Efficacy of Second Life in Constructivist Learning Activities

Irene T. Boland, Ph.D.PulseLearning

Why study learning in a 3D MUVE?Second LifeConstructivismParticipantsResearch questions3D ModelFindingsAdvice for improvementsISD for 3D environments

Future researchImpact on Theory

Roadmap

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Learning in a 3D MUVE?

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A Campus(Recruitment)

A Course (Learning)

An Event (Community Building)

What Who

$

$$

$$$AcademiaCorporate

GovernmentMilitary

Platform Examined: Second Life

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Learning Theory: Constructivism

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Cognitive Constructivism• One person• Thinking• Connecting to prior knowledge

Social Constructivism•Two or more people•Thinking and discussing•Co-creating new knowledge

Participants

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University of Central FloridaAccounting classDr. Steven Hornik1st year students (18-23 years old)No prior SL experience

Class FormatLecture (face-to-face or recorded)LMS for assessmentSecond life optional

Pre-researchVisited class site in SLWorked with 3D model in SL

Research Question One

Can learners improve their knowledge of accounting by using a 3D interactive model of the accounting equation in Second Life?

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Research Questions Two and Three

Will students learn more working in small groups or alone?

Will students experience greater anxiety reductions if they work in small groups or alone?

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Controlling against extraneous variables

Two Hour Window– Pre-Test– Learning Experience– Post-Test

Same– Instructions– Pre-Test– Instructional Movies– Practice Problems– Post-Test

Different– Learning Experience – group or solo

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3D model of the accounting equation

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Instructional note card

Text feedback

Visual feedback

Measuring Learning

Round 1 Round 2All

(N=134)Group(n=42)

Solo(n=92)

All(N=163)

Group(n=51)

Solo(n=112)

4.66% 2.98% 5.43% 14.26% 7.35% 17.41%

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ResultsLearning? YESLearn more in groups? NO

ValidityRepresentative? YESChance? YES/NONull Hypotheses Rejected? YES/NO

Percentage Learning Gains

Learner Anxiety

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Concept-Specific Anxiety ScaleValidated instrument by Dr. Gene Oetting

ProcessLearner self-rates anxiety related to concepts such as “using SL for accounting class work”.

Measuring Anxiety

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Round 1 (N = 134) Round 2 (N = 163)Group (n = 42) Solo (n = 92) Group (n = 51) Solo (n = 112)

Number -2.42 -4.08 -1.65 -2.79 Percent -5.76 -9.71 -3.93 -6.64

ResultsAnxiety Reduced? YESReduced more in groups? NO

ValidityRepresentative? YESChance? YES/NONull Hypotheses Rejected? YES/NO

Adverse Impacts

Technical– SL platform very slow, frozen– Computer crashes– Forced hardware upgrades– Slow client upgrades

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Personal– Confusion (what should I do?)– Disorientation (where am I?)– Loneliness (the big empty)– Dizziness (falling down)

57% of participants reported no adverse impacts

Participants Advice for Improvements

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•3D Accounting Model

•Community Interaction

Good

•Personal Adverse Impacts

•SL Learning Curve

Bad

•More Videos of the Model

•Virtual Study Groups

Better

ISD for 3D

• Planning – hardware – current capabilities and required upgrades– servers - concurrent users, streaming bandwidth, mirrors– platform client – installation, upgrades, compatibility

• Analysis– technical skills – computers, internet, 3D environments– skills for this environment – navigation, motor skills, communication

• Design– environment, site within the environment– learning plan for this content – in/out of world, synch/asynch

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ISD for 3D, continued

• Development– Learning materials– Environment, manipulatives/models, stock avatars– Synchronous scheduling– Assessment administration

• Implementation– Traditional communication channels to drive learners in world

• Evaluation– Learner performance (native in-world, LMS outside)– Learner reaction, recommendations for improvement (objective and

open-ended)

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Future research

Repeat the Current Study using: a) controlled and supervised environmentb) established stock avatarsc) different age groupsd) different contente) participants with MUVE experiencef) starting assessment of overall content mastery level (which may

contribute to high performance on pre-tests and lower anxiety overall), and

g) content Analysis of Chat Logs Recorded During a Learning Experience (difficulties encountered, strategies used by learners)

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Impact on Theory

• Constructivist Expectation – learners in groups learn more• Experiment Results – learners perform better solo• Why?

– Because it was in a MUVE?• What next?

– Repeating the experiment in a highly controlled environment could narrow the possible list of explanations.

– Interviewing learners whose results indicated that working solo was advantageous may help identify the exact causes of this and whether it relates to the use of the MUVE (novel experience) or other factors.

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Questions?

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