Results from 20 children in Year 7 from St. Dunstans

school

Designing the Avatar, Score Rating out of 10

14

2

4

14 children gave the designing stages 10/10

2 children voted 9/10

4 children voted 8/10

Exploring the World, Score Rating out of 10

8

7

3

11

8 children voted 10/10

7 children voted 9/10

3 children voted 8/10

1 child voted 7/10

1 child voted 4/10

Unlockng Secret Places, Socre Rating out of 10

4

8

3

2

3

Game Playing, Score Rating out of 10

5

7

3

3

11

4 children rated unlocking secret places in the virtual world 10/10

8 children rated it 9/10

3 children rated it 8/10

2 children rated it 7/10

3 children rated it 6/10

5 children rated playing games in the virtual world as 10/10

7 children rated it 9/10

3 children rated it 8/10

3 children rated it 7/10

1 child rated it 6/10

1 child rated it 5/10

Completing Levels, Score Rating out of 10

7

5

1

2

3

11

7 children rated being able to complete levels 10/10

5 children rated it 9/10

1 child rated it 8/10

2 children rated it 7/10

3 children rated it 6/10

1 child rated it 5/10

1 child rated it 0/10

Ability to Make Friends, Score Rating out of 10

8

7

1

3

1

8 children rated the ability to make friends 10/10

7 children rated it 9/10

1 child rated it 8/10

3 children rated it 7/10

1 child rated it 6/10

Learning in the Virtual World, Score Rating out of 10

9

4

2

3

11

9 children rated learning in the virtual world 10/10

4 children voted it 9/10

2 children voted it 8/10

3 children voted it 7/10

1 child voted it 5/10

1 child voted it 3/10

Positive feedback from the children• The children expressed how they love creating avatars• They like the ability to have jobs, transport and money to buy things• They like the fact its 3D• They like how you can walk around with your friends and say that it

would be “great fun”• They like the different scenery• They like the fantasy of being able to beat a dragon or monster at a

game• They like the ability to chat with friends• They loved completing levels because it game them a sense of

achievement• They like the idea of having a map and a compass to see where

they’re going

Things to think about from the children…

• Lots of games did not have much choice• Some things you have to pay for• Not very realistic• Lots wanted the option of having a ninja costume• You should be able to interact with every object• The avatar should have a phone to add friends to their

contact list• Should be buses to get around the different places• Don’t make levels too hard or too long as boredom will

kick in• Multiplayer• Only be able to add friends to talk with you

Tootsville” (www.tootsville.com)

•“Safe, educational, online, virtual community where your child's Toot comes to life”

•Expected audience of 6-14 year olds

•The children’s avatar is called their “Toot”

•Centre of it all called “Toots Square,” that offers shopping and dining, a bridge that transports the child and Toot to their virtual home and a premier travel agency, TootTravel. TootTravel offers the child and their Toot the opportunity to journey abroad and explore destinations.

•Games throughout the virtual world. The games offer the child the opportunity to earn peanuts, which is Tootsville's virtual currency. The more peanuts the child's Toot collects, the more things they can purchase from the “Toot Mall”•Its aim is to be a healthy environment where the child can improve their social skills. To safeguard users and maintain a secure outlet to communicate, moderators are on hand to assist the child.•Free for anyone to use, however some activities require a paid membership. These are $5.95 monthly, $29.95 for 6 months or $57.95 for 12 months

•Lots of colours and the characters look like teddy bears

•In order the site to be safe, there are moderators on hand to safeguard and help the children if they need it. The moderators are notified of any online bullying and will take the necessary procedures to sort it out, this may be by suspending the child’s account who is being accused of being the bully.

Whyville (www.whyville.net)

•“Whyville” has places to go, things to do and people to see. It has its own newspaper, beach, museum, City Hall and town square, and its own economy – players and their characters earn "clams" by playing educational games.•The virtual world started off in 1999 as a virtual city for engaging young people in constructive educational activities

•The citizens of “Whyville” can interact with each other while participating in activities that range from science and math to art and economics

•This virtual world was designed for pre-teens and teenagers and they can create their character how they wish by changing different features such as hair colour

•“Whyville” is free for all users, this is because the support for “Whyville” comes from its sponsors•Lots of bright colours and different shapes are used to attract the target audience

•All of the games and activities are there to teach the citizens about the numerous different subjects

This site is also used across schools and so teachers have access to it. When a school joins the virtual world, each teacher is given their own log in that directs them to their own personal place where they can find the progress of all their students. This enables the teacher to monitor what their students are actually doing.

Handipoints (www.handipoints.com)

•Handipoints is a virtual community where children’s everyday “real world” chores earn them big prizes and new adventures•Inside “Handipoints,” there are tasks such as cleaning their room and brushing their teeth, with online entertainment and games to teach children the value of their work and foster good behaviour. While they’re having fun, children learn about saving money and building responsible habits that is beneficial for parents as well

•Users adopt and dress up a cartoon cat, and walk around to different towns and interact with other kids

•In Handipoints, the children earn points by doing chores, staying healthy, and behaving well and must save their points in order to play the games and watch the cartoons inside the virtual world

The virtual world is targeted at children ages 3 to 14 years old

Children have the option to sign up to a free membership with limited features, or they can pay $5.95 a month to get exclusive access to some areas in the world

Handipoints is kept safe as it is moderated by the parents. Parents are given their own space where they can see the progress that their child is making and they can also see conversations that their child has had with other children, this enables the parents to see any bullying that may be occurring. Handipoints, however, does not have 24hour moderators that walk around the virtual world.