best practices in role playing soft skills in virtual worlds
DESCRIPTION
PPT Presentation for 2011 Games For HealthTRANSCRIPT
A non-profit educational organization
Best Practices for
Role Playing Soft Skills
in Virtual Worlds
Patti Abshier, MSPH, MSW, Ph.D. (ABD) Candidate
&
Michelle Hyland, BAH, BEd
A non-profit educational organization
What We Play
Second Life
StarTrek Online
Rift
Halo
Guitar Hero
A non-profit educational organization
This Presentation Will Cover…
Overview
Benefits
Challenges/Lessons Learned
Q & A
A non-profit educational organization
Overview:
Training in Virtual Worlds
A non-profit educational organization
A non-profit educational organization
Overview:
Training in Virtual Worlds
Information Giving
– Seminars
– Static Displays
– Classroom lectures and discussions –
any information based topic
Skills Training
– Nutrition
– Economic Forecasting
A non-profit educational organization
Soft Skills
– Motivational Interviewing (Boston University)
– Counseling Skills (in general or topical)
– Medical Interviewing Techniques
– Breastfeeding Peer Education – HIV Focused
Overview:
Training in Virtual Worlds
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Benefits of Virtual Worlds
RP Based Training
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Synchronous
– Motivational Interviewing (Boston University)
– Counseling Skills (in general or topical)
Interactions-roles not extensively scripted out
– Less staff time in creating discussion trees
– Less staff time programming in the decision trees
– Training remains dynamic and fluid
Benefits of Using Virtual Worlds for
Soft Skills / RP Training
A non-profit educational organization
Benefits of Using Virtual Worlds for
Soft Skills / RP Training
Economics
– Decreased travel expenses and other know
factors
– Cost based on SIM rental and building time;
once scenes built limited upgrades needed
– Linden Lab has just bumped prices for not-
for-profit regions; this may impact the use of
Second Life for training and technical
support
A non-profit educational organization
Adult Learning
– Allows for individual, small
group, large group
interactions and activities
– Participants learn from the
experience and expertise of
others
– Multiple modes of learning via
web-based distance learning
Benefits of Using Virtual Worlds for
Soft Skills Training
A non-profit educational organization
Lessons Learned:
Benefits and Challenges
A non-profit educational organization
Benefits
Using text for relaying information
– Unlike a webinar, pilot test participants stated
they like that they can scroll up and see what
they missed if they have to be away from the
computer
– They don’t feel like they are missing out
Engagement
– Participants viewed the pilot trainings as more
engaging than webinars or other non face-to-face
trainings
A non-profit educational organization
Enhanced Follow-up
– Using Second Life training for skills not as an event
but a process
– Practice in non-threatening and fun environment
– Virtual reality trainings over time – 3, 6, 12 months –
enhance skills
– Back to cost and travel – cannot do this many follow-
up trainings in real world; too costly both fiscally and
time-wise
Benefits
A non-profit educational organization
User Tech Ability in Second Life
– Basic Movement Skills
• Quests and Activities Prior to
Training
– Teleportation Skills
• Quests and Activities Prior to Training and
explanation again at beginning of session
Challenges
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– Voice and Text Chat
• Practice and explanation prior to beginning of training as
component of introduction
Challenges
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Technology
– Graphics and Processors
• Information on basic systems requirements sent out prior to
training in “Introduction Manual” on Viewer 2
• Prior load and test of systems by participants
• Explain basics of problems – how to turn graphics down to
usable levels
• Keep participants informed of known issues – fair warning
concept
Challenges
A non-profit educational organization
Virtual World Technology
– Voice
• When Voice fails use Ventrilo or other VOIP provider
– Group Chat/IM Failure
• Individual IM’s if small group
• Reconvene in large group
Challenges
A non-profit educational organization
SIM Lag (Known issue!)
– Let trainees know ahead of time of this possibility and
what to do
• graphics settings, wait, accept that based on their system
• some things may not resolve (sculpties specifically)
– Make sure all avatars have no scrip heavy items on
– Assign avatars (you control what is worn)
Challenges
A non-profit educational organization
Creating Animations
– Time to create body positions for RP and Classroom
– To be effective, need to have multiple animations in
each chair
• Sit open, sit partially closed, contemplating, angry, etc.
• General sits, raise hand etc.
– Skill of Builder
• Static poses not always effective
• Change in poses based on questions asks
Challenges
A non-profit educational organization
Training Trainers
– To navigate the virtual world
• Sit, walk, teleport, etc.
– To emote
• Have to be very aware of body language and gestures
• Have to have relatively good language skills to express body
language through emotes
– Train trainers on using Second Life prior to the
training including how to keep conversations going,
how to know when someone has left their computer,
etc.
Challenges
A non-profit educational organization
Role Play Environment
– 2-Dimensional thinking in
a 3-Dimensional World
• Use of multi-elevation
learning areas
– Keeping Individuals
Engaged
• Same issues as when
conducting a webinar
• Activities and discussion
programmed in every 15
minutes
Challenges
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Monitoring RP and Group Activities without
being intrusive
– Invisible avatars
• ONLY USED FOR IN SIM RP
• Participants informed in advance of usage
Challenges
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– Restricting Access & Assigning Avatars
• Griefers
– Restrict access to SIM to group members only
– Check sim prior to all trainings for off sim text griefing
• Assign Avatars
– Only LM to the site
– Given avatar assignments no more than 4 days prior
• Adult Areas
– Change passwords after training
Challenges
A non-profit educational organization
Q & A