a pedagogy for virtual worlds

Dogme ELT

What is Dogme ELT?

• A movement and pedagogy • Alternative to textbooks• Low tech focus• Communication is central • Learning is social • Constructivism

Wot no syllabus?

• No need for set order / syllabus• Language learning opportunities emerge

– According to students’ needs– According to students’ interests

Dogme ELT Principles

• Interactivity– Engaging learners– Co-constructing knowledge

• Communication– Language ‘emerges’ via conversation

Dogme ELT Principles

• Content to engage learners– Engagement enables learning– Learner’s voice (beliefs, knowledge,

experiences) are valid content in lesson

• Relevance– Learners provide content to ensure relevance

Virtual World Experiences

• Social to meet someone • Immersive to be somewhere• Building to make something• Gaming to achieve something

– World of Warcraft and other MMOGs– Second Life based exercises– Simulations / Serious Games

• Social• Immersive

3D Virtual Environments

Apart from Second Life… • Google Street View

– Virtually visit real places– No avatars, so not social– Just immersive in 3D

• Hangout – Browser-based 3D spaces

• Exit Reality– Explore web in 3D

Blended Learning

Mix n match tools & activities • Use virtual worlds for particular strength

– One of 4 experiences

• Combine with other mediums– Online / offline tools for content

• Video• Audio• Text

Implications for using Dogme

• Language lessons / language learning – Virtual world activities in class– Virtual world activities for homework

• Focus on enabling language emergence– Virtual worlds as stimulus– Conversations / text work = emergence

• Students (help) determine– Where to go– What to do

Low Tech

• Low tech teaching in high tech world – Few tools in Second Life– Little content – Focus on experience

• Shallow learning curve– Students only need to walk and talk– Teachers as well

Examples of Activities

• Gaming– World of Warcraft – Collaborative tasks

• Social– Conversation practice– Purposeful interviews

• Immersive– Descriptions– Relating to contexts

Examples of Activities

• Building– Instructions and descriptions – Collaborative building tasks

• Simulations / Role Plays– Virtual tours in Second Life & Street View– Loosely structured simulations

Example Lesson

• Dogme inspired– Real life materials– Relevance to student

• 3D immersive experience– Second Life for virtual field trip

• Combined with other online tools– Content from Lonely Planet & Google– Interactive 2D tools

• Whiteboard• Google Docs

More Dogme if…

• Student chooses more materials – Finds content (eg restaurant descriptions)– Chooses activities

• Greater social interaction– Interview residents in Second Life

Dogme & Virtual Worlds

• Dogme– Real life materials– Engage student for communication– Communication for language

emergence– Alternative to teaching with textbook– Guide experiences for communication

Dogme & Virtual Worlds

• 3D virtual environments – Experiences (immersive, social,

gaming, building)– Limited video/audio/text content– Blended learning opportunities

• 2D online• Offline (physical classroom)

Dogme & Virtual Worlds

• Dogme guides virtual world teaching – 3D experiences as springboards– Engaging and authentic– Lead to communication and emergence – Low tech approach to virtual worlds

Learn more…

Further information on using 3D virtual worlds for language education

available on our website…

www.avatarlanguages.com/howweteach.php

Online Language School

• One-to-one language classes – Spanish– English– Other languages

www.avatarlanguages.com

a pedagogy for virtual worlds

Dogme ELT

slanguages.net

SLanguages 2009

This presentation was given at

SLanguages 2009

The Conference for Language Education in Virtual Worlds