Second Life as a Learning and Teaching Environment for Digital Games Education

Previous studies show that online virtual worlds can contribute to the social aspects of distance learning, improve student engagement, and enhance students’ experience as a whole [4]; [3]. This paper reviews previous research of using online virtual worlds in teaching and learning, compares Second Life with traditional classroom sessions and the Blackboard, and discusses the benefits and problems of using virtual environments in the post-sixteen education and how they affect students’ learning. It also reports a study of using Second Life as an educational environment for teaching games design at undergraduate level, and investigates the impacts and implications of online virtual environments on learning and teaching processes and their application to digital games education. The sample was 27 first year students of the Computer Games Modelling and Animation course. Students’ views on using Second Life for learning and teaching were collected through a feedback questionnaire. The results suggest that virtual learning environments like Second Life can be exploited as a motivational learning tool. However, problems such as identify issues and lacking of role markers may change student behaviour in virtual classroom. We discuss this phenomenon and suggest ways to avoid it in the preparation stage

How has my learning enabled me to create and share an animated video to assist newly qualified teachers in the creation of a safe critical space for their students?

This paper presents my emergent living theory as it developed while I attempted to address my concern “How has my learning enabled me to create and share an animated video to assist Newly Qualified Teachers in the creation of a safe critical space for their students?” I explore how my learning on the Masters in Education and Training Management (e-learning) has affected me both personally and professionally and how my learning has impacted the learning of others. In particular, I look at the role of critical pedagogy as it impacted my development of the video. I document the creation and distribution of an animated video using the State package by Xtranormal, through one action reflection cycle. I claim that through the use of an animated educational video, NQTs may engage critically with classroom management and in so doing improve their practice so that they can facilitate critical discourse among their students in a safe environment

Themes and Moral Values of Stories From the Sub-continent Published in Youtube

YouTube, a popular video site in the Internet, publishes children stories which can be used for the teaching of English. Many children stories published in YouTube are based on famous fairy tales like “Goldilock and the Tree Bears,” “The Three Little Pigs,” and “The Frog Prince.” Many other children stories, especially those from the Sub-continent, are based on the less famous tales. Examples of these stories include “The Four Friends,” “The Wise Son,” and “Whispering Palms.” Although these children stories are not well-known, with their clear English pronunciation and English subtitles they offer useful resources for the teaching of English. This paper presents the results of content analysis of a sample of 10 children stories from the latter category, that is children stories from the Sub-continent. The analysis was focussed on the themes and moral values. The results of analysis show that the children stories contain everyday life and animal life themes which are close to children life. The children stories also contain moral values which promote the importance of friendship, respect to other people, and love of natural environment. With examples of themes and moral values as such, the children stories from the Sub-continent are relevant with the mission in the development of character. Thus, when used in the English classroom, the video-based children stories from the Subcontinuent published in YouTube not only provide useful materials for the teaching of English, but they also contribute to the development of students\u27 good character

Multiple representations in web-based learning of chemistry concepts

A new chemistry curriculum for secondary schools is currently under construction in the Netherlands, in which chemical knowledge will be embedded in contexts that show applications of chemistry in the society. Several research groups develop such modules and a committee appointed by the Dutch Ministry of Education advises about the chemical content and concepts.\ud A central issue in chemistry education is the relation between the real, molecular and symbolic world. Skilled chemists switch easily between these worlds, but beginning students do not. They could get better results and will be more able to solve problems if they would make better connections between the three chemical worlds. The University of Twente has developed a series of lessons about the particle model. Included in this instruction material are animations of chemical processes at the molecular level. In the lessons students are supported and stimulated to make connections between the three chemical worlds. Students are shown the importance of new chemical knowledge in society. The mental images and the knowledge schemata of the students are investigated in this research. The students were interviewed before they received instruction, and after they received about half of the instruction. At the end of the instruction they were asked to make a concept map.\ud It appeared that the links between the real, molecular and symbolic world are not strengthened after the instruction. The students make more links between the real and symbolic world, but hardly connect these world to the molecular world or vice versa. There is still a gap between the students’ mental models and scientifically accepted models as represented in animations and illustrations in the instruction. Most students liked the animations in the instruction and mentioned them as strong point. It is therefore surprising that some students could not remember the animations when they were interviewed, whilst others their representations were about the same as the animations. Clearly, the effectiveness of the animations must be enhanced and more research is needed for this

ANIMATION VIDEO TO IMPROVE STUDENTS' VOCABULARY MASTERY

Abstract: This research aims to identify whether or not and to what extent animation video can improve students' vocabulary mastery. This is a Classroom Action Research conducted at the sixth grade students of MIN Nglungge, Polanharjo. There were 2 cycles and each cycle consists of five steps, namely; (1) planning the action, (2) implementing the action, (3) observing the action, (4) reflecting the result of the observation, (5) revising of the action. The result of the research shows that animation video can improve the students' vocabulary mastery. It could be seen from these indicators: (a) students could spell the vocabularies; (b) most students were able to pronounce words correctly; (c) students could grasp the meaning well; and (d) students could recognize vocabularies. In line with the result, the writer suggests that animation video is one of the effective techniques in presentations as to increase the students' enthusiasm and their achievement in learning vocabulary. This result hopefully will motivate teachers to use animation video in teaching vocabulary to young learners. Key words: animation video, teaching vocabulary, vocabulary master

How can I produce a digital video artefact to facilitate greater understanding among youth workers of their own learning-to-learn competence?

In Ireland, youth work is delivered largely in marginalised communities and through non-formal and informal learning methods. Youth workers operate in small isolated organisations without many of the resources and structures to improve practice that is afforded to larger formal educational establishments. Fundamental to youth work practice is the ability to identify and construct learning experiences for young people in non-traditional learning environments. It is therefore necessary for youth workers to develop a clear understanding of their own learning capacity in order to facilitate learning experiences for young people. In the course of this research, I attempted to use technology to enhance and support the awareness among youth workers of their own learning capacity by creating a digital video artifact that explores the concept – learning-to-learn. This study presents my understanding of the learning-to-learn competence as, I sought to improve my practice as a youth service manager and youth work trainer. This study was conducted using an action research approach. I designed and evaluated the digital media artifact – “Lenny’s Quest” in collaboration with staff and trainer colleagues in the course of two cycles of action research, and my research was critiqued and validated throughout this process

Turning an Idea into a Valuable Teaching Resource and Research Output

This paper describes the journey of a teacher who became an author in Higher Education. The journey began with a simple idea about a fundamental resource book, designed to improve teaching in design and illustration classes with ever increasing numbers of novice fashion students, back in 1991. This resource was a taxonomy of fashion, designed to increase the awareness of garment shapes, context, proportion, terminology, construction, production and finish with a view to improving student knowledge, design and visual communication skills. The paper reflects upon the subsequent publications that built on the previous resource, as outputs of rigour, significance and integrity in shaping the author‘s approaches to teaching and research in fashion and other disciplines. It describes the development of the original idea and the subsequent acceptance of this for publication and illustrates how this one idea allowed for further opportunities for publications in a partnership with a global publisher. There are resource issues around gathering content for publications of rigour and originality and there have been challenges around communicating in the publications themselves due to technological and economical constraints. There are also practical resource issues around creating and designing the publications as well as the need for the development of personal skills when keeping up with changes in technology and the fashion industry. Each publication requires careful planning and needs to have unique reasons for being‘ that make it different to the competition. It describes the positive aspects of working with a colleague who brings similar skills and understanding, but a different handwriting and point of view to the publications. It looks at the impact of updating original editions and keeping the works contemporary. It also looks at personal and practical insights learned across almost 20 years of being an author with the same publisher