Literacies(?) for virtual worlds

Mark Childs

Literacies?

• Are the following literacies/competencies/states of mind?

• Included in literacy framework?• Derived from the experiences of the:– THEATRON project http://cms.cch.kcl.ac.uk/theatron/ – PhD research http://go.warwick.ac.uk/ep-edrfap/

• Presented in (roughly) the order in which they are acquired

• Learning activities more effective when these are acquired

1. Technical literacy

• Common to all use of technologies• For SL typically around 40 mins to 1 hour to learn

to navigate, interact, dress, communicate• Longer to learn to search, open, edit, build, • Stages of unconscious incompetence through to

unconscious competence• Typically need to have acquired unconscious

competence to focus on learning the subject rather than the use of the technology

2. Beyond competency

• SL is a very distracting environment, • Learning the things that can be done• (Dancing, flying, morphing, exploring)• And becoming inured to them (to some

extent)• Perhaps an additional hour before learners are

ready to focus

RL digression

• body image “a set of beliefs, attitudes and perceptions that are about one’s body” (Carruthers) body projects performance of identity

• body schema is “the information one needs in order to move one’s own body (e.g. bodily posture and position, bodily constraints like size and strength of the limbs, kinematical constraints like the degree of freedom of the joints, etc)” (de Vignemont)

• ‘body schema is for action and body image is for identification’’

3. Virtual body image

• Avatars represent our identity to others, • personalise our engagement with the

environment, • self-presence and self-attestation• Students’ discourse based on observing each

other’s appearance• Making unfamiliar familiar

Addressing literacies 1 - 3

• One activity inworld helps develop these three literacies

• SHOPPING

4. Virtual body schema

• With technology : appropriation• With bodies : proprioception• In combination : “approprioception”• Coincides with embodiment– A “physical” connection with the space– An emotional resonance with surroundings

• Takes a long time to build – weeks• Enhanced through activity inworld (performance,

interaction)

Chilbo 24th April

2007

5. Cultural literacy

• Distinction between authentic (but different) online identity and roleplay

• The different forms of engagement (augmentationist, immersionist, innovationist)

• Being aware of the communities in SL• Understanding the cultures• Tolerating differences, awareness of etiquette• Can take months

Addressing literacies 4 - 5

• One activity inworld helps develop these literacies

• CLUBBING

0. Ideological (emotional?) literacy

• Students may resist due to:– Perceptions about inauthenticity, or

destructiveness, of virtual experiences– Anxiety regarding behaviours that challenge RL

cultural norms– Perceived inappropriateness of “games” or fantasy

in learning– Embodiment can raise problems

• Begin with talking through issues