Inappropriate Activities
October 1st, 2006 by trottahe
As any parent of an 18-20 year old will tell you, this age group learns best from interacting with their environment, not by the verbal exchange of information. Yet, for the most part, we expect college students to sit passively for 50-90 minutes taking notes. Visit an average college classroom today and you will see most undergraduate students actively doing something but usually their activities are not what we had in mind. Shocked, we complain about their improper use of technology in the classroom.
To try to stop such “nonacademic” activities, some look for suggestions on tools and techniques for prevention. Solutions range from expensive software to disciplinary action. However, current learning scientists are looking, instead, for ways to transform classrooms into communities of active learners. These researchers argue that multiplayer virtual worlds such as World of Warcraft and Second Life, embody the very principles central to how people learn while traditional practices tend to be based on older, outdated models.
What exactly is happening in these virtual spaces? What makes them effective learning places? Do these worlds have any academic importance? How can we come to terms with the difference in values these worlds support from the traditional classroom?
For the fall semester, as part of my Independent Study with Chuck Kinzer, I will be looking for answers to these questions and more. This topic expands upon my proposed Master’s project at TC of the possibility of using virtual worlds for alternative learning. Currently my project needs connections to established theoretical frameworks which I hope to define. Results of these efforts can be found both here and in my wiki.
Continuing down the yellow-brick road … 
