OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE AND READING ACHIEVEMENT IN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS AMONG COLLEGE-LEVEL DEVELOPMENTAL READERS

LITERATURE REVIEW

Learner attitudes and outcomes regarding technology use match or surpass instruction which does not use technology (Petrides et al., 2006; Prensky, 2005)

Importance to equip today’s students with technology skills/new literacies (Leu, Kinzer, Coiro, & Commack, 2004)

Developmental reading students often have cognitive and affective deficiencies (i.e., motivation, self-regulation, time management skills (Boylan, 2002)

Developmental reading students prefer hands-on and visual instruction (Canfield, 1976; Lemire, 1998)

Also evidenced in this study through informal observation was the high level of focused engagement.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Junco and Mastrodicasa (2007) found high levels of social technology use in today’s students

Millennial generation is coined digital natives (Van Eck, 2006)

In response to social networking skills many digital natives possess, virtual environments should be part of the educational research agenda (Steinkheuler, 2006; Prensky, 2005)

Barab, Hay, Barnett, and Keating (2000) and Barab, Hay, Barnett, and Squire, (2001) reported that students acquired conceptual understanding and practical skills in 3-D modeling utilization

In a mixed methods study conducted by Mayrath, Sanchez, Traphagan, Heikes, and Trivedi (2007). Second Life was implemented in an English course where students’ learning experiences were significantly enhanced when course learning goals and students’ needs were carefully considered.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

RQ1: To what extent are college-level developmental readers digital natives?

RQ2: To what extent do college-level developmental reading students experience Flow in Second Life?

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Theory of Optimal Experience is:

the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity.

METHODOLOGY

Sample & Participants

Criterion-based sampling (LeCompte & Preissle, 1993)

This study included 11 college-level developmental reading students at a four-year university in rural southeast Texas.

METHODOLOGY

This study is a methodological study soliciting emic viewpoints in order to determine meanings and purposes that people use to explain actions (Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Strauss & Corbin, 1990).

The research paradigm is from a constructivist stance.

METHODOLOGY Sample and Participants

This research project included 11 college-level students enrolled in a developmental reading course

College-level developmental reading course was taught at a rural southeast Texas university.

College-level developmental reading students often have cognitive and affective deficiencies in:

self-regulation

effective reading strategies

reading comprehension skills

analytical thinking skills,

time management skills

interest in reading

motivation (Boylan, 2003)

INSTRUMENTS Qualitative data will include

open-ended questions measuring perceived:

comfort/skill with social technologies (Technology Knowledge Questionnaire)

optimal experience (Optimal Experience Questionnaire)

reading achievement (Optimal Experience Questionnaire)

INSTRUMENTS Technology Knowledge Survey (Caverly & Delaney, 2008)

This survey measures developmental students’ perceptions on how comfortable/adept they are with social technologies. This instrument is comprised of 10 open-ended questions. Example

1. How comfortable are you with each of these forms of social technologies on a scale of 1 (very uncomfortable) to 4 (very comfortable)?

E-mail, instant messaging, text-messaging discussion boards, blogs, chat, Facebook or MySpace, Virtual Worlds

Describe how you became comfortable. (Qualitative)

INSTRUMENTS

Optimal Experience Questionnaire (Researcher developed)

This questionnaire measures the extent to which developmental reading participants experience optimal experience in the following categories:

Enjoyment/Interest

Personal Relevance

Sense of Control

Positive challenge

Sense of loss of time

Perceived reading achievement

QUALITATIVE PROCEDURE

The researcher sought, and was granted IRB approval

The researcher sought written permission to conduct research from participants.

The Technology Knowledge Questionnaire was administered as soon as IRB approval was granted.

The Optimal Experience Questionnaire was explained to participants before administration to ensure a thorough understanding of what optimal experience is by providing examples. The questionnaire was given immediately after the Second Life reading activity.

DATA COLLECTION

Optimal Experience Questionnaire Data

The data gathered from this instrument were placed into a priori categories (i.e., enjoyment/interest, personal relevance, sense of control, positive challenge, sense of loss of time, and perceived reading achievement.

Data were analyzed using classical content analysis Holsti (1969) offers a broad definition of content analysis as, "any technique for making inferences by objectively and systematically identifying specified characteristics of messages" (p. 14).

DATA COLLECTION Technology Knowledge

Survey The data gathered from this

instrument were placed into a priori categories: technology use, knowledge, comfort, interest and value

Data were analyzed using classical content analysis Holsti (1969) offers a broad definition of content analysis as, "any technique for making inferences by objectively and systematically identifying specified characteristics of messages" (p. 14).

CATEGORIES FOR RQ #1

RQ1: TO WHAT EXTENT ARE DEVELOPMENTAL READERS DIGITAL

NATIVES?Technology Use Knowledge Comfort Interest Relevance/Value

P1 Playstation; games; various purposes according to needs

I am knowledgeable about most technologies

I am comfortable; it came easy to me

I had rarely used them before

I use email more than other options

P2 Computer in the Reading center; for entertainment

Use it in everyday living By using it more and more

Very interested Discussion boards and virtual worlds can help me better understand a topic

P3 Facebook; write on comment boxes (The wall)

Finding them out myself; friends helping me

I became comfortable by doing it often

I want to learn more; fun to learning something new

I find them easy and effective

P4 Email I am knowledgeable with email, text-messaging, Facebook, MySpace

I am comfortable with technology

I have interest in email and text messaging

Email is important to me

P5 PC, cell phone, iPod, Facebook Internet and friends By getting used to it and practicing

I have an interest in learning more technologies

Better communication

P6 Home computer, iPod, email, MySpace I use email, MySpace and Facebook all of the time

I am very comfortable with using them

I would like to know text messaging

I think I would like text messaging because it is fast and reliable

P7 Cell phone, Facebook, MySpace, text messaging, email

Very knowledgeable; I learned from other people

I am comfortable with them

I am interested because I think it is important to keep up with technology

I like to keep in contact with students

P8 Cell phone, iPod, email, IM, Facebook, MySpace I am knowledgeable about email, text messaging, IM, discussion boards, blogs, chat

I use it everyday; peers I use it everyday I use it everyday I use it everyday

P9 My computer, iPod; I use technology for my own enjoyment

School, TV and other people Learned them and got good at it

I know about them or they sound interesting

I email my teacher all of the time just checking on things

P10 Cell phone, iPod, Other computer, my computer, PDA, email, IM, Text messaging, blogs, chat

The forms of communication was the only way to talk to family and friends back home

Just by using it several times and gaining that confidence

They all have high interest because this is a new world and technology will pave the way

Email, IM and text messaging, Facebook and MySpace have my highest rating because it has fast contact and communication

P11 Cell phone, iPod, my computer, PDA, IM, text messaging, discussion boards, chat, MySpace, and Facebook

From school experiences and friends

I became comfortable with it since I am on it almost everyday

With me learning how to do more things communications-wise, I think it’s good for me to know other ways.

Just another way for teachers to send a message without calling the person they are trying to reach.

CATEGORIES FOR RQ#2

TO WHAT EXTENT DO DEVELOPMENTAL READING STUDENTS EXPERIENCE FLOW IN

SECOND LIFE?Enjoyment Personal Relevance Sense of Control Positive Challenge Sense of loss of time Perceived Reading Achievement

P1 Fun Made reading much more fun, easy

I did feel in control I don’t feel it was a positive challenge because it was fun

I wasn’t aware of the time because people were texting me

I learned to understand inference situations more

P2 entertaining It will help me with social skills and confidence

I was totally in control I was eager to find the boxes; it gave me a positive feeling

It seems to be over so fast Yes, it has me understand and respond.

P3 enjoyable -- -- It was a challenge, but not that much

Time went by fast Yes, it was good to go back and see why the other person chose that answer.

P4 Good learning experience I related to the story -- -- Was over before I knew it --

P5 Allowed me to play -- Yes I did, I am the one doing it

--

P6 fun It is a new way to work with others, and it’s fun

It was easy to use and talk with others

It was something new and it was fun

I was focused on what I was doing

It improved my abilities to listen to the story and work in groups on it

P7 Got my interest Yes, because the input I had counted

It’s like choosing and picking every detail

Yes, to picture through someone else’s eyes

By the time it was finished time was almost up

The ability to pay more attention

P8 fun It demonstrated being new to someplace and trying to find where everything was

I felt I was in complete control of what my avatar was doing

It challenged me to learn more

It was easy to get so consumed in the activity that I would lose track of time

Demonstrated being able to talk through hard areas in the text

P9 enjoyable It helped in so many ways and you get to see other students’ ideas. Also helps you to get to know people

I was in control We got a chance to share our ideas

-- My thinking skills and my ability to answer questions more thoroughly

P10 I enjoyed it I felt like this could be used for good

I felt in control -- It went by pretty quickly I don’t really feel there was any change

P11 I really liked it -- I was in control of my avatar

I feel I could use this towards my homework so I can actually get it done

RESULTS Technology Knowledge &

Optimal Experience Survey Results

Developmental reading students in this study use some form of Internet/social networking technology on a weekly basis, if not a daily basis

Developmental reading students are comfortable using and value using social networking tools.

Developmental reading students experienced components of flow

DISCUSSION

Further studies in virtual environments need to be undertaken with this population

Studies involving other social technologies coupled with Second Life

Studies involving developmental writing and virtual environment

BEARKAT ISLAND

Second LifeSecond Life

SECOND LIFE AS ON ONLINE DISTANCE LEARNING

PLATFORM--THINK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES…

WHAT DO LEARNING SPACES IN SL LOOK

LIKE? Formal, academic-style spaces Informal Learning Spaces

Libraries, Museums, Art Galleries, Dojo Personal Library, Jazz concert, Religious

information Immersive Spaces

Role-play in costume encouraged

FORMAL, ACADEMIC SPACES

DESIGNED FOR FAMILIARITY AND

COMFORT• EdTech Island, Treehouse conference area

• Bearkat Island, Dan Rather Communication Auditorium/Lecture Hall

EDUCATIONAL USES

Science

Originally developed by Professor Mary Anne Clark aka Max Chatnoir, a Professor at Texas Wesleyan University, Genome Island (SLurl) is concentrating on using Second Life to teach genetics.

Genome Island

EDUCATIONAL USES Science

Launched in November 2007, the Abyss Museum of Ocean Science (SLurl) was created by Second Life artists Rezago Kokorin and Sunn Thunders, and is designed to provide a multi-sensory and multi-dimensional exhibition of the planet's oceans, which combines art, science, and education.

EDUCATIONAL USES Literature, Composition and Creative

Writing

The goals of Literature Alive! are:to help faculty create ethical and immersive learning environments that provide added value to students in composition, professional writing, and literature courses http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCTFoP54P8o

The SL Globe Theatre: The most historically accurate rendition of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on the Internet made into a working theatre venue for live Shakespearean plays and other theatrical works performed by the SL Shakespeare Company and other artists.

EDUCATIONAL USES Language Learning

Language Lab uses Second Life to create immersive language learning opportunities for students, in a realistic environment with native-speaking teachers. They completed their beta phase and delievered their first course to fee-paying students in 2007.English Village (SLurl) founded by Fire Centaur, an ESL teacher in real life, is an immersive 3D simulation for language learners and teachers across the globe.

EDUCATIONAL USES Health/Nutrition

Recognizing the growing role of fast food in our culture, researchers at the VITAL Lab at Ohio University developed Nutrition Game, a simulation game that exists in the online virtual world of Second Life that allows users to virtually experience the effects that fast food can have on their short- and long-term health.

The Nutrition Game

EDUCATIONAL USES

History

Witnessing the Holocaust

Tombstone (role-play)

FOR MORE EDUCATIONAL

RESOURCES

THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING!

Contact Information:

Melissa Burgess, Clinical ProfessorEmail: mlb024@shsu.edu

In Second Life, please visit SHSU’s virtual university, Bearkat Island!