Jewish Education Change Network

New Pilot Project Using Second Life for Israel Education

How do we help young students to interact with Israel in a way that allows them to connect with a topic that often feels distant, irrelevant and separate from their lives?

We are beginning a pilot project that uses the Second Life platform to "gamify" Israel education in the complementary school. BJE is working with Johanna Sohn, the Education Director at Adat Ari El congregation, Los Angeles and Simnik to create a 3 dimensional virtual build and curriculum that will provide 5th graders with interactions with Israeli history and culture that will be both immersive and engaging. As these students take on avatars and work their way through the world we are building for them, they will have fun while solving problems that help them to connect with Israel. Using the basic principles behind quests and discovery-based inquiry, we hope to create a robust blended experience that combines classroom instruction with a rich 3D virtual environment in which students interact with content and with each other. As they "level up", the students will also be learning.

I have been looking at the use of MUVEs (Multi User Virtual Environments) in education for a few years and have come to understand that these tools are exactly that- tools. As with every other technology we use (be it a smart board, a pencil or a virtual environment) our job as educators is facilitate a learning experience that results in both the learner knowing more and feeling more connected to the content. Learning has to be grounded in experience and tools like this one create experiences for the learner.

I welcome hearing from my colleagues about the opportunities and challenges of moving into immersive virtual environments. We are just in the early planning stages and I look forward to sharing more about how this experiment progresses.

2 members like this

Comment by Richard D Solomon, PhD on December 22, 2011 at 7:18pm: Deborah,

Please say more about the differences between MUVE and a flash program. Thank you!

Richard

Comment by Deborah Nagler on December 22, 2011 at 8:02pm: Multi-user Virtual Environment Flash
3D 2D
Avatar as navigator mouse click or other
Open-ended experience programmed outcome

Does this help?

Comment by Deborah Nagler on December 22, 2011 at 8:04pm: that didn't work out as planned. I will try again
MUVE = 3D, Avatar navigated, open-ended
Flash = 2D, mouse or key board navigated, programmed outcome

both could have a social component, but it is always present in an MUVE
both could have interactive features

does this help?
Deborah

Comment by Phil Liff-Grieff on December 22, 2011 at 8:42pm: To add some clarity to this discussion, imagine an environment where the learner takes on an avatar that can then roam about a closed three dimensional environment freely. They can explore objects by walking around them, can walk into rooms and pick up objects by clicking on them. They can interact with the other students who are present through the use of typed chat. And, as a result of that open ability to interact with your fellow students' avatars, you can work collectively on accomplishing mutual goals. (Or just chat about your day)

Our challenge will be designing a curricular use for this tool that will be both stimulating and educative. We expect the students to be excited about this way of interfacing with Israel and her history. True, it will not be World of Warcraft or Halo. But, it takes the best of what those role play environments have to offer and put it at the service of Jewish learning.

Comment by Richard D Solomon, PhD on December 22, 2011 at 9:11pm: @Phil and Deborah:

This sounds so exciting!

B'hatzlacha,

Richard

Comment by Marci Karoll on December 29, 2011 at 11:10am: SL Israel exists. Have you checked it out?

https://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=2204941545&topic=8839

Comment by Deborah Nagler on December 29, 2011 at 11:21am: SL Israel most certainly does. And there is a Jewish Neighborhood in SL with several synagogues, a Kotel replica & a mikveh. They hold a candle lighting ceremony in the main synagogue every week and often have a Torah study group or holiday related programs.
These are not formal educational programs, however. They are hosted by people who simply want to use SL as a canvas for spiritual and artistic expression.
Case in point: Beth Odets' synagogue. She is a musician from Texas with a day school background. An SL friend asked her how to create a Torah for SL. She decided the Torah should have an Aron Kodesh and ultimately the synagogue was built. As others began to find her work a meaningful community portal, she decided to create a membership and offer some activities. Today the membership is approximately 12,000.

Comment by Phil Liff-Grieff on December 29, 2011 at 2:00pm: Marci,

The other point one should consider is that Second Life is an open platform where avatars freely wander in and out of areas. Once, when I was in Second Life Israel, for example, an avatar named "Nakba1948" walked by.

We are creating a closed environment using the Second Life platform. That means that the only people who can go there are people we have given permission to do so- approved teachers and students. That also means that our students can only access our area and not freely access Second Life itself. As you can imagine, both of these are necessary prerequisites to creating a good, controlled educational tool for young children.

Comment by Richard D Solomon, PhD on December 29, 2011 at 3:29pm: @ Phil and Deborah: Would you be open to giving interested members of the JECN a tour of Second Life for Israel Education at some point in the future? I'd love to attend? Richard

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