CIT 2012 : Stony Brook

Virtual ESC Affinity Group:

A faculty-led initiative that leverages, supports, and continues virtual

education

MAY 2012

Nicola Martinez, Audeliz Matias, Eileen O’Connor, Ken Ferree, Hope Adams

Nicola.martinez@esc.edu ; audeliz.matias@esc.edu ; eileen.oconnor@esc.edu ; ken.ferree@esc.edu ; hope.adams@esc.edu

Agenda

• Overview of the virtual involvement of ESC: – Initial impetus building & islands course &

programs

• Rising costs and need to meet and share with more faculty – within the informal, professional-development

nature of the group; – across disciplines, programs, and geographies

• Forward movement into phase 2; invitation to others, given the current level of the group’s skills

Development of a virtual presence by ESC

• Initially funding though the Charitable Leadership Foundation (CLF) for: Improving Adult Learner Literacy in Mathematics and Science Through Online Learning.

– Second Life simulations and immersive learning for the development of scientific method were planned components of the grant project, delivered via the Science Mathematics And Technology (SMAT) course The Future of Being Human.

• The college early initiatives resulted from a planned approach to virtual world learning - invited key speakers addressed the current educational uses of virtual worlds, and the available virtual options.

• Support staff helped faculty, who in turn began creating more resources and activities within the island

Over time, buildings emerged

SOME REPRESENTED CAMPUS BUILDINGS

Representative buildings

Others were inspired from beyond the college

Some were simply futuristic, and hopeful

Courses began to grow

Center for Distance Learning

School of Graduate Studies

Centers

• Future of Being Human

• STEM courses

• MBA • Policy • Teacher

Education

• Virtual building• Possible Human

Services

And, a new Masters of Arts in Learning & Emerging Technology

Courses on virtual learning & community

Student showcase (within a virtual environment)

Incubator on immersive virtual development

Leadership & experimentation

Starts in Sept 2012

The original distance course: The Future of Being Human

Immersive Learning Experiences for MBA Courses

Students developed original virtual environments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CXfWW34JaQ - creating employee training

Student presentations

Meetings with the Dean

Uses many ways to meet, present, discuss & learn

Online Graduate Classes

Virtual experiences, such as weather

Class meetings on

ISTE

Teachers learn

rudimentary 3-d building

and design pods to share their science projects,

through images & weblinks

RESEARCH W/ K

12

But costs were rising; thus a need to involve more faculty

Now, moving into phase 2

Conducted survey to learn of interests

Sought external funding – published and promoted

Bi-weekly topics – developed & delivered by faculty

An Affinity group began: not governance / not admin

We developed an affinity group (VirtualESC) – with faculty-developed meetings, content, & a website

We used frequent, emailed reminders of upcoming events

We hosted “starter” events

for newbies

We heard from students, and their creative work – across the curriculum; across the

state

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CXfWW34JaQ - creating employee training

We changed our appearance, saving our group visits via machinima & YouTube

We met and discussed pedagogical practices

We learned from experts in emerging areas

Meeting virtually or through webinars

We proposed joint book chapters & publications;

we solicited funding

NOTE too that faculty are from across the state & across content areas

We created & delivered an important budget & usage report about virtual educational offerings

to the college’s educational technology governance committee

And we shared our significant research / dissemination efforts

LEARN ABOUT ESC RESEARCH & STUDY IN APPENDIX TO REPORT

Phase 2

• Exploring open source materials & our own server space

• Creating new alliances • Challenging ourselves to grow

What lies ahead:

• As we move into our second phase, we welcome faculty from other campuses who want to learn and grow with us;

• Significant resources are available online to help others learn the basics of virtual learning and navigation;

• Join us if you want to advance in ways to teach, communicate, and grow through virtual experiences: – Nicola Martinez, Ken Ferree, Audeliz Matias,

Eileen O’Connor, Hope Adams

Selection of links to visit• Undergraduate studies where students work on developing virtual technologies and training

programs for corporate environments that include virtual training as shown in these links:

– YouTube of Jason's exhibit on the paranormal - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAlvZ5-2nyg

– A YouTube on Dave's Zippo Training area - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CXfWW34JaQ

• Teacher Education Program – classes meet in virtual spaces to extend learning and community (http://www.slideshare.net/eoconnor/educational-uses-of-virtual-realities). Below are several YouTubes illustrating uses in classes were students are working online across the state to meet course objectives:

– Viewing a video of K12 students - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz1ld2AUTUQ

– Having a poster session of their own work - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvgXca-xf00

– Reviewing overall uses in a education course where students develop and display science projects within virtual spaces- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLXqleVwFxM

• Rufer, Rosalyn & Adams, Hope (2012) STUDENT CENTERED MARKETING EDUCATION THROUGH OPEN LEARNING RESOURCES AND WEB 2.0 TOOLS; American Management Association; Winter Educator’s Conference February 2012 - http://www.slideshare.net/MathSciCrystal/student-centered-marketing-education

• Adams, H., Gal, D.; Mahar, D.; O’Connor, E.; Snyder, D.; & Snyder, L. (2011). Building New Programs in Emerging Technologies and Learning: Empowering Next Generation Learning: 4th Annual International Symposium, Sloane-C, San Jose, CA, July 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DVHzjVAkfM

Selection of links to visit• Martinez, Nicola (2008). Invited Speaker. Second Life: The Future of Communications? Society

for Technical Communications 55th Annual Summit, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. June 1-4, 2008 http://www.slideshare.net/Nicola.Martinez/second-life-the-future-of-communications

• Martinez, Nicola (2008). Here Be Dragons: Second Life Community Building and Citizen Engagement on the Isle of Wyrms. Sloan-C International Symposium on Emerging Technology Applications for Online Learning. Carefree, Arizona. May 7-9, 2008 http://www.slideshare.net/Nicola.Martinez/sloan-c-iset-here-be-dragons-pub

• O’Connor, E. (2011) SER/VE (the STEM Exploratory Real/Virtual Environment) and the Engagement of Urban Youth; a poster session presented at the 2011 SUNY STEM Conference at the Crowne Plaza in Albany, NY on November 2011 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tQXwZVlPsc

• O’Connor, E. (2010). Using Second Life (a virtual reality) in Language Instruction: Practical Advice on Getting Started; at 4th International Scientific and Methodological Conference on "Information and Communication Technologies in Foreign Language Teaching” (June 2010); presented via virtually via Skype to the Moscow conference attendees on June 10, 2010 http://www.slideshare.net/eoconnor/using-second-life-in-foreignlanguage-instructionpractical-advise

• O’Connor, E. & Meyer, H.. Graduate Students in Second Life: The Roller Coaster Ride of a Shifting Paradigm. Conference in Instructional Technology (CIT 2009), SUNY. (May 2009) http://www.slideshare.net/eoconnor/graduate-students-in-second-life-1454760