Cognitive,social and teaching presence in a virtual world and a text chat

Using a framework of cognitive, social, and teaching presence, the nature of learning experiences in a three-dimensional virtual world environment (Second Life) and a text-chat learning environment without visuals (TeachNet) were investigated. A mixed method of code frequencies, coherence graphs, interviews, and a survey was used. The results revealed that the TeachNet debates included more cognitive presence codes that indicate higher levels of cognitive processing than in SL debates. The teams were significantly different from each other in the collaboration style for developing arguments and in the ways to use utterances associated with cognitive, social, and teaching presences, and the groups’ collaboration style became more established with more experience with the tasks. The three critical factors–tool, tasks and group cohesion–that affect cognitive, teaching, and social presence are discussed.     

Virtual world teaching,experiential learning,and assessment: An interdisciplinary communication course in Second Life

While many reports espouse the potential impact that 3-D virtual worlds are expected to have on teaching and learning in higher education in a few years, there are few empirical studies that inform instructional design and learning assessment in virtual worlds. This study explores the nature and process of learning in Second Life in a graduate interdisciplinary communication course in fall 2007. Literature suggests that 3-D virtual worlds can be well suited for experiential learning environments. In this study, the actual instructional effectiveness of Second Life as an experiential learning environment for interdisciplinary communication is empirically examined using mixed research methods of journal content analysis, surveys, focus group, and virtual world snapshots and video.     

Varying tutorial modality and interface restriction to maximize transfer in a complex simulation environment.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 103(2) of Journal of Educational Psychology (see record 2011-10421-001). The name of the author Laura G. Torres was omitted.] In 2 experiments, 241 undergraduates with low domain knowledge viewed a tutorial on how to use Packet Tracer (PT), a computer-networking training simulation developed by the Cisco Networking Academy. Participants were then tested on retention of tutorial content and transfer using PT. Tutorial modality (text, narration, or narration plus text) was varied betweens subjects in both experiments, and simulation interface restriction (restricted or unrestricted) was varied between subjects only in Experiment 1. When PT's interface was unrestricted, students who received the narration tutorial performed better on the transfer task compared with students who received the text tutorial (statistically significant in Experiment 1 but not in Experiment 2). These findings extend the cognitive theory of multimedia learning (Mayer, 2005) by testing modality effects in new contexts and further specifying conditions of its applicability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Mayrath et al. (2011).

Reports an error in "Varying tutorial modality and interface restriction to maximize transfer in a complex simulation environment" by Michael C. Mayrath, Priya K. Nihalani and Daniel H. Robinson (Journal of Educational Psychology, , , np). The name of the author Laura G. Torres was omitted. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2011-01107-001.) In 2 experiments, 241 undergraduates with low domain knowledge viewed a tutorial on how to use Packet Tracer (PT), a computer-networking training simulation developed by the Cisco Networking Academy. Participants were then tested on retention of tutorial content and transfer using PT. Tutorial modality (text, narration, or narration plus text) was varied betweens subjects in both experiments, and simulation interface restriction (restricted or unrestricted) was varied between subjects only in Experiment 1. When PT's interface was unrestricted, students who received the narration tutorial performed better on the transfer task compared with students who received the text tutorial (statistically significant in Experiment 1 but not in Experiment 2). These findings extend the cognitive theory of multimedia learning (Mayer, 2005) by testing modality effects in new contexts and further specifying conditions of its applicability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)