Comparing a 2D environment (Adobe Connect) with a 3D (Second Life) environment.

I have really enjoyed exploring both Adobe Connect and Second Life over the past week.  I must admit that I am far more accustomed to a program like Adobe Connect than I am with Second Life.  AC is fast, safe and reliable. I have often been described as being very linear, and while I don’t think this an accurate description of my character, I was attracted to AC’s linear, and dare I say, conservative qualities.  I didn’t expect to feel that way given my exploratory nature, but  using Adobe Connect with a specific goal in mind; perhaps meeting with a colleague or a student, was far more engaging than having to log on to Second Life, which is a program I’m still relatively unfamiliar with, especially in terms of its use an educational tool. 

Second Life is ideal for non-linear asynchronous learning. I enjoyed exploring SL and evaluating it as a possible learning tool that I could use with my students. I must say however, that the barriers I mentioned in my previous  blog entries  dampened my overall experience and frustrated me at times.  Second Life requires a very fast operating system and a first-world (at least in terms of speed and dependability) internet connection. Unfortunately, I don’t have either of those things at this present time. Therefore, it wasn't difficult for Adobe to seduce me with its highly functional attractive interface. 

The experiences I had this week reminded me that simply owning a computer is not enough to cross over to the digital age. Thankfully, I have a solid background in IT and therefore was able to navigate Second Life without much difficulty (providing my computer and ISP cooperated).  Nevertheless, your average person, with a less than stellar internet connection and inadequate computer resources cannot possibly expect to be able to successfully navigate an internet dependent platform like Second Life.  

Under the right conditions I am a major proponent of 3D learning environments like SL. 3D learning environments encourage educators to continue to apply  the social constructivist theory and improve models of Presence Pedagogy (Bronack, Sanders, Cheney, Riedl, Tashner & Matzen, 2008). I simply wish I had the resources to fully appreciate the experience. 

As a frequent traveler and an ESL instructor in a developing country  the digital divide is something that deeply concerns me. Both of these technological tools are very useful, but given my current situation Adobe Connect was significantly more practical and user friendly than Second Life. However, that doesn’t mean it is a better overall learning platform. You may recall from my other blog World Englishes that every Eritrean uses Facebook Basic, not because it is ideal, but because running the regular version of Facebook is simply not practical given their inadequate technological resources. Let’s hope for a future where everyone will have access to proper computers and high-speed internet connections.  

Sources

Bronack, S., Sanders, R., Cheney, A., Riedl, R., Tashner, J., Matzen, N.  (2008).  Presence pedagogy: Teaching and learning in a 3D virtual, immersive world.  International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 20(1), 59-69.

http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/

A Quick Summary of my Learning Experiences

Prior to exploring Second Life, I didn’t know much about the potential of Virtual Learning Environments (VLE’s). SL is so much more than I thought it would be. The only thing holding me back from reaping all that it had to offer  were things beyond my control. My computer, which is slightly outdated and lacks the required capabilities for SL, and my Internet Service Provider (ISP) ; don’t get me started.

I think SL as a VLE is a wonderful idea, and perhaps if can acquire the tools I need to use it to its full potential I will indulge in all that it has to offer. Nevertheless, at this point in my career 2D learning platforms make the most sense academically and financially. For someone looking to learn asynchronously on their own time, a P2 environment like second life would be ideal and maybe even preferable to travelling to another country to learn a language.

When I was in Korea I reveled in my constant access to incredibly fast internet and cheap computer software. When I arrived in the Middle East I had to settle for a grid that was twenty or more rungs down from Korea on the technological ladder. When I travel to Africa, I can barely check my email.

A study in the UK concluded that  “without particular measures to overcome the digital divide, current practices in higher education reinforce socio-economic, cultural, ethnic and gender divides in access to higher education.” Second Life is an amazing resource that is full of limitless potential, but for who? This kind of technology is not reaching those who need it most. This is the problem that needs to be solved.  

Source

Sims, Julian,, Powell, Phillip, and Vidgen, Richard, (2005). E-LEARNING AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: PERPETUATING CULTURAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC ELITISM IN HIGHER EDUCATION. Retrieved 24 February 2014 from University of Bath: http://file:///C:/Users/dell/Desktop/20050141.pdf

  Language Learning Landmarks on Second Life

My first stop was Virtulantis, a free educational resource for educators and students. Teleporting never gets old and there are so many places to go it’s simply mind-boggling. Virtulantis is certainly an interesting place. There are notices everywhere for free activities, open gatherings and I was surprised to learn that they rely almost exclusively on volunteers. In Second Life, the virtual worlds are so vivid and so vast that you almost immediately feel a strong sense of presence. That is, of course, if your ISP doesn’t bring you crashing back down to reality. I just read yesterday that South Korea is launching a 5G service. Sometimes I wonder why I ever left that place. Anyway, perpetual lag aside, I enjoyed exploring Virtulantis. The island is huge and the facilities were top notch (as far as VLE’s are concerned). There were signs everywhere letting avatars know when the next class was. Everything seemed set up to be very communicative and relaxed. There were plenty of interesting places to sit and converse. Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, I had to do a lot of typing, but I’m glad SL still has that feature. It sure came in handy, and I was still able to enjoy the Presence Pedagogy (P2) experience.

Due to further technical issues and time constraints I decided to head on over to Drive-Through ESL; yet another 3D learning sanctuary for students and educators. Fortunately, while searching their website for more information I found one of the most comprehensive Second Life tutorials I have come across so far. I’ll embed a link at the end of this entry. Overall, they seem to have a very solid business model that like Virtulantis, focuses heavily on the communicative approach. One thing that particularly surprised me was the realization that there is a clear code of conduct and that business is being conducted. I think a lot of people join Second Life, thinking it's a wild free for all; a place where you can do whatever you want. This is certainly not the case. Laid back? Yes. Unprofessional? Absolutely not. I think that because SL is a 3D environment, people are less likely to misbehave. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I believe that whenever there's a strong sense of presence, people are more likely to respect each other. Anonymity breeds contempt.    

It really doesn’t take that long to become a well behaved virtual student on SL. Most tutorials stress the importance of learning how to stand up and sit down. If there’s a class happening on Virtulantis island or Drive-Through ESL island, all you have to do is teleport, walk into the allocated room and sit down. That’s it. It’s simple, effective and a very enjoyable P2 experience.    

Drive-Through ESL Tutorial    

First Impressions

My initial impressions of Second Life were unsettled. Before I joined, I spoke with someone who had experience with Second Life. A former colleague of mine who specializes in the open-source software Moodle  told me about SLOODLE ( a P2 SL version of Moodle) and gave me a brief breakdown of how SL works and how it can be used as an educational tool. He forewarned me that due the unpredictability of high-speed internet availability in Al Ahsa (my current home) using the program to its full potential might be challenging.

I have some experience with online gaming, so I imagined a similar world, but with less violence; Call of Duty was my drug of choice before I checked myself into gaming rehab several years ago. The required readings for a course I am taking on Digital Media alleviated some of my initial skepticism about 3D environments. I had heard of Second Life before, but usually in a negative context. None of that nonsense phased me. Initially, people who frequented online dating sites were seen as social outcasts. How times have changed. I challenge you to find even one American tween who doesn’t have an online dating profile; impossible. Most of my initial skepticism lied in the fact that I had previously underestimated the power of human cognition. Reading about Presence Pedagogy opened up my mind to the prospect of being able to feel a true sense of presence in a 3D environment. I was ready to give it a try.

I went through all of the basic initial formalities, which is standard for any online program. I chose my avatar and spent at least an hour trying to adjust his physical specifications to match mine. I gave up and went for something completely unrealistic. An incredibly tall muscle-bound hunk with a full head of hair; why not?  The orientation process was quite entertaining to say the least. I stood on the beach for  a very long time. I could hear my poor computer straining  under the pressure of running such an enormous program, but surprisingly there was very little lag at first. Some of the avatars who washed up on the beach with me immediately started flying, running around, undressing and talking, but me? I just continued to stand there, trying to figure out what to do next. I finally walked up to another avatar and tried to engage her in conversation. “Hello, this is really interesting” I said. No response. Oh well; I decided to fly. Even though my computer, along with my notoriously incompetent ISP were trying their best to ruin my experience, I continued to explore Second Life for hours.  I wondered to myself, “how can people possibly learn anything here?” aside from social skills of course. At this point, sitting down in a virtual classroom or boardroom seemed unfathomable. I was having way too much fun chatting with dogs from Brazil, cats from Oman and vampires from Slovakia; and flying of course. I love flying. Nevertheless, it was time for me to explore some virtual learning environments. Until next time.