System for an immersive & mixed reality language learning environment
Overview
The proposed project will investigate using virtual world technologies to create meaningful contexts for learning a foreign language. It addresses the problem for distance learning students unable to experience the cultural and social immersion when learning a language, and to enrich and control the cultural content for students already located in the host environment. A virtual world will be built using Sun’s Darkstar Platform and Project Wonderland tools. It will be evaluated for both its technological and pedagogical utility.
Aims & Objectives
The project will investigate using virtual world technologies to create meaningful contexts for learning a foreign language. It addresses the problem for distance learning students unable to experience the cultural and social immersion when learning a language, and to enrich and control the cultural content for students already located in the host environment. A virtual world will be built using Sun’s Darkstar Platform and Project Wonderland tools. It will be evaluated for both its technological and pedagogical utility.
Overall Approach
The project will use Sun’s open source Darkstar platform and Project Wonderland tools as the technology, combined with scenarios to support the learning, and Mayes’ (1995) conceptual framework to inform the pedagogical design and evaluation of the learning system. The learners will be foreign students learning English, and trainee teachers of foreign languages. Sustainability is being assured by the use and adoption of the system by the University’s International Academy with support from the Department of Language & Linguistics.
Expected Project Outputs
- Requirements documentation to include scenarios and user needs and learning outcomes
- Trial and evaluation plan to include formative evaluation results
- Evaluation report
- Wonderland demonstrator to include technical documentation
- Good practice guidance report
Project Staff
- Dr. Michael Gardner (Project Manager) Project Management (WP5) and Best Practice (WP4), Design and Build (WP2)
- Mr. John Scott, Design and Build (WP2) Lead Wonderland developer
- Ms. Joy van Helvert, User needs (WP1) User needs and scenario building specialist
- Dr. Adela Ganem Trials and evaluation(WP3), CALL specialist Evaluation and second language acquisition research
- Prof. Chris Fowler, User needs (WP1) Pedagogical consultant