An interesting exchange on the SLED (Second Life Educators Discussion) mailing list regarding language and culture and transformative learning.
From Steven Moinester
"Transformative learning is also very relevant to SL and the activites of the Language and Culture Exchange group. In order to truly speak and understand a foreign language it is necessary to understand the thought process of native speakers. I believe becoming bilingual to a large extent requires becoming bicultural. Becoming bicultural is a transformational learning process as the individual learns that many of the fundamental principles that guide his/her life are not universal concepts but are often culture specific. This cultural awakening allows the individual to analyze his/her own behavior in a way that was not possible before due to the lack of reference and comparison."
And Jenny Kindred (Eastern Michigan University)
"I have studied extensively group communication in the online classroom - some initial findings point to high levels of socio-emotional communication (some might even call it "hyperpersonal" (see research by Joe Walther here)) but what I have also found is that students do not perceive relationships to be developing."
Other resources:
William F. Ritke-Jones, Assistant Professor of Composition and Rhetoric at Western New Mexico University including: "New Learning and New Ways of Learning: Using Collaboration in Cyberspace as a Tool to Create Transformative Learning Spaces in Corporate Training"
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