Dr Palitha Edirisingha Pal Eilde & Professor Gilly Salmon: Genevieve Simons University of Leicester 3-D Multi-User Virtual Environments for socialisation for learning at a distance MOOSE team: Gilly Salmon, Palitha Edirisingha, Ming Nie, Matt Wheeler, Mark Pluciennik, Ruth Young, Jaideep Mukherjee

MOdelling Of Second life Environments (MOOSE) Design, develop and pilot SL-tivities in undergraduate distance learning course (Archaeological Theory) Develop & deliver SL guides and training Research students’ and tutors’ use of SL-tivities Designing for SL events Role of facilitation in SL In-world socialization & learning in groups

Theory: socialization for learning at a distance Socialization for online collaboration, link between social presence & socialisation, affordances of 3D MUVEs for effective socialisation 5-stage model and e-tivities Salmon 2004; Motteram 2004; Gunewardene and Zittle 1997, Short et al 1976 Online socialisation Access & Motivation Information exchange Knowledge construction Development

Second Life learning preparations –Students training guide In-world training (1 hour) –Tutors training guide F2F session: technical and SL-moderation (2 hours) Training guides available at:

Over to Pal

UoL Archaeology module Read description of rituals & social structures Written description and diagrams of a Saami tent Visioning and thought experiment about the term ’landscape’ and verbal exploration of cultural context Individual reflection on module experience Current approachSecond Life approach Immersion in simulated ritual experience Artefact of Saami tent in world for exploration and interaction Interpretations of a vision and created landscape in-world and exploration of history, ideals and aspirations Group discussion in world

Saami tent

Kalasha village

Initial findings 1.Provides environment for meeting 2.In world socialisation 3.Remote network building 4.Enabling the first 2 stages of the ‘5 stage model’ faster… 5.Perspectives on: -1 st stage of the model: access and motivation -2 nd stage of the model: socialisation 6.The shape / details of the 5-stage model 7.Role for the SL moderator / SL moderation 8.Complex presence through avatars These are the substantive issues and they need presenting Very well

Socialisation DM: How are you? EA: Good, thanks. How are you? DM: Have you changed your outfit again? great! EA: The rugs look so real. YU: I knitted them the weekend that’s why! EA: Ha ha! EA: You're very talented. DM: :) Do you have to knit in the middle of the tent or in the men's section? EA: Do you have to knit in the middle of the tent or in the men's section? YU: No Comment! EA: :)

Avatar students help the avatar tutor YU: Well, I feel like a prune standing up here AC: It's less anonymous EA: ha ha AC: Sit down! DM: :) YU: I'm not sure I know how to yet! It might be embarrassing! EA: We won't laugh. :) AC: Right-click on ‘Sit’ YU: Thanks - that's helpful. But I might fly instead... AC: That would give you a different impression of space... YU: Meanwhile, back in space... [back to the session]

Course and personal matters DM: EA, which essay question have you chosen? EA: I haven't yet as I defered my course 'til the summer session... DM: Oh, sorry, you were ill, weren´s you? EA: Yes, :) EA: Which did you choose? DM: Neo-Darwinian approaches... EA: Sounds like a good one. :)

Over to Gilly

Further work Learning sessions with: 2 UoL modules (Geography, Media and Communications) -London South Bank University (Photography) Modeling of SL moderation and SL activities for formal HE learning

Online resources Project website: Project blog: research-alliance/projects/moose Saami Tent and the Kalasha village: Training guides: research-alliance/projects/moose/mooseblog/training- guides

MOdelling Of SecondLife Environments MOdelling Of SecondLife Environments MOOSE team: Gilly Salmon, Palitha Edirisingha, Ming Nie, Matt Wheeler, Mark Pluciennik, Ruth Young, Jaideep Mukherjee Thanks for listening