Abstract

This paper discusses the role of Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) in the development of epistemic learner identity. MUVEs might help educators create the types of tasks and intellectual open spaces helping students with learner identity development in the information age. MUVEs can create new possibilities for dissemination and sharing of critical information (e.g. nonhierarchical, non-linear), opening up spaces of (safe) rebellion against top-down, teacher directed educational processes, helping students become more autonomous thinkers, ready to question information, and search for multiple sources in problem-solving. The experiment reported here follow two General Education classes for pre-service teachers (58 students) that integrated the MUVE Second Life as a major part of their curriculum. The experimental MUVE condition was compared to two classes (59 students) using the same curricula approach and the same instructor but without using a MUVE. Individual student blog posts (weekly assignments) were extracted for both groups (experimental, active control) from three different time points over the semester. The posts were coded for levels of complexity/uncertainty, critical perspective and source of information. It was expected that students in the experimental (MUVE integrated) group would show increases over the semester as compared to the active control group. Growth curve analyses suggests students in the experimental (MUVE-integrated) condition did indeed increase in modes of thinking that question authority through increased complexity/uncertainty and critical thinking in their assigned academic/intellectual tasks, suggesting possibilities for epistemological shifts.

摘要

本文讨论了多用户虚拟环境（MUVE）在认知学习者身份发展中的作用。MUVE可以帮助教育工作者创建任务类型和知识开放空间，从而帮助学生在信息时代发展学习者的身份。MUVE可以为传播和共享关键信息（例如非分层，非线性），开辟（安全）反抗自上而下，教师指导的教育过程的反叛空间创造新的可能性，帮助学生成为更加自主的思想家，随时可以质疑信息，并在解决问题的过程中寻找多个来源。此处报告的实验是针对针对职前教师（58名学生）的两个通识教育课程，该课程整合了MUVE Second Life作为他们课程的主要部分。使用相同的课程方法和相同的教练，但不使用MUVE，将实验性MUVE条件与两个班级（59名学生）进行了比较。在整个学期中，从三个不同的时间点为两组（实验，主动控制）提取了个人学生博客文章（每周作业）。这些帖子按复杂性/不确定性级别，批判性观点和信息来源进行编码。可以预期，与主动对照组相比，实验（MUVE集成）组的学生在整个学期的学习量会有所增加。