Transcript of Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable: April 6, 2010
Topic: Canadian Border Crossing Project (Special Guest: Ken Hudson, SL: Kenny Hubble)
A sim-crash ended the event early, so we did not get too many snapshots. Special thanks to Olivia Hotshot for the photos. Join our VWER group at Flickr and add your own pictures!
AJ Brooks: Hi everyone, and welcome to the Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable meeting.
Fleep Tuque: yikes
Fleep Tuque: crashing the stage and can't stop!
Chimera Cosmos: which viewer are you in Fleep?
Logos Sohl: poor Fleep
Fleep Tuque: (Sorry AJ!)
Olivia Hotshot: I can hear you AJ
Rumi Saeed: i hear you loud and clear
Chimera Cosmos: me too good sound
Fleep Tuque: On the v2
AJ Brooks: Our meetings are made possible by the Office of Information Technology at Montclair State University. We meet here each week at 2:30pm SLT for an hour.
Kali Pizzaro: nope
Rumi Saeed: yes on v2
AJ Brooks: The Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable is a forum to educate and inform the community about issues that are important and relevant to education.
Chimera Cosmos: v2 lags more for me
Chimera Cosmos: on my macbook anyhow
AJ Brooks: The views and opinions of any of our special guests or visitors do not necessarily represent those who volunteer or organize these meetings,
AJ Brooks: or of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Office of Information Technology , or Montclair State University.
AJ Brooks: This is a public meeting, so we do keep a transcript of what is said in local chat. For a copy of transcripts, please visit http://www.vwer.org
Logos Sohl: I'm having huge lag issues in v2
hobbs Constantine: (me too Chimera)
Mimi Muircastle: lots of lag in V2 too:)
Fleep Tuque: Me too which is unusual, V2 usually has been running much much better for me
Shaw Checchinato: I second that.
AJ Brooks: If you've not seen the transcripts, you should check them out - they are a great information asset.
AJ Brooks: If you've not seen the transcripts, you should check them out - they are a great information asset.
Olivia Hotshot: does the sim need to be reset?
ericcgcc Yootz: should we come back in V1?
AJ Brooks: Today is our Special 1st of the Month Meeting and our very special guest is Ken Hudson, Kenny Hubble here in SL.
hobbs Constantine: bad lag
AJ Brooks: The Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable meeting happens each week and we continue to develop a community of educators from around the world with a variety of thoughts, needs, and ideas.
Fleep Tuque: I am refusing to install 1.23 on the new machine. Look forward, not backward! :)
AJ Brooks: Please join the Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable group here in SL. You can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Flicker, Del.icio.us and KoinUp, as well as on Twitter as VWER.
Kaine Lowenstark: Scott(?) Linden thinks they know what the lag problem in 2.0 is - where its using 100+ percent of CPU
Olivia Hotshot: ok
Kaine Lowenstark: yay Fleep
AJ Brooks: Coming soon we will also have our own Google Calendar.
AJ Brooks: In order to help us find out what YOU would like to see at future meetings, we've started using Google Moderator (the tool we use at our voice meetings for questions)
Fleep Tuque: yay
Fleep Tuque: on the google calendar
Kaine Lowenstark: Yay for google calendars
AJ Brooks: We've created three (3) different Google Moderator Suggestion topics. You are invited to visit each one and vote on the suggestions that are already there or suggestion some of your own.
Kaine Lowenstark: Soft Linden not Scott
AJ Brooks: Full details can be found in this notecard giver here in the middle of the table.
Chimera Cosmos: so what is it Kaine?
Chimera Cosmos: enquiring minds want to know...
AJ Brooks: As for today's meeting, We will be using Voice Chat. If you are having problems hearing, please IM Margaret Michalski and she will help you.
AJ Brooks: There are also signs on the walls of the amphitheater. The most important thing is to keep your microphone muted.
AJ Brooks: As a hint, it is better to have "local chat" open for these meetings, it will help you follow along better.
Kaine Lowenstark: Its a port problem in which low server pings cause the viewer to try to hard. If you switch to areas with good sever ping, the CPU goes way way down
AJ Brooks: You can find local chat by clicking COMMUNICATE in the bottom navigation bar and you'll find LOCAL CHAT as one of the tabs at the bottom of the window.
Kaine Lowenstark: lemme find the JIRA
AJ Brooks: You are welcome to use the local chat as a back channel, but if you have a question for our guest, we will be using Google Moderator.
Mimi Muircastle: upper left corner
Kaine Lowenstark: it was in his office hours yesterday
AJ Brooks: Google Moderator is a web based tool where you can go to add a question OR vote on questions that have already been asked.
AJ Brooks: Please note, Ken and I will not be monitoring local chat, so if you'd like a question asked,
AJ Brooks: The most popular questions will appear on the top of the list, and those are the questions I'll ask our guests in voice chat.
AJ Brooks: please post it to Google Moderator (and also vote on the other questions that are there)
Kali Pizzaro: cant hear going to go out and back in on old viewer
AJ Brooks: Click on it and you will get a pop up asking you to open a web page, which will open inside the SL browser (you can also click to open it in a regular web browser)
AJ Brooks: There are URL givers on either side of the amphitheater floor and also behind me above the Montclair State sign.
AJ Brooks: Through this site http://www.google.com/moderator/#15/e=3838&t=3838.44 you will ask and vote for questions. You do need a Google account to sign in.
Mimi Muircastle: sound is now great in V2 :)
Stephan Mrigesh: Questions??
AJ Brooks: Finally, if you have Mystitool on, or other similar tool, please put it to sleep or detach it for now. :-) It tends to lag things.
AJ Brooks: As most of you know, my name is AJ Kelton and I am the Director, Emerging Instructional Technology for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Montclair State University in New Jersey
Rachelle Munro: bling off
Rachelle Munro: bling off
Ju Roussel: <-- wants to vote for that JIRA, Kaine...
Fleep Tuque: (or better yet detach it altogether!!)
AJ Brooks: Our special guest today is Ken Hudson, better known as Kenny Hubble here in SL.
Hi Ken, thanks so much for joining us.
Chimera Cosmos: so Kaine where/how do we find "areas with good sever ping"? heheh
Kaine Lowenstark: Salut !
Kaine Lowenstark: lol no idea XD
Chimera Cosmos: server
hobbs Constantine: Aj asks Ken to describe who he is and where works
Stephan Mrigesh: Question: Kenny is a Cunnuck??
AJ Brooks: `42 on the sim
hobbs Constantine: Virtual Worlds Design Center Manager
hobbs Constantine: Ken says he helped developed Canadian Border simulation
Stephan Mrigesh: Gotta keep an eye on those travelers fer sure.
hobbs Constantine: Due to restrictions, the students needed practice border crossing interviews, could not in RL after 9-11 so SL was a solution
Kaine Lowenstark: https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-17537
Kaine Lowenstark: found the JIRA
hobbs Constantine: AJ asks what was genesis of project, and give examples
Kaine Lowenstark: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Bug_triage/Monday_Agenda <-- thats the monday list
Stephan Mrigesh: Are we talking about the borders we made up, or just the ones where Governments are afraid of overthrow?
AJ Brooks: Post your questions or vote on others' questions here: http://www.google.com/moderator/#15/e=3838&t=3838.44
Stephan Mrigesh: Thanks AJ
Flight Band: All Go
hobbs Constantine: Ken describes how students would use SL on a whiteboard to practice
hobbs Constantine: border patrol crossing interview questions
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that students were a bit cynical about new technology
hobbs Constantine: Ken says they tried it anyway, and they had newbie experiences
hobbs Constantine: Ken says the students got uniforms.
Stephan Mrigesh: Question: Do you really think that the border crossing is vital to our Nations Security, or is it just a means to regulate the general public?
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that uniforms changed student attitudes
hobbs Constantine: Please post your questions to Google Moderator.
AJ Brooks: Stephan - first, please post questions into the Google MOderator if you want them addressed.
Margaret Michalski: please use the moderator to submit questions
Logos Sohl: I've heard many ppl mention this proj in terms of tangible results of positive impacts on learning
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that students were 28% MORE successful with their exam than their non-SL counterparts
hobbs Constantine: Ken says no additional time was really needed either, this was simply a new learning method
Olivia Hotshot: AJ Brooks said: <nothing atm>
Chimera Cosmos: hahah
Chimera Cosmos: sausage please!
Fleep Tuque: Hmm I can laugh
Olivia Hotshot: AJ Brooks said: one of the things mentioned was a 28% increase from one year to the next, how was it measured, what did it measure, and when the students went through what did they do?
Fleep Tuque: er oops I think I started to type something else and forgot it was in the text window. hehe
hobbs Constantine: Ken: says students were in a group at the border and asked them interview questions (ID, declaration, place of residence)
AJ Brooks: `Post your questions or vote on others' questions here: http://www.google.com/moderator/#15/e=3838&t=3838.44
hobbs Constantine: Ken: procedure has 8 mandatory questions for Border Patrol Officers
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that this is actually a fail-able situation. Students quickly picked up and started to "rif"
hobbs Constantine: Ken says this is a fairly difficult learning concept and they picked up quickly
hobbs Constantine: Ken: Journal of Virtual Worlds REsearch V2, Issue 1 -- this is where they published
Fleep Tuque: http://journals.tdl.org/jvwr/article/view/374/449 to the article
Fleep Tuque: :)
Mimi Muircastle: ty Fleep :)
hobbs Constantine: Ken had interviewed students prior to using SL, and those reflected skeptism
hobbs Constantine: Ken also interview after and attitude completely changed -- Students said they had "experienced" being at the border first hand
hobbs Constantine: Ken - this backs up idea that that avatar represents sense of self
Kali Pizzaro: back
Fleep Tuque: Stephan, re: your questions on moderator I don't think it's Ken's job to determine whether or not the Canadian border should be there
Fleep Tuque: It's about teaching the students the proper process to be a border guard
Fleep Tuque: not to question whether or not border is needed or border guards are needed.
hobbs Constantine: Ken says it was role play, an environment where they could do what they were already learning
Kali Pizzaro: You are welcoming in Canada
hobbs Constantine: :-)
Kali Pizzaro: AJ laughs
Kali Pizzaro: So how did you measure the percentage increase
Kaine Lowenstark: \o/ answered
AJ Brooks: Post your questions or vote on others' questions here: http://www.google.com/moderator/#15/e=3838&t=3838.44
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that the 28% increase was on interviewing skills
Kali Pizzaro: AJ - ok so this project has garnered a lot of publicity
Stephan Mrigesh: We Love people (in Canada), but can't stand discriminatory behaviour, and may want to keep your lunatics out.
hobbs Constantine: Ken: this problem was solvable, short term
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that many problems are similar and could also find appropriate uses for VW
hobbs Constantine: Ken says this was very doable, not complicated
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that this is focused, not 10,000 parts
Kaine Lowenstark: Jim: when you run out of prims :P
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that grades went up an additional 9% in second year of running the simulation
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that folks became possibly better at it,more excited
hobbs Constantine: Ken says in second year that he started working with Canadian Government
hobbs Constantine: Ken: 4 week pretraining course for recruits added Border Patrol officer SL experience an option
hobbs Constantine: Ken: half of recruits took advantage of SL then
hobbs Constantine: Ken says students had time to try it out
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that students went to Quebec and are tested, failure means the recruit washes out
hobbs Constantine: Ken says recruits that used SL 39% more successful
hobbs Constantine: Ken says giving them a chance to practice makes them more successful
Kali Pizzaro: AJ - so you said 39% that is significant results
Kali Pizzaro: fantastic
hobbs Constantine: Ken says it continues to surprise his research group
Stephan Mrigesh: Question: Are you all letting more drugs in, and less lunatics out now with the new training?
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that this was really only the start
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that this gives the student a reference point to start to understand complex jobs
Kali Pizzaro: AJ- lets look at some of the questions
AJ Brooks: `Post your questions or vote on others' questions here: http://www.google.com/moderator/#15/e=3838&t=3838.44
Kali Pizzaro: Aj- Please respect the guest and the others
Jimmie Veeper: Here, Here, Aj.
Kali Pizzaro: so please behave
Kaine Lowenstark: Now, the Second Life training was opt in?
Jimmie Veeper: Civil discourse.
Fleep Tuque: Hee hee
Fleep Tuque: :)
Kaine Lowenstark: ^__^
Kali Pizzaro: Aj- fleep how will viewer 2 change things
hobbs Constantine: Ken says No, fundamentally
hobbs Constantine: Ken says there might be more of an audio experience, the visual experience works really well right now
hobbs Constantine: Ken says the sim gives info (passport, parts of car, etc) really well
Fleep Tuque: Thanks Ken, great answer! :)
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that new viewer might augment the experience, bring more
Stephan Mrigesh: ooops. Please forgive my terrible sense of humour in such serious matter's, highly respect the talk, but really want to know how this is really going to improve international relations.
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that he is asked this question frequently
Kali Pizzaro: Aj- How do you address non verbal interaction - thanks Annie
Fleep Tuque: (We hope!)
AJ Brooks: This is not about international relations - its about education
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that we wish our avatars did reflect our current human state...that is far off in future
Stephan Mrigesh: How so AJ, who is the threat?
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that if we could get to that future state, it would add more to this simulation, but it is hard and wonderful to imagine
eggshell Burks: it's about the improved learning he got from his students....
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that before being a judge of character, one has to know what one is looking for
Kali Pizzaro: I assume you do other face to face education also Ken
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that the best detectives follow the basics, follow the problem
Fleep Tuque: No sound AJ :)
Kali Pizzaro: this is an adjunct yes?
Kali Pizzaro: AJ- so as far as role play how does it compare to rl equivalence
Kali Pizzaro: thanks Logos
AJ Brooks: Post your questions or vote on others' questions here: http://www.google.com/moderator/#15/e=3838&t=3838.44
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that critiquing the "badness" of a role play can reduce the value of it
Stephan Mrigesh: Wow, just got frozen for asking question's, fuck you, and good luck with your censorship asshole.
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that being focused helps
Fleep Tuque: Good heavens.
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that to stay focusedon the learning
Shaw Checchinato: :(
hobbs Constantine: Ken says he struggles with this every day
Jimmie Veeper: Stephan, it's called civil discourse, try again.
eggshell Burks: your questions were totally off topic... Ken's build is about educational methodology, not politics.. that should be clear
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that the idea was the border should be immersive
AJ Brooks: Stephan has been ejected and banned - we don't tolerate that type of discourse here
Jimmie Veeper: @Stephan..it's called civil dsicourse.
hobbs Constantine: Ken says that realism is something that he does not know if that played into it
Olivia Hotshot: < no more need - he is long gone >
Jimmie Veeper: Thanks Kenny.
hobbs Constantine: Ken says this does not have to be perfect
Olivia Hotshot: Excellent point Ken!
Kali Pizzaro: AJ- Aj- excellent point
Mimi Muircastle: great ques.!
Fleep Tuque: (Good questions Logos!)