Kaye Bray, PhD, Texas Woman’s UniversityValerie Hill, MLS, Lewisville ISD

April 14, 2010

School Librarian Communicationthrough Social Media

Current “Buzzwords”

• Media Literacy –the process of analyzing, evaluating and creating messages in a wide varietyof media modes, genres and forms.

• Transliteracy –the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and film, to digital social networks.

• Virtual Reality –a computer-simulated environment, whether that environment is a simulation of the real world or an imaginary world.

• Augmented Reality –a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are merged with (or augmented by) virtual computer-generated imagery-creating a mixed reality. -Wikipedia

Changing role of libraries

From a treasure box To a bridge across a sea of chaos

The changingHierarchy of Information

Top Down: Information producedby authors and experts.

Bottom Up: Information producedby anyone and everyone.

The Tech Tools list keeps growing!

• Weebly.com• Yola.com• Yudu.com• Scribd.com• Wordpress.com• Blogger.com• Livejournal.com• Voicethread.com

• Jing.com• Delicious.com• Diigo.com• Wetpaint.com• Jamstudio.com• Fotoflexer.com• Gimp.com• Learnscratch.org

Blogging Librarians

Valibrarian @http://vhill.edublogs.org/

Joyce Valenza

Jenny Levine

Naomi Bates

Collaborating through Wikis

Podcasting & Sharing Media

Forums Mashups

TOO MANY TECH TOOLS?

Identify purpose first-Then choose the tool.

Social Network Sites

Matching the Tool with the Purpose

A wave of apps…..

Immersive Learning in Virtual Worlds

Do you have an avatar?

Award Winning Photo

Knowclue Kidd

Brief History of Origin

3D Virtual Worlds have evolved out of…

• MUD’s- Multi-User Dungeon or Dimension (early online gaming term)

• MOO’s- MUD Object Oriented (a type of MUD which includes gaming and distance education)

KZERO:Report on Virtual Worlds

Registered VW Accounts by AGE

Habbo Hotel 148 Million registered users Fall 2009 (age 13+)

•Habbo Hotel

•Ty Girlz

•Webkinz

•Gaia Online

•Neopetz

Virtual Worlds for Children

Virtual Worlds for Education

Whyville:a VW for Preteens 9-16

Why Second Life?

• Universities• Libraries• Educational Groups• Museums• Businesses• Field of Medicine & Health• Art & Dance

(for ages 18+)

Academic Examples

• University of Texas• Texas Woman’s University• University of Washington• University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Educational Groups in SL

• American Library Association• Texas Library Association• TCEA• ISTE• Texas Woman’s University• University of Washington

Benefits

• Cost effective• Synchronous• Creative & Imaginative• Unique for each user• Collaborative • Not limited by distance

What are librarians and teachers doing?

• Historical Simulation (Jamestown)• Science Projects (Tsunami or Space Flight)• Interaction on Smart or Promethean• Media Literacy & Transliteracy• Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality

Immersive Learning Environments

The Land of Lincoln The Alamo

SL K-12 Now! Group

View a machinima

• Teachers exploring new tools (K12inSL NOW!)• Virtual panel discussion (Innovation in Education)• ISTE Island (Educators in a “Digital Nation”)• Educators discussing open source virtual worlds

(Gridhoppers: Educators in Reaction Grid)

Research in Immersive Learning(Zheng, 2006)

Mixed Methods Study(Jarmon et. al, 2009)

Results of this mixed methods study overall show that students found learning in Second Life to be challenging, rewarding and a “serious learning tool.”

Experimental Study(Taoubit Boland, 2009)

Students anxiety levels were gauged before andafter learning sessions. Findings concluded thatvirtual world learners can learn not only collaboratively, but individually.

Which best describes your experience as a virtual librarian?

TWU Creative Arts & Research SymposiumCollaboration Among VW Librarians(Hill, 2008)

I believe virtual worlds will provide new modes of communication and information delivery in the future.

TWU Creative Arts & Research SymposiumFactors Contributing to Adoption of VW(Hill, 2009)

TWU in Second Life

TWU Creative Arts & Research Symposium 2010April 20-21, 2010 on TWU Island

Panel: Virtual World Libraries & Librarians5pm-6pm on TWU School of Library & Info Studies

Island in Second Life

Limitations to using Second Life

• Graphics Cards & Compatibility• Student Privacy & Safety• High “learning curve”• Propriety software• Accessibility• Sustainability

Where are we heading?

• Exploring virtual worlds• Researching best practices• Understanding impact on learning• Implementing open-source software

Games are now able to draw players in and deliver rich stories that evoke realemotions comparable to those evoked by any book or movie.

Reaction Grid

Lessons in 3D

Where will this lead?

Some argue that education should return to the “good old days” …

…return to the 3 R’s…….go back to the basics….

Has the next generation already moved on?

TOO MANY TECH TOOLS?

Remember:Identify purpose first-Then choose the tool.

Librarians have always understood…

Meaning takes precedence over form.Just because you can make an animated gif file………doesn’t mean you should!

References

• Hill, Valerie, and Hyuk-Jin Lee. (2009). Libraries and immersive learning environments unite in second life. Library Hi Tech 27, (3): 338-56.

• Jarmon, Leslie, Tomoko Traphagan, Michael Mayrath, and Avani Trivedi. 2009. Virtual world teaching, experiential learning, and assessment: An interdisciplinary communication course in second life. Computers & Education 53, (1) (8): 169-82.

• Mastel, Kristen, and Dave Huston. 2009. Using video games to teach game design: A gaming collection for libraries. Computers in Libraries 29, (3) (03/01): 41-4.

• Taouabit Boland, I..2009. Efficacy of the 3D Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE) Second Life for learning in cognitive constructivist and social constructivist activities. Ph.D. diss., Capella University.

• Zheng, Dongping. 2006 Affordances of three-dimensional virtual environments for English language learning: An ecological psychological analysis. Ph.D. diss., University of Connecticut.

TLA Sessions on Virtual Worlds

• Thursday 2-2:50pm Second Life Libraries and Librarians: Notes from a Virtual World (Net Fair I)

• Thursday 4-4:50pm Second Life Interest Group Organizational Meeting

• Friday 9-9:50 Exploring Second Life: An Introduction (Net Fair II)

• Friday 2-3:50 Second Life Implementation at Academic Libraries