VLEs Su11

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Hello, all!

Welcome to the wiki for the Virtual Learning Environments class!

For more information on what a wiki is and how to use it, scroll down the page to General wiki info.

This wiki is dedicated to the sharing and exchange of information for the Virtual Learning Environments class
in the Graduate Media Studies dept at the New School: NMDS 5575 A CRN: 1542.


Contents

Syllabus

Virtual Learning Environments
Graduate Media Studies NMDS 5575 A CRN: 1542
Instructor: Josephine Dorado
Contact me by email

Course description:
What is a virtual learning environment? Is a website a virtual learning environment? Is it an "online campus"? Does it involve 3D virtual reality? How have current trends in technology, such as social media and virtual worlds, affected the processes and objectives of education? Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are designed information and social spaces that integrate multiple technologies and pedagogical approaches. In this course, we will examine a variety of VLEs, ranging from text-based fora such as Blackboard to 3D immersive worlds such as Second Life, and will focus on optimizing virtual world platforms for learning experiences. We will explore the processes involved, the kinds of collaboration possible, and the methods adapted to accommodate teaching, learning and sharing in these socially engaged, networked spaces. The processes of instructing and learning have evolved to include a more dynamic role for the student, from passive to active authors of the space, and in general, educational trends have emphasized blended forms of learning, consisting of both theory and praxis across different media and disciplines. We will integrate these aspects, learning about VLEs while being inside them, eventually culminating in the development of an educational project for real-world implementation. Students will collaborate with each other, creating multi-modal educational projects that will be conceptualized and developed in a virtual world, while being implemented in real-world partnerships with nonprofit programs.


Our tools

Many of the materials are available on the Internet and/or downloadable on our Google group. You will not need to purchase any books but you will need access to either a webcam or a digital video camera that you can hook up to your computer to use as a webcam.

We will be using a variety of tools available on the Internet:

For a full list plus other available tools, see the Resources page.

Your contributions

Participation. Because this class is a seminar, your thoughtful participation is essential to its success. You are required to contribute—courteously and meaningfully—to discussions on the class blog. Participation is worth 20% of your final grade.

Assignments. There are a series of assignments throughout the term. Completion of these assignments brings familiarity with some of the platforms and tools available for creating virtual learning experiences, while simultaneously discussing the concepts upon which they are based and the community and kinds of collaboration that develop around them. These assignments are worth 30% of your final grade.

Final Projects. Throughout the semester, we will be working with each other to develop multimodal educational projects in partnership with two NYC nonprofits. This final project will not only give you the opportunity to delve deeply into a research area of personal interest, but by working with these NYC nonprofits, it will also give you the chance to put the work that we do during the semester into real-life action. The entire project must be collaboratively conducted online, from concept creation, through development, realization and documentation. Document your progress and process on our blog. Post images/sound/video on sites like flickr, youtube, etc. and link to them on the blog. Address the key theoretical concepts involved as well as your thoughts about the process and output. This project is worth 50% of your final grade. Link to Class Projects


Our schedule

WEEKS 1 & 2: June 6-19

Getting acquainted: introductions, project teams and an overview of the virtual learning environments timeline.

What is a 'virtual learning environment'? Is a website a virtual learning environment? Is it an 'online campus'? What platform was the first online class that you took and what was that like? What sorts of shifts have happened as a result of developments in learning environments: from text-based to richer media?

Readings/viewings:

  • Wellman, Barry; Koku, Emmanuel and Jeremy Hunsinger. "Networked Scholarship." International Handbook of Virtual Learning Environments. Series: Springer International Handbooks of Education , Vol. 14. Weiss, J.; Nolan, J.; Hunsinger, J.; Trifonas, P. (Eds.). 2006. (Hunsinger_NeworkedSchol.pdf)
  • Harasim, Linda. "A History of E-learning: Shift Happened." International Handbook of Virtual Learning Environments. Series: Springer International Handbooks of Education , Vol. 14. Weiss, J.; Nolan, J.; Hunsinger, J.; Trifonas, P. (Eds.). 2006. (Harasim_History.zip)
  • Robbins-Sponaas, R.J. and J. Nolan. "Collaborative Text-Based Virtual Learning Environments." International Handbook of Virtual Learning Environments. Series: Springer International Handbooks of Education , Vol. 14. Weiss, J.; Nolan, J.; Hunsinger, J.; Trifonas, P. (Eds.). 2006. (Robbins_CollabText.pdf)
  • Peruse "The History of Virtual Learning Environments in the 1990s"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_virtual_learning_environments_1990s


Assignments.
a. Create a username and log into the class blog. For your first comment, introduce yourself. Write a short paragraph (bio).
We will all be posting class-related discussions via the blog and not via Blackboard.

b. Join the class Google group. We will be using the Google group email list to communicate logistical things and brief interactions. If you’re asking, “What is the difference between using the blog and the Google group email to communicate?” Mainly, the blog is public and the Google group is private; also, the Google group email will be used for more informational and logistical questions or brief exchanges, whereas the blog can be for longer thoughts and topical discussions.

c. We'll be using a variety of tools in this class and having some organizational tools will become essential. Delicious is an online social bookmarking tool that will help you store, organize and share your bookmarks. If you’re new to delicious, check out our What is Delicious? page. Create a Delicious account, if you don’t already have one, and add funksoup to your Delicious network. You can import your bookmarks into your account or leave it as is. One of the first bookmarks you may want to post is http://del.icio.us/funksoup/education which is how I’ve tagged links that relate to education. The feed to this is also posted on the left side of the class blog where it says 'del.icio.us: education'. When you come across a link that you want to save, post it to your Delicious bookmarks. Links that people in your network have posted show up under "Network". This way, we can share relevant links. Again, if you're new to it, please check out our What is Delicious? page. Post your Delicious URL to the class wiki.

d. On the blog, post thoughts about the readings, either by creating a post and/or responding via comments. Keep these questions in mind: What do you think 'e-learning' is? What is a virtual learning environment? What platform was the first online class that you took and what was that like? Did you think this was an effective platform for creating rich learning experiences? why or why not? What's the best online learning experience you've had and why? How has the transition of community (from geographically-based networks to online networks of scholarship and shared interests) affected your academic and social interactions? (Note: you don't necessarily have to answer these specific questions when you post your thoughts on the blog. You can write about whatever resonates with you. These are just jumping-off points to get the discussion started.)

Note that it's not necessary for everyone to start a new post. You can also comment thoughtfully on other posts as well. As long as you're participating in the discussion, either creating a post or commenting -- either are fine.
If you're new to blogging and you're not sure how to create a post or comment, here's how:

  • To create a new post, just log into the class blog which will put you into your dashboard. You can either click "New Post" in the upper-righthand corner or you can click on "Add New" under the Posts section on the lefthand side.
  • To create a comment, log into the class blog which will put you into your dashboard. Click on "Visit site" on the top of the page which will put you back at the home page. Find the post to which you would like to add the comment (in this case, it will be the first one you'll see, which is "Introductions - Summer '11". Click the "Comments" link at the bottom of the post. It will expand the Comments section and you'll be able to write your comment. Underneath the Preview button, you'll see a red box with two words in it. That is the reCaptcha spam catcher; you have to enter the two words that you see in that red box, in order to make sure you're human and not a spam bot, then you can click Post to publish your comment. Also, if you post a comment and don’t see it display immediately, it’s because your very first comment to the blog will need to be approved so as to prevent spammers (once you’re “approved” subsequent comments will not need approval and you'll be able to post and see it immediately).

e. During the first week, we'll be confirming the nonprofit educational organizations that we'll be working with over the semester. During the second week, visit the Class Projects page for project descriptions and choose one of the projects. Enter your name under the project that you choose. You'll need to create a username for this wiki in order to add your name/edit pages; to do this, click the log in/create account link at the top right of the page, then click Create an account.


WEEKS 3 & 4: June 20-26 and June 27-July 3

Presence, Collaboration & Play.

Part of having a richer (learning) experience online is extending our presence. What is meant by 'presence' and how can we extend it? How do we engage students online? "A network alone does not create collaboration" - what does? Why is play important?

Readings:

Assignments.
a. Post your thoughts about the readings/viewings on the blog. Keep these questions in mind: "What is meant by 'presence' and how can we extend it?" "How do we engage students online?" "A network alone does not create collaboration" - what does? "Why is play important?"

You can also think about the following questions as you use Twitter & Vyou (The assignments involve using Twitter & Vyou to build your online presence.)
Some of you are already avid users of Twitter -- what and how do you learn from your tweetstream?

How do video interactions like those on Vyou, change the experience of learning online?

How do either of these platforms (Twitter or Vyou) affect presence?

Note: Remember that you don't necessarily have to answer all these particular questions. They are just jumping-off points & you can also just blog about whatever resonates with you in relation to presence, collaboration or play.

b. Create an account on Twitter. Twitter is a micro-blogging platform that also allows for interconnecting between platforms (you can connect your 'tweets' so that they show up on your Facebook status, as text on your mobile phone, and/or within instant messaging like Google chat). The 'tweets' are limited to 140 characters at a time, so it's easily do-able. You can go ahead and add me: http://twitter.com/funksoup. Post your Twitter URL to the class wiki. Add your classmates twitter names too. You will be required to tweet at least once a day for the duration of this class. [Note: if you don't know/understand what Twitter is, check out this article: Why Twitter?]

c. Create an account on Vyou, a video conversation platform. Post your Vyou URL to the class wiki. Note that when you set up your Vyou account, you must also do a 'waiting' video (this is what people see when they land on your page) (To record it, log in & go to Settings > Video Profile Settings > Waiting Video). You'll also want to fill out your bio, so that people get a sense of who you are and what kinds of questions to ask (this is also in Settings > Video Profile Settings then Biographical).

Visit your classmates Vyou pages & ask a question. (see the Links page on the class wiki to see everyone's Vyou URL). When somebody asks you a question, you get notified and the question goes into a queue under My Messages, and it's held there until you respond to it (after which it's displayed). To record your response, click the Create Response next to the question. You're supposed to get notified when you get a question, but check back under My Messages in case the notification email gets inadvertently caught in your spam filter. For those that already have a Vyou profile made, I've put a couple of questions into your queue to get you started.

d. Work with your project teams to develop and post a working plan. Use online resources in your planning and execution process. For example, you may want to set up a Skype session to talk through it in real-time, or create a wiki page to share notes. Blog about your process and the outcomes.
When you blog, categorize your blog post either with the category "GPAlumni_11" for the project on creating a Global Potential Alumni Experience and Mentoring Program, or "GK_LTS" for the Global Kids Let's Talk Sustainability project, or "TiP" for the Teaching-in-Public project. (When you write a blog post, you can categorize it, by scrolling down to the Categories section and checking the appropriate category.


WEEK 5: July 4-10

Moving into richer media, participatory literacy and open source curricula.

What kinds of learning experiences have been explored in educational networked spaces? How does this environment affect the exchange between teacher and student, between student and student? How do methods of teaching and sharing change to accommodate a distributed nature?

Readings:

Assignments.
a. Continue to work on your project plans. Make sure that you document everything on the class blog. Remember to categorize your project-related blog posts as either "GPAlumni_11" (for the Global Potential Alumni Experience and Mentoring project) or "GK_LTS" (for the Global Kids Let's Talk Sustainability project) or "TiP" (for the Teaching-in-Public project) as appropriate.


WEEK 6: July 11-17

Integrating serious gaming and virtual worlds in education.

What is serious gaming? What does it do differently than other types of learning experiences? What will happen when navigating around 3D immersive virtual space will be just as easy as logging into Facebook? What kinds of learning experiences will invent themselves in this space? What will be augmented? What will be replaced?

View the following TED presentation on "Gaming can make a better world" by Jane McGonigal:

View the following presentation (Parts 1 & 2) on Virtual Education and New Media Literacy, which former Global Kids Online Leadership Program Associates, Rafi Santo and a colleague gave at the "Teaching and Learning in a Media Saturated World" conference at MIT on October 27th, 2007:

Readings:

Assignments.
a. We will be holding a real-time meeting with a guest speaker next week. A scheduling request will be sent out to determine which date/time works best for everyone.

b. Continue to work on your projects. Progress reports should be posted onto the class blog. Remember to categorize your project-related blog posts as either "GPAlumni_11" (for the Global Potential Alumni Experience and Mentoring project) or "GK_LTS" (for the Global Kids Let's Talk Sustainability project) or "TiP" (for the Teaching-in-Public project) as appropriate.

WEEK 7: July 18-24

To LMS or not to LMS.

What is an LMS (Learning Management System)? What are its affordances and drawbacks?

Readings/viewings:

Assignments.
a. Check out the following LMS's, then blog about your findings. Compare and contrast the features that you liked or didn't like:

b. Continue to work on your projects. Progress reports should be posted onto the class blog. Remember to categorize your project-related blog posts as either "GPAlumni_11" (for the Global Potential Alumni Experience and Mentoring project) or "GK_LTS" (for the Global Kids Let's Talk Sustainability project) or "TiP" (for the Teaching-in-Public project) as appropriate.

c. We will be holding a real-time meeting via videoconferencing and in Second Life, to open a forum with our guest speaker, George Haines. George is Director of Technology at Sts. Philip and James School, a K-8 school on Long Island. He founded the MicroIntern Program that matches his middle-school students with NY Tech startups for one-day internships. In school, the students use social media, connect and collaborate with other kids around the globe, skype with various experts in technology fields. They design games, create and edit video, record and edit podcasts. His students have received awards for "The GreenBridge" project, a project with students in Oman and Pakistan on a Ning where the students collaboratively researched alternative energy sources, created video and photostories, made reusable grocery bags, gave them out at local stores and then planted a tree on the respective campuses. In April 2010 his students were asked to speak at Jeff Pulver's #140conf about the "Twanimal Farm" project, where students recreated Animal Farm by tweeting as the various characters from the book. In 2011 the MicroInterns were asked to speak a two other #140confs about the MicroIntern program. He also helps teachers throughout the NY area learn about new digital tools and how to design better lessons through the use of technology during his professional development workshops.


WEEK 8: July 25-31

Check-ins and final presentation development.

Assignment.
a. Use this time to work on your final projects.

b. If you haven't yet viewed Jane McGonigal's TED presentation on "Gaming can make a better world" - DO IT. It's a pretty powerful talk on the role of games in learning & causes: http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html

c. Check out and play some of the games that were nominated for awards in the Games for Change Festival this year:
http://gamesforchange.org/festival2011/awards/

For example, you may want to try a couple of these (it's not necessary to play them all the way through, just check a couple of them out and peruse them/play for a little while, so it gives you a basic idea of how each game works):

"America 2049 is an alternate reality game on Facebook that presents a near-future America at a crossroads: civil liberties are in peril, and democracy is on the brink of destruction. You, the player, are an agent of the Council on American Heritage, tasked with the capture of a presumed terrorist."

"Based on the research of Dr. Myles Allen at Oxford University, Fate of the World simulates the social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years. The science, the politics, the destruction — it’s all real, and it’s scary."

"InterroBang is an online/real-world game challenging students to extend their learning and contributions to society by completing missions that focus on science, creativity, exploration and social good. Players are then asked to share and discuss their work online."

"EVOKE is a 10-week “crash course in saving the world.” The goal of the social network game is to help empower people all over the world to come up with creative solutions to our most urgent social problems."

There are many more games on the Games for Change site (click the Play link at the top of the page to go to see a database of games that engage contemporary social issues -- there are a range of topics such as human rights, environment, global conflict, etc.)

d. Check out some examples of Global Kids' virtual world programs: http://www.olpglobalkids.org/virtual_worlds/

e. "Deep Down (The Virtual Mine)", a TV documentary with a major component developed in the virtual world Second Life, just received an Emmy nomination, in the category "New Approaches to News and Documentary Programming"

The Deep Down Virtual Mine is a 3D immersive game intended to teach young people about the complex factors involved in the energy industry, from extractive processes to alternative energy sources. The Virtual Mine is associated with Deep Down, a documentary about the impact of coal mining on one Appalachian community. The Virtual Mine 3D game is a recreated town and power production system with a working mountaintop removal coal mine, power plant, and an emerging power crisis that players must solve through the game.

Info: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/deep-down/virtual-mine.html (includes links on how to play as well as a thorough Teacher's Guide)
Teleport link: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Mine/128/128/51

f. Post your thoughts on these games/virtual world programs on the blog.


WEEK 9: August 1-5

Final presentations and feedback.

Assignments.

a. Use this time to work on your final projects.

b. Final presentations and blog post
Date for final presentations: Wed, August 3, 8-9:15pm EST, in Second Life

Final project blog posts:

  • Project 1 - Global Potential Alumni Experience:
  • Project 2 - Global Kids/Let's Talk Sustainability:
  • Project 3 - Teaching-in-Public:

Presentation format:

Each group will have 20 minutes (15 minutes to present and 5 minutes for Q&A). Give an overview of the project (goal & solution) and describe processes, obstacles, modifications/solutions, and include relevant screenshots/images and/or other media. Also, answer your choice of one of the following questions:

  • Your project may introduce a change to the way in which the nonprofit engages in learning and outreach. In order for your project to be sustainable, what do you foresee will need to happen within the nonprofit?
  • How does your project leverage and create a richer learning experience for your specific target population?

MEDIA: if you have media which you would like to display during your presentation, please submit the media by Wed, August 3, 3PM EST to Josephine. Media should be formatted - ready to present in SL as such:

  • images as .jpg or .png format
  • powerpoint exported as images in .jpg or .png format (Please make sure you have clearly marked the order in which slides/images are to be presented (ie, name the files: "01-project name.jpg, 02-project name.jpg, etc, where "project name"=the name of your project.)
  • video in .mov or .mp4 format or youtube URL - if the file is large, you can post it on Box.net, invite me as a collaborator and send me the URL. Alternatively, you can also use other file storage sites like Mediafire or Badongo and send the URL.

Materials may be screenshots, photos from SL or RL, YouTube or project-generated vids, webpages, and virtually anything else you can use to enhance your presentation and make your project and your answer to one of the above questions concrete for us. If you have a PowerPoint presentation, you must export all slides as individual jpg files (it's an option under File > Export) and upload to Box.net or Mediafire or Badongo. Please make sure you have clearly marked the order in which slides/images are to be presented (ie, name the files: "01-project name.jpg, 02-project name.jpg, etc, where "project name"=the name of your project.

NOTES:
Please be punctual to our Second Life sessions. Remember to test your audio before class, to toggle your talk button off if you are not speaking, and keep your headphones plugged in at all times. Presenters will stand by the presentation screen and click it to shuffle slides. For video, please make sure you have a recent version of QuickTime on your computer. Everyone should ensure that they have streaming audio and video enabled.
- Me > Preferences > Sound & Media -- make sure the Sound Effects, Media and Voice Chat volumes are turned up
- Me> Preferences> General -- where it says "I want to access content rated" - choose "General and Moderate" (this seems to affect sound effects in the most recent SL viewers)

GUIDE FOR FINAL REPORTS/BLOG POSTS:
For your final blog posts, please post a summary of the project: description, processes, relevant screenshots/images, and the answer to one of the above questions. Even if you've blogged regularly throughout the process, please make the final post a concise summary so that anyone that visits the blog will get a clear idea of your project's processes and outcomes by reading that final summary post. It will serve as an archiving mechanism for the work you have done over the course of the semester, and the URL to your blog posts will hopefully be a useful addition to your professional portfolio. This post is due by 5 august.

  • due: 5 august
  • where: post to class blog
  • who: one final report per group
  • what (two parts):

1. briefly summarize your project objectives and process, obstacles, modifications/solutions, describe project progress to-date, and include relevant processes/screenshots/links.
2. answer your choice of one of the questions listed above.

References

References page


Links

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Resources

Resources page

Flickr tips: How to display images linked from Flickr

What is delicious?


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Notes

History of Virtual Learning Environments in the 1990s:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_virtual_learning_environments_1990s

Chapters in the International Handbook of Virtual Learning Environments:
http://complicittheory.livejournal.com/99141.html#cutid1

Interaction: Systems, Practice and Theory
http://research.it.uts.edu.au/creative/interaction/aw.php?papers=1

"Connected!"
http://spresearch.waag.org/images/connected-screen.pdf

Slideshare: Future Learning Environments
http://www.slideshare.net/mweller/future-learning-environments

Social and Cognitive Presence in Learning Environments
http://www.slideshare.net/terrya/social-and-cognitive-presence-in-virtual-learning-environments

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