Papers by Belma Gaukrodger
ascilite 2019 Proceedings, 2019
The Australian and New Zealand Virtual Worlds Working Group (VWWG) was established in 2009. Membe... more The Australian and New Zealand Virtual Worlds Working Group (VWWG) was established in 2009. Members of the group have written papers for ASCILITE conferences since 2010. Each paper’s intention is to provide an overview on using virtual worlds in higher education, especially the practical aspects of incorporating 3D worlds to enhance student learning. This VWWG’s paper looks at a virtual world as a space for digital learning and exploratory pedagogy – meaning, that the authors perhaps do not perceive virtual worlds as ordinary. However, they do acknowledge that those who do not regularly engage in virtual worlds may see it as new and innovative, perhaps even untested ground, but still with a degree of unfamiliarity. A survey was sent to the members of the VWWG in which the narratives have provided rich data for in depth understanding. The themes focused in the survey were ‘disruptive thinking’, ‘emerging ideas’ and ‘lateral connections’, from the perspective of the respondents’ experiences in the implementation of virtual worlds in education. They discuss the idea of a virtual world used in education as a new treasure, or perhaps it has been in use for some time and now classified as traditional.
Student voice has played a big role in shaping the development and measure of success/failure of ... more Student voice has played a big role in shaping the development and measure of success/failure of virtual worlds in education. Data on past and ongoing educational uses and contexts of use of virtual worlds and associated student feedback was gathered via a survey of educational researchers specialising in virtual worlds. Introduced are a range of specific uses that provide the source of and context for student feedback. Ten major themes emerged from student voices that highlight strengths and weakness and point the way forward for both educators and the students themselves. Positive feedback highlighted experiences of both pedagogical design and the ability of the technology to support it. Negative feedback revolved around technical problems, seen as hampering the effectiveness of student learning experiences. Student voice regarding virtual worlds is both positive and rewarding, and commending of staff who have dedicated their time and effort to transform the learning experience.
Student voice has played a big role in shaping the development and measure of success/failure of ... more Student voice has played a big role in shaping the development and measure of success/failure of virtual worlds in education. Data on past and ongoing educational uses and contexts of use of virtual worlds and associated student feedback was gathered via a survey of educational researchers specialising in virtual worlds. Introduced are a range of specific uses that provide the source of and context for student feedback. Ten major themes emerged from student voices that highlight strengths and weakness and point the way forward for both educators and the students themselves. Positive feedback highlighted experiences of both pedagogical design and the ability of the technology to support it. Negative feedback revolved around technical problems, seen as hampering the effectiveness of student learning experiences. Student voice regarding virtual worlds is both positive and rewarding, and commending of staff who have dedicated their time and effort to transform the learning experience.
ascilite2012, Nov 2012
As we race through the 21st century, the demand to make education globally accessible and always ... more As we race through the 21st century, the demand to make education globally accessible and always available is increasing exponentially. This demand for increased accessibility exacerbates the deficiencies already experienced in higher education with educational resources being stretched by increasing numbers of students, fewer staff and less support. Given traditional delivery models, under these circumstances the provision of quality education is unsustainable (Gregory & Gregory, 2011). The pressures on staff are enormous and the workplaces that our graduates are likely to enter are becoming more complex with increasing reliance on advanced technologies and associated processes. Finding new ways for students to engage with and link to a learning community is crucial. As the fidelity of 3D virtual worlds (VWs) increases and more students opt to learn online, VWs are increasingly providing rich experiences for learners as places where students and staff can interact with each other and the wider community (Brenner, 2009). The social immersion engendered by a sense of community provides the potential to reduce dropout rates so that more students will persevere with their studies (Karsenti & Collin, 2012). Access to learning that may be too costly or too dangerous in the physical world can be made possible through VWs (Thackray, Good and Howland, 2010; Savin-Baden, 2011). VWs enable activities that make life and learning meaningful, such as getting together, sharing information, collaborating and celebrating (Gregory & Tynan, 2009). Herewith, members of the Australian and New Zealand (NZ) Virtual Worlds Working Group (VWWG) demonstrate how VWs can be used to sustain the future of education.
Gregory, S., Gregory, B., Hillier, M., Jacka, L., Schutt, S., Ellis, D., Stokes-Thompson, F., Wood, D., Masters, Y., Farley, F., Orwin, L., Stupans, I., Scutter, S., Warren, I., Steel, C., Neuendorf, P., Bower, M., Miller, C., Mathews, S., Butler, D., Hearns, M., Garcia, J., Jegathesan, J.J., Brown, R., Meredith, G., Muir-Cochran, E., Flintoff, K., Grant, S., Atkins, C., Gaukrodger, B., Giovanangeli, A., Le Rossignol, K., Larson, I., Cram, A., Linegar, D., Wang, X., Muir, T., Cleland, B., Paillat, E., Grenfell, J., Hay, L., Gu, N., Anthony Williams, A., Simoff, S., Bogdanovych, A. & McCarthy, A. (2012). Sustaining the future through virtual worlds. In M. Brown, M. Hartnett & T. Stewart (Eds.), Future Challenges – Sustainable Futures. Proceedings ascilite Wellington 2012 (pp. 361-368). Wellington, New Zealand: Massey University and ascilite. http://www.ascilite2012.org/images/custom/gregory,_sue_-_sustaining.pdf
Description Virtual worlds (VWs) continue to be used extensively in Australia and New Zealand hig... more Description Virtual worlds (VWs) continue to be used extensively in Australia and New Zealand higher education institutions although the tendency towards making unrealistic claims of efficacy and popularity appears to be over. Some educators at higher education institutions continue to use VWs in the same way as they have done in the past; others are exploring a range of different VWs or using them in new ways; whilst some are opting out altogether. This paper presents an overview of how 46 educators from some 26 ...
Sustaining the future through virtual worlds, Nov 25, 2012
Virtual worlds continue to be used in Australia and New Zealand higher education institutions alt... more Virtual worlds continue to be used in Australia and New Zealand higher education institutions although the hype has settled. Whilst some higher education institutions continue to use virtual worlds as they have done for some time, other institutions are trialing different virtual worlds and some are opting out altogether. An overview of how 46 authors from 28 institutions see virtual worlds as an opportunity to sustain the future of higher education is presented. The positives and negatives of using virtual worlds are discussed.
There continues to be strong interest among established, experienced academic users of 3D virtual... more There continues to be strong interest among established, experienced academic users of 3D virtual environments for their sustained educational use. Consistent with global trends, they plan to further develop and optimise existing applications, reuse skills and experiences gained to develop new applications, and to share and reuse existing virtual resources. This is against a background of varied support from institutions, colleagues, students, funding bodies and also changing understanding and awareness of virtual environments and virtual reality by the general community as a result of consumer developments such as the popularity of multi-user online role playing amongst both children and adults, and the acquisition of technologies by companies with deeply entrenched technologies. At the same time, the ongoing development and availability of new multiuser virtual environment platforms, associated peripherals and virtual reality technologies promise new and exciting opportunities for educators to collaborate with researchers on a global scale, while also exploring the affordances of these technologies for enhancing the learning outcomes for an increasingly diverse and distributed student population.
Rhetoric and Reality: Critical perspectives on educational technology. Proceedings ascilite Dunedin 2014, Nov 23, 2014
The emergence of any new educational technology is often accompanied by inflated expectations abo... more The emergence of any new educational technology is often accompanied by inflated expectations about its potential for transforming pedagogical practice and improving student learning outcomes. A critique of the rhetoric accompanying the evolution of 3D virtual world education reveals a similar pattern, with the initial hype based more on rhetoric than research demonstrating the extent to which rhetoric matches reality. Addressed are the perceived gaps in the literature
through a critique of the rhetoric evident throughout the evolution of the application of virtual worlds in education and the reality based on the reported experiences of experts in the field of educational technology, who are all members of the Australian and New Zealand Virtual Worlds Working Group. The experiences reported highlight a range of effective virtual world
collaborative and communicative teaching experiences conducted in members’ institutions. Perspectives vary from those whose reality is the actuation of the initial rhetoric in the early years of virtual world education, to those whose reality is fraught with challenges that belie the rhetoric. Although there are concerns over institutional resistance, restrictions, and outdated processes on the one-hand, and excitement over the rapid emergence of innovation on the other, the prevailing
reality seems to be that virtual world education is both persistent and sustainable. Explored are critical perspectives on the rhetoric and reality on the educational uptake and use of virtual worlds in higher education, providing an overview of the current and future directions for learning in virtual worlds.
Clare Atkins, Belma Gaukrodger
Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology
In this paper we pro... more Clare Atkins, Belma Gaukrodger
Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology
In this paper we provide an overview of multi-user virtual environments and how they can be used in education. We then focus on Second Life and its application as a medium for teaching and learning English as an Additional Language (EAL). The use of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) is on the rise (Gamage, 2010) adding a new dimension to the use of the Internet where people from different corners of the globe can participate in live synchronous communication in a shared virtual space through their virtual representations or ‘avatars’. Language learning relies on role-play, to create situations that are as realistic as possible for the application of communicative practices. Second Life (SL) can be used to create those situations, in the form of holodecks. Possible scenarios can vary from having a job interview for a big corporation to being a supermodel on the catwalk. One advantage of the use of MUVEs for such role-play is that the focus is on the avatar not directly on the language learner. The paper will report on how and why certain scenarios were created and used in an EAL classroom at a regional Polytechnic. Informal feedback from the students and the teachers will be provided, along with conclusions from the authors and suggestions for further development. Overall response from the learners were positive. As in any language classroom, set-tasks and objectives guide and motivate students. SL is no different when it comes to these pedagogical aspects and a well-planned, structured and executed lesson is important in any world, real or virtual. However, issues such as availability of necessary software, time-zone differences, steep learning curve and rate of adaption can create barriers to the adoption of this new medium. The authors will also comment on how some of these barriers may be addressed.
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Papers by Belma Gaukrodger
Gregory, S., Gregory, B., Hillier, M., Jacka, L., Schutt, S., Ellis, D., Stokes-Thompson, F., Wood, D., Masters, Y., Farley, F., Orwin, L., Stupans, I., Scutter, S., Warren, I., Steel, C., Neuendorf, P., Bower, M., Miller, C., Mathews, S., Butler, D., Hearns, M., Garcia, J., Jegathesan, J.J., Brown, R., Meredith, G., Muir-Cochran, E., Flintoff, K., Grant, S., Atkins, C., Gaukrodger, B., Giovanangeli, A., Le Rossignol, K., Larson, I., Cram, A., Linegar, D., Wang, X., Muir, T., Cleland, B., Paillat, E., Grenfell, J., Hay, L., Gu, N., Anthony Williams, A., Simoff, S., Bogdanovych, A. & McCarthy, A. (2012). Sustaining the future through virtual worlds. In M. Brown, M. Hartnett & T. Stewart (Eds.), Future Challenges – Sustainable Futures. Proceedings ascilite Wellington 2012 (pp. 361-368). Wellington, New Zealand: Massey University and ascilite. http://www.ascilite2012.org/images/custom/gregory,_sue_-_sustaining.pdf
through a critique of the rhetoric evident throughout the evolution of the application of virtual worlds in education and the reality based on the reported experiences of experts in the field of educational technology, who are all members of the Australian and New Zealand Virtual Worlds Working Group. The experiences reported highlight a range of effective virtual world
collaborative and communicative teaching experiences conducted in members’ institutions. Perspectives vary from those whose reality is the actuation of the initial rhetoric in the early years of virtual world education, to those whose reality is fraught with challenges that belie the rhetoric. Although there are concerns over institutional resistance, restrictions, and outdated processes on the one-hand, and excitement over the rapid emergence of innovation on the other, the prevailing
reality seems to be that virtual world education is both persistent and sustainable. Explored are critical perspectives on the rhetoric and reality on the educational uptake and use of virtual worlds in higher education, providing an overview of the current and future directions for learning in virtual worlds.
Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology
In this paper we provide an overview of multi-user virtual environments and how they can be used in education. We then focus on Second Life and its application as a medium for teaching and learning English as an Additional Language (EAL). The use of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) is on the rise (Gamage, 2010) adding a new dimension to the use of the Internet where people from different corners of the globe can participate in live synchronous communication in a shared virtual space through their virtual representations or ‘avatars’. Language learning relies on role-play, to create situations that are as realistic as possible for the application of communicative practices. Second Life (SL) can be used to create those situations, in the form of holodecks. Possible scenarios can vary from having a job interview for a big corporation to being a supermodel on the catwalk. One advantage of the use of MUVEs for such role-play is that the focus is on the avatar not directly on the language learner. The paper will report on how and why certain scenarios were created and used in an EAL classroom at a regional Polytechnic. Informal feedback from the students and the teachers will be provided, along with conclusions from the authors and suggestions for further development. Overall response from the learners were positive. As in any language classroom, set-tasks and objectives guide and motivate students. SL is no different when it comes to these pedagogical aspects and a well-planned, structured and executed lesson is important in any world, real or virtual. However, issues such as availability of necessary software, time-zone differences, steep learning curve and rate of adaption can create barriers to the adoption of this new medium. The authors will also comment on how some of these barriers may be addressed.
Gregory, S., Gregory, B., Hillier, M., Jacka, L., Schutt, S., Ellis, D., Stokes-Thompson, F., Wood, D., Masters, Y., Farley, F., Orwin, L., Stupans, I., Scutter, S., Warren, I., Steel, C., Neuendorf, P., Bower, M., Miller, C., Mathews, S., Butler, D., Hearns, M., Garcia, J., Jegathesan, J.J., Brown, R., Meredith, G., Muir-Cochran, E., Flintoff, K., Grant, S., Atkins, C., Gaukrodger, B., Giovanangeli, A., Le Rossignol, K., Larson, I., Cram, A., Linegar, D., Wang, X., Muir, T., Cleland, B., Paillat, E., Grenfell, J., Hay, L., Gu, N., Anthony Williams, A., Simoff, S., Bogdanovych, A. & McCarthy, A. (2012). Sustaining the future through virtual worlds. In M. Brown, M. Hartnett & T. Stewart (Eds.), Future Challenges – Sustainable Futures. Proceedings ascilite Wellington 2012 (pp. 361-368). Wellington, New Zealand: Massey University and ascilite. http://www.ascilite2012.org/images/custom/gregory,_sue_-_sustaining.pdf
through a critique of the rhetoric evident throughout the evolution of the application of virtual worlds in education and the reality based on the reported experiences of experts in the field of educational technology, who are all members of the Australian and New Zealand Virtual Worlds Working Group. The experiences reported highlight a range of effective virtual world
collaborative and communicative teaching experiences conducted in members’ institutions. Perspectives vary from those whose reality is the actuation of the initial rhetoric in the early years of virtual world education, to those whose reality is fraught with challenges that belie the rhetoric. Although there are concerns over institutional resistance, restrictions, and outdated processes on the one-hand, and excitement over the rapid emergence of innovation on the other, the prevailing
reality seems to be that virtual world education is both persistent and sustainable. Explored are critical perspectives on the rhetoric and reality on the educational uptake and use of virtual worlds in higher education, providing an overview of the current and future directions for learning in virtual worlds.
Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology
In this paper we provide an overview of multi-user virtual environments and how they can be used in education. We then focus on Second Life and its application as a medium for teaching and learning English as an Additional Language (EAL). The use of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) is on the rise (Gamage, 2010) adding a new dimension to the use of the Internet where people from different corners of the globe can participate in live synchronous communication in a shared virtual space through their virtual representations or ‘avatars’. Language learning relies on role-play, to create situations that are as realistic as possible for the application of communicative practices. Second Life (SL) can be used to create those situations, in the form of holodecks. Possible scenarios can vary from having a job interview for a big corporation to being a supermodel on the catwalk. One advantage of the use of MUVEs for such role-play is that the focus is on the avatar not directly on the language learner. The paper will report on how and why certain scenarios were created and used in an EAL classroom at a regional Polytechnic. Informal feedback from the students and the teachers will be provided, along with conclusions from the authors and suggestions for further development. Overall response from the learners were positive. As in any language classroom, set-tasks and objectives guide and motivate students. SL is no different when it comes to these pedagogical aspects and a well-planned, structured and executed lesson is important in any world, real or virtual. However, issues such as availability of necessary software, time-zone differences, steep learning curve and rate of adaption can create barriers to the adoption of this new medium. The authors will also comment on how some of these barriers may be addressed.