Proceedings of the SLACTIONS 2010 International Conference Life, imagination, and work using metaverse platforms

The importance of using devices designed for achieving specific objectives in Virtual Worlds. Exemplification by introducing tools which can be applied for improving three issues involved in the teaching/learning process of a language.
Gloria Gmez-Diago (SL name: gloriagdiagoGalicia)
Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Sciences of Communication (II) at the Rey Juan Carlos University (Madrid).

Akemi Mochizuki (SL name: Draceina Pinion)

Graduated at Math at Kyoto University and Manager of a Cram School three tools designed for being used in Second Life , for enhancing the teaching/learning process of different skills involved in the learning of a language: grammar, vocabulary and use of the language in context. Virtual Worlds: devices and contexts for the learning process of a language Virtual environments, understood as spaces, are very adequate contexts for learning and working from a collaborative approach. Therefore, are pretty suitable for learning languages because of the easiness which offer for being in touch with native speakers and, thus, can be applied as a device for enhancing communication skills (Berriolo, 2009). Proof of the suitability of using this Virtual World as context for teaching and learning a language is the school DriveThrough ELF, set in Second Life, and where students pay for attending classes since 2008 (Giovanni Tweak, 2009) By considering these environments as space and as a flow of communication (Gmez-Diago, 2010), we are aware of the fact that several cultures are represented on Virtual Worlds. Therefore, when trying to seek elements which give utterance to the Galician culture in Second Life, four type of places were identified (Casas Agun, 2009): places for holding meetings, buildings which offer courses and conferences organised by Galician Universities, places managed by Galician companies and simulations of monuments with tourist interest. The performance of meetings in Virtual Environments is one of their best applications because allow us to gather in the same space people who live in different parts of the world and also people who, even when living near to us, is difficult to join with, because of possible difficulties for scheduling a meeting. By taking into account the features of Virtual Environments, Herver, El Kamel, and Rigaux-Bricmont (2010) highlight the suitability of using Second Life for undertaking social research by performing group discussions. 62

Abstract
Virtual Worlds are pretty adequate environments for sharing information and for creating contents in team not just because allow us to gather in the same space people from different places around the world but because of the sense of belonging to a collective activity which is experimented when collaborating by using avatars. The failures that can cause the absence of the physical presence when managing one activity at Virtual Environments, can be avoided by using tools intended to facilitate the achievement of specific objectives and therefore, by taking advantage of these environments not just as devices, but as contexts where specific actions can be performed. For illustrating our statement, and after briefly introducing some of the characteristics of Virtual Worlds, we describe three tools which can be used in the context of the teaching/learning process of a language: Word Puzzle Balls, Dracy Crossword (type 5 and making panel) and Brainflowing. Keywords: language,teaching/ learning process, tools, virtual worlds

Introduction
Mainstream approaches used when researching into/about Virtual Worlds are mainly intended on indentifying the links between virtual and physical world, on sharing educational and business experiences, on introducing tools and on finding applications of these environments (Gmez-Diago, Serrano Garca and Hughes, 2009). Even when Virtual Worlds can be approached as tools, is suitable to go further, by considering them as contexts where many devices can be used to meet specific objectives involved in the development of one activity like teaching and or learning a language. This text embraces perspectives referred in order to illustrate the suitability of applying devices in Virtual Worlds for achieving specific purposes. We do this by describing

Proceedings of the SLACTIONS 2010 International Conference Life, imagination, and work using metaverse platforms

Despite the advantages that virtual teams have, this way of working implies, according to Walther & Bunz (2005:829) dealing with circumstances as the fact that members remain unaware of the situational and contextual factors that impact other team members, leading to misunderstandings and inappropriate attributions for behaviours that appear normal to local actors, but personality-based and disruptive to remote partners. We posit the importance of identifying activities and tasks we can develop or undertake in Virtual Worlds in order to achieve easily objectives with will be more difficult to obtain in physical world. The use of tools will help us when trying to achieve specific objectives because the absence of physical presence can provokes that users feel a bit lost, causing that the time runs more quickly than it does at physical world. Devices for facilitating different issues involved in the learning process of a language at Virtual Worlds. It is mainstream taking advantage of the easiness that we experiment at Virtual Environments for designing and creating intelligent tools oriented to achieve specific objectives. Understanding Second Life as an extension of ourselves through the identification of five characteristics of this virtual environment (GmezDiago 2009), is an introductory work which identifies the mainstream factors that, following the idea of McLuhan (1996: 29), lead us to consider Second Life as an extension of ourselves:1. High level of detail in the representation of the things, 2. Intelligent objects, 3. Tools for displaying content, 4. Social environment, 5. Linked to the real world. Devices intended on facilitating the achievement of different purposes in Virtual environments are usually based on the four characteristics proposed. Thus, tools have a representation as objects at the Virtual World, are intelligent, permitting users to develop a wide range of actions, are social, being most of them thought for being used in group and are usually linked to physical world because allow users to transfer the outcomes obtained during activity or because the objectives that the devices are intended to facilitate to achieve, are related to activities developed at physical world. As we have mentioned, for illustrating our statement, we will be introducing three tools focused on improving three main issues involved in the learning process of a

language: Grammar, vocabulary and use in context. Word Puzzle Balls

Figure 1: Draceina Pinion avatar testing Word Puzzle Balls.

This tool was designed by Mochizuki for facilitating the teaching/learning process oriented to improve the knowledge of the grammar of any language which can be used in Second Life. Simply explained, the device allows us to save many sentences on it and each word will be displayed over a ball but not in the correct order for having an adequate grammar structure. Thus, users must touch the balls and put them in the right place for building a sentence accurately written. Word Puzzle Balls automatically reports to the users whether the sentence is right or wrong, and tells them the correct one. Therefore, it is possible to have saved seventy eight sentences conformed by twenty or less words. Dracy Crossword (type 5 and Making Panel) Dracy Crossword can be applied for learning and teaching vocabulary of English, German, Spanish, French and Italian. Furthermore, the author has created a special version which allows to use this device for learning Hirigana, the first of all the writing systems taught to Japanese children. Not only words but also phrasal verbs can be handled by this device which is based on the crosswords we do at physical world. The game proposed by the tool consists on completing the panel with the required words or expressions which must be guessed by the users thanks to the clues which will be provided to them when touching the panel.

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Proceedings of the SLACTIONS 2010 International Conference Life, imagination, and work using metaverse platforms

metaverse. Brainflowing gives utterance to the ideas of the participants by displaying in a board the text written by users in notecards. Words are automatically adapted to the free space in the board without being separated and; therefore, avoiding possible errors of interpretation.

Figure 2: Crossword at Drive Through ELF school

The crossword making panel can be used more effectively with a database which allows their owners to write both the clues and the answers they desire. Thus, even when this tool was conceived for training language vocabulary, could be applied for developing crosswords focused on promoting the memorization of specific concepts or ideas from any field of knowledge. This device allows users to play while they learn without being frustrated when they do not know the correct answers. Thus, the tool notifies them when the answer is correct. Visualization elements are incorporated to the device in order to enhance its usability. Therefore, when the crossword is completed, it will automatically change of colour.

Figure 4: gloriagdiagoGalicia avatar and Draceina Pinion avatar testing Brainflowing.

Apart from containing the characters needed for brainstorming in German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish, this device allows users to brainstorm by anonymity, without knowing the name of the avatars who added each idea to the board. Thus, participants will be not afraid of committing mistakes.

Figure 3: Draceina SLACTIONS 2010.

Pinion

avatar

explaining

crossword

at

Figure 5: gloriagdiago avatar and Draceina Pinion avatar performing a brainstorming with Brainflowing at ISTE, International Society for Technology in Education.

Brainflowing Brainflowing, created by Gomez-Diago and Mochizuki, is a tool designed to brainstorm in virtual environments and to transfer the outcomes obtained outside the 64

Finally, by using this tool, it is possible to transfer the contents generated outside the Metaverse, by sending the information collected via email. Brainstorming data can be also displayed and easily copied from local chat.

Proceedings of the SLACTIONS 2010 International Conference Life, imagination, and work using metaverse platforms

For letting readers to understand how the devices explained can be used in order to achieve objectives set in the context of the learning process of a language, we explain where and how these devices are being used, and we also include two testimonies written by language teachers who have experience with the tools. Therefore, by sharing these experiences we allow readers not just to imagine how these devices are being applied but also to guess different applications oriented to achieve the same or other objectives. How the tools are being used. Testimonies of users of the tools Word Puzzle Balls and Dracy Crossword (type 5 and Making Panel) are used in places set in Second Life and focused in teaching languages, as Drive-Through ELF, a language school founded in 2008 and owned by Giovanni Tweek. These tools were also used in the school that SHS Foundation had in Saarlouis virtuell, and where Ursula Marbach (SL name: Uma Robonaught), taught German to several students. Brainflowing, apart for being used to discuss and to facilitate virtual meetings like the celebrated in February 2010 by the lead teacher at Cornwall College, Rebecca Ferriday (SL name: Hebask Falconer) and her group, when developing an introductory teacher education course, or like the focus groups celebrated by GRIPASL (Groupe de Recherche Informel sur le Potentiel Acadmique de Second Life), animated by Professor Benny Rigaux-Bricmont (SL name: Twilight Rhode), was used by Ursula Marbach, during the lessons of German she conducts in Second Life. Alianaluz Rivera, teacher at Drive-Through ELF, explains how Dracy Crossword Panel works and how she takes advantage of it for teaching English at Second Life. The Dracy Crossword Making Panel is an excellent and versatile tool for introducing, teaching, and reinforcing concepts to students of English. The teacher creates a puzzle, using the tool, by placing words or phrases on a crossword puzzle grid. The teacher also develops the clues for the puzzle. When a student or the teacher clicks on a square on the puzzle, a clue pops up. The student/player then types in the word. When the puzzle is completed, it flashes a different color and Congratulations! appears across the screen. My ADULT students cheer when this happens! The Dracy Crossword Making Panel is motivating and fun, and can be used with individual students or as a cooperative group activity. It can not only be used to give students an opportunity to practice their skills in writing but also, 65

in listening, speaking, and reading. Rather than (or in addition to) having students answer multiple choice reading comprehension questions, after reading a text, you can have students solve a crossword puzzle whose content has been taken from the text. The puzzle can easily be adapted for classes of mixedlevel students. Students can also work on teams to solve the puzzle. The content of the puzzle can be modified for students at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels, and can be used as a pre and post assessment tool for your students. Students especially enjoy theme puzzles. We created a Halloween puzzle that was particularly popular. You can also create puzzles that address particularly difficult aspects of English (e.g., phrasal verbs and prepositions), and you can adjust the difficulty level so that students are challenged, yet not bored or frustrated by content that is too easy or too difficult. I use this very useful tool in a class that I teach at the Drive-Through ESL school in Second Life. I highly recommend this crosswordmaker tool! Ursula Marbach (SL name: Uma Robonaught), from Saarlouis virtuell by SHS Foundation explains how she used Brainflowing when he was teaching German at Second Life. It's great in a group lessons to encourage the students to write little stories on a notecard and put it into the Brainflowing without identify the writer (and his small mistakes ;) ). Another using is for a game: the students must describe the teacher and put this on the Brainflowing and the other students have to guess, who the writer of the des description is and of course its also a good tool to give the students the possibility to say what they like or dislike during the German lesson. Conclusions This article aimed to illustrate the suitability of using devices intended to achieve different objectives at Virtual Environments as Second Life. Virtual worlds allow users to design and create not just objects but devices whereby is possible to meet several purposes, allowing users to apply them for achieving objectives which are less easy to fulfil at physical world. By taking advantage of the characteristics of Virtual Worlds and by using specific tools oriented to help us in the performance of the activities we are interested on, we can forge links between physical and virtual world and therefore, we can use these Virtual Environments not just as a tool but as a virtual context where, with the help of devices we can give utterance to the content produced by users and to the learning, researching or business activities they conduct.

Proceedings of the SLACTIONS 2010 International Conference Life, imagination, and work using metaverse platforms

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