Virtual Tools & Spaces – IATEFL 2009

Nothing virtual about it: Successful language learning

in 3D worlds

Paul Sweeneypaul@eduworlds.org

Seeing is believing

Video (Machinima) 1: Excerpts from Upper Intermediate (CEF B2) Travel module. (Greeting class, setting up activity for individual student and activity feedback. Introduction to actor characters)

Video (Machinima 2): Excerpts from Intermediate and Upper Intermediate (CEF B1 & B2) writing module. (Task introduction, instruction giving, pairwork, task discussion. Student meeting in city café)

Pedagogy: what's happening?

• highly realistic & relevant contexts

•Direct learning & learning as a byproduct

• Activates sociolinguistic aspect• interaction with teachers,

actors, native speakers & other learners

• Real & meaningful experiences mediated through English

Functional

Task based

Communica

tive

Simulatio

n

Learner communityCompetency based (Common European

Framework)

Role play

1890..

1940..

1960..

1980..

2000..

John Dewey

Jean Piaget

Lev Vygotsky

Jerome Bruner

Paulo Freire Gordon Pask

Terry Winograd

Seymour Papert

Lauren Resnick

John Seely Brown

Ference Marton

Roger Säljö

John Biggs

Jean Lave

commonconceptionof the learningprocess

Inquiry-based education

Constructivism

Mediated learning

Discovery learning

Learning as problematization

Learning as conversation

Problem-based learning

Reflective practice

Meta-cognition

Experiential learning

Learner-oriented approach

Social constructivism

Situated learning

Theorists agree: Learning as doing (Diana Laurillard – 2008)

A conversational framework (Diana Laurillard – 2008)

Teacher’s ideas

Learner’s ideas

Practice environment

Learner’s practice

Actions

Adapt actions

Task goal

Reflect

Feedback

Practice environment

Other learner(s)

Ideas

Ideas

Reflect

Other learner(s)

Adapt actions

Draft outputs

Draft outputs

Concepts Answers

Reflect

QuestionsOutputs

Instructivism + Constructionism + Social learning + Collaborative

Misc references

Rethinking pedagogy for a digital age: designing and delivering e-learning

Helen Beetham, Rhona Sharpe, Routledge, 2007

ISBN 0415408741, 9780415408745

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ix2I9H0qHu4C

Rethinking university teaching:

a conversational framework for the effective use of learning technologies

By Diana Laurillard, 2nd Ed. Routledge, 2002

ISBN 0415256798, 9780415256797

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=99eQakJyAj4C

Diana Laurillard – inaugural presentation for London Knowledge Lab http://www.lkl.ac.uk/cms/files/jce/presentations/laurillard-inaugural-20080226.ppt available from here http://www.lkl.ac.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=userProfile&user=127

http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Laurillard_conversational_framework

Contact me

paul@eduworlds.org - http://www.eduworlds.org