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Explore the pedagogical use of digital storytelling and role-play in environmental curricula to foster engaging and interactive learning experiences. Discover how these methods promote active participation, social learning, and personalized education.
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Rich Knight Depart. of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape Email: Knight.rich[at]gmail.com Pedagogical use of Digital Stories and Role Play in Environmental Curricula
Story telling has been part of oral traditions that predate written language. It is central to our culture and our heritage and who we are. … but digital story-telling is new … it is seen to contribute to an Authentic Learning experience
Digital storytelling • Part of Environment and Sustain- ability Studies as a core principle. • Environmental Curriculum Leadership (EL) is usually Post- Graduate and mid-career focused. • Infusion of Environmental Leadership needs to be introduced into under-graduate curriculum. Environmental Leadership Explicitly introducing Environmental Leadership contributes to UWC’s Charter of Graduate Attributes.
Digital Storytelling provides… • Provides students with increased choice, conveniences and personalities. • Provides for WHERE, WHEN and HOW Learning occurs. • Provides information access, leverages expertise, contributes to peer evaluation and correspondence with mentors. Personalised Learning Internet Technology and Virtual Learning Environments are blended with face-to-face instruction.
Role-Playing as a Teaching Strategy • Encourages co-operative learning. • Increases student interest and involvement with course material. • Increases use of experiential (enquiry-based) learning. • Replaces Passive with Active Learning. Social Learning Promotes empathy, an understanding of different perspectives and social responsibility within a safe environment.
Introducing Role-Play into courses • Uses students back-ground knowledge (schema). • Complements this knowledge with new information. • Requires re-design of assess- ments that require role-play (conferences, plays, and newscasts) • Use Storyboards to act out different roles (e.g. government officials versus protestors) Implementation Encourage creativity and allow mistakes to be made (adds experience)
Four steps to Role-Play • Preparation by the instructor to define the activity. • Preparation by the students to enact gained knowledge (draft or storyboard presentation). • Presentation of Role-Play. • Debriefing including analysis of mistakes and options on future presentations of the role-play. Implementation Role-Play requires an adaptive approach involving more than one iteration.
Second Life for Role-Play • A “Cloud” 3D Virtual immersive and interactive environment. • Developed by Linden Labs and launched in 2003. • Users are called residents and interact using Avatars. • Interactions include to socialise, educate, role-play, trade and have “relationships”. • Uses 3D modeling composed of sculpted “prims”, scripts, currency and land transactions. 3D virtual Environments
Role Play: Commercial Environment • Large Estates and Islands (65 536 m2) cost $1000 to purchase and $195 and $295 per month maintenance (=SIM). • One server is dedicated to 4 SIMS. • A maximum of 15 000 “prims” can be supported. • Land is re-released through Property Agents through smaller land parcel rentals. • Open Source Scripting language and IP rights are owned by author to share/sell (Marketplace). • Own Currency 250 Linden = $1 (need big budgets) Virtual Environments
Second Life: Research validation • Stanford Prison Experiment (Zimbardo 1971): Investigated psychological effects of prisoner- guard relationships. • A Mock Prison duplicated effects of enforced authoritarian measures (Students role-playing). • Excessive psychological torture prematurely terminated the “experiment”. • Highly controversial/Unethical (= un-validated) • SL Role-Play could validate these results. 3D virtual Environments
Second Life eLearning Platform • Chat (online): Synchronous Communication Open channel (people nearby can receive it). • Instant Messaging: Synchronous (Online), Asynchronous (Offline) with stored email communications (Closed channel). • Note Cards: (Offline) Operates similarly to email using text-files and links (to graphical elements). • Groups and Group Notifications (with email notification). Allows Note Cards to be filed under the necessary Group (Assignment Submission). 3D virtual Environments