Current projects

I am involved in a number of projects and initiatives that cut across a variety of themes from explorations into the uses of social software for education, researching the educational value of Multi-user Virtual Environments such as Second Life to building a pattern language for Web2.0 technologies in learning and teaching.

1) MUVEnation: motivating pupils, linking teachers through active learning with Multi-User Virtual Environments
EU funded project under the LLL programme: start date December 2007

Project overview: Based on the potential and opportunities afforded by active learning approaches combined with Massive Multi-Users Virtual Environments (MUVEs) as effective solutions to inspire and engage learners and foster motivation, the MUVEnation project's general aim is to contribute to explore, analyse, develop and evaluate within context the effectiveness of this innovative way of teaching and learning with regard to some of the problems of the educational system such as pupils motivation and participation. MUVEnation is founded on the so called 'teachers' effect” on educational innovation and its approach is to explore the promising potential of active learning approaches integrated to MUVEs by starting from the analysis of some major educational problems such as the lack of motivation and find how their integration in education can effectively foster pupils' motivation and participation.

Partnership:

• University of Macerata, IT, Promotor
• MENON Network, BE, Coordinator
• FIM New Learning, DE
• Florida Centre de Formació, ES
• Agence Départementale du Numérique des Pyrénées Atlantiques, FR
• King's College London, UK
• University of Reading, UK

2) LLL3D: Scenario building for lifelong learning in 3D multi-user environments
EU funded funded project under the LLL programme: start date December 2007

Project overview: LLL3D aims to improve the quality of lifelong learning by introducing learning scenarios for a new ICT-based learning platform to the community of educators in Lifelong Learning in Europe, promotes high performance in teaching and learning by promoting an pedagogical approach, which is able to integrate several different pedagogies available up to now only singular using different web-based learning environments, and develops innovative approaches of Lifelong Learning in Europe within a European dimension and connexion of different target-group-related communities in the field.

Partnership:

• FIM New Learning, DE, Coordinator
• MENON Network, BE
• Florida Centre de Formació, ES
• Scienter, IT
• Les Developpements Durables, Fr
• King's College London, UK
• University of Reading, UK
• Centre for Scientific Visualisation, Slovenia

3) PLaNet: Pattern Language Network for web 2.o Learning

Jisc funded project under the User and Innovation Development programme: start date January 2008

Project overview:

Lecturers in higher education are starting to explore the use of new web technologies, known as Web 2.0 technologies, in their assessment, learning and teaching practice. These technologies are characterised by community participation and user created content and include blogs, wikis, podcasting, social networks and virtual worlds. As these are used in an educational context it is important that experiences of what is successful (and less successful) can be shared effectively between practitioners, so that good practice can be transferred from one place to another. Transfer of practice of this sort is difficult however as each context is different and what works in one place may not work in the same way elsewhere. We therefore need a way to represent our teaching practices to make it clear what it was about the practice that was critical to its success and to make explicit not just what was done but why.

The PLaNet (Pattern Language Network) project will use a framework known as a “pattern language” to do this. A pattern language consists of a number of patterns each of which describes a successful example of practice, presented in terms of problem-solution pairs, and grounded in a specific context. The patterns all have the same form but are written in natural language making them easy to use and understand. The project will develop a system to support a community of HE practitioners, who are using Web 2.0 in assessment, learning and teaching, to capture and share their examples of good practice as patterns. This system will include a collaborative software tool, clear processes for capturing and using patterns and a growing pattern language which provides reusable knowledge about how to use Web 2.0 technology in learning, drawn from examples of success. The pattern language, software and methodologies will be developed iteratively through engagement with the HE community of practitioners who are using Web 2.0 technologies in learning. It is this extensive community engagement in all aspects of the pattern language development, together with the integrated support tools and processes, which particularly distinguishes this project from other pedagogical patterns projects. PLaNet will make it easier for HE lecturers to learn from each others' experience and
become part of a developing, self-sustaining Community of Practice.

4) Habitat: real learning in virtual spaces

Jisc funded project under the User and Innovation Development programme: start date January 2008

Project overview:

The Habitat project is a partnership between the University of Oxford, Leeds Metropolitan University and
King’s College London. It will take an innovative approach to encouraging creative online collaboration in
Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs). MUVEs have considerable educational potential and have been
generating interest with a number of institutions over the last 12 months1. Habitat will experiment with a
number of these platforms and extrapolate the lessons learnt, both technical and pedagogical, to the wider
community. The project will generate solutions to the challenges of teaching, learning and collaboration in
MUVEs. These solutions will be primarily in the form of guidelines, models and exemplars but will also be
supported by the development/appropriation of software tools and services in and surrounding the MUVEs
themselves.

The project is committed to adopting an open standards approach and has therefore decided to use the
open source MUVE OpenSim3 as the principle platform for project activities. The lessons learned in
OpenSim will be carefully extrapolated to act as guidelines and models that will be relevant to any MUVE.
To bring perspective to this aspect of the project, Habitat will also work with two additional platforms:
Linden Lab's Second Life4 and Sun Microsystems' Darkstar5. MUVEs are on the cusp of breaking away
from proprietary solutions and entering the open source field. Habitat will encourage this transition and will
influence the development of OpenSim in the context of teaching and learning.