SER/VE (STEM Exploratory Real/Virtual Environment): connecting science

education and urban youth, virtually

Eileen O’Connor, Ph.D. Empire State College

Eileen.oconnor@esc.edu

November 4, 2011 (SUNY STEM Conference) – 2:15pm – 3:30 pm

Agenda: intended; many pictures

• Evolution & development of SER/VE– Rationale & need – Progress within virtual spaces

• Historical development within teacher education – from visits & discussion creating “pods”

• Integration of K12 directly – development, pilot, & study

• Future – plans and development – Making lemonade – Getting your ideas, expertise, support, and help

Poll of attendees

• Your STEM interests? • Your experience in K12 . . . In high needs?

• Have you ever considered a virtual environment for learning STEM? – What would be in it? – Who might meet there?

Background of instructor, need, and project – the perfect storm

• Instructor – Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) working experiences: – a environmental chemist in government and an

application, analytical chemist in industry– a technical writer, sales & marketing for IBM in

areas related to in health, aerospace, government, and industry

– Last 20 years in education—in chemistry, computers, education, instructional technology, and science education

Background of instructor, need, and project – the perfect storm

• Need – from working within science and then within education the need for stronger K12 STEM instruction was evident: – Professional developer in high needs schools– Over 300 observation visits to K12 classroom

• Observed, mostly: – Traditional, didactic, note-taking teaching– Little info, energy, or interest towards careers

Parts-and-pieces science . . . just using technology isn’t enough

Science can easily become tricks & jingles

RAP SONGS

Labs that are just about proving what is already known . . . in a very cook-book way

Benefits to SER/VE work

• Student engagement in 21st century skills – Technology, communications, expanded

connections with other K12 schools & teachers • Student creation / student direction

– Students can become in building, scheduling, governance; important future skills

• Students experience STEM careers & futures– Work as STEM professionals / meet STEM

professionals

PRIMARY MOTIVATION FOR WORKING WITH VIRTUAL LEARNING

• Kids learn this way • Kids are engaged, challenge, tested, and

exercised this way (aka, gaming)• SO, why aren’t we using it in K12 teaching???

. . . because it ain’t easyBUT IT IS DO-ABLE

http://www.interactivelearningsolutions.net/serve

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) applications

Reviewing the history of working within virtual environments:

MAT Science Center – location of many meetings & presentations

MAT students from across the state give virtual presentations

Met the Dean . . . and other professionals

Plus, there are many good STEM activities already available within virtual spaces like Second Life, for

instance . . .

You can participate in field trips: International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)

Attended class meeting using ISTE space

Visit virtual science: i.e.., National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Admin. (NOAA)

NOAA – virtual, real-time weather Map (Northeast)

And, much more in education and culture

Visit cultural locations

And man-made

wonders

Best expressed through an instructional metaphor: like designing an intelligent experience (field trip / discussions /

role playing / construction) . . . with an assessment

Discussions / collaborations /

role playing

Explorations - Field trips

- Simulations

Building / creating

More advanced uses

Overall – many graduate & teacher level applications

It was time to begin developing the K12 environment SER/VE:

• A private island in Second Life was secured & development begun – Jan 2010 – Oct 2010– Mathematics, engineering, tech was then to

move to science • Based on a grant focus, moved into an applied science

project – fall 2010• Attempted to work w/ K12 – security issues• K12 teachers began to design within virtual spaces --

May – July 2011 • STEP program use the virtual environment – July 2011

During the development phase, we looked into what K12 students do naturally in a virtual space

What to DO there?

Assessment

Communications & behavior

• From a development & fun six months with the Mall of the Universe to SER/VE – The STEM Exploratory Real/Virtual Environment

Moving to K12

With sophisticated interiors

Students learned & practiced before going into the mall

It even had an apartment building

Many engineering, math, and technology applications were evident

However, when moving into the pilot phase modifications were made as recommended by grant funders:

• Focused only on the science – NSF suggested informal science

• Began a pilot in SER/VE; with support from Empire State College & a 1/4 reassignment

• Continuing with pre-service teacher development

The STEM Exploratory Real/Virtual Environment (SER/VE) – the main Science Center w/ the bulk of the meetings and interactions

Created by a 13 yr. old student

. . . a very mobile environment

Working w/

students on their

territory

First week: interest, energy . . . and confusion

1. The setting for the meetings

2. The first meeting; going over the instructions on location

3. Improving independent instruction: placing instructional & interactive materials on the island

4. Ongoing: making animated tutorials to teach tech & the adventure & game concept

The virtual setting

Tutorial website put

onto the island

The virtual interactions were clarified

The information website was updated weekly; emails were sent too

An animated co-instructor helped with the weekly requirements – AKA, DaddyDarren Denver

Later week: now paying more attention (really), because more assessments had been embedded

Additional directions were built into the placards to make it easier to learn if no one was present to explain them

Students often came to the island on their own

Finally, the final presentations – see the different ways for viewing & navigating

In a place where anything can

happen, it usually did

The students & judges were very engaged they came forward to see better

. . . but still some inappropriate (silly) texting

What were the pilot study results?

• Students were engaged & interested– Useful and interesting science research was

conducted– Communication skills were enhance – Virtual interactions transpired

• Areas to improve – Need to focus students on the process and

interactions earlier in the project

New science pod area

Expanded the expectation for teachers – they were now to develop science meeting areas on the island

New Science Pods

Assignments were developed to allow science teachers to create “pods” with minimal knowledge of virtual building

Students (science teachers) designed rich science projects with associated websites that they shared within the virtual spaces during the summer of 2011

These teacher shared their ideas about science projects during meetings with other teachers . . .

across NYS

For example, a physics solar car pod was developed

The teachers’ work was genuine & interesting

Backyard Biodiversity

Pods encouraged science that moved out of the classroom and into the world

Bringing urban students into the virtual worlds, the Second Life private island – summer 2011

A workshop in the Science Technology Entry Program (STEP) helped students acquire 21st century skills

Plan / design on paper & in 2-d and 3-d format

Collaborate, share, & peer

teach

Work in person, in virtual, and in text-based social

format

Staged development process:starts with a peer discussion to consider a game design

Students then began the design process on paper

Students select the available “shapes” for a 3-dimensional game

Then they use the 2-dimensional shapes in Microsoft’s drawing program to further develop their games

In the afternoon, students were logged onto SER/VE, to get them comfortable in this environment

They begin to explore the island and find there they can build, and play

They had their first introduction to the

virtual location

They tested avatar appearance and clothing

They mastered navigation & interactions quickly, and with enthusiasm

By the second afternoon, students are ready for more creative uses of SER/VE

Now, students were really adventuresome

Creativity and boldness were evident

Texting on the computer; talking in real time – learning new techniques

They adjusted avatars’ appearances, and moved the camera angles

They interpreted menus & made complex shapes

Some shapes became vehicles, with scripts that made them move

STEP students made real advance

Plan / design on paper & in 2-d and 3-d format

Collaborate, share, & peer

teach

Work in person, in virtual, and in text-based social

format

Value of STEM virtual – providing expanded access for K12 & for under-represented

•A working space that transcends geography & creates a sense of reality and presence

•Assembling professionals and educators

Meeting, developing,

sharing

•Represent STEM experiences – safe, practical, virtual

•Integrate with REAL and with education

Simulations & experiences

•Providing expertise and experiences beyond the classroom

•Allowing participation outside the school day too

Enhancing classroom practice

The challenge of getting support

SERVE – fully operational

MALET

Grants???

Programming Teacher – STEM

Graphics

Master’s in Learning in Emerging Technology – an incubator

Eileen A. O'Connor, Ph.D. (Eileen.oconnor@esc.edu )Recent Publications – Emerging technologies:

O’Connor, E. A. (2011) Migrating Towards K12 in Virtual Spaces: Second Life Lessons Learned as Higher Education Meets Middle School Students. Published with the AACE Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, March 2011

O’Connor, E.A. (June 2010) Using Second Life (a virtual reality) in Language Instruction: Practical Advice on Getting Started; published with the proceedings of the 4th International Scientific and Methodological Conferenceon "Information and Communication Technologies in Foreign Language Teaching‖

O’Connor, E. A. (2010- 2011) The effect on learning, communication, and assessment when student-created YouTubes of microteaching were used in an online teacher-education course. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 39(2), pp. 135-154.

O’Connor, E. A. (2010) Practical Considerations When Using Virtual Spaces for Learning and Collaboration, with Minimal Setup and Support. A book chapter published in the Handbook of Research on Practices and Outcomes in Virtual Worlds and Environment, IGI Global publishers

Eileen A. O'Connor, Ph.D. (Eileen.oconnor@esc.edu )Recent Publications – Emerging technologies:O’Connor, E. A. The Use of a Wiki in Teacher Education: How Does Learning and Instruction Change When Work Can ―Go Public‖? Published with the AACE Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference in March 2010

O’Connor, E. A. (2009-2010) Instructional and Design Elements that Support Effective Use of Virtual Worlds: What Graduate Student Work Reveals about Second Life. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 38(2), pp. 214 – 234.

O’Connor, E. A. and Sakshaug, L. (2009) Preparing for Second Life: Two Teacher Educators Reflect on Their Initial Foray into Virtual Teaching and Learning, Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 37(3), pp. 259-272.

O'Connor, E. (2008). Becoming a Virtual Instructor: How Can Higher Education Faculty Prepare for Second Life?. In G. Richards (Ed.), Proceedings of World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2008 (pp. 1144-1149). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.

O’Connor, E. A. (2008) Initial Study of Pre-Service Teachers’ Comments on a Reality-Based, Urban-Student Video Streamed within an Online Course, Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 37(2), pp. 139-158.

Eileen A. O'Connor, Ph.D. (Eileen.oconnor@esc.edu )Recent Publications – Emerging technologies:O’Connor, E. A. (2008) Moving Beyond Text Interactions: The Use of Streaming Video in Internet-Based Courses. Published with the 3rd International Scientific and Methodological Conference on "Information and Communication Technologies in Foreign Language Teaching‖

Sakshaug, L. and O’Connor, E.A. (2008) Pedagogical, cultural and epistemological shifts: The dynamics of learning to teach in the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program at SUNY Empire College – published with 2009 National Conference proceedings of the National Center for Alternative Certification;http://www.teach-now.org/Sakshaug_OConnor.doc - retrieved on 7/22/09

Oconnor, E. (2007). Using Reality-Based, Authentic Streamed-Videos and Online Conversations to Prepare Pre-Service Teachers for Urban Classrooms: A Pilot Study. In T. Bastiaens & S. Carliner (Eds.), Proceedings of WorldConference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2007 (pp. 1179-1184). Chesapeake, VA: AACE. O’Connor, E. A. (2007) A Case Study of the Approach to Teaching and to Technology of Three New Teachers in an Alternative Teacher Certification Program, Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 35(3), pp. 357-382.O’Connor, E. A. (2006). Encouraging community: Why, when, and how to structure online interactions to support collegiality and honesty. Published with the 2nd International Scientific and Methodological Conference on "Information and Communication Technologies in Foreign Language Teaching ‖(http://distance.ffl.msu.ru/cdo/conf0606/oconnor.doc - retrieved August 2007)Presentations