I was asked to give this presentation because I receive got been working over the in conclusion few months on designing a Business English linguistic communication course of pedagogy for Second Life. As component subdivision of putting together the presentation I came upwards amongst a listing of lessons I’ve learnt spell going through the procedure of designing the course. The listing is past times no way finalised too I’m sure it volition travel along to grow too alter equally I acquire to a greater extent than nearly developing materials for this world, but I idea I’d issue it hither for anyone who is interested inward designing their ain materials for linguistic communication teaching inward SL.
For anyone who hasn’t already visited Second Life therefore you lot tin ship away download some instructions from here too encounter how it is done (1.3Mb pdf). Be warned though. To access SL you lot demand to receive got a expert broadband connector too quite a powerful computer. See system requirements
So hither is my listing of things to think nearly if you lot are trying to pattern teaching materials for Second Life. Feel gratuitous to leave of absence comments.
Tips for linguistic communication learning materials pattern inward Second Life
1. Design exterior the classroom box too into the reckoner game box
Think nearly the kinds of mutual reckoner game genre. They are actually quite limited. The primary ones are things like
- Driving or flight games (Grand Prix racing etc)
- Shooter games (Kill everything inward sight etc.)
- Sports type games ( Football, Golf etc.)
- Strategy type games ( Zoo Tycoon, Hotel Tycoon etc.)
- Sims type games (The Sims, Sims two Pets etc.)
2. Build inward ownership of the environment
If you lot receive got your ain Island why non build a pupil surface area of some kind. Somewhere they tin ship away postal service their ain materials, pictures etc. or give them their ain room to decorate.
3. Give students command of their learning / activities
When you lot pattern learning tasks similar role-plays allow students hold upwards themselves, don’t endeavor likewise difficult to orchestrate things similar what they volition do, where they volition hold upwards or what they volition say. Good role-play is similar jazz improvisation, you lot render a construction too students improvise inside it.
4. Make learning too business goals clear to students
Sounds obvious, but when nosotros know why they are doing things nosotros oft accept it foregranted that students know. This oft isn’t the case, therefore hold upwards sure to allow your students know why you lot desire them to practice something too what you lot think they should hold upwards achieving.
5. Make sure that students acquire individualised feedback on their performance
Especially inward virtual globe activities where students are inward reality quite isolated too actually sitting at habitation on a reckoner alone, it’s real of import that they acquire some feedback on their functioning too know how they are doing. Keeping complaint cards at the prepare spell you lot are monitoring your students tin ship away hold upwards actually handy for making notes to transcend to them at the destination of the lesson.
6. Maximise pupil to pupil interaction
Now that Second life is going to receive got spoken language for everyone, at that spot is no excuse for the activities to hold upwards tutor led. Let the students piece of work together. Be sure to explore the vocalization capabilities too expect at how you lot tin ship away grouping too couplet students for vocalization chat.
7. Breakdown texts into smaller chunks too brand ‘input’ tasks collaborative.
SL isn’t a text driven surroundings too doesn’t actually lend itself to reading long texts. It’s much meliorate to split upwards your texts upwards past times giving a pocket-size chunk to each pupil on a complaint card, too therefore acquire them to reconstruct the overall important collaboratively.
8. Make the activities engaging on a mental (cognitive), personal too a cultural level
SL offers us the chance to connect people from all around the world, therefore hold upwards sure that your tasks too activities draw on that international sense too exploit the unique experiences that each pupil brings from their culture.
9. Build the materials into the immediate SL environment
SL is a wonderfully rich graphic environment. Try to brand sure your materials exploit that immediate environment. Get students doing things inward dissimilar places too moving around. Don’t but endeavor to recreate a classroom inward SL, recollect the most successful linguistic communication learning that happens goes on exterior the classroom.
10. Make tasks relevant to existent life too existent SL life
The borders betwixt existent life too SL are becoming increasingly blurred. Think nearly how virtual 3D worlds volition travel integrated into our everyday lives too the kinds of skills people volition demand to operate too communicate inward them effectively.
11. Exploit the ‘authentic’ SL world
There are lots of interesting too novel things to practice too places to travel inward SL, therefore why non exploit them too pattern activities around them? Get students to leave of absence inward groups too explore too practice reports, computer programme trips too tours for each other, convey dorsum experiences to percentage amongst other shape members.
12. Exploit the SL user interface
The SL user interface is an incredibly useful tool too has lots of features that tin ship away hold upwards used creatively. The snapshot tool tin ship away assist students to practice magazine reports amongst wonderful graphics or a photograph diary of their experiences. The painting tool tin ship away assist students to practice machinima. They tin ship away work it to practice their ain video interviews, advertisements, or tape role plays or drama productions.
13. Train learners to exploit the SL user interface / develop expert information technology literacy / study skills.
The user interface tin ship away also hold upwards used to a greater extent than or less effectively equally a study tool, to accept notes brand records or to percentage information. Make sure that you lot educate students to work it effectively, therefore that it aids rather than obstructs their study.
14. Build inward social interaction
Knowledge is socially constructed too linguistic communication is a social function. Try to pattern social fourth dimension too infinite into your course of pedagogy too your tasks.
15. Create too exploit data gaps
Make sure that you lot practice the demand to communicate inside your tasks. Creating data gap type activities is relatively slowly inward SL equally you lot receive got a lot of command nearly how too who you lot give data to.
16. Develop too exploit the students’ human relationship to their avatar
The SL avatar that represents your pupil tin ship away travel a vehicle for the seem of their personality. Think nearly how you lot tin ship away involve this human relationship betwixt pupil too avatar inward your activities.
The Slanguage 2007 conference was sponsored past times The consultants-e
Video too well transcripts of the presentations tin ship away hold upwards works life on the Edunation Island at: http://slurl.com/secondlife/EduNation/178/40/22/
If you lot are a instructor too you lot are interested inward developing linguistic communication teaching materials for Second Life or doing some linguistic communication teaching at that spot brand it comport on amongst The consultants-e as they are forthwith running seminars too preparation sessions inward SL.
