Virtual world global collaboration: an educational quest
| Pages | 547-565 |
| Date | 10 October 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-02-2017-0010 |
| Published date | 10 October 2017 |
| Author | Valerie Hill,K. Brant Knutzen |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library & information services |
Virtual world global collaboration:
an educational quest
Valerie Hill
School of Library and Information Studies, Texas Woman’s University,
Denton, Texas, USA, and
K. Brant Knutzen
Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Abstract
Purpose –This research case study shares the partnership between librarians and educators to create a live
digital literacy experience at The Quest (Camelot Project), a virtual world medieval simulation. The purpose of
the partnership was to gain understanding of the learning elements addressed with a group of participants from
across the globe, working at various skill levels and interacting with an immersive virtual world simulation.
Design/methodology/approach –Using field notes, machinima and interviews (participatory action
research),the study identifies learning elements within three contexts:technological, pedagogical and content.
Learners cycletoward intended learning outcomes in a virtual-world treasurehunt game from the perspective
of both designersand participants.
Findings –Findings of the case study illustratethe value of collaboration in a digital game-based learning
(DGBL) environment through scaffoldingof knowledge and skills in a virtual world. Findings exemplify the
experiential learning cycle within a virtual world for constructing learning, and support a proposed new
theoretical framework of technology-mediated learning which may help educators in both design and
implementation.
Originality/value –As virtual worlds and immersive learning opportunities continue to expand for
learners and educators, thisstudy shares the value of experiential learning from the perspectiveof both the
teacher and the learner. Socially constructingknowledge and acquiring skills across distance with a team of
librariansand educators are innovative examples ofDGBL in an alternative reality setting.
Keywords Participatory action research, Virtual worlds, Serious games, Digital literacies,
Constructionism, Digital game-based learning (DGBL), Global collaboration
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Background of the quest
The intent of the Quest was to introduce the use of the virtualworld to the training of digital
literacies in a course titled “The Musical”at a university in Hong Kong. Funded by a
teaching development grant,a simulated medieval village was designed and constructed by
the co-author (Brant Knutzen) on a full region in the Second Life (SL) virtualworld, which is
an island covering about 16 acres, or over 65,000 m
2
. To train and support the 16 students
taking the Musical course in the virtual world, Brant developed a supplementary course
called the Virtual Classroom using the Moodle LMS, on a server with a customized
Participation Forum plugin installed to automatically award points as the students
contributed to an online discussion. In collaboration with the subject teacher, Brant
developed and then facilitated five Participation Forum small-group formative assessment
activities to support studentexploration of the Second Life virtual world, worth a combined
total of 20 per cent of the coursegrade.
Virtual world
global
collaboration
547
Received27 February 2017
Revised13 April 2017
Accepted14 April 2017
Informationand Learning Science
Vol.118 No. 9/10, 2017
pp. 547-565
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2398-5348
DOI 10.1108/ILS-02-2017-0010
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2398-5348.htm
The Quest was then developed by Brant as a game-based learning (GBL) training exercise
within the virtual world, with a series of ten challenges designed to promote specificuser
interface skills. Each challenge consisted of a genie lamp that gives each participating Questor
a written clue at the start (Figures 1 and 2), a path littered with secret doors and surprises
(Figures 3 and 4), and a treasure chest as a goal, which rewarded successful completion with
medieval clothing and accessories (Figure 5). A “magic door”then teleported the Questor to the
starting point of the next clue, a place far removed yet still on the same virtual island.
Much like a blindfold and three spins in the “pin the tail on the donkey”game, the
teleportation provided by the magic doors would remove each Questor from the previous
location context, thus forcing a focus on the careful comprehension of the next written clue,
and comparison with the new virtual location, to stay on the requiredpath to the next goal.
Arrival points might be in a dusty attic, inside a cell in the castle dungeon or high on the
edge of a cliff overlooking the sea.
The intended learning outcomes of the Quest were in all three of Bloom’s domains of
knowledge. Aftercompleting the Quest, each Questor should be able to:
(1) Cognitive
correctly list the steps and explain to others how to control their avatar;
follow the procedure to open and use navigation tools; and
relate their position to landmarks within the virtual world.
(2) Psychomotor
demonstrate new hand–eye–mouse skills controlling;
their avatars;
camera control viewpoints; and
menu controls of the viewer software.
(3) Affective
demonstrate confidence and optimism in their attitude toward solving
navigation and avatar control challenges in the virtual world (reflecting higher
levels of self-efficacy and perceived usability of the technology).
Figure 1.
Two questors near
the genie lamp which
gives the first clue
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