GAME ON: GRADUATE SCIENCE EDUCATION STUDENTS CREATING ROLE PLAHYING VIDEO GAMES IN A 3-D VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT THROUGH SYNCHRONOUS ONLINE INSTRUCTION
Len
Annetta, Ph.D.,
John C.
Park, Ph.D.,
Paper
presented at the 2006 Annual Conference of The Association for Science Teacher
Education,
Game On:
Graduate Science Education Students Creating Role Playing Video Games in a 3-D
Virtual Environment Through Synchronous Online Instruction
Abstract
This paper describes the design of
a new graduate distance education course at
Introduction
Today’s school children have been dubbed Generation N or the Net Generation because they have grown up in a networked world
where technology is not a novelty but rather a norm in everyday life. The
advances in technology in the new millennium may evoke a disquieting sense of
shock and awe among administrators and teachers when it comes to understanding
how to harness these new capabilities and merge them with sound pedagogy. Some
who would otherwise welcome new technology advances may become restricted by
lack of resources. Others possess the wherewithal, but lack the knowledge on
how to use the technology. But those who are persistent in their efforts become
travelers of the "high road" of technology, exploiting the power and
potential of the ever expanding technical capacities, which reside on the
leading edge of the technology continuum (Henrichsen and Murray, 1995).
Current research has suggested that
Generation N is more likely to engage
in online games than they are to interact in live, face-to-face learning
environments (Foreman, 2003; Neal, 2003; Prensky, 2001; Rejeski, 2002). In
order to address this change in student interest and approach to learning,
graduate students in science education were subject to an online course that
incorporated role-playing games to help future science teachers to understand
and thus use such games in their classrooms. The fascination with Pong™ in the
1970’s is today paralleled by the popularity of online, multiuser games where
people can compete against one another or work together to reach a common goal.
This paper describes the creation of a graduate distance
education course at
The course was created through funding from the Distance Education
and Learning Technology Alliance at
1. Find a viable source for synchronous, online course delivery in
a VLE;
2. Pilot the possibility of
teaching inservice teachers to design and create role-playing video games in a
3-dimensional virtual environment as a supplement to their science instruction;
What follows is
the rationale for this using a VLE for distance learning, a rich description of
the course, and lessons learned as they relate to the 2 aforementioned goals.
Literature Review
VLE in
distance education
Three dimensional (3D) worlds
provide various types of educational initiatives such as extension of the
classroom and as a medium for distance education (Dickey, 2000) and support the constructivist paradigm of instruction (C. Dede, 1995). All distance education can be grouped under the Virtual
Learning Environment (VLE) umbrella. Dede (2004) believes asynchronous communication provides for
convenient participation, deeper reflection, and archiving insights while
emotional and social dimensions rely on synchronous virtual interchanges. VLE’s
allow for synchronicity through real-time chat or Voice over IP (VoIP). These
seem to be commonplace in the lives of both college students and those students
in the k-12 arena. Today, students use virtual communities to discuss shared
interests (communities of interest), to develop social relations (communities
of relationships) and to explore new identities (communities of fantasy) (Hagel, 1997). Horrigan (2001) reported more people use the Internet to participate in
virtual communities (84%) than to make purchase transactions. Bruckman (1997) and Riner (1996)
found that text-based virtual worlds support constructivist learning through
meaningful collaboration and interactivity. They proposed simulations not only
have a text-based chat module, but the visual learner can be immersed in a 3D
setting as well. Virtual reality research suggests participation in a 3D
environment also supports the constructivist paradigm of instruction and may
bridge the gap between experiential learning and information representation
(Bricken, 1994; Dede, 1995).
There is another interesting development along generational
lines. Now, it's true that students are
arriving at college with greater abilities in online learning and an
expectation to learn in an on demand manner. However, what is even more intriguing
is that these students also arrive with brains that are more likely to have
been shaped by very visual, rapid movement, hypertexted environments (Healy, 1999). Zemsky (2004) reported students desire e-learning technologies for 3
reasons:
1. They want to be connected to one
another;
2. They want to be entertained
through games, music and movies;
3. They want to present themselves
and their work.
A Multi-User Virtual Environment
(MUVE) is an immersive 3D virtual learning environment, in which an avatar, or
graphic representation of the user, interacts with other avatars and objects in
an immersive visually-rich, simulated world in real time (Cobb, 2002). Dede (2004), defined MUVE as a representational container that enables
multiple simultaneous participants to access virtual spaces configured for
learning. It is a place where learners
represent themselves through graphical avatars, and communicate with other
avatars and computer-based agents as well as interacting with digital artifacts
and virtual contexts. The MUVE environment is designed to evoke in the user a
sense of virtual “presence”, that is, “a sensation the participant has of being
in another place while visiting a virtual environment” (Winn, Hoffman, and
Osberg, 1995). The feeling of “presence” is engendered by visual
representations of people and places, and in part by combining the power of
suggestion, which activates the students’ imagination in a simulated learning
environment (
MUVE’s provide environments where
team building is essential (Leonard, 1999). They are diverse learning experiences that provide
diverse activities in support of classroom curriculum. They motivate learning
by challenging, providing curiosity, beauty, fantasy, fun, and social
recognition. They reach learners who don't do well in conventional settings (C. Dede, 2004). VLE’s allow for development of higher levels of learning
and collaboration skills (Gibbs, 1999; Pilkington, 2000; Russell, 2000; Selinger,
1997; Tanner, 2000; Watts, 2000; Wilson, 1997). Problem based learning (PBL) and collaborative learning
are the most powerful educational options in higher learning if the technology
is harnessed with sound pedagogy (Oliver, 1999; Squire, 2002; Zemsky, 2004). Through teaching and learning in collaborative
environments, problem based activities can come to life. VLE’s encourage
students to explore beyond the boundaries of given material thus allowing for a
proactive and exploratory nature that allows the student to become a
self-reliant learner (Taradi, 2005).
MUVE platforms are currently being used for multiple
applications. As today’s students become more engrossed in gaming, MUVE’s are
becoming a viable solution to meet the visual and cognitive needs of those
students. Neal (2003) predicts game technology will replace classrooms,
lectures, tests, and note taking with fun, interactive learning environments.
Teachers need to evaluate MUVE's from an educational perspective to determine
whether they can be embedded into their teaching practices (Britain, 2000). For example, digital technologies can immerse the learner
in worlds that not only represent scientific phenomena, but also behave
according to the laws of physics (C. Dede, 2004; C. Dede, Salzman, M., & Loftin, B.,
1999).
Linn
(2004) examined the pedagogical
implications of ICT-mediated science.
She proposed 4 meta-principles to support knowledge integration: making
science accessible, making thinking visible, helping students to learn from
each other, and promoting autonomous learning. In a comparative study of 3
modes of distance education, students not only perceived they learned more but
post testing suggested students did in fact learn more when interaction and
collaboration was greatest (L. A. Annetta, &
Matus, J.C., 2004; L. A. Annetta, & Minogue, J., 2004; Annetta, L.A., &
Shymansky, J.A., 2005).
VLE’s allow for students to become immersed in a world where the principles of
Linn (2004) and Annetta, et. al (2004, 2005) is accessible.
Game
theory as an educational tool
Modern literacy not only includes
text but also image and screen literacy. It involves navigating information and
assembling knowledge from fragments (Oblinger, 2001). User-friendly technology
can be effectively integrated into a learning environment in which students are
engaged in the "active" process of learning. The combination
of Problem Based Learning in a game-simulation context within a MUVE is an
ambitious attempt to harness the benefits and synergy of these three features.
According to Foreman (2003, p.15), “Games expose players to deeply engaging,
visually dynamic, rapidly paced, and highly gratifying pictorial experiences
that make almost any sort of conventional schoolwork (especially when mediated
by a lecture or text) seem boring by comparison.” Neal (2003) and Prensky (2001) believe game technology will
replace classrooms, lectures, tests, and note taking with fun, interactive
learning environments.
Dickey (2000)
indicated that 3D worlds, such as those created with ActiveWorlds™, support
various types of educational initiatives.
Not only can these worlds provide an extension to the traditional
classroom, but also are an avenue for distance education. Additionally, within
the 3D environment is a function for linking to webpages. This will allow the developer to provide
text, image or other communication to the competitors that might assist them
through the environment. Furthermore, competitors can move along the x and
z-axes, but they may elect to activate the gravity option and thus move along
the y-axis as they float off the ground. Suler (1999) suggested these worlds
create heightened emotional reactions because it mimics the sensory experience.
There is not only realism but also suspense since objects move toward and away
from you. You don't know what is around
the next corner.
Avatars were
inspired by ASCII smileys and have
evolved into a creation of the user. The competitor can be anyone or anything
they want to be. Competitors can create
their own avatar. Dickey (2000) and Duffy & Cunningham (1996) agree that a
major goal of constructivist learning environments is to find activities that
support ideological interchange and reflexivity. The ability to take on the
multiple roles allows for the competitor to gain multiple perspectives of a
given scenario. Depending on the avatar
one creates, they might be able to do much more than they could in the physical
world.
Designing A Synchronous Distance
Course in a VLE
Designing a new course is not an
easy task. Designing a distance-learning
course in an environment that allows for synchronicity and visual stimulation
is not only challenging but is extremely risky.
However, high risk can be on a par with high reward. This inaugural course incorporated blended
learning model that consisted of thirteen graduate students, enrolled at
NCSU. All were either pre-or in-service
K-12 teachers. One NCSU faculty member
audited the course. Most students were science teachers, although one taught
history at a local high school. Students
generally lived within an approximate fifty-mile radius of the NCSU campus,
although one participated in a portion of the course out of state and the
remainder locally. As the course was
conducted entirely online, students were not obliged to travel to the campus
and could access WolfDen (the name of the MUVE created for this course) largely
on their own time schedule (except for scheduled lectures). The online nature of the course afforded a
benefit in terms of unnecessary commuting time and gas expense that are not
present in traditional courses.
Course
Description
The course was comprised of two exemplary game-simulations
on varying science topics. The simulations were inquiry-based and adhered to
constructivist theory. Science content knowledge of the topics presented in
each simulation was helpful, but not critical. The simulations were designed so
the prior knowledge of each student would direct them through the virtual
worlds, but each student would invariably gain greater knowledge of the science
phenomena through the process of solving the proposed problem.
Course
Objectives
The purpose of this course was to
advance student achievement in science classrooms by integrating
collaborative/competitive simulation games. Current research has suggested that
because today’s students have grown up in the digital age they are more likely
to engage in online games than they are to interact in live, face-to-face
environments (Foreman, 2003; Neal, 2003; Prensky, 2001; Rejeski, 2002). In
order to address this change in student interest, new pedagogy and skills
integrating instructional technology need to be created. This online course
incorporates the extensive use of game-simulations to help current and future
science teachers understand gaming theory and to design and construct games to
be used in their classrooms.
Specific
objectives of the course were for students to be able to:
1.
Demonstrate a developing understanding of game theory, storyboarding, and
online multi-user role-play games
2.
Demonstrate competence in developing skills of instructional, communication,
and assessment strategies that support, motivate, and monitor student learning
3.
Demonstrate developing knowledge, skills, and dispositions that encourage
reflective practice, collaborative action, and lifelong inquiry into teaching
and learning
4.
Develop an understanding for technology and cross-curricular integration into
the science classroom.
Course
Overview
WolfDen is an immersive simulated learning environment,
created in an educational virtual space, Active Worlds Education
Universe. WolfDen provided an immersive environment, rich in graphic
representations of objects, non-characters, and the avatar, or visual
representation of each student. An
important feature of the MUVE technology is that it enabled the course
instructor to use a variety of simulated environments during the course. A
Classroom built to resemble Poe Hall, an actual building on the NCSU campus
served as a lecture hall for certain aspects of the course. A Game Room provided a central point from
which WolfDen students and visitors could teleport to various instructional
locations in the virtual world.
Initially the instructor and his assistants created two complete
instructional games whose origin was the Game Room. These instructional games, “Phases of the
Moon” (Figure 2), and “Who Killed the Pharaoh,” served as models to the
students of the technical design and layout, content, and game features that
the students were to create during the course.
Figure 1. Screen
Shot of the Phases of the Moon Simulation
A Tutor
Room provided links to resources and instructions on building, etc. The
remaining space in WolfDen consisted of an expansive Building Area (The
remaining nearly 1,000,000 square meters of unimproved real estate within
WolfDen was available to students create their own individual game
simulations), in which students were free to create their own instructional
games.
There was no required text.
Technology,
Knowledge and Skills Prerequisites
The heavy reliance on Web-technology
was a significant factor of the course.
Students were therefore required to deal with technology on two
levels--technical and psychological. From the purely technical standpoint, the
hardware requirements were relatively stringent. To operate the Active Worlds
browser effectively, each student needed access to a relatively robust computer
and Internet connection. For example,
each student was required to have access to a computer with a minimum level of
capability (Pentium
Students were also required to
possess a base level of proficiency in using the Web, and to obtain quickly an
understanding of the ActiveWorlds™ interface, and to gain the skills required
to create and manipulate objects, that they placed in their
game-simulations. Students, who did not
possess a working knowledge of creating HTML pages and performing basic
operations using audio files, were compelled to gain these skills in order to
complete course tasks. While most
students enrolled in the course possessed many of the above skills, some did
not. Technical assistance provided by
the course instructor and by other course participants enabled those lacking
the requisite skills to complete their assignments. However, the challenge of amassing new
technical skills, while becoming familiar with the creation and operation of a
VLE, represented considerable psychological overhead to students with lower
comfort levels for the MUVE technology.
Creating
an Instructional Game-Simulation in a MUVE
A
critical objective in the course was to empower the students to learn how to
navigate within the MUVE geography and quickly obtain the skills to create an
instructional game, which would be representative of an actual activity that
could be implemented in their own classrooms.
To achieve this, students were required to gain a number of competencies
and skills in areas to which they had not been exposed previously. For example, students were challenged to
grasp the essence of instructional gaming theory, including the practical
skills of storyboarding to gain the technical skills to build a visually rich
and action-based game environment. This
required students to find and incorporate physical objects, such as buildings,
rooms, landscapes, content-related objects (e.g. file cabinets with
fingerprints), and non-player characters; to incorporate sound to enhance the
feeling of presence and authenticity of the simulation; and to link actions
within the game to web pages designed to move the game action forward; Finally, each game was required to be aligned
with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.
Integrating Pedagogy & New
Technology
To integrate Problem Based Learning
and Game Theory into the course, students were required to create a problem,
which addressed at least one North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NC SCOS)
and were assigned the task of creating a game with a story narrative that
fostered principles of PBL.
Participating students were already familiar with the principles of PBL,
and a live lecture in the first week of the course provided instruction on the
principles of Game Theory.
Since game theory and development
were typically new to the students, assigned readings and a storyboarding template
were provided to complement regularly scheduled live lectures held in the
virtual classroom, and facilitated by live audio (VOIP) from the course
instructor. The storyboard template
facilitated the generation of a game narrative and moving the game
forward. The final game produced by each
student required a basic proficiency in building within the Active Worlds MUVE
and the ability to embed triggers through basic scripting language specific to
the ActiveWorlds™ browser, such as moving, linking to HTML pages in pop-up
windows, bumping objects to cause various actions, such as playing audio files,
teleporting (moving the player’s avatar to another location within WolfDen
instantaneously or over the terrain in a straight line of motion), and moving objects
(up down, forward/backward, laterally) dynamically within the game.
Students typically worked alone in
the design of the game but were encouraged to collaborate freely with each
other and the instructor to resolve technical issues, such as locating desired
objects, creating non-player characters from avatars, mastering object and
avatar actions, and so forth.
At the end of the course students
presented their game, initially to selected classmates and ultimately to the
class as a whole. The purpose of the
formative evaluation feedback was to assist game creators in clarifying the
objectives and play of their games through peer feedback.
The course was designed to strike a balance between
synchronous and asynchronous elements. A
virtual classroom, consisting of pre-assigned “seating”, employed a live
lecture, which facilitated a discussion of the theoretical foundations of the
course, and which provided a central meeting place for the class to
periodically discuss progress and provide instruction and guidance on creating
a MUVE activity. Most of the course, however, involved asynchronous
manipulation of Active Worlds objects to build a functional activity. Each student was allowed to select a location
in the expansive WolfDen building area, select from thousands of building
objects, decorate and populate their project. The course instructor upon the
request of the student created objects not available to students through the
ActiveWorlds™ platform.
Conclusion
Student
Products
Despite the diversity in technology
comfort level and computer skills among the students, each student created an
end product with excellent educational qualities. Table 1 summarizes the wide
range of subject matter selected by the students and the related N.C. standards
in their game-simulations. Shaded area of table 1 illustrates the exemplar
games created by the instructor.
Table 1
Summary of Game-Simulations
|
Game-Simulation |
Subject |
|
“The
Stolen Fortune of I.M. Megabucks” |
Crime
Scene: heredity, investigation |
|
“Acme,
Inc.” |
Crime
Scene: forensics |
|
“United
States Foreign Policy” |
U.S.
history: conflicts |
|
"Captain,
Stop Doing That To Our Home or I Am Going to Have to Hurt You" |
Consumer
choices and pollution |
|
“Is
There Something in the Water?” |
Inquiry
on Air and Water Borne Illnesses |
|
“Atomos” |
Chemistry
Pioneers Game |
|
“Lambert” |
Chemistry |
|
“AW
Final Exam” |
General
Education |
|
“Releasing
Bubbles” |
Ecosystems;
Making predictions |
|
“Dr.
Friction’s Lair” |
Basic
tools (levers, wheels, wedges, inclined planes, etc.) |
|
“Ecology
Park” |
Ecology: Invasive Species |
|
“Nuclear
Decision” |
Environment:
Nuclear Power Interviews |
|
“Phases of the
Moon” (Simulation) |
tides, moon phases, solar system |
|
“Who Shot the
Pharaoh?” (Role Play) |
scientific inquiry, differentiating blood samples |
The
impressive array of student products is evidence that the course objectives
were achieved. Each learning activity
created in the MUVE related to a N.C. academic standard, and required
problem-solving skills on the part of the game player. The fact that each
activity was a standalone, fully functioning activity, attest reflects
commendable achievement on the part of the students. Figure 2 provides a screen
shot taken from Acme, Inc., a crime scene game-simulation created by one of the
students of the course.
Figure 2.
Screen Shot of Student Game-Simulation, Police Lineup in Who-Done-It PBL Lesson
Instructor-Student
Interaction
Although the instructor used VoIP almost exclusively in
delivering lectures, the students were reluctant to move away from text-based
communication to an audio one. When
offered the opportunity to choose between using VoIP or continuing with the
traditional text-based chat, the consensus of the participants was to listen to
the instructor via VoIP and to respond with text chat. Several students cited technical
difficulties, such as delays in transmission, which prevented a smooth oral
exchange. Feedback or echoing of their own voice through the microphone of the
listener, fading in and out of the signal, and faulty equipment. There was also
an affective impact of using VoIP. One
student commented, “I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. I’m more
comfortable (text) chatting.” The
implications of these comments will be addressed later in the Discussion
section.
Student
Reaction and Motivation
There was unanimity among participants that their students
would be enthusiastic and motivated to undergo MUVE-based learning
activities. There was a common
perception that the game-based instruction would go over well for the current
videogame generation. Participants
believe that their students would welcome the novelty from traditional
classroom activities that an online game might represent. One teacher suggested
that a student might consider the learning activity more like play than
work/study, and thereby be more engaged in learning than otherwise. Also mentioned was the possibility that the
MUVE environment might not limit the number of students involved, which is the
case with some video games, and the fact that the learning activity may involve
the use of several learning styles. The
combination of PBL and Game Theory led one participant to predict that
students’ curiosity might be piqued in the process of solving a problem
represented in the MUVE. One participant
stated that reaction to the MUVE-based activity “would depend greatly on the
quality of the design and creativity of the designer and instructor.”
Teacher
Motivation and Implementation
Most of the teachers were enthusiastic about the prospects
of implementing the MUVE technology in their classrooms. One was motivated by
the fact that this represents a new technology that might enable their program
to stand out from other programs and that the MUVE had promised to “allow
students to experience activities and events that they might otherwise be
unable to do because of distance or hazardous conditions.” On the pragmatic side, several teachers were
determined to use the MUVE-based activity primarily because of the time and
effort they had already put into developing the activity. Another student shared that her desire to
teach with a MUVE is fueled by her own enjoyment in learning through this
medium. One of her peers expressed a similar view by stating that she was
motivated by the anticipation that her students would enjoy the experience.
Another considered MUVEs to be an opportunity to stretch the limits of what a
student can experience by transporting the student into any type of world.
One interesting issue that arose
from the post-class interview deals with when the MUVE activity is used- most
of the participants envisioned that the new activity format would be used
during classroom time; others suggested that the MUVE lesson would be more
appropriate for after class review and testing.
A potential limitation cited was the lack of computer availability for
some students, which might make MUVE-based assignments optional.
Some students were skeptical about
their school districts willingness to host MUVE components on their
institution’s server. As in the initial survey, time required to create
MUVE-based learning activities appeared to be an issue. For example, several participants complained
about the large commitment of time required for them or their students to
create an activity or their own MUVE objects.
One participant touched on a possible solution to the time intensive
nature of MUVE development by inferring that the activities of developers could
be shared among each other. A final practical concern centered on several
students using their speakers simultaneously in the same room in a MUVE activity that typically contains
several audio components.
Voice
over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
Whether the reason was technical or psychological, or
likely a combination of each, the participants opted against using VoIP in a
two-way mode. An informal discussion led by one of the authors in day two of
the course yielded a strong consensus that the instructor should use voice chat
and the students should respond via text.
The reasons for this phenomenon may be twofold.
First, voice chat was simply
inconvenient. Some students reported
experiencing an annoying echo of their own voice in the form of feedback from
the listener’s speakers into his/her microphone. A transmission delay of a
couple of seconds exacerbated the situation and was described by more than one
student as “a little weird.” Voice transmissions had an occasional tendency to
become chopped off, to fade in and out, and to be interrupted briefly in the
process of downloading graphics or other data in the MUVE. While participants generally welcomed the
availability of VoIP as a potentially positive feature of the MUVE, most gave
it high marks, adding the caveat, “when if works.” Finally, if the instructor and all 13
students were to use VoIP during a discussion session, it is likely that the
volume of aural information would have been difficult to process by all
concerned. The instructor was able to manage the students’ text chat by
responding verbally to as many of the written messages as he could process
under the circumstances. Even then,
there were times when the volume of incoming text chats were such that the
instructor had to be selective about which communication for which a response
or comment could be made, and often had to identify the intended recipient amidst
a constant stream of input from other students. Although the instructor could
not physically respond to every text comment, each nonetheless represented a
potential catalyst for additional discussion by the group and added to the
synergistic effect of the discussion. By
contrast, a similar situation using VoIP as the means of communication would
have likely been chaotic and unmanageable, and actually slowed down the class
significantly.
A second possible reason for the
students’ reluctance to use voice chat may have a psychological basis. Text chat allows several seconds for the
recipient to process aural or typed input, and to formulate and produce a
written response. In fact, text chat
allows the user to preview and even edit a communication before posting it for
others to view. VoIP, on the other hand,
demands a relatively immediate response with little time for reflection. The recipient as technology delay might
easily perceive any delays in text chat.
Built into the delay, but unaware to the recipient, may be a kind of
psychological cushion, which provides a degree of protection from the speaker
by buying seconds of additional time for reflection and response. Also, the necessity of speaking into a microphone
may be relatively more daunting to a number of individuals, as compared with
the less revealing text, which is devoid of voice inflection, accent, pitch and
timbre, or speech impediments, such as hesitations, stuttering,
mispronunciation, etc.), While it may be argued that VoIP may have the
potential to increase the intimacy of the lesson by its immediacy and the
infusion of the authentic voices, the use of text chat in this situation may
have a distinct advantage nonetheless.
The above experiences, representing one of the first uses of VoIP in an
actual MUVE-based course, are valuable in describing the current efficacy of
this authentic communications medium.
Affect
It is not surprising that the consensus of graduate
student/ inservice teachers was generally positive and enthusiastic. Initially,
the enthusiasm was tempered by the degree of effort required by the students to
gain familiarity with the ActiveWorlds™ platform. Operating in a MUVE
environment takes some getting used to. None of the course participants
discontinued the course or failed to master the technology. The majority
of students, who felt they had sufficient resources and administrative support
at their home school, expressed either their desire or intention to implement
the course principles in their classrooms. Long term observation of
these students will reveal the ultimate success of the course in motivating
teachers to continue using MUVE technology at their home schools.
Discussion
Zemsky’s (2004) suggested that faculty members involved in
e-learning use the course management tools and supplemental technologies with a
"hope for the best strategy." MUVE’s can replace course management
systems with user-friendly virtual learning environments. Introducing multiple
learners raises many challenging problems of synchronization, tasking,
discipline, and resource management, but offers the potential of unleashing for
educational use one of the most powerful forces in the human psyche: social
interaction (Moshell, 2002).
The use of a MUVE by teachers in the
course required a great deal of social interaction among teachers in developing
and building their game-simulation projects.
Because the MUVE technology was new to all participants, there were many
opportunities for mutual support in finding objects, developing building
skills, and providing constructive feedback to one's peers. Each project was assigned two students other
than the principal developer, whose purpose was to review the project and
provide meaningful feedback. The
intensive time requirement for building future MUVE-based projects may severely
limit the number of projects a single teacher could undertake. However, by creating communities of practice,
teachers may be able to work together to create a large number of projects,
which will support many classrooms.
The teacher-participants in the
course were graduate students. The
degree of social interaction among them is indicative of the potential the MUVE
has for engaging their own students in a similar fashion. Experience with non-educational versions of
MUVEs similar to WolfDen has shown that the opportunity to build and create
within a MUVE is a powerful motivator to users.
The real potential to use this technology lies in its ability to engage
end-user students in similar social interaction.
When designing a MUVE-based course, it is a good idea to
involve the end-user in the design process (Cobb, 2002). One of the challenges of using electronic media in
science education is the conflict between "knocking down the walls of the
classroom" and creating experiences that are intellectually stimulating,
but are removed from reality in terms of having become a "virtual"
experience (King, 2001).
The gaming generation thinks in
fundamentally different ways than those who have not spent thousands of hours
engaged in small group digital competitions. Gaming in the science classroom
not only has the potential to be deeply engaging, but also provides a natural
forum for technology integration with dynamic visual representations of the
natural world. 3-D virtual worlds using avatars are quickly becoming the
standard in online games. The caveat is
they cost an incredible amount of money to design. Using an application created for online chat,
ActiveWorlds™ allows 3-D simulations to be designed and uploaded to the
Internet without the high price or intense knowledge of computer programming or
3-D wire frame design. Games designed in this application won’t be as rich as
the costly commercial games, but the environments can be modified based on the
skill level of the competitors (students) involved.
The game industry has boomed over the last 10 years. In
2002, an estimated $10 billion were spent in the videogame market. Game systems
such as the Microsoft Xbox™ and Sony Playstation 2™ allow thousands of
competitors to interact in virtual environments simultaneously. Unfortunately, most of the games created for
these popular consoles are not educational by design. Moreover, one-time stand-alone
games, Ultima™ and SIMS Online™, are now interactive worldwide as well. In the field of science, there is a lack of
substantive educational video games that are interactive, fun, and most
importantly promote meaningful learning. Rather than listen to lectures, or
plug-and-chug equations, students can now interrelate in immersed worlds.
The K-12 educational community has
yet to embrace gaming theory even though studies have suggested that students
as young as second graders have opted to play a geography video game rather
than go to the park (Foreman, 2003). As Masters seeking students who are
generally inservice science teachers, the this course not only enhanced their
science content knowledge, but also their science pedagogical content knowledge
and their knowledge of effective technology integration.
Games are considered more fun then
substance but some. One goal of this
project was to generate fun Internet based video games that were highly
interactive and had a strong foundation of science content in the design.
Teachers constructed a game that aligned with their curriculum for their
students to play. The games had to be solidly grounded in science content but
also had to promote a science career. The games designed by the graduate
students were based with real-world implications. Some examples are games that
focus on the science behind forensics, nanotechnology, and informal science
settings such as museums.
This course was taught online but
as a synchronous instructional strategy as opposed to the customary
asynchronous online courses. Current
research (Annetta, L.A., & Shymansky, J.A., 2005) suggest that the most
effective manner in which to teach through distance learning is for the
instruction to be mostly synchronous in nature.
Students gathered in a virtual building which replicated the science
education building on campus. The
instructor created all of the objects and textures while constructing the
virtual classroom. Through text chat and
voice over IP (VoIP), game design and construction was taught from a distance.
The goal of enabling students to move from a state of
virtually no knowledge and skill in the use of virtual environments, gaming
theory, and to some extent, Problem Based Learning, to one in which they
possessed the skills to create a functional and engaging learning activity, was
ambitious. Students possessed a wide range of comfort and proficiency with the
use of technology, and none had previously worked within a MUVE setting. Yet the technological output was similar for
most students.
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