Initial building in the new site

I have begun to 'set the scene' for my tool, creating the context and scenario (Shank 2003).

I want to try to create a path around the space to direct learners between different suspects. I will create a 'reception' garden where the students can get to grips with the story, tool, task. They will then be able to follow the path in a circle which will take them to all the suspects and areas that need investigation. However, as suggested by Maureen, I will also create the space to be open plan so that users can take their own route if they choose or can 'double-back' on themselves if necessary..

Here is the reception area.

I need to learn how to put in a teleport pad so that students can teleport to this spot.

I have also been working on the Voki tool prims following the feedback from Maureen; she was not being able to see the 'play' button when she approached the prim.

I am finding it impossible to resize the image but I can resize the prim itself so I have made it wider in order to display the image better. I will also use the landscaping to stop the path a few 'metres' before the prim (I may even include an 'X marks the spot' locator) so that avatars can view the prim better (the prim has an automatic focus attached to it which is better activated from further away).

Flow

14min 50 seconds...
How does it feel to be in flow?

Concept of the tool

The tool will be a 3D interactive murder mystery used for the purpose of teaching and revising the language of modals of deduction in the past for ESL students.

The purpose of the tool is to create a situation where the learners need to use the language to complete the task and are immersed in a scenario that allows them to do so naturally.

Having been to the facebook page to receive language input (see earlier post on fb), the learners will arrive at the starting point in SL where they will receive a welcome note-card explaining the task. They will also be able to hear an audio from the first officer on the scene who gives some background details and a pointer to visit the body first.

The learners can then examine the crime scene and 'body' where there will be a note-card of the victim's details and some objects to collect which give more clues. this also allows for more 'interactivity' with the scene and for a more authentic experience as a crime scene investigator (Van Eck 2006)

After this, the participants can visit each suspect and hear an audio from them. There will also be a note-card for most suspects with further clues and info from the first officer. Each suspect will hint at who they thought committed the crime which will provide a path from one suspect to the next. However, the learners are free to explore in their own way and can revisit suspects or follow a different path throughout the quest.

Once the learners have gathered enough information, they will return to facebook to post their conclusions. this becomes the 'product' of the quest (Shank 2007)

I have tried to account for different learning styles as the clues are provided in different semiotic modes (Kress 2010); both in audio and visual format. There is also the key element of kinethesia as the learners move between the scene and suspects.

Problems with the build & possible solutions

So far I have been successful in linking media from Voki to a prim in SL.

When I worked on this in the sandbox on my own, there were no problems with running any of the media or in receiving note-cards.

However, last Monday, when Maureen, Cosmas and I went to the sandbox, the media did not seem to be streaming very well and Maureen did not receive the note-card for at least 10 minutes.

These problems need to be worked out as there will be pairs of students using the tool at one time and if the presence of the avatars is causing the media to stream slowly, then the tool will be ineffectual. Plus, the learners need to receive the note-cards immediately otherwise the information will be arriving at different times and they will get confused. If the notes do not correspond to the location or suspect, the whole concept is invalid.

A further consideration is perhaps that the media will not stream well when it is placed close to other prims which are streaming media. Therefore the area selected to display the prims will need to be large enough for them to be well spaced. This can only really be determined when the LMU land has been agreed on, as at the moment I cannot display the prims outside the sandbox.

There is also an issue of sizing. The prims themselves are all tall and narrow with the media face on one side. This caused a slight problem when Maureen tried to activate the 'play' button the the prim as she couldn't see it when she was focused on the prim itself. I have not had this problem so it was useful to get feedback from another avatar. I need to think more about sizing and resolution and perhaps change the shape of the prims themselves to accommodate the media better.