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Mercedes Coca, Tamy Zupan Athina Chatzigavriil

Readiness to implementing Second Life in the language curriculum; Spanish Club in Second Life. Mercedes Coca, Tamy Zupan Athina Chatzigavriil. Session Overview. LSE Spanish Club in Second Life Pilot project overview Findings: Strengths – Challenges & lessons learnt Q & A Debate discussion.

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Mercedes Coca, Tamy Zupan Athina Chatzigavriil

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  1. Readiness to implementing Second Life in the language curriculum; Spanish Club in Second Life Mercedes Coca, Tamy ZupanAthina Chatzigavriil

  2. Session Overview • LSE Spanish Club in Second LifePilot project overview • Findings: Strengths – Challenges & lessons learnt • Q & A • Debate discussion

  3. Castors Retreat – The LSE island

  4. The idea: an enthusiastic teacher • Experience as student • Digital Game Based Learning • Final Year party • Research interest • Readiness to Adopting Second Life by Language Teachers in British Higher Education • Design Issues

  5. The pilot: Spanish Club in SL • Pilot period: January-March 2009 • Teachers: Tammy & Mercedes • Support: CLT

  6. Decisions taken Which course? • Compulsory v. Optional • Degree v. Certificate • Open to all students v. Limited number How many students? • 12 students (max) • Recruitment: Flyer/ppt Pedagogical model? • Informal (Games/Conversation) v. formal academic activities (Simulations) Frequency? • Length: 20 hours (10x2h) Training • Who/How/When/Where

  7. Initial model Final model • Informal model:Conversation / games • Self-contained tasksNot building across sessions • Tasks: Treasure hunt, karaoke, acting, role playing etc • Formal academic model:Global simulation • Progressive tasksBuilding across sessions • Tasks: Una ONG en Latinomérica

  8. Tasks of simulation NGO in LatinoAmerica • Choosing the NGO • Deciding the name • Mission statement • Press release/interview • Advertising a new post • Person specification • Job description • Job interview • Fund rising event

  9. Support and Training • Development of the island • Documentation wiki http://castorsretreat.wetpaint.com/ • SL at LSE computer room • Face-to-face student training • CLT support during sessions

  10. Findings: Strengths • Offered an immersive and “relaxed” environment • Enhanced creativity (i.e. creating avatars) • Students perceived attention of teacher much higher • Provided extensive and meaningfulinteraction enhancingstudent involvement in the tasks • Allowed students to focus on the means rather than the form (forgot that they were learning a language) • Offered participants the opportunity to explore topics meaningful and relevant to the curriculum • Reinforced peer relations, group cohesion and group dynamics • The use of collaborative tasks enhanced communication • Developed emotional learning • Wealth of media in one spot

  11. Findings: Challenges - Lessons learnt • Multitasking and flexibility • Requirement of highly structured sessions • Management of activities and students (incl. time) • Liaise with many people • Simulations not fully explored • Technical, accessibility and usability issues (platform/institution/individual) • Identity in virtual world and how to cope technically • Immersive environment (not for all) • Emotional challenges • Appropriate use of platform: reconcile the school priorities with perceived ludic activities • Individual perceptions: attitude to fun and digital games

  12. Thank you Questions Contacts: Mercedes Coca: m.coca@lse.ac.uk Tamy Zupan: zupant@regents.ac.uk Athina Chatzigavriil: a.chatzigavriil@lse.ac.uk

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