EDTECH 531: Teaching and Learning in Virtual Worlds
Syllabus
Course Description and Prerequisites:
The classroom has changed dramatically in the last couple of decades. Just think, students used to dread
going to class. They hated sitting in rows, listening to lectures, writing papers, taking notes, quizzes, and
tests. They used to believe that school was irrelevant, arbitrary, and just something they had to do. Most of
our students would rather milk a goat than watch another history video. Good thing all of this has changed,
right? But, sarcasm aside, the landscape of education is changing.
Our conception of educational spaces has changed radically over the last several decades. We have evolved
our notions of where and how learning should occur. Experiences now trump text, authentic assessments
over multiple-choice testing, and unique digital spaces for exploration over the traditional classroom built
in factor rows.
In addition to classrooms as hubs of experience, virtual spaces serve learners in ways that the real world
cannot. The laws of physics are bent, broken, or rewritten entirely. Vast and imaginary spaces can be
constructed, stored digitally, and recalled on demand. Participants can interact over immense distances
and, with translation tools, communicate with foreign cultures. Education in virtual worlds shrinks the
globe. This is what we will explore.
It is important for today’s teachers to understand and embrace current trends in the use of technology, video
games, and social networking in a multitude of areas. Technology and its tools saturate every part of our
modern culture. Social interaction is now largely mediated by electronic devices, entertainment can be
delivered in. Weighs on countless tools, and more than ever a generation of students is growing up within
an eight intelligence geared toward this technology. Students today have never known a world without the
Internet, mobile phones, rich video games and their environments, or without more computing power in
their pockets than were used in all of the Apollo missions. They are the digital generation
In practical terms, you create authentic projects that can be used in your teaching. You will demonstrate
fulfillment of the above ideals by building documents and artifacts that could and will be used in your
classroom.
Class Schedule
This course is one of the few in the Educational Technology program that has asynchronous, weekly
meeting. These weekly meetings are not optional. They make up the largest portion of our curricular
interaction and are central to experiencing and learning in and about virtual worlds for education. If you
anticipate missing these synchronous class sessions, you should not take this course. Their other selections
available to you that should prove valuable.
Date
Activity
VW
wk1
Tues. 8/26
Introduction to Virtual Worlds
Reaction
Grid/Jibe
wk2
Tues. 9/2
Constructing Worlds/Land Rush Minecraft
wk3
Tues. 9/9
Adventures
Minecraft
wk4
Thurs. 9/18
Jamestown vs. Roanoke pt. 1
Minecraft
wk5
Tues. 9/23
Jamestown vs. Roanoke pt. 2
Minecraft
Guests
wk6
Tues. 9/30
Student Constructed Worlds
Minecraft
wk7
Wed. 10/8
Boot Camp Basics
Second Life
wk8
Wed. 10/15
Building
Second Life
wk9
Wed. 10/22
wk10
Wed. 10/29
wk11
Wed. 11/6
WoW in Schools
WoW
wk12
Wed. 11/12
Machinima
Second Life
wk13
Wed. 11/18
Lesson Presentations
Variable
No
Class
Thanksgiving
Week
wk14
Wed. 12/3
Lesson Presentations
Variable
wk15
Wed. 12/10
Lesson Presentations
Variable
Recreating Real and Fictional
Spaces
Dream Realizations/Lessons in
Math
Lucas Gillispe
Lisa Dawley
Second Life
Second Life
Cooper MacBeth/Rebecca
Patterson
Quest-Based Learning/Quest Tracking Tool
We will be using a game-based format for scoring. Rather than focusing on a percentage of possible points
against a total (which serves as a form of subtractive scoring) this course will score more like a game. You
will gain experience points for completed assignments. The number of activities available to you is flexible.
You may choose to do a handful of more difficult or complex activities and assignments, which offer
higher XP or a large number of simpler artifacts with a lower average XP. There will be no modules,
chapters, or other overt structures by which assignments will be transmitted or collected.
You will have the ability to choose your activities based on interest, skill set, type, comfort, and other
factors. These “quests” will range from short and simple, to graduated or sequenced, to more complex and
time consuming. Many larger activities will be broken into a sequence of smaller, more achievable
elements. Some of these elements will take as little as 15 minutes to complete.
We will also be using a quest tracking tool created to allow "player" selection of quests, XP tracking, and
submission of completed activities. This tool also serve as a grade book for the course. A login link is
available in the course Moodle menu.
Premise and General Approach to the Course
The course is a series of virtual world lessons. Both in and about the specific virtual worlds, each of the
weekly synchronous sessions will give her dismiss the opportunity to explore the affordances of virtual
worlds while experiencing an authentic lesson designed for K-20 students. This means, an appropriate level
of creative play and cooperation is expected out of each member. You will, at times, act as a student at
other times, you will focus your thoughts and commentary as a teacher. The willingness and ability to play
is an essential part of class participation.
Types of activities:
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Solo-Questing: (Ongoing) Quests that can be completed any time. These activities will include
reading, watching videos, reflections, visiting locations and exploring, playing specific games, etc.
Group-Questing: (Weekly, Ongoing, and/or scheduled) These will include reading-based
discussions, jigsaw activities, exploration, voicethread activities, etc. We would schedule at least
one of these each week.
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Raiding: (Scheduled) These are larger activities that require a facilitator and would be attended by
everyone. (**This allows for an organized effort through core curriculum because it is scheduled
and only offered once.)
Peer-coaching/support (Weekly, Ongoing, and/or Scheduled): As players gain rank, they have
the opportunity to act as guides for others and receive XP. They can lead raids, present findings,
and support others in their charge. This peer mentoring can be credited and earn even more rank.
Quest-building: Also as players reach a specific rank, they will have the ability to create quests
for others to complete. As specific pursuits yield new knowledge, they can add activities to the
existing categories.
Each week we will begin and end with meetings(to maintain contact with the students), hold specific
activities (raids, quests, etc), and give opportunity for completion of quests. Reflection will play an
important role in the may quests and activities as you try to make sense of the world and ideas they are
exploring. This will come orally and through blogging. Participants will be able to explore areas of interest
and still have similar experiences. Keep in mind, the station will be open for activities 24 hours a day seven
days a week to allow them to pursue your study and interests. Scheduled class meetings will offer an
opportunity for shared experience, reflection, socialization, and guidance.
Categories of Exploration:
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Context – Activities and independent quests to allow players to explore and the various theories,
approaches, and current implications of virtual worlds. These quests often walk you through
setting up new accounts, recognizing broad trends, etc.
Minecraft - Get these activities will prepare you to use this virtual world specifically, teach you
building and crafting principles, allow you to participate as an avatar and student as well as builder
and designer.
Second Life - Again, these quests are specific to this virtual world. Adding nuance levels of
building, design, permissions, efficacy, ethics, and a number of other unique characteristics of this
virtual world.
Teaching- This category approaches the pedagogy of virtual world instruction, designing
experiences, assessing learning, and unlocking student creativity.
WoW- Specific to World of Warcraft, this category focuses on this specific tool. As a popular,
off-the-shelf videogame, WoW is utilized by teachers as an instructional platform, professional
development hub, and powerful mainstream virtual world used to improve and supplement
classroom teaching and learning.
Shared Artifacts (Products):
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G+ Community You be expected to regularly interact with classmates in our Google+
community.
Blogging Many of the activities require a digital reflection, interaction, or plan of action. Whether
you choose a written blog or vlog, these interactions are essential to community interaction.
Your builds You’ll be expected to build and share various artifacts throughout the course. These
will be part of the VW lessons that make up the majority of our synchronous meetings.
Your Virtual World Lesson You will be building toward a final presentation of a VW Lesson.
These will be presented in the final weeks. You have 30 minutes to take our class through a VWmediated experience and provide us with your version of lesson plan, support materials, and
assessment techniques.
Course Grading
We will be using a game-based format for scoring. Rather than focusing on a percentage of possible points
against a total (which serves as a form of deductive scoring) this course will score more like a game. You
will gain experience points for completed quests.
Your final grade will be a product of your experience points (XP) AND submitting your VW Lesson.
Failure to submit a completed VW Lesson will result in an INCOMPLETE or a failing grade at the
discretion of the instructor. Due to the unique sequencing of course material, all assignments will be due at
the completion of the class as part of the Game Model.
Absences
Absences feature heavily into the grading system. In order to help maintain an environment by which each
student can be successful, regular class attendance is vital. Two absences can be permitted without penalty.
On the third absence, a full letter grade will be deducted from the final grade. Each additional absence after
the third will result in an additional letter grade loss per occurrence.
This excludes university sanctioned absences for clubs, sports, or other academic endeavors as well as
severe illness, extreme personal hardship, or other extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the
student. Direct contact with the instructor is essential to communicate these circumstances and is the
responsibility of the student.
Progress and Ranking
Participants will have the opportunity to level up through the ranks in the course. The top-five ranks
representing the letter grades possible (2000XP = A, 1750XP = B, etc). For this reason, students should
always know where they stand. In order to receive a passing final grade, all students will need to provide
and present their VW Lesson.
Course Materials (including hardware/software requirements):
The book and accounts for the course are listed below.
(Required) Communities of Play: Emergent Cultures in Multiplayer Games and Virtual Worlds
[Book] by Celia Pearce ISBN: 026251673X
Minecraft License (for Windows, Mac, or Linux) https://minecraft.net/store $26.95 USD
Second Life Account (Free) http://secondlife.com/
Contact Information/Office Hours:
Chris Haskell Office: E-304 (Education Building) / Phone: 426-4217 / /Email: chrishaskell@boisestate.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 10:00am-12:00noon / please feel free to add me as a friend in you
Facebook and message me if you need assistance. / AIM:Haskellboise / Skype: Chris Haskell / SL: Dalai
Haskell
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Course Policies
Procedures Communication – Department policy - instructors will respond to emails and/or phone calls in a timely
manner – usually within 24 hours (weekdays, but may be longer on a weekend or with advance notice to
students).
Posting of Assignments – Department policy – major assignments will be posted at least one week in
advance of the assignment due date.
Assignment Submissions - Major assignments will be submitted through the Moodle course site through
the appropriate collectors.
Feedback/grades – Department policy – Students must be informed of their progress toward the final
course grade at regular intervals. Assignments will be reviewed and evaluated by the instructor within one
week after the posted assignment due date.
Late assignments –All late assignments will not be accepted, save arrangements have been with Dr.
Gibson prior to the due date or exceptional currcumstances exist.
Technical Difficulties – on occasion, you may experience problems with your Internet service, and/or
other computer related problems. Do make the instructor aware if a technical problem prevents you from
completing coursework.
BroncoMail - http://helpdesk.boisestate.edu/email/broncomail/
GameLab Assistance – chrishaskell@boisestate.edu
Academic Honesty – all students are required to abide by Boise State University's Student Code of
Conduct on academic dishonesty. Assignments completed must be your original work and cannot be used
in other courses in the EdTech program.
Reasonable Accommodations - Any student who feels s/he may need accommodations based on the
impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. You will also need to
contact the Disability Resource Center at 208-426-1583 located in the Administration Building, room 114
to meet with a specialist and coordinate reasonable accommodations for any documented disability.
Conceptual Framework
College of Education - The Professional Educator
Boise State University strives to develop knowledgeable educators who integrate complex roles and
dispositions in the service of diverse communities of learners. Believing that all children, adolescents, and
adults can learn, educators dedicate themselves to supporting that learning. Using effective approaches that
promote high levels of student achievement, educators create environments that prepare learners to be
citizens who contribute to a complex world. Educators serve learners as reflective practitioners, scholars
and artists, problem solvers, and partners.
Department of Educational Technology Mission
The Department of Educational Technology supports the study and practice of facilitating and improving
learning of a diverse population by creating, using, managing, and evaluating appropriate technological
processes and resources. Believing technology is a tool that enhances and expands the educational
environment, we promote the use of current and emergent technologies for teaching and learning in a
dynamic global society. Educational technologists are leaders and innovators, serving in institutions of
higher education, public or private school settings, federal, state, or local educational agencies, and
educational organizations in the private sector.