rethinking SL in language classes

Lessons learned today:
1) Prepare a traditional activity that students can do independently while you walk around and give feedback. Focus the lesson on this and have everyone do it from the start. Make the SL activity optional at the end of the lesson. If an instructor computer and projector is available or another computer that students can see, log on so that everyone is is able to see what is going on inworld, even if they're not initially interested in joining in.

2) A new way of framing SL for language classes: VoiceChat is the important thing. Build subskills into lessons, get to VoiceChat by mid-quarter, get the students to an English conversation group after that.

a possible sequence for weekly lessons: create an account, teleport, take a snapshot (this one is good for writing assignments), local chat, etiquette for VoiceChat, voice chat, join a group.

Readings and video could be created/assembled for students before each lesson.

3) Colleagues with SL skills help each other in class sessions and make it a success!

This morning, we went to the lab for the last time this quarter. My colleague John and I had, like last week, defined a very specific goal for the lesson: show interested students how to use the Voice Chat in SL. Because it was our last session, I also wanted to get them to Cypris English Voice Chat Island in SL and help them join the conversation group at Cypris Village.

All students were shown folders in our Angel classroom where I had posted links to self-correcting grammar quizzes online, specifically exercises that reviewed topics we have just covered and that will help students prepare for our final exam next week.

Once they had been working for about 20 minutes, we passed out headsets to students who expressed interest and showed them individually how to set up their preferences in SL to use the headsets. Having John there to help was crucial--he tested headsets to make sure they worked, walked around and helped students, and even helped fix a lab scheduling confusion (my bad). He made the lesson a success. We could not have done it without him.

I like letting students choose whether to do the SL activity or not because it wipes out my preconceptions. When you prepare a lesson, of course you think it's valuable. But not everyone might think so. Some students were happy just to work on the grammar exercises, and I walked around and helped them. Others really seemed enthusiastic about heading over to Cypris for the last 20 minutes of class and seemed motivated by the activity. I can't always guess who is going to want to do what, so it's best to have a sure-fire traditional activity prepared and put the emphasis on it, making SL optional at the end of the lesson.