIFLAR, 2009-210). This project aims to develop a pedagogic framework for the design of tasks geared at optimally exploiting the specific affordances of 3D virtual worlds for the promotion of intercultural communicative competence. Second Life Chinese School: Iterative Design for Embodiment and Game Play Dongping Zheng [ MinnSU Koga ] In Slanguages 2008, I presented the framework for designing problem-based activities in a virtual world, Second Life, and outlined how embodied cognition provided an inworld perspective in which learners can be attuned to an optimal lived in experience during interaction in the game-based Second Life Chinese School. In this paper I use a design-based research method to systematically examine how new designs change the environment for interaction with native speakers and among symmetrical interlocutors. This study stems from data collected during a triad’s one-semester participation in co-questing and roleplaying designed quests in Second Life Chinese School. Using online ethnographic techniques (Erickson, 1986; Hutchins, 1995) and computer-mediated discourse analysis (Herring, 2004), video screen recordings, in-session and post session semi-structured interviews, and bot-tracked actions data will be systematically analyzed. The design-based framework will help unfold how the second iterative design cycle came into action with formative evaluation. I will also report how beginning Chinese learners develop ability for language use and how identity emerges with newly recognized affordances on the trajectory of negotiation for meaning and action within the designed experiences. Preliminary analysis reveals that static quests in the first cycle served the role of scaffolding learners in recognizing sentence patterns and solving mini-problems. Tutors played a directing role and learners were dependent on overt instructions and factual knowledge. Tutors also expressed less excitement than teaching in a didactic instruction when lessons were prepared by themselves. Second iterative design represented more of game-like activities that invited learners to undertake quests in buying a gift or searching for a lost sword, during which non-linear trajectories and real life-like behaviors were demonstrated. Finally I will make the point that designing for an embodied experience will provide learners with opportunities in engaging in situated language learning, initiation of turns and creation of new utterances. The Ubiquitous classroom Shiv Rajendra [ Kingsbury Yeats ] How to leverage Second Life and other social media to immerse your students in Language. SLoodle 0.4 & Class Management Paul Preibisch [ Fire Centaur ] This demobnstration will show educators how they can use SLOODLE for classroom management administering quizzes, assignment submittal, and some of SLOODLE 0.4's new tools including: the Sloodle Presenter, the freemail blogger. If time permits, we will also discuss some of the newer experimental tools in development as well. Calisto's Show and Tell: Building An Immersive Environment For Language Learning James T. Abraham [ Camisto Encinal ] This presentation will demonstrate some of the innovative ways that the Second Life environment can be used to create immersive language activities for students. My goal has been to create a virtual study abroad experience in which students can participate individually, with other students or with their instructor. My project, San Miguel de Glendale, is an attempt to make this goal a reality. It features many levels of interactivity from simple click/receive information activities to interactive dialog using artificial intelligence.

Visitors will also be treated to an appearance of Peperito, the talking Mariachi chile pepper HUD that guides students in San Miguel. Attendees will gain creative new ideas about the types of activities that can be built using Second Life which can be applied as they seek to develop their own language learning environment. How Many Points Do I Get for Finding the Volcano?: Toward a New Pedagogy for the Virtual World Gloria B. Clark [ Gloria Almendros ] Pedagogy, most would say, has roots in the practical; its feet, so to speak, are firmly on the ground. For instance, we are concerned with how we get our students to that last day of class with the knowledge that we feel is necessary for them to have succeeded in our discipline. How do we share that knowledge in the most efficient, the most direct way? What are the objectives and what is the plotted trajectory to get there? There are standards to consider, syllabi to follow and outcomes assessment to plan for. Language study is serious business. Our students often find a classroom that is pre-planned and programmed; the path is laid out, they need only follow it. Second Life can change that path, with the many worlds it provides to explore and experience. This new venture needs a new pedagogy, one that does not depend on overused techniques from the past. Instead of adapting old methods to this new technology, it is time to re-think our approach. I have been using Second Life in my Spanish classes for over two years now, and have begun to develop a pedagogy that addresses the opportunities and needs of students in the virtual classroom. I am now moving to theorize my Second Life pedagogy and understand its place in the Foreign Language classroom. My presentation will highlight some of the shared experiences I have enjoyed with students in the basic language classroom and include my reflections on the pedagogy that supports our course goals. Real Benefit of Chinese Immersive Learning in Second Life Bingxin Chi [ Mayia Seesaw ] 3j Chinese School, as a complete virtual world, is one of the representatives of in-world language instruction institution. This school merges in Second Life in 2007, and provides Chinese Courses for all the non-native speakers of the Chinese language (Chinese Mandarin) in the world. This proposal gives a detailed introduction of 3i Chinese School and share experience it gained in two years’ teaching and running. Dogme ELT as a Pedagogy for Language Education in Virtual Worlds Howard Vickers [ Howie Yokishawa ] The Dogme ELT movement promotes the use of real life materials in the language classroom as a basis for stimulating communication to promote opportunities for language learning. And as such Dogme ELT questions the use of conventional textbooks. Language coursebooks have anyhow yet to appear in virtual worlds such as Second Life, so how can language educators draw on this methodology for their in-world teaching? What is Dogme ELT and where is it of most relevance for language education in virtual worlds? Examples of virtual world based activities that draw on the Dogme ELT principles. - How can virtual world activities be integrated into online or offline classes? The presentation will draw on recent blog articles (below) although it will focus on virtual worlds rather than web 2.0 in general. - http://www.avatarlanguages.com/blog/dogme-elt-web20-dogme20/ - http://www.avatarlanguages.com/blog/relevance-dogme-web-20/ She's not a real avatar? Learning without teachers in virtual reality Sally Langer [ Salsita Almendros ] This seminar will look at the informal learning program inside Languagelab's English City, in particular - the rationale behind creating a group of characters to populate the city and interact with learners the evolution of this program from a functional basis to character & plot driven scenarios to the addition of non teacher delivered tasks & activities What are the key success factors in this system and how can it draw the sting from loneliness some of the negatives of real immersion (loneliness, isolation) while providing many of its benefits? To what extent is the program's success a function of the activity program directly? To what extent does success stem from the ability to enable greater self confidence, community and relationship building among students? Blended Learning - Second Life in the Real Life Classroom Tan Li Wee [ Liwei Velde ] General Paper is a compulsory subject in Singapore’s Junior College education. It requires students to analyse and evaluate issues across disciplines, as well as to express informed opinions and a maturity of

thought. However, this has posed to be a challenge given students’ limited life experiences. Through Second Life’s immersive environment, it can help to provide stimuli to invoke responses through role playing in fantasy environments. Hence, helping students to gain multiple perspectives and enhance their ability to craft cogent arguments. An Introduction to Scripting Gavin Dudeney [ Dudeney Ge ] This practical workshop is designed for those participants who would like to start scripting, but don't know exactly where to start. We will examine the basics of SL scripting before moving on to apply them in a couple of useful tools. Full guide and examples will be given out during the session. Making Audio Posters for Vocabulary Practice Carol Rainbow [ Carolrb Roux ] This workshop will enable delegates to create image resources that language learners can interact with to hear vocabulary items. Aimed at beginners, all resources needed, as well as extras for further development, will be provided in the session. During the session participants will learn how to make a poster board, add an appropriate texture, adapt a script to make it play a sound file and add it to the poster. The last part of the workshop will show how to quickly produce new vocabulary items based on this model. Provided during the session: Sample English sound files including days of the week, season, months & numbers Textures corresponding to the sound files Touch and step-on scripts for interaction Notecards explaining the process for the touch script in English and Spanish A notecard explaining where to download Audacity and how to use it to create appropriate sound files for SL Posters explaining the process to put up in the workshop area Examples for delegates to try out, and freebies to take away All about HUDs James T. Abraham [ Calisto Encinal ] In this workshop we will look at the theory and practice of building HUDs (Heads Up Displays) and will make a simple one that listens for - and reacts to - user input. No prior knowledge of scripting is assumed. Learning Spanish: A Demo Class Dafne González/Cristina Palomeque [ Daf Smirnov/Cristina Papp ] In order to show how Spanish is being taught in Languagelab.com, the presenters will invite the audience to participate in a team-taught Spanish class. Then there will be time for questions and answers regarding the different aspects of the class. Bayeux Tapestry Exhibition Kate Boardman [ Kattan Hurnung ] One of the most valuable aspects of Second Life is to be able to experience environments that you might not otherwise be able to. One of the most valuable aspects of technology, in learning, has been the potential to create and provide authentic resources to students who cannot travel to or be admitted into museums, professional environments etc. Having spent 3 years working on an international research project to digitize the Bayeux Tapestry, it seems to me that despite its smaller scale than e.g. the Sistine Chapel, the Bayeux Tapestry is one of the great cultural artifacts of the Middle Ages that could be presented in SL to be visited virtually. Turning pages in a large format full color book is not the same as walking around the real thing. A zoomable digital exhibit might just take you one step closer. This visit will include an introduction to the embroidery, its history and importance, and an audio guide will be provided to delegates with a full commentary. Language Teacher Training in Second Life Nergiz Kern et al This panel discussion will present the experiences from a 6-week online workshop organised through TESOL's 'Electronic Village Online' and aimed at introducing educators to best practice in learning and teaching languages in virtual worlds (http://vwll.pbwiki.com/Course-Outline) Over 220 registrants signed up for the free workshop in Jan and Feb 2009. The team of four co-facilitators used both web 2.0 and virtual world platforms in helping a large number of participants in their journey from account creation to team teaching a practice lesson over the 6-week period. This presentation will begin by describing the

experiences and evaluations from the perspectives of the participants and the facilitators and then we will have a guided discussion on the best ways of using Second Life for teaching and learning languages. La Democratización de la Creatividad y la Producción Cultural en los Mundos Virtuales: un Reto para la Regulación Marco Chavez [ Brent Renard ] La producción cultural es algo que se lleva a cabo en todos lados constantemente, pero fenómenos como SL permiten que la gente además de crear, pueda dar a conocer a más gente su trabajo sin necesidad de depender de intermediarios como productores, editores o empresas. SL es una plataforma que propicia un entorno creativo, dado que su esencia es estar siendo creado permanentemente por los usuarios, y que los demás usuarios gocen de las creaciones de los demás. No obstante, este entorno pone en cuestión las formas de regulación que tienen las normas reales respecto a la protección de los contenidos. Second Life as a Social Learning Environment Howard Vickers/Pierre Moussy [ Howie Yoshikawa/Mieszko Beck ] Second Life offers language learners a place for meeting others to practice a foreign language. This twopart presentation hears from a language learner about his experiences in Second Life and from a language educator about the lessons learned for encouraging conversation practice in virtual worlds. What are the advantages of using Second Life for conversation practice? What are the experiences of language learners? What are their motivations? - Where do they see limitations to this approach? What are the differences between the in-world voice system and text chatting? - What can we learn from learners about how best to promote fluency through conversation practice in Second Life? Virtual Tourism: Self-directed CLIL in Second Life Graham Stanley [ Graham Netizen ] First, I will present the experience of organising a short course for undergraduate students of Tourism using Second Life for self-directed CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) - how it was organised and what the reaction of the students was. This will be followed by a field trip to some of the spaces visited by students on the course, with the same tasks, giving the participants a similar experience to the students. Finally, conclusions will be presented and participants will be given the oppostunity to ask questions. The Classroom is Dead - Long Live the Classroom Paul Sweeney [ Head Teacher ] Given the potential for self directed language learning in a muve, what is the role of the classroom? This talk, illustrated by several years of experience in Languagelab, will look at: the value of recreating the 'traditional' classroom in a muve - different phases of 'classroom deconstruction' over 18 months in Languagelab - the role of the teacher / guide / instructor / facilitator in supporting semi-formal and informal learning in muves - how student expectations of the above role can change according to what other learning activities they are participating in. guidelines for good practice