In Support of 3D Environment in Education

It has been almost a year now since I embarked on MachinEVO course for language teachers online.
Since my CAMELOT award (1st prize) and as Moderator of this year's EVO ViLLAGE, I have developed a new approach to viewing teacher education which opens up new paths to education and teaching.

All this along with my personal strong convinction of the usefulness of Virtual 3D environments in education, encourage me to reflect on my own experience during the 8th SLanguages Annual Symposium 2015 (which I had inadvertently omitted) .

The Symposium came as a most outstanding event just before the end of a year characterised by vigorous activity at all levels in the world of education. 
With EduNation Island, Second Life® being a hive of activity for many years now, the Symposium came, once again, to confirm the ongoing effort, unfaltering energy and care which are invested in quality education to create and maintain learner supportive environments, to improve living standards, and promote levels of sustainable development.  

During the 8th SLanguages Symposium, speakers from around the world reflected on their recent professional experience with teaching and researching in 3D environments. Moderated by Professor Randall Sadler, (University of Illinois, Dept. of Linguistics, co-owner of EduNation islands in Second Life), Heike Philp (co-initiator of EU funded LANCELOT, AVALON and the CAMELOT project), Christel Schneider (Research Assistant for the CAMELOT Project at the University of Central Lancashire, founder of CSiTrain), Carol Rainbow (author, ICT consultant & teacher trainer), Helen Myers (teacher of French, Chair of London ALL), Shelwyn Corrigan (Learn IT Town, University of San Fransisco), Ann Nowak (ELT teacher), Hazel Workman (3D animator, technology consultant) and Helena Galani (ELT/EAP educator, assessor), the successful event provided ample evidence of the tireless and powerful work being done in Virtual Worlds for education.

Amongst other prominent presenters and researchers*, Keynote Speaker Stylianos Mystakidis (Learning Technologist and E-learning Manager, University of Patras, Centre for Vocational Training) focused on "Social Virtual Reality: Open Education’s Surprising Secret Sauce" by guiding us through a series of exciting activities to stimulate learners' mind in our classrooms. 

On 14th November, the first day of the Symposium, surrounded by an enthusiastic and creative group of like-minded colleagues, I presented the usefulness of "SL Machinima for Young & Teenage Learners". The recordings for my presentations can be viewed on the SLanguages webpage and my slides are uploaded here:

Also, below please find the slides for my presentation on "From Board Games to Role Plays" (15th November, 2015).

The transformational experience in Virtual Worlds goes on and it has a lot to offer to all levels of education.

More news is coming up soon about this year's running TESOL EVO Virtual Language Learning And Gaming Environment course for teachers (EduNation Island, Second Life, 11/1 - 14/2/2016).


Helena Galani







* 8th SLanguages Annual Symposium Speakers:

• Jegatheva (Jay Jay) Jegathesan, manager of the School of Physics, The University of Western Australia; 
• Ann Nowak [Ann von Rhein], Germany; 
• Annie Mazzocco, Italy; 
• CAMELOT Symposium partners; University of Istanbul Symposium Panelists; 
• Sarah Pasfield-Neofitou and Scott Grant, Monash University; 
• Andrea Benassi and Letizia Cinganotto, Italy; 
• Moonyoung Park, University of Aizu, Japan; 
• Christel Schneider, Research Assistant, CAMELOT Project, University of Central Lancashire;  
• David Richardson, Linnaeus University, Sweden; 
• Bronwyn Stuckey, educational technologist, Australia;  
• Vance Stevens, CALL moderator, TESOL EVO coordinator, Computing lecturer, Abu Dhabi;
• Marijana and Filip Smolčec; Peggy Hartwick, Carleton University, Canada; 
• Stella K. Hadjistassou, University of Cyprus; 
• James T. Abraham, PhD, Arizona; 
• Martha Eugenia Lino, Mexico; 
• Gord Holden, Director of Immersive Technology, Heritage Christian Online School, British Columbia; 
• KEYNOTE Nick Zwart, TILA, Telecollaboration Language game in OpenSimulator, Holland; 
• Dr. Malcolm Alan Compitello,  University of Arizona 
• Dr. Juliana Luna Freire, CIBOLA, Framingham State University;
•  Russ Bronson, Morelos; 
• KEYNOTE Lowri Mills., Texas

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