Watching the MUVEs

Recently, psychologists have been getting quite excited about multi-user virtual environments. Several studies have drawn the same conclusion: that people behave similarly in virtual worlds using avatars as they do in real life. Yee et al (2007) showed that the closer two avatars were together, the less they faced each other directly, and 'eye contact' was reduced. They also reported that two characters of the same gender kept greater distance than two characters of opposite genders. Friedman and his colleagues (2007) found that a robot avatar that was programmed to walk up to people in Second Life caused them to back away to maintain some kind of personal space. Others have discovered that real world group processes such as persuasion and influence can also work similarly in virtual worlds. Eastwick and Gardner (2009) have even detected elements of racist and other distasteful behaviours in MUVEs. Anything it seems, that happens in real life, can be found also in Second Life and other 3D avatar driven environments.

Christian Jarrett, writing in the June edition of The Psychologist (a British Psychological Society Journal) documents these and similar studies to show why psychologists are getting excited about MUVEs. He says 'The fact that people behave in virtual worlds in a way that reflects real life is exciting news for psychologists because it opens up the medium as a way of conducting large-scale social studies with relevance to the real world - projects that might otherwise be impossible or prohibitively expensive to conduct.

Jarrett makes an interesting distinction between Second Life and some of the more popular MUVEs such as World of Warcraft. WoW has game objectives he points out. This may be the reason it has so many more adherents than the somewhat sterile and therefore underpopulated Second Life. Well I wish him and his colleagues a lot of luck. They may have to wait some time to meet up with an avatar in the ghost town that Second Life is becoming.

References

Eastwick, P. W. and Gardner, W. L. (2009) Is it a game? Evidence for social influence in the virtual world. Social Influence, 4, 18-32.

Friedman, D., Steed, A. and Slater, M. (2007) Spatial social behaviour in Second Life. In C. Pelachaud (Ed.) Intelligent Virtual Agents 2007, Berlin: Springer-Verlag.

Jarrett, C. (2009) Get a Second Life. The Psychologist, 22 (6), 490-493.

Yee, N., Bailenson, J. N., Urbanek, M., Chang, F. and Merget, D. (2007) The unbearable likeness of being digital: The persistence of nonverbal social norms in online virtual environments. Cyberpsychology and Behaviour, 10 (1), 115-121.

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Rethinking Web 3.0 and Connectivism

Today Florence Meichel @fmeichel sent me a link to her post Qu'est-ce que la cognition - points de repères en sciences cognitives - which is translated from the French as: What Cognition? Benchmarks in the Cognitive Sciences. This resulted from a short exhange we had earlier today on Twitter about the nature of thinking and learning within a Web 3.0 or 'semantic based' web. My earlier post on e-Learning 3.0 also came up in the conversation and Florence argued that George Siemen's Connectivist approach to learning in a digital age might actually be superceded by our need to reconceptualise the whole idea of what learning will mean - especially when we are immersed in a world of ambient mobile pervasive communication where intelligent agents and filtering tools do our bidding for us. 'Connectionism is so Web 2.0' - was her argument in essence. To underline her point Florence shows that connectivism represents thinking differently to other theories of cognition, and that a new theory of cognition will be required to explain how we represent knowledge in a semantic web.

Well, here for English speakers is her post. Hopefully I have translated it into English without losing too much of the nuance or power of Florence's ideas:

I share here with you some useful benchmarks to help include/understand different cognitive approaches.

For a cognitivist, cognition is the handling of symbols which start from primitive rules. This is the principle upon which computers still function (but this is changing!). One example: a computer handles the colours red and white to form a pink square - the symbol and rule of the square are previously imposed.

For a connectionist, cognition is the emergence of total states in a network of simple components. Here simple components remain primitive. An example: On a table you can place different coloured mosaic squares and people will together create a collective work which was not previously agreed upon. This experiment is that of the poetic generator which I previously spoke about.

For an “enactivist”, cognition is the action of production - that which through the process of the interaction to cause the emergence of permanent co-constructions. One example: The colour red is a collective agreement which has emerged progressively over time through multiple interactions around perceptions. This representation is not imposed but rather, constructed. We can thus deconstruct and rebuild concepts in a creative way through human interaction.

In my opinion, what we learn in acts within social networks are dimensions of the connectionist and enactivist theories described here.

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Pushing at the boundaries

Tomorrow is the deadline for submission of assignments on one of my first year modules for trainee teachers specialising in ICT. So what? Well, this is the first module I have ever run in which there is absolutely no paper involved. I have in recent years gradually reduced the amount of handouts I have given out in lessons, so that almost all the courses I run are now delivered by a combination of lessons, discussions and digital spaces. I use wikis as a bulletin board and repository of key resources, and the discussion groups and collaborative spaces to conduct learning activities. Until recently, the university has always insisted on paper based assignments. But that is all changing. As from tomorrow, several modules will now be all online submission.

The advantages of this are clear. Students don't need to travel in to campus to submit their assignments. Using SCOLAR (our new in house developed online submission system), students will simply go online wherever they are, and send their assignment documents direct to a university server. They will receive a time and date stamped acknowledgement, and I will receive a notification that the assignments are ready for marking. They can update and revise their submission right up to the deadline if they wish. Wherever I am in the world, I then simply go online, mark the assignment, annotate and grade it, and my job is done. The students are subsequently notified that their grade and feedback are waiting for them, and they access these online in a similar fashion. We will see how well this works, and what benefits (and problems) it accrues as we pilot this system.

But in the meantime, an article from last month's Guardian Online Newspaper caught my eye. Entitled A Whole New World of Studying, the article showcases the work of one British academic, Russell Stannard, who videos the marking of his students' work. The Guardian says: '....he turns on his computer, records himself marking the work on-screen, then emails his students the video. When students open the video, they can hear Stannard's voice commentary as well as watch him going through the process of marking. The resulting feedback is more comprehensive than the more conventional notes scrawled in the margin, and Stannard, who works at the University of Westminster, now believes it has the potential to revolutionise distance learning.'

Stannard thinks video marking is perfect for distance learners, saying it brings them much closer to the teacher. 'They can listen, see and understand how the teacher is marking their piece, why specific comments have been made, and so on.' he says.

Whilst I am not as far down the road as Dr Stannard, I admire his vision and the edginess of his approach, and am considering using a similar approach next year, to push at the boundaries of my own practices.

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e-Learning PhD scholarships

The University of Plymouth is about to announce 40 funded PhD scholarships. These will be available to well-qualified and highly motivated candidates in strategic priority research areas, one of which is pedagogic (HE) research (including teaching and learning in higher education; technology assisted learning; sustainability education). A list of proposed studentships and supervisors is provided here. It is not a final or definitive list and successful candidates may be able to negotiate the precise topic area and direction of the research. Here are details of two of the e-learning PhD scholarships that have been proposed and with which I will be directly involved:

Digital Identities in Online Learning
This project aims to explore the impact of new technologies on learning in higher education, through investigating the student experience of creating and maintaining ‘digital identities’ in the online environment. Questions might include ‘Do students’ digital identities influence their interaction in online environments?’ and ‘To what extent are students able to switch between social and learning activities which involve different digital identities?’ ‘In what ways and to what extent does the representation of self in virtual worlds influence the perceptions of others?’

Web 2.0 Tools in Higher Education
This research aims to explore the potential for web 2.0 interactive technologies to be harnessed for effective teaching and learning in higher education (HE). Methods will include an online survey to identify the extent of web 2.0 use by lecturers in higher education in the UK. The ‘interview plus’ approach – as used in previous JISC projects exploring the student experience of online learning - will be utilised to enable students to discuss their experiences of using web 2.0 technologies for social and learning purposes.

**PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PHD SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINE IS NOW CLOSED**

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Here's to the crazy ones

Are you considered a little crazy? Are your ideas looked on with scorn, or with mild amusement? Well, don't give up. Twice I have come across the same quote today, in two different versions, and I now think that someone, somewhere is trying to tell me something. So I share it here with you. I'm not sure whether this is even the complete quote, but it's one that really inspires me, and the words also turn up within the amazing portrait by Dylan Roscover of Apple guru Steve Jobs (left):

Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.
They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward.
And while some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

And here's the 'Think Different' video

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7 skills for the successful e-tutor

Today I read an interesting article entitled: 'Seven habits of highly effective teachers' in the Times Education Supplement.

It's an adaptation of Stephen Covey's self-help book: 'The seven habits of highly effective people' and I'm glad the TES has herded these ideas into a teaching context.

Teachers are under a lot of pressure to perform and achieve good results, and it's not easy for them. They need all the help they can get. The seven habits listed by TES are:

(1) They build confidence, (2) they are not afraid to make difficult decisions, (3) they develop others, (4) they are good communicators, (5) they are non-conformists, (6) they thrive in the company of others and (7) they see the big picture

This got me thinking about the 7 top skills (habits?) that e-learning tutors require to be highly effective. As ever, I value your opinions and invite you to comment on this post. Here are my top 7 skills for successful e-tutors:

1. They support and encourage learners


2. They are not afraid to take risks with new technologies


3. They transfer good teaching skills into online contexts


4. They are good communicators in any medium


5. They are non-conformists


6. They thrive in a culture of change


7. They see the big picture (the social network)

Most of mine are similar to the first list, but I have tried to take the key skills you would see being practised in successful traditional teaching situations and contextualise them in digital learning and teaching environments. No 1 is vital, as often students don't meet the tutor or their peer group on a regular basis, if at all. e-tutors need a range of skills that go beyond the traditional boundaries, and short of being 'mind readers' they need to be aware of the issues distance learners and nomadic students encounter. Taking risks with new technologies is a must - without trying out new things, energy can dwindle, skills can stagnate and new opportunities pass you by. If you are a good teacher in a traditional setting, it doesn't follow you will be a good teaching in an online environment. But it helps. And if you are a bad teacher, these issues will be amplified in online environments, believe me. I firmly believe in being non-comformist to the point where you can confidently question anything and everything. Why must I do it this way? Why can't I try this way instead? Why do I have to use this tool or technology? You get the idea....

Change is something that is constantly with us. Teachers who shy away from innovation and change do not survive for long. In e-learning, change is even more conspicuous, and the good e-tutor adapts, adopts and thrives. Finally, what is the big picture? For me it is this: e-learning is on the increase, and new tools are always available. Best practice in using these new tools for course design, assessment, support and creativity are often learnt from others. Being locked into a good community of practice is a must for the e-tutor. Without a social network, most of us won't survive.

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My e-learning philosophy

My professional career has been somewhat checkered. I first started work as a technician in media and technology back in 1976 when things were a lot less sophisticated than they are now. I entered into the world of academia when my interests in learning technologies grew beyond how they worked and I became interested in how they could be harnessed to support and enhance learning and teaching. Being a student at the Open University gave me some insight into what people go through when they are studying at a distance from their parent institution. It has helped me to create new experiences and activities which exploit new social media and give students interactive opportunities.

In a recent Skype interview with Gary McCafferty we talk about how my career has developed and I discuss my philosophy on e-learning. We talk about how social media is being used to support distance learners and create dynamic collaborative environments. The entire interview covers a range of other topics including backchannels and Twitter, digital natives and immigrants, the semantic web, social tools and academic rigour, learning technology affordances and constraints, a critique of institutional VLEs, e-portfolios, online submission systems, blogs and wikis, Web 3.0, One Laptop Per Child, mobile phone technology and Second Life. I also discuss issues surrounding usability, accessibility, social presence, peer networking and the future of learning technology.

Twittering at Conferences

I really missed the Edumedia Conference in Salzburg this year. I have pleasant memories of last year's conference and the beautiful city of Salzburg. Last year there were some great presentations, many productive conversations over coffee and I made several new friends with some really smart and knowledgeable professionals. This year's Edumedia Conference held in the idyllic Alpine surrounds of St Virgil, seems to have held some similar promise, and I avidly followed the tweets from those attending the conference. Although I wasn't physically present, I at least managed to get a flavour of the event, and saw some twitpics via Twitter.

My attention this morning was drawn in particular to a very relevant paper from the conference presented by Wolfgang Reinhardt (@wollepb), Martin Ebner (@mebner), Gunter Beham (@kamelg) and Cristina Costa (@cristinacost), entitled 'How people are using Twitter during Conferences'. The authors make some interesting points and attempt to summarise the uses of Twitter as essentially a backchannel for the reportage of live events. They make an interesting point that Twitter can be used for the fast exchange of thoughts and ideas as well as information exchange. They also warn about the distractive tendencies of microblogging and the potential for it to socially isolate some individuals. Here's the conclusion in full:

Microblogging at conferences seems to be an additional way of discussing presented topics and exchanging additional information. It is not limited to the face-to-face audience or the location of the conference. Microblogging rather allows virtually anyone to actively participate in the thematic debates. Our research shows that several conference speakers and attendees are using Twitter for various purposes. Communicating and sharing resources seem to be one of the most interesting and relevant ways in which one microblogs. Other microblogging practices in conferences include following parallel sessions that otherwise delegates would not have access to, and/or would not receive such visibility. Content attached to tweets was reported to be mostly limited to plain text and web links.

To further research on microblogging in conferences, we will have to work closely together with organizers of conferences as to better promote microblogging as an information channel directly associated with the event. Sending out links to the survey during or shortly after the conference seems to be a crucial point for later examination, as people have mostly filled out the surveys during the days of the conference.

Reference: Reinhardt, W., Ebner, M., Beham, G. and Costa, C. (2009) How People are using Twitter during Conferences. In V. Hornung-Prähauser and M. Luckmann (Eds.) Creativity and Innovation Competencies on the Web, Proceedings of the 5th EduMedia Conference, St Virgil Conference Centre, Salzburg, Austria. p. 145-156.

Link: Twitter as a conference backchannel (by Tony McNeill)

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One degree of connection

In conversation with some colleagues a few years ago I claimed that I was one degree of separation away from both U.S. President George W. Bush and UK Premier Tony Blair. But it was true. I knew people personally, who worked with each of them. I'm not sure whether I should carry on claiming this, what with the ignominy both ex-heads of state have since been assigned. But the point is this: We are all closer to everyone else in the world than we ever were. Back in the 1960s when psychologist Stanley Milgram did his famous experiments to establish that everyone in the world was no more than 6 degrees of separation from everyone else (6.6 as it turned out), there were no social networks, no internet, and a cumbersome analogue fixed line telephone system which most of the world was excluded from. Technology, and in particular, popular social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and Orkut have made connections between people much easier, more immediate, and certainly a lot richer in terms of experience. But people are still separated by weak social ties ... friends of friends of friends ... the 6 degrees of separation Milgram proposed. It's probably a good thing.

The popular game where you had to link famous movie stars in 6 moves to the actor Kevin Bacon has sparked off all sorts of artefacts including board games, plays and the inevitable Hollywood movie. But the ease of social connectivity of 7 billion people on this planet has taken on a whole new resonance through recent media-hyped swineflu pandemic warnings. Just how close are we to each other, and how viral are the connections we make between ourselves and others?

A recent article in the journal Technology, Pedagogy and Education - written by my friend and IFIP colleague Thomas Ryberg with Ellen Christiansen - got me thinking about this again, but this time in terms of pedagogy. Ryberg and Christiansen report on their use of a Danish social networking site called Mingler, and how they have used it to promote both vertical learning (accrual of knowledge) and horizontal learning (the transfer of knowledge across communities and contexts). They point to the social fabric of SNs (norms, language, sociability, tolerance, support) as vital ingredients to successful learning of this kind. These are very powerful ideas, and my interest is now piqued enough to go off and do some of my own research.

My own opinion is that Facebook, MySpace and their ilk have certainly facilitated greater social connectivity and reduced the level of separation between like minded people by aiding the formation of transient self-organised communities of interest. However, many of the connections are weak or relate to people we have never met, and have no real interest in. Twitter works on an entirely different level to that. The connections made on the microblogging tool are more direct, immediate, and can connect anyone to anyone else. I have had tweeted conversations with many people over that last 18 months that have led to firm friendships, productive collaborations and concrete outcomes. The same I cannot say for my Facebook and Bebo accounts, which I recently criticised in an interview for Information World Review journal. Twitter is promoting conversation that is only one degree of connection away, and the results are longer lasting. It's just a pity more people don't get it.

Reference: Ryberg, T. and Christiansen, E. (2008) Community and social network sites as Technology Enhanced Learning Environments. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 17 (3), 207-220.

Image source: The Millenium Bridge, Tyneside (c) Steve Wheeler 2007

On the Horizon

The 2009 Horizon Report, the annual report on the state of play of learning technology, predicts that there will be three key horizons of important development in the near future. In the executive summary the report authors suggest there are six technology groups we should watch:

In the first adoption horizon we find mobiles and cloud computing, both of which are already well established on many campuses — and still more organizations have plans in place to make use of these technologies in the coming months. Institutions at the leading edge of technology adoption are also already applying the two clusters of technologies we have placed on the mid-term horizon, geo-everything and the personal web. All four topics on the first two horizons are already in common use in other sectors, including entertainment, commerce, and the world of work. The two technologies placed on the far-term horizon, semantic-aware applications and smart objects, are not yet commonly found in an educational context, although research is being conducted in both areas and the rate of development seems to indicate that these topics are well worth watching.


This is much in keeping with the views of many leading experts in the fields of e-learning and m-learning, so it comes as no surprise. I even suggested something very similar in my recent blog post entitled e-Learning 3.0. What is important though, is that we appear to be moving more quickly toward the use of personal web type learning environments, where the use of mobile, handheld and semantically enabled 'smart' technologies will play an increasingly important role in all sectors of education. We will now wait to see 'when', not 'if', these applications become mainstream in education.


Johnson, L., Levine, A., & Smith, R. (2009). The 2009 Horizon Report. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.


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