Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Professor Merryman]

Virtual World English Learning in Second Life
http://secondlife.com/



Over 300 members from around the world have joined our community. We are a not-for-profit language learning and cultural exchange community. Basically, we just get together and chat but we have native speaking tutors who volunteer their time to give lessons, discussions, and chat times. Come join an event or just go for a horseback ride with a friend.

We're very casual and from all age groups. It's like going to the park with friends but better...it never rains in Second Life.

More information at http://cypris.ning.com/
_________________
Cypris Chat is a co-op virtual language learning community. Join Second Life and come see how you can learn or teach English in 3D!

----------
Click teleport to our island:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cypris%20Village/157/97/24

[Professor Merryman]

Hi all. After working with SLOODLE over the past year or two I think I have finally sifted through it all to come up with what I think is a solid example of how SLOODLE can be used.

Come join me for
TWO demonstrations on each day
February 23rd, 24th, or 25th
on SLOODLE island from 4PM SLT and 8PM SLT. Two times each day. That's SIX demonstrations! I will be available for 2 hours at each demonstration. Yes, that's the same time as the SLPro! conference. wink Take a break from the conference and come over to see what SLOODLE has scripted and built. My proposal was rejected. sad

How I use SLOODLE at Cypris Chat on Cypris Village island
I founded an English speaking practice community in December 2008. The idea for this community was to give my students more chances to speak English after class. My students didn't come...haha. But there were many adults who loved the idea and have come to meet friends and enjoy learning.

I am still interested in helping my students but I seem to be more interested in helping those who want help. smile For this reason I decided to find a way to combine my passion for helping with my interest in educational technology. I know virtual worlds are perfect for language learning. The availability of spatial 3D audio, backchannel texting, recorded text chatting and IMs, media presentation capabilities and the use of public and private groups are prime examples. I can go on and on and on about the benefits of teaching in a virtual world...but that's another presentation.

I use SLOODLE to give my students (called learners since we are not a school) a reason for practicing the language. They need to and want to practice learning English. What if I could make this Second Life game look like a school set in a dream world? What if I can make education a kind of Disneyland for the up and coming media washed "V" generation? How can I make learning a language REAL and worthwhile; something they can use and gain pride from their accomplishments? I needed a way to connect the virtual world with what they already know.

Moodle is flat. Boring. Almost industrial. Second Life is fun, immersive, engaging, and alive.

Let's bring these students closer to the real via the virtual world and give them tasks to do that are recorded back on the stale Moodle site so that the office can get their grades in whatever digital configuration that tickles their fancy. We'll leave the data stuff on Moodle and move the fun stuff into virtual reality..hehe. Maybe that was a little too much but oh well. I'm going with it.

skip the blah blah and start here..
Are you still with me?

All right then. Let's go. To get the learners in my group going we go over to the eLearning center and touch the SLOODLE Registration Booth so each avatar can link to the Moodle course (I like to use the Access Checker doors for this. Doors open...WHOOPEEE I'm in!).

Avatar registered? Linked? Good. Moving on.

Now lets go in to the Attendance Checker (my creation) to get attendance points for today. Touch the object. It give you 10 points and the points are immediately shown on the scoreboard next to the object. Way cool.

Now let's go up to the classroom and meet our teacher. Oh wait! Put on your group tag. Only group members can go to the class. ok. Head up to the skybox classroom. Click on the box to get your notecard assignment for the day. Meet teacher for instructions then head out to complete your team assignment.

I set up scavenger hunts on my island over at Cypris Village. The learners go around touching the items to receive 10 points each plus a clue to help them solve a logic puzzle quiz. They wear a HUD that helps them to solve the puzzle. The points they get for finding the items plus answering the the puzzle correctly are shown on the scoreboard in the quiz area.

I also set up various quizzes for more points. This month I have set p a quiz for 4th grade spelling, a test on social studies, and a 25 question TOEIC error recognition quiz. I use the quiz chair a lot because it works well with the awards system.

I do teach one class at Cypris Village called Reading Circle I in which students read from a graded reader and must partake in a reading circle. Each week they need to submit a role card to me. They can either submit it on the website or inworld using the SLOODLE PrimDrop Box. Still testing this one but I think it has huge potential.

After a year of accruing points, the group has a Christmas banquet where the top scorers are awarded one of five medals for their accomplishments. They are encouraged to put these in their profile picks. The points are also used to pay for their classes. The more active the student is the more they are awarded and the more they get out it.

Professor Merryman
aka Mike McKay (February 2010)
Mukogawa Women's University
Department of English

SLOODLE Island http://slurl.com/secondlife/sloodle/129/129/24
Cypris Village http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cypris%20Village/155/100/24
Cypris Chat website http://cypris.ning.com
Cypris Chat is always looking for tutors, hosts, and volunteers to help the world speak English. You can use all of the tools I have described here! I'll show you how by becoming an active member of Cypris.
_________________
Cypris Chat is a co-op virtual language learning community. Join Second Life and come see how you can learn or teach English in 3D!

----------
Click teleport to our island:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cypris%20Village/157/97/24