Mark J. W. Lee

What are the learning affordances of 3-D virtual environments?

Barney Dalgarno is a research fellow with the Centre for Research in Complex Systems (CRiCS), Charles Sturt University, and an associate professor with the School of Education at the same university. His research interests lie in desktop virtual reality learning environments, as well as constructivist computerassisted learning theories, techniques and tools. Dalgarno’s PhD work examined the characteristics of 3-D environments and their potential contributions to spatial learning, and he is now studying the application of brain imaging though Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to interactive multimedia research. Mark J. W. Lee is an adjunct senior lecturer with the School of Education, Charles Sturt University. Previously, he worked in a variety of teaching, instructional design, and managerial roles within the private vocational education and higher education sectors. He has published approximately 50 refereed book chapters, journal articles, and conference papers in the areas of educational technology, e-learning, and innovative pedagogy in tertiary education. Lee is the Chair of the New South Wales Chapter of the IEEE Education Society and serves as founding Editor-in-Chief of Impact:Journal of Applied Research in Workplace E-learning, in addition to being on the editorial boards of a number of international journals. Address for correspondence: Mark J. W. Lee, School of Education, Charles Sturt University, Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia. Email: malee@csu.edu.au

Talk the talk: Learner‐generated podcasts as catalysts for knowledge creation

Podcasting allows audio content from one or more user-selected feeds or channels to be automatically downloaded to ones computer as it becomes available, then later transferred to a portable player for consumption at a convenient time and place. It is enjoying phenomenal growth in mainstream society, alongside other Web 2.0 technologies that enable Internet users to author and distribute rich media content quickly and easily. Instead of using the technology for the mere recording and dissemination of lectures and other instructor-centred information, the project reported on in this article focused on enabling students to create their own podcasts for distribution to their peers. The article describes how engaging in the podcasting exercise promoted collaborative knowledge building among the student-producers, as evidenced through focus-group interviewing and an analysis of the products of their shared dialogue and reflection. The findings suggest that the collaborative development of audio learning objects enabling student conceptualisations of disciplinary content to be shared with peers is a powerful way of stimulating both individual and collective learning, as well as supporting social processes of perspective-taking and negotiation of meaning that underpin knowledge creation.

Pervasive, Lifestyle-Integrated Mobile Learning for Distance Learners: An Analysis and Unexpected Results from a Podcasting Study

This article opens with a discussion of how and why mobile learning (m‐learning) is purported to be the next step in the evolution of distance education, before looking at various perspectives on what m‐learning constitutes. It critically examines the degree to which ‘true’ m‐learning has been achieved, by offering pedagogical value beyond the mere use of mobile devices to deliver e‐learning content. The authors argue that podcasting, in combination with a variety of portable MPEG Layer 3 (MP3)‐capable devices that are increasingly ubiquitous, can be used to deliver a form of m‐learning that offers a higher degree of lifestyle integration than many current ‘state of the art’ m‐learning applications, despite not being as technically complex. They present an example of a study in which podcasting was used to deliver supplementary listening material to distance learners undertaking an information technology subject. An end‐of‐semester survey yielded extremely positive feedback about uptake levels and the perceived effectiveness of the podcasts in aiding the students’ learning of the subject matter. However, it also produced interesting results on the ways the students made use of the podcasts, which deviated from the researchers’ original intentions for ‘anytime, anywhere, any device’ learning. The results are discussed in the light of possible influencing factors, supported by follow‐up interview data. The study may have broader implications for the still nascent field of m‐learning.

Web 2.0-Based E-Learning: Applying Social Informatics for Tertiary Teaching

The full text of the book chapter is not available on the LRA. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60566-294-7

How Can 3d Virtual Worlds Be Used To Support Collaborative Learning? An Analysis Of Cases From The Literature

Excited at the prospects of engaging their Net Generation students, educators worldwide are attempting to exploit the affordances of threedimensional (3D) virtual worlds such as Second Life, citing collaborative learning as rationale, though often without careful consideration of the design of learning activities to support and enable collaboration. Drawing on three recent examples of 3D virtual worlds in education, the primary aim of this article is to critically assess the evidence that well-designed learning interventions using these types of environments are able to exhibit the key ingredients or elements of collaborative learning. The article concludes with a consideration of some of the problems and challenges that exist, before offering number of recommendations for practitioners.

Design and implementation factors in blended synchronous learning environments: Outcomes from a cross-case analysis

Abstract Increasingly, universities are using technology to provide students with more flexible modes of participation. This article presents a cross-case analysis of blended synchronous learning environments—contexts where remote students participated in face-to-face classes through the use of rich-media synchronous technologies such as video conferencing, web conferencing, and virtual worlds. The study examined how design and implementation factors influenced student learning activity and perceived learning outcomes, drawing on a synthesis of student, teacher, and researcher observations collected before, during, and after blended synchronous learning lessons. Key findings include the importance of designing for active learning, the need to select and utilise technologies appropriately to meet communicative requirements, varying degrees of co-presence depending on technological and human factors, and heightened cognitive load. Pedagogical, technological, and logistical implications are presented in the form of a Blended Synchronous Learning Design Framework that is grounded in the results of the study.

Students as Producers: Second Year Students' Experiences as Podcasters of Content for First Year Undergraduates

The authors are involved in an ongoing project in which a group of second year volunteer students are placed in charge of producing a series of short, talkback radio-style educational podcasts for the students enrolled in a first year undergraduate information technology subject. The entire production process, from inception and scriptwriting through to the final recording, is driven primarily by the student-producers, with minimal lecturer intervention. This paper describes the experiences of the student-producers, elicited through focus group interviewing. The findings suggest that they both immensely enjoyed and greatly benefited from the exercise, which enabled them to revisit previously learnt subject content and present it to other students, thereby enhancing their own understanding of the material. In addition, it afforded them valuable opportunities to develop generic skills such as research and teamwork skills. This is consistent with the principles of peer teaching and learning. The design of the study is outlined, in addition to providing recommendations for educators pursuing similar projects in the future

Exploring the potential of podcasting to deliver mobile ubiquitous learning in higher education

PODCASTING facilitates the timely delivery of digital audio content such as MP3 files to a user’s desktop, as it becomes available. The authors believe it holds tremendous potential as a low-cost, low-barrier tool for mobile ubiquitous learning, given the large uptake of portable music players. This paper explores some of the possibilities for enhancing university teaching and learning, although the intention is not to replace traditional, face-to-face classes. In particular, the paper describes a project involving an investigation into podcasting preclass listening material as a strategy for addressing students’ preconceptions and anxiety to better prepare them for effective face-to-face learning. A group of undergraduate students studying a first year information technology subject at an Australian university were the main participants in a survey and focus group used to gather data to guide plans for a trial implementation planned for the following semester.

Collaborative learning across physical and virtual worlds: Factors supporting and constraining learners in a blended reality environment.

This article presents the outcomes of a pilot study investigating factors that supported and constrained collaborative learning in a blended reality environment. Pre-service teachers at an Australian university took part in a hybrid tutorial lesson involving a mixture of students who were co-located in the same face-to-face (F2F) classroom along with others who were participating remotely via their avatars in a three-dimensional virtual world. Video and sound recording equipment captured activity in the classroom, which was streamed live into the virtual world so the remote participants could see and hear their instructor and F2F peers; the in-world activity was also simultaneously displayed on a projector screen, with the audio broadcast via speakers, for the benefit of the F2F participants. While technical issues constrained communication and learning in some instances, the majority of remote and F2F participants felt the blended reality environment supported effective communication, collaboration and co-presence. Qualitative analysis of participant evaluations revealed a number of pedagogical, technological and logistical factors that supported and constrained learning. The article concludes with a detailed discussion of present and future implications of blended reality collaborative environments for learning and teaching as well as recommendations for educators looking to design and deliver their own blended reality lessons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing misconceptions about engineering through student-industry interaction in a video-augmented 3D immersive virtual world

A key goal of engineering education is to ensure students are adequately prepared to enter professional practice. Unfortunately, students have been found to bring to university significant misconceptions about the types of work engineers perform, which can have an adverse impact on their readiness to fully appreciate and benefit from course activities. This paper presents a case study of how iSee, a collaborative online platform that allows for video conferencing within a three-dimensional immersive virtual world, was used to host a careers fair event in which students learned about the engineering profession and about the various engineering majors available to them by networking and interacting with alumni and faculty. The planning and execution of the event are described, along with the pedagogical, technological, and logistical considerations and design decisions that were made. Preliminary results suggest the activity, despite being low cost, was effective at generating productive dialogue between participants that focused on what students could expect upon graduating in terms of employment prospects, as well as the academic pathways and other learning opportunities they needed to pursue to realize their goals.