Lesson Plan: Project-Based Learning in a Virtual World

Michael D. Smith EDIT 6400 Emerging Approaches in Teaching, Learning, and Technology (Dr. Orey)

Problem Statement:
Teaching in a virtual immersive environment (VIE) offers several potential advantages over a traditional classroom environment; the creative tools offered within the virtual world of Second Life are particularly appealing to educators because they allow the development of complex and immersive learning environments customized for any given application. Educators new to Second Life are unable to make use of this capability, however, because they lack the knowledge and experience necessary to use the tools provided within the virtual environment in order to create a customized virtual learning space. Designers of 3D learning environments (3DLEs) must also know how to take advantage of the affordances offered by a virtual environment in order to fully realize the potential of such environments for education. Too often, the tendency is to simply replicate a traditional classroom within a 3D environment, ignoring the unique advantages of working within a virtual space.

Target Audience:
This lesson plan is intended as an instructional program for educators and instructional designers who are interested in learning how to develop educational content within the virtual world of Second Life (or OpenSim, an open source virtual world platform compatible with Second Life clients). This lesson plan is designed for a group of 9 18 adult learners; ideally, participants will know the basics of navigation and communication in Second Life, and may have limited experience with building and scripting as well. Participants will be guided through the process of creating an account in Second Life and will be given a tutorial on using the client software, however, so although previous experience in Second Life would be helpful, it is not essential. Previous experience in other virtual environments may be helpful as well.

Instructional / Learning Model:

The learning model used in this scenario is Project-Based Learning; various tools will be introduced and explained, and then learners will gain proficiency with those tools by utilizing them to design and create a 3D build within the virtual environment.

Explanation of Instructional / Learning Model:

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is an instructional strategy that engages learners in a series of complex collaborative tasks based on challenging questions or problems (which are intended to present the critical concepts of the subject to be learned) in order to produce an authentic product or presentation. Learners work relatively autonomously, and actively build knowledge while choosing and organizing their activities, managing their time, and researching and synthesizing information in the course of completing the project. The project defines the context and provides both a reason and a motivation to learn the relevant information.

Project-Based Learning is based on Constructionist learning theory, and focuses on the use of a collaborative, learner-centered environment to provide experience with authentic tasks and insight into multiple perspectives on the challenges presented. The instructor acts primarily as a facilitator, and guides rather than drives the learning. The learners take ownership of the project and work with their peers to build and share knowledge, solve problems, and manage resources.

Relationship of Instructional / Learning Model to Problem:

Virtual world platforms like Second Life and OpenSim utilize a 3D avatar persona to represent the learner within the virtual world. A high degree of customization of the avatar is possible (allowing the learner to personalize their virtual representation), which tends to result in a strong sense of identification with that avatar; the avatar essentially becomes an extension of the learners self. This identification with the avatar persona, coupled with the three-dimensional experience of moving around inside the virtual world, leads to a strong sense of immersion and engagement with the virtual environment, which presents the opportunity for powerful and memorable experiences that enhance learning. The strong sense of identification with the avatar and of being engaged and immersed in the learning environment helps to support the learner-centric focus of project-based learning. At the same time, virtual immersive environments (VIEs) are inherently social, providing opportunities for meaningful collaboration and the potential for the creation of dedicated learning communities within the virtual world. Therefore, the collaborative potential of VIEs also lends itself well to a project-based approach. In addition, the Second Life and OpenSim platforms provide powerful and flexible building tools to create 3D structures within the virtual environment, ranging from simple objects to complex interactive works of art. Extensive scripting tools are also available which may be used to develop highly interactive environments. The power and flexibility of these creative tools make it possible to create authentic representations of real-world structures and processes in order to develop realistic simulations of real-world environments and scenarios. Virtual environments such as these allow a great degree of individual expression while also presenting incredible opportunities for collaboration and co-creation. The Second Life and OpenSim platforms also offer integration with various types of media, providing opportunities for multiple modes of expression, another key component of project-based learning. This creative, collaborative environment (coupled with the fact that virtual worlds are communities made up of individuals from all over the world) also presents unique opportunities for innovative assessment. Real-time collaboration allows for frequent peer/instructor feedback. Projects developed in the VIE may be presented to specific

communities within the virtual world, or may be submitted for public review by the entire population of the virtual environment. Components of project-based learning: Learner-Centered Environment Avatar representation and immersion in the virtual environment strongly support a learner-centered environment. Students will decide on the concept of their project and make their own decisions on how to implement it. The instructor and MKOs will provide general guidelines and structure and offer feedback and assistance (scaffolding) throughout the process Collaboration Collaboration will be key in this project; participants will learn collaborative skills, participate in group decision-making, rely on their team members, and have continuing opportunities for integration of peer and mentor feedback. Curricular Content Clearly articulated goals will be presented at the outset of the program; the final project will be based on standards provided by the instructor and MKO and exemplified in sample builds presented to the participants. Learning of content will be demonstrated throughout the building process and evident in the finished product. Authentic Tasks Participants will be exposed to authentic methods, practices, and audiences via the MKOs, sample builds, and potentially through professionals brought in as guests by the instructor. Virtual environments offer the potential to meet with experts in real-time from anywhere in the world, and to easily connect with members of relevant learning communities. Multiple Expression Modes Second Life and OpenSim integrate with various media and technologies which may be used in the planning, development, and presentation of the final project. Emphasis on Time Management Participants will be required to manage their time effectively in the planning, implementation, revision of their final project; learners will also have opportunities to reflect on their learning. Innovative Assessment Team efforts will be subject to frequent assessment by the instructor, MKOs, and peers; there will be continuing opportunities for selfassessment and reflection throughout the process, and feedback from residents of the virtual world is invited at the end of the program.

Lesson Plan Objectives:

Foundational Skills participants will be able to navigate and communicate successfully within the virtual environment, and to express their individual personalities through their avatar Navigation participants will become proficient at navigating within the 3D environment Communication participants will learn to communicate both publicly (via local chat) and privately (via instant message) Avatar Customization participants will learn how to extensively customize their 3D avatar

Groups participants will learn how to discover and join groups relevant to their interests

Creative Skills participants will be able to build complex 3D objects and structures within the virtual environment, and bring them to life with textures and scripts; they will also have a sense for what is possible through the advanced application of these tools Basic building skills participants will learn how to build complex objects Basic design skills participants will learn how to use textures effectively to enhance their builds Basic scripting skills participants will learn how to create and modify basic scripts in LSL (Linden Scripting Language)

Resources participants will be able to present various examples of immersive, engaging virtual environments and effective 3DLEs in-world, and will know where to find additional in-world resources for assistance and learning Examples of immersive and engaging environments Examples of effective 3D learning environments Learning resources o Building tutorials and other resources o Design tutorials and other resources o Scripting tutorials and other resources o Learning communities

Final Project learners will showcase their skills presenting an example of an immersive, engaging virtual learning environment that they have collaborated on and built during the class Collaboration skills learners will gain experience working in a collaborative environment Group building skills learners will gain experience in team-based co-creation Networking learners will connect with experts in the field

Lesson Plan Details:

This lesson plan has been designed as a nine-week course with three hours of class time per week. The course could be held as one three-hour class, two one and a half hour classes, or three one-hour classes each week, depending on the restraints and preferences of the instructor and students. Unit 1 (one week) Registration/Tutorial: Learners will be guided through registration and given a tutorial on the environment by the instructor. Ideally, this unit will take place face to face in a classroom setting providing an individual computer for each participant, although using Skype or some other real-time collaborative platform to connect online can also be effective.

Registration the instructor will guide participants through the process of setting up a free account in Second Life o Choosing a name o Downloading the client software o Signing in Navigation the instructor will guide learners through the basics of navigation within the 3D environment o Movement controls o Camera controls o Using landmarks o Using the world map Communication the instructor will guide learners through the basics of both public communication (via local and group chat) and private communication (via instant message) o Using local chat o Using group chat o Using private IM Avatar customization the instructor will guide learners through the basics of customizing their 3D avatar o Using library avatars o Editing appearance o Wearing clothing o Using attachments o Using gestures, animations, and animation overrides Inventory management the instructor will guide learners through the basics of working with in-world objects and inventory management o Rezzing objects from inventory o Picking up objects o Organizing inventory

Unit 2 (one week) Introduction to Building: Once basic navigational and communications skills are mastered, basic building and design skills will be introduced by the instructor or some other MKO. Basic skills will be demonstrated and the participants will be led through exercises to teach and reinforce those skills. Basic building skills o Moving objects o Creating new objects o Duplicating objects o Manipulating objects o Linking objects Basic design skills o Using textures Reading (for the next class session): o Learning in 3D Chapters 1 and 2 o Scripting Your World Chapter 1

Unit 3 (one week) Introduction to Scripting: Basic scripting skills will be introduced by the instructor or some other MKO. Basic skills will be demonstrated and the participants will be led through exercises to teach and reinforce those skills. Basic scripting skills o Structure of a script o Types o Variables o Flow control o Operators o Functions o Events and event handlers o States Reading (for the next class session): o Learning in 3D Chapter 3 o Scripting Your World Chapters 2 and 3

Unit 4 (one week) Exploration: Participants will be taken on tours (given by the instructor and MKOs or other guests) to various locations within the virtual environment in order to give them a sense of what is possible. Complex environments will be featured, and participants will be shown some 3DLEs that have been developed by experts and introduced to various in-world learning resources. Tour - immersive environments in Second Life Tour - examples of effective 3DLEs Tour - learning resources o Building tutorials and other resources o Design tutorials and other resources o Scripting tutorials and other resources o Learning communities Reading (for the next class session): o Learning in 3D Chapter 4 o Scripting Your World Chapters 4 and 5

Unit 5 (one week) 3DLE Design Principles: Participants will be introduced to 3DLE design principles and concepts in a presentation by the instructor. Examples of these principles and concepts in current builds will be presented and highlighted. 3DLE design principles o Seven Sensibilities of VIEs o 3DLE Design Principles o 3DLE Macrostructures o 3DLE Archtypes Reading (for the next class session): o Learning in 3D Chapters 5 and 6 o Scripting Your World Chapter 7

Unit 6 (one week) Planning: Participants will decide on a final project build and then break up into teams to work on components of the final build. The participants should come up with a complex structure of some sort that will be used to present a learning goal of some sort (such as a museum, historical simulation, or some other detailed presentation of a specific learning environment). The instructor will present basic guidelines for project selection, offer some suggestions/examples, and approve the final selection of the project. The instructor will then assign students to teams to ensure a mix of backgrounds and abilities. Team leaders will be chosen by the instructor to facilitate communication between teams and to keep the learners on task for a cohesive final build. Class discussion picking a project Team assignments Team leader assignments Team discussions

Unit 7 (four weeks) Creating: Participants will be given time to design and implement their builds; the instructor will act as a facilitator and (along with the other MKOs) as a resource. Peer feedback will be given throughout the development process. Individual teams will meet each week to discuss individual team builds and provide feedback to other teams Team leaders will meet separately each week (along with the instructor and MKOs) to coordinate the overall build; MKOs will be available as resources throughout the process During this time, the instructor and MKOs will also develop advertising for the final presentation and distribute it to various inworld groups

Unit 8 (one week) Processing: Participants will reflect on the finished project and offer final feedback to the other teams; at the end of the week, the project will be subject to review by the instructor and MKOs before it is opened to the public (access will be opened to all of the inhabitants of the virtual world). Reflection each participant will come up with two different lists: o what they could have done differently in their portion of the project and why o what they feel worked well in their portion of the project and why Final team feedback each team will come up with comparable lists for each of the other teams: o what the other teams could have done differently in their portions of the project and why o what they feel worked well in the other teams portions of the project and why Instructor/MKO review

Unit 9 (one week) Presentation: The finished project will be presented to the public and mechanisms for public comments will be provided at the build site; participants will

meet individually with the instructor during the week to receive feedback and discuss future growth plans. Individual growth plan Instructor review Final session - reflect on public feedback

Lesson Plan Evaluation/Assessment:

Reflection on feedback from MKOs and peers will play an important part throughout the course, although the best indicator of the final success of the project will be the feedback from the public once the final product is complete, and will be somewhat difficult to assess adequately. As Project-Based Learning is both learner-centric and collaborative, learners will be graded both individually and for their group participation. Individual progress will be assessed along with the quality of the collaborative end product. Attendance/Participation: The instructor will track and assess individual attendance and class participation throughout the program; team leaders will assess group participation at the end of the program (participation of the team leaders will be assessed by the instructor based on participation in team leader meetings) Attendance: 5 points did not miss any classes 3 points missed 1 2 classes, 1 point missed 3 or more classes Individual participation: 5 points very active 3 points moderately active 1 point passive Group participation (evaluated by team leaders): 5 points very active 3 points moderately active 1 point passive Skill Acquisition: Assessment for skill development is necessarily somewhat subjective; the instructor will assess individual development based on their interactions with individual participants throughout the program Navigation: 5 points is able to navigate the environment effectively 3 points is able to navigate the environment with some difficulty 5 points is unable to navigate the environment effectively

Communication: 5 points is able to communicate effectively 3 points is able to communicate with some difficulty 1 points is unable to communicate effectively Avatar Identity: 5 points has developed a highly customized and memorable avatar 3 points has developed a moderately customized avatar 1 points is still using a default avatar Building: 5 points is able to create complex structures 3 points is able to create moderately complex structures 1 point is able to create simple structures Scripting: 5 points builds are moderately to highly interactive 3 points builds are somewhat interactive 1 point builds are not interactive 3DLE Design Principles: The instructor will assess this portion during individual reviews during the final week 5 points can list all of the Seven Sensibilities of VIEs 3 points can list at least five of the Seven Sensibilities of VIEs 1 point can list less than five of the Seven Sensibilities of VIEs 5 points can point out several 3DLE Design Principles in their build 3 points can point out at least one 3DLE Design Principle in their build 1 point is unable to point out any 3DLE Design Principles in their build 5 points has utilized more than one of the 3DLE Macrostructures 3 points has utilized only one of the 3DLE Macrostructures 1 point has not utilized any of the 3DLE Macrostructures 5 points has utilized more than one of the 3DLE Archetypes 3 points has utilized only one of the 3DLE Archetypes 1 point has not utilized any of the 3DLE Archetypes Use of Additional Resources: The instructor will assess this portion during individual reviews during the final week 5 points used additional resources not presented in class Authenticity (evaluated by MKOs):

MKOs will assess the quality of the final build during the final week; since this is a collaborative project, each participant will receive the same score 10 points final product is comparable to other actual builds 5 points final product is somewhat comparable to other actual builds 1 point final product is noticeably inferior to other actual builds

Defense of Instructional / Learning Model:

Advantages of Project-Based Learning: Learning how to create an effective 3DLE is a complicated endeavor, consisting of multiple components that must work together as a whole in order to provide a compelling and engaging learning experience. Project-Based Learning is well suited to these goals, as it encourages the learners to collaborate on a series of authentic tasks which, when taken together, constitute a complex, meaningful product as the end result. Elements of constructivism will also be used; the use of scaffolding and MKOs can be very helpful in the learning process, along with the concept of the ZPD. Disadvantages of Project-Based Learning: One of the primary disadvantages of the use of a Project-Based Learning approach is the amount of time spent not only in development of the learning plan, but in the time required by the instructors and MKOs to guide and facilitate the participants throughout the program. In this situation, this time is well-spent, however, as it produces a much deeper understanding of the concepts presented and skills developed than would be the case given a less time-intensive method. Another potential issue is that of assessment; the project described here will be subject to instructor/MKO assessment (as well as being open to public review), but it may be difficult to develop consistent criteria to use in order to assess the skills and performance of both the group and the individuals involved. The criteria described above are necessarily somewhat subjective in nature. Other possible approaches: A Problem-Based Learning approach would probably also work well here, offering the opportunity to immerse learners in the virtual environment, which is directly relevant to the context of learning how to design in virtual worlds. By focusing on a specific project, however, the scope of the program may be targeted towards the creation of similar projects that are the goal of this lesson plan; moreover, students gain immediately applicable experience with the use of the in-world tools that are the key to learning how to design and create immersive VIEs and effective 3DLEs. Similarly, a more open-ended approach using Learning by Design could be quite effective as well, and would utilize many of the same techniques as Project-Based Learning (hands-on experience in authentic contexts, collaboration, exploration, and

reflection). Using open-ended design tasks may be less efficient than the focused project-based scenario outlined here, however. Utilizing Cognitive Apprenticeship would be a very effective approach when using a similar program with a small group of learners, but this scenario is intended for a larger group (9 18 people), which makes dedicated coaching problematic. The combined characteristics of Project-Based Learning make it the ideal choice for the learning goals of this lesson plan.