College Reading and Learning Association Conference Richmond, VA 10/29/09

1. Exploration of new online technologies (Second Life) 2. Examination of Community of Inquiry 3. Implementation for developmental reading students 4. Information for administrators and instructors

 We as developmental instructors MUST be 21 st Century-minded. We will be doing our students a disservice if we don’t stay one step ahead in educational technolgies  Our students are bored with traditional instruction  Our students are adept with using social technologies

Second Life

 Second Life is a 3-D Multi User Virtual Environment (MUVE) where avatars (digital representations of yourself) can:  Create  Collaborate  Engage in role-play  Engage in simulation activities  Engage in interactive activities

Community of Inquiry (CoI)

Cognitive Presence Teaching Presence Social Presence educational experience selecting content setting climate supporting discourse Community of Inquiry (CoI)

 “Cognitive presence is the extent to which the participants in any particular configuration of a community of inquiry are able to construct meaning through sustained communication.” (Garrison, Anderson & Archer W, 2001).

 “Social presence is the ability of learners to project their personal characteristics into the community of inquiry, thereby presenting themselves as 'real people.‘”(Rourke, Anderson, Garrison, & Archer, 2001).

 “Teaching presence is defined as the design, facilitation, and direction of cognitive and social processes for the purpose of realizing personally meaningful and educational worthwhile learning outcomes.” Anderson, Rourke, Garrison, Archer, 2001).

CoI Categories:  Cognitive presence  Triggering events  Exploration  Integration  Resolution

 Social Presence Categories  Effective expression  Open communication  Group cohesion

 Teaching Presence Categories  Design and organization  Facilitating discourse  Direct instruction

Cognitive Presence Activities  read-alouds (concept application, i.e. main idea)  small or whole-group discussions (based upon narrative or expository readings)  think-pair-share  exploration  direct instruction  Problem-solving and resolution

Social Presence Activities  Voice or text communication  Note cards  Private messaging (synchronous and asynchronous)  scavenger hunts  Problem-solving and resolution

Teaching Presence Activities  Direct instruction  Lecture  Facilitating discourse  Demonstration  Facilitator of discussion  Organized fieldtrips to other educational islands

Multi User Virtual Environment Education Tool (MUVEET)

 Multi User Virtual Environment Education Evaluation Tool (MUVEEET)  An observation tool designed to measure all three constructs (social, cognitive, and teaching presence in a virtual environment

Developmental readers often have cognitive and affective deficiencies such as:  Self-regulation  Effective reading strategies  Reading comprehension skills  Analytical thinking skills  Time management skills  Interest in reading  Motivation

Second Life:  Gives D.E. students a synchronous (in real time) online learning format with teacher presence (to faciliate learning)  Bridges the gap between BlackBoard/WebCT and face-to-face instruction (telepresence)  Facilitates learning technological skills  Encourages self-regulation/time management  Is Engaging

 Bearkat Island Bearkat Island

 Take a look at your paper entitled “Session Discussion Questions”  Let’s take a few minutes to jot down your thoughts on this topic  Then, let’s discuss…

Visit the Second Life Database for Second Life Educators:

Contact Information: Melissa Burgess, Clinical Professor Wally Barnes, Coordinator of the Reading Center In Second Life, please visit SHSU’s virtual university, Bearkat Island!