MOO Teacher's Tip Sheet

The Daedalus Group, Inc. provides a virtual classroom where students using the Daedalus Integrated Writing Environment software can work on collaborative projects using real-time communication tools. DaedalusMOO is at daedalus.com 7777 For more information, contact Traci Gardner, traci@daedalus.com

How do I prepare myself to take students to a MOO?

There are two big things to do: (1) become completely comfortable with basic MOO commands and the client your students will use, and (2) be as knowledgeable as possible about the basic workings of the MOO where your students will work. The amount of time necessary to feel comfortable with a MOO and a client will vary, but as a general guideline, you can assume you'll need at least a month, perhaps as much as a semester. In that preparation time, be sure to learn the general commands necessary for communicating and moving around the MOO.

In addition, you'll want to learn as much as you can about the MOO itself: what special places does it have for students to visit, what features are available, how can students learn more about what's available, and so forth. For instance, on DaedalusMOO, you might ask students to the Chamber of Features so that they can add special verbs which will allow them to use big signs or to paste in text. Essentially, spend some exploring to find out as much as you can before you bring classes to the MOO.

What kind of planning should I do before teaching on a MOO?

You'll want to think about the administrative details of taking students to a MOO and plan accordingly. You'll need to think about the client students will use and how they get it and about the local resources which are available to you -- do you have the network resources to connect your entire class to a MOO? More importantly, check very carefully into your school's policy for gaming and the educational use of computers. If your school has a non-gaming policy, gather material which proves your use of the resource does not fall under the "gaming" definition. Get permission to use the resources before you take classes to the MOO!

You'll also need to consider the managerial details of bringing students to a real-time environment, especially for distance collaboration The problem with real-time communication is that you have to find real times when groups can meet. That task isn't very difficult if you're just connecting students on your campus, but it becomes increasingly complicated with distance collaborations.

Think carefully about time zones and academic calendars. Is it reasonable for your students to meet with students half-way around the world -- would they even be awake at that same time? What midterm breaks and other constraints might affect students' abilities to meet and work together?

Don't forget that network problems can complicate matters further. Give your students guidelines to follow in such situations as finding that their local internet access isn't working, that their partner school's network is disabled, or that the MOO is down for some reason. Planning ahead for all the possible problems you can think of will help make the collaboration smoother.. Be sure you plan with the collaborating teacher to make the technical and managerial aspects of the project as smooth as possible.

What should I learn about the MOO before taking my classes there?

First, think about appropriateness. Make sure that the MOO is right for your classes. Does the MOO allow classes? Are there any restrictions on the size of classes or on the kinds of characters students can use? Do you need to schedule large class meetings in advance to insure that there are enough connections available? Does the MOO fit your pedagogy? Part of the time you spend preparing to take students to the MOO should include getting to know whether the environment is one which can accommodate your needs for resources (for characters and for group work) and one which really fits the kind of project you want students to participate in.

Second, investigate the netiquette of the MOO you plan to work on. To make sure that your students fit in as smoothly as possible, be sure to find out what policies the MOO has for manners. Further, talk to others, especially other teachers and wizards if you can, to find out how students usually work in the environment. The MOO might be one where students are expected to collaborate in specific rooms, or it could be one where students can meet anywhere. The wizards might be willing to answer any page, or they might prefer that students page only if they are in an emergency situation. Players might wander about freely on the MOO, or it might be appropriate to "knock" or "page" before joining other groups. The more you learn of the unwritten rules, the better you can prepare your students.

How do I prepare my students for collaborative work on a MOO?

Begin by discussing netiquette with your students so that they will know what behavior is and is not acceptable. Share all the information about the MOO which you learned in your preparation including how they should interact with characters they don't know, what they should do if they need help, and how they should respond if someone interrupts or bothers them. Make sure that your students think about all the possible situations they might encounter before they visit the MOO.

Next, you'll need to teach students all the basic commands for communication and movement as well as introduce them to the various places in the MOO which they might want to visit. Giving students help sheets with the basic commands and with lists of rooms on the MOO they might visit is a good idea. It's perhaps best to demonstrate the commands and show students the features on the MOO using an overhead projector to keep them from being overwhelmed.

Most important, give your students plenty of time to practice and become accustomed to the MOO before you expect them to do any major projects. Students need to get used to both the speedy nature of real-time communication and the commands used in MOOs. Ideally, they should practice locally, holding class meetings before moving to distance group meetings. These meetings might be structured so that students might progress over the period of several classes from simply holding a discussion in a single room to visiting several rooms, working in smaller groups, and using commands to page or mail other characters. Students should have a chance to try all these MOO activities in practice with one another before they need to use them as part of a collaborative project to give them the background necessary to make the project a success.

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