I am here - are you there? Sense of presence and implications for virtual world design

We use the language of presence and place when we interact online: in our instant text messaging windows we often post: Are you there? Research indicates the importance of the sense of presence for computer-supported collaborative virtual learning. To realize the potential of virtual worlds such as Second Life, which may have advantages over conventional text-based environments, we need an understanding of design and the emergence of the sense of presence. A construct was created for the sense of presence, as a collaborative, action-based process (Spagnolli, Varotto, & Mantovani, 2003) with four dimensions (sense of place, social presence, individual agency, and mediated collaborative actions). Nine design principles were mapped against the four dimensions. The guiding question for the study\u27s exploration of the sense of presence was: In the virtual world Second Life, what is the effect on the sense of presence in collaborative learning spaces designed according to the sense of presence construct proposed, using two of the nine design principles, wayfinding and annotation? Another question of interest was: What are the relationships, if any, among the four dimensions of presence? The research utilized both quantitative and qualitative measures. Twenty learners recruited from the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine University carried out three assigned collaborative activities in Second Life under design conditions foregrounding each of the two design conditions, and a combination of the two. Analyses from surveys, Second Life interactions, interviews and a focus group were conducted to investigate how various designed learning environments based in the virtual world contributed to the sense of presence, and to learners\u27 ability to carry out collaborative learning. The major research findings were: (a) the construct appears robust, and future research in its application to other virtual worlds may be fruitful; (b) the experience of wayfinding (finding a path through a virtual space) resulted overall in an observed pattern of a slightly stronger sense of place; (c) the experience of annotation (building) resulted overall in an observed pattern of a slightly stronger sense of agency; and (d) there is a positive association between sense of place and sense of agency

Robot mediated communication: Enhancing tele-presence using an avatar

In the past few years there has been a lot of development in the field of tele-presence. These developments have caused tele-presence technologies to become easily accessible and also for the experience to be enhanced. Since tele-presence is not only used for tele-presence assisted group meetings but also in some forms of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), these activities have also been facilitated. One of the lingering issues has to do with how to properly transmit presence of non-co-located members to the rest of the group. Using current commercially available tele-presence technology it is possible to exhibit a limited level of social presence but no physical presence. In order to cater for this lack of presence a system is implemented here using tele-operated robots as avatars for remote team members and had its efficacy tested. This testing includes both the level of presence that can be exhibited by robot avatars but also how the efficacy of these robots for this task changes depending on the morphology of the robot. Using different types of robots, a humanoid robot and an industrial robot arm, as tele-presence avatars, it is found that the humanoid robot using an appropriate control system is better at exhibiting a social presence. Further, when compared to a voice only scenario, both robots proved significantly better than with only voice in terms of both cooperative task solving and social presence. These results indicate that using an appropriate control system, a humanoid robot can be better than an industrial robot in these types of tasks and the validity of aiming for a humanoid design behaving in a human-like way in order to emulate social interactions that are closer to human norms. This has implications for the design of autonomous socially interactive robot systems

EU–originated MOOCs, with focus on multi- and single-institution platforms

No abstract available

Experts on e-learning: insights gained from listening to the student voice!

The Student Experience of e-Learning Laboratory (SEEL) project at the University of Greenwich was designed to explore and then implement a number of approaches to investigate learners’ experiences of using technology to support their learning. In this paper members of the SEEL team present initial findings from a University-wide survey of nearly a 1000 students. A selection of 90 ‘cameos’, drawn from the survey data, offer further insights into personal perceptions of e-learning and illustrate the diversity of students experiences. The cameos provide a more coherent picture of individual student experience based on the totality of each person’s responses to the questionnaire. Finally, extracts from follow-up case studies, based on interviews with a small number of students, allow us to ‘hear’ the student voice more clearly. Issues arising from an analysis of the data include student preferences for communication and social networking tools, views on the ‘smartness’ of their tutors’ uses of technology and perceptions of the value of e-learning. A primary finding and the focus of this paper, is that students effectively arrive at their own individualised selection, configuration and use of technologies and software that meets their perceived needs. This ‘personalisation’ does not imply that such configurations are the most efficient, nor does it automatically suggest that effective learning is occurring. SEEL reminds us that learners are individuals, who approach learning both with and without technology in their own distinctive ways. Hearing, understanding and responding to the student voice is fundamental in maximising learning effectiveness. Institutions should consider actively developing the capacity of academic staff to advise students on the usefulness of particular online tools and resources in support of learning and consider the potential benefits of building on what students already use in their everyday lives. Given the widespread perception that students tend to be ‘digital natives’ and academic staff ‘digital immigrants’ (Prensky, 2001), this could represent a considerable cultural challenge

LANGUAGE USE AND PERCEPTIONS OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (EFL) LEARNERS IN A TASK-BASED CLASS IN "SECOND LIFE "

Situated in cognitive interactionist theory and driven by task-based language teaching (TBLT), this study employed a multiple methods design to better address research questions regarding EFL learners' language use and perceptions about their language practices during task-based interaction in Second Life (SL). Findings showed that students perceived SL as a viable platform for language learning. Nine adult EFL learners worldwide were recruited to participate in this virtual course and used avatars to interact with peers via voice chat in simulated real-life tasks. Quantitative results revealed that confirmation checks, clarification requests and comprehension checks were the three most frequently used strategies. Two strategies that had not been documented in previous SL research were found--metacognitive strategy and "spell out the word." Negotiation patterns were also identified: single-layered and multi-layered trigger-resolution sequences. Additionally, the interrelationship among task types, negotiation and strategies was established--jigsaw task prompted the most instances of negotiation and strategy use whereas opinion-exchange task triggered the least. Results also indicated that EFL students had a statistically significant improvement on syntactic complexity and variety as well as on linguistic accuracy across all measured levels. Three core themes emerged from qualitative data: 1) perceptions about factors that impact virtual learning experience in SL, 2) attitudes toward learning English via avatars in SL, and 3) beliefs about the effects of task-based instruction on learning outcomes in SL. SL was endorsed as a promising learning environment owing to its conspicuous features, simulated immersion, augmented reality, tele/copresence and masked identities via avatars. This study demonstrated that implementation of task-based instruction can be maximized by 3-D, simulated features in SL, as evidenced in that 1) convergent tasks with single-outcome conditions stimulate more cognitive and linguistic processes; 2) 3-D multimodal resources in SL provide additional visual and linguistic support; 3) pre-task planning can optimize the quality of learners' linguistic performance; 4) real-life tasks that capitalize on SL features, accommodate learners' cultural/world knowledge, and simulate real-life tasks can make a difference in their virtual learning experiences; and 5) avatar identities boost learners' sense of self-image and confidence

ACUTA Journal of Telecommunications in Higher Education

In This Issue Classroom Technology: Practical Approaches Synchronous Blended Learning Using Videoconferencing over lP Planning for Classroom Audiovisual Technologies Optimization Tools lmprove Bandwidth Bottom Line New Technologies Redefine the Classroom WiMax Facing the WMAN Challenge Mobility and the New Student lntegrating lnstructional and Network Technologies for Distance Education lnstitutional Excellence Award Honorable Mention Interview President\u27s Message From the Executive Director Here\u27s My Advic

Proceedings

Proceedings of the NODALIDA 2009 workshop Nordic Perspectives on the CLARIN Infrastructure of Language Resources. Editors: Rickard Domeij, Kimmo Koskenniemi, Steven Krauwer, Bente Maegaard, Eiríkur Rögnvaldsson and Koenraad de Smedt. NEALT Proceedings Series, Vol. 5 (2009), v+45 pp. © 2009 The editors and contributors. Published by Northern European Association for Language Technology (NEALT) http://omilia.uio.no/nealt . Electronically published at Tartu University Library (Estonia) http://hdl.handle.net/10062/9207

E-Learning

E-learning enables students to pace their studies according to their needs, making learning accessible to (1) people who do not have enough free time for studying - they can program their lessons according to their available schedule; (2) those far from a school (geographical issues), or the ones unable to attend classes due to some physical or medical restriction. Therefore, cultural, geographical and physical obstructions can be removed, making it possible for students to select their path and time for the learning course. Students are then allowed to choose the main objectives they are suitable to fulfill. This book regards E-learning challenges, opening a way to understand and discuss questions related to long-distance and lifelong learning, E-learning for people with special needs and, lastly, presenting case study about the relationship between the quality of interaction and the quality of learning achieved in experiences of E-learning formation