"Designing Shared Virtual Environments for Learning"

 

Course Number: EDIT 797, Section 001

Mondays 4:30 - 7:10

Krug Hall Room 105 (CHd Lab)

Instructor:   Chris Dede

Graduate School of Education
George Mason University

Office Hours: M 1-4, T 1-4, or by appointment

Office: Robinson A317

Phone: (703) 993-2019

Fax: (703) 993-2013

Email: cdede@gmu.edu

Website: www.virtual.gmu.edu

Table of Contents

•  Course Objectives
•  Course Resources
•  Course Requirements
•  Class Activities
•  Papers
•  Assessment
•  Course Topics and Schedule
•  On-Line Resources

Course Objectives

As a result of this course, participants will be able to :

• describe current leading-edge work in shared virtual environments for learning
• to provide a variety of reflective experiences in shared virtual environments for learning
• to delineate and interrelate various theories underlying the pedagogy and content of shared virtual environments for learning
• to discuss and utilize exemplary instructional design strategies for developing shared virtual environments for learning
• to describe and illustrate appropriate evaluation strategies for shared virtual environments for learning

Course Resources

High Wired: On the Design, Use, and Theory of Educational MOOs..   C. Haynes and J.R. Holmevik. University of Michigan Press, 1998. Avatars!: Exploring and Building Virtual Worlds on the Internet. B. Damer. Peachpit Press, 1998.   Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet. S. Turkle. Simon & Schuster, 1995. Readings downloaded from the course website, as well as from other sources

 
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Course Requirements

• Attendance and participation in class sessions -- whether face-to-face or virtual -- is mandatory, as discussions and shared experiences are important parts of the course. The class schedule may change as the course progresses; changes will be posted on the course website and in GMU's Townhall.
• Each student is expected to complete all readings, assigned exercises, and course papers, as well as to participate in electronic discussions.
• Students missing a class are responsible for completing any exercises, readings, etc. before the start of the next class. Students missing the due date for an assignment must make immediate arrangements with the instructor to fulfill that requirement before the next class.
• Obtaining and regularly using a computer account with access to the Internet, the WorldWide Web, and GMU's Townhall discussion site is required. GMU makes such accounts available for free to its students.
• To enable individualization of the course to the needs of each student, special arrangements on requirements and assignments may be negotiated in writing with the instructor. Revised assignments typically involve direct, extensive involvement in some project engaged in the design, development, implementation, or evaluation of a shared virtual environment for learning.

Class Activities

This course will utilize a combination of lectures, hands-on experiences, discussions, and projects to help students understand theories, design strategies, and assessment techniques in developing shared virtual environments for learning.

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Papers

Each student is expect to complete the following two papers. Both a brief individual plan for each of the three papers (submitted via email) and the papers themselves are due on dates specified in the Course Outline. Participation in Class and via Electronic Discussions counts for 10% of the grade.

1) Reflective Experience of a Shared Virtual Environment for Learning (40%)

This assignment involves selecting an existing shared virtual environment for learning, experiencing in-depth the types of interactions that occur within this context, and preparing a twelve page paper that compares your experiences with the theoretical and design perspectives discussed in the course. (See more detailed instructions in the "Announcements" in Townhall.)

2) Design and Evaluation of a Shared Virtual Environment for Learning (50%)

This assignment involves designing and developing a pilot version of a shared virtual environment for learning, collecting feedback on the environment from other class members and from representative intended users, preparing a twelve page paper that discusses the design and evaluation of the environment, and presenting to the class a brief summary of the paper. (This assignment can be done as an individual or as a member of a team -- the length of the paper depends on the size of the team.)

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Assessment

Grades will be based on completion of course requirements and on the scope, quality, and creativity of the assignments. Incompletes in the course will be given only under unusual extenuating circumstances.

Course Topics and Schedule
(Subject to Change via Postings in Townhall and on Course Website)

Date	Topics	Readings/Assignments
8/31	Introduction to the Course  The Promise of Shared Virtual Environments for Learning	Readings for 9/7:              High Wired Introduction, Forward, Appendix Avatars Introduction, Grand Tour of Worlds Life on the Screen Introduction Assignments for 9/7: Post Introductions to Townhall Register for Course Mailing List Explore virtual worlds and design ideas for your world (see Avatars! website for updates on CD-ROM included with book)
9/7	No Face-to-Face Meeting  Asynchronous Townhall Discussion on Possible Environments for Exploration and on the Formation of Design Teams	Readings for 9/14: High Wired Chapters 1, 2 Avatars Gaming Worlds Life on the Screen Chapters 1, 2 Tapped In: An On-Line Teacher Community Please be sure to register in advance for Tapped In by following these instructions
9/14	The Participant Experience in Shared Virtual Environments Introduction to "Tapped In" MOO	Readings and Assignments for 9/21: Avatars Life in Digital Space High Wired Chapter 7 Life on the Screen Chapter 3 Tapped In Reference Documents   (also available with more formatting on the Tapped In website) Tapped In Reference Guide Tapped In Conversations Tapped In Things to Try  Tapped In Meetings  Tapped In Bulletin Boards  Tapped In Whiteboards Moo Teachers Tip Sheet
9/21	No Face-to-Face Meeting Synchronous Meeting in "Tapped In" MOO discussing readings	Readings for 9/28: High Wired Chapters 8. 9 Life on the Screen Chapters 4, 5
9/28	Writing and Discussing in Shared Virtual Environments Populating Shared Virtual Environments	Readings for 10/5:   please read the Introduction in Amy Bruckman's MOOSE Crossing dissertation; you need not read more of the dissertation unless you wish High Wired Chapter 10 Life on the Screen Chapter 6
10/5	The Metaphor of Theatre in Shared Virtual Environments	Readings and Assignments for 10/12: High Wired Chapters 3, 4 Life on the Screen Chapters 7, 8
10/12	No Face-to-Face Meeting  Asynchronous Townhall Discussion on the Representation of the Self in Shared Virtual Environments	Readings for 10/26: High Wired Chapter 5 Avatars Building Your Own World MOO-Building Commands
10/19	No Class -- Release Day for Labor Day Week
10/26	Designing a Shared Virtual Environment for Learning	Readings for 11/2: High Wired Chapter 6 Life on the Screen Chapters 9, 10 Nine Principles for Community Building Design Principles for Online Communities
11/2	Hands-on Work in Designing Your Environment	Work on Building Your Environment Lessons of Lucasfilm's Habitat Reflective Experience Paper Due (via email)
11/9	Hands-On Work in Designing Your Environment	Work on Building Your Environment
11/16	Hands-On Work in Designing Your Environment	Work on Building Your Environment Partial Draft of Design and Evaluation Paper Due (via email)
11/23	No Class - Release Time to Explore Each Other's Environments	Work on Building Your Environment
11/30	Hands-On Work in Designing Your Environment	Work on Building Your Environment
12/7	Class Presentations on the Environments You Designed
12/14	No Face-to-Face Meeting Synchronous Meeting in "Tapped In" MOO discussing the course	Final Design and Evaluation Paper Due (via email)

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On-Line Resources

(This section of the course webpage is under construction and will frequently be updated.
Please suggest links to include.)

Resource Sites

Educational MOOs

List of Educational MUDs and Related Resources

MUD Connector

Teacher Chat Rooms

Collaborative Virtual Environments Listserv

Educational Simulations and Games

Modeling and Simulation

MOO Manuals, Tutorials, and FAQs

Internet Gaming Zone

Multiplayer Games

Amy Bruckman's Course on Virtual Communities

Tools

JHCore MOO Server Information

Savitar: Shareware MUVE Client for Macs

Pueblo: Shareware MUVE Client for Windows

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