Learning from virtual world simulations: a policy application

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Learning from virtual world simulations a policy
application

• Martha García-Murillo
• Joe Rubleske
• Presentation for the 11th Sloan-C
• November 17-19, 2005 Orlando, FL

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Problem

• Work, education and leisure have been profoundly
  affected by computer and communication
  technologies
• Technologies for entertainment purposes can be
  more captivating than traditional classrooms and
  on-line education
• Computer games are under-utilized for instruction

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Games as pedagogical tools

• Computer games allow students to see and react to
  the consequences of their (and their peers)
  decisions (Franklin, 2003)
• Computer games can diminish the apathy and
  boredom that affects many students (Subramanian,
  1999)
• Computer games can help instructors address
  differences in learning styles (Heffler, 2001
  De Vita 2001)

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Virtual Worlds for education

• Virtual worlds
• Provide a shared, experientially rich and
  graphically appealing space
• Provide opportunities for collaboration and
  interpersonal communication among the
  participants (Volery, 2001)
• Contribute to the students educational
  experience by facilitating interaction with
• The technology on which the game is based
• The instructional material
• The instructor and
• Fellow students/peers (Bergin, 2004)

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VW and learning principles

• Virtual worlds allow two types of experience
• The learning that takes place as a result of
  being in a virtual world
• The process of learning that happens as a result
  of being an active participant

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Learning from a VW

• Multimodal learning process where the students
  learn from all the other elements in the virtual
  world
• Digital identities (avatars) allow the students
  to have experiences as different characters

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Experiential learning

• Active Learning Principle Students are able to
  apply contents
• Semiotic Domain Principle there is a process of
  learning associated with the rules of behavior
  and the new context
• Psychosocial Moratorium Principle Students can
  take risks without being penalized
• Probing Principle Participants can explore
  multiple strategies and learn from the immediate
  feedback from their virtual peers
• Discovery Principle They can experiment and make
  new discoveries from which they can learn more
  content
• Affinity principle Students learn from
  interactions with their peers, they form affinity
  groups and close ties that happen from having
  shared experiences
• Transfer principle Mistakes that they made can
  be avoided and they can apply only those that
  resulted in successful outcomes in the real world

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Simulation Learning objectives

• Policy concepts

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Simulation Bills to be debated

• SPY ACT (Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber
  Trespass Act)
• Digital Media Consumers Rights (DMCR) Bill
• Broadband Regulation and Modernization (BRM) Bill

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Simulation The Virtual World
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Simulation The lobbying room
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Simulation Roles

• The Governor of the state of New York
• The Vice President of AOL/Time Warner
• The Director of the Computer Communications
  Industry Association (CCIA)
• The Vice President of ATT
• The Director of the New York Association of
  Cities and Towns (NYACT)
• The Director of the Business Software Alliance
  (BSA)
• The Director of the Electronic Frontier
  Foundation (EFF)
• The Chancellor of the State University of New
  York (SUNY)
• The Director of the American Marketing
  Association (AMA)
• The Director of the American Library Association
  (ALA)
• The Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of
  Higher Education and
• A United States Senator from the state of New
  York.

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Challenges

• Most students did not take the time to conduct
  basic research on their roles
• Knowing where ones role initially stands on the
  bills helps students assume their roles more
  faithfully and be less inclined to play and vote
  according to personal preferences
• The need for a level playing field

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Simulation the game

• Students are given 45 minutes to lobby fellow
  players and convince them to support (or oppose)
  the bill or bills for which the player has the
  most intense preference
• Once time expires for the discussion the players
  convene as a group to vote
• Ties can be handled in at least two ways
• Process repeats until all bills have been voted
  on

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Test Simulation

• Participants reported few problems related to
• Logging into Habbo Hotel
• Finding the room
• Moving their avatars
• Communicating with one another, etc.
• Recommendations and changes
• Exploit the virtual space
• Give players more time to read the instructions
• Encourage players to stay in the Logrolling Room
  during the lobbying period

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Results
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Results

• Simulation took place over three nights with nine
  players (and nine roles)
• Instructions generally werent read despite four
  days notice
• There were very few technical problems
• Students sometimes slipped out of roles
• SPY ACT vote was based on the perceived
  inadequacies of the bill
• Rhetoric/debate played large role in voting
  outcomes, more so than logrolling

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Post simulation survey

• Respondents
• I enjoyed playing the role and trying to
  convince others in the same manner the person in
  my role would.
• I liked that we were each given a persona to
  represent. It enabled us to debate without
  offending anyone since we were all hidden behind
  a mask.

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The technology

• Respondents mentioned disliking various aspects
  of the virtual world than the core game concepts
  themselves
• Some problems they voiced were
• Shout-talk-whisper feature
• Screen size
• Inability to go back and see what others said
  (instead of the text scrolling off the screen)

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The lobbying techniques used

• Three respondents reported using rhetorical
  means, three tried to exchange votes, and one did
  both
• Respondents
• I basically tried to give a good argument and
  did a little bit of research in order to back up
  my beliefs.
• I used points to appeal to their self interest,
  logic or fear.
• One huge strategy was negotiating on the next
  days bill
• I promised another person a vote on the issues I
  was not strong about.

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The lobbying techniques

• Four respondents believed that negotiating votes
  worked to some extent
• Responses
• Appealing to self interest seemed to be the only
  strategy that had any effect.
• Bargaining definitely worked
• I think providing evidence was the best way to
  persuade someone. If you did not have your facts
  straight, it showed.
• I cant really say how many folks I convinced
  based on my arguments.

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The virtual world What was learned?

• Some responses were tactical
• have a game plan going into it.
• It is critical to speak with words that catch
  attention.
• Some responses were critical
• E.g., the interface made communication difficult
  virtual worlds take out that essential personal
  feeling
• Some responses were self-reflective
• It takes more effort to contribute in a virtual
  world.
• I could give people a hard time in a virtual
  world and make them feel bad, but I definitely
  couldnt do that in real life.

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Conclusions

• Learning outcomes Some lobbying strategies
  identified in the literature were used and the
  students came up with some others
• It is crucial to the success that students play
  their roles
• The simulation will be more rewarding for
  students and instructors if ample and roughly
  equal attention is paid to each main part of the
  simulation (bills, roles and the virtual world)
• There is a trade-off between the amount of time
  an instructor can devote to the simulation and
  the depth and/or breadth of the simulation
  experience (though a short or small simulation
  can still be rewarding)
• Some recommendations
• Use a virtual world with a shallow learning curve
  
• Make sure the room or space is password-protected
  or hidden
• Students will likely prefer to conduct the
  simulation in manageable blocks of time over
  multiple nights