2. Background:
International Baccalaureate (IB): nonprofit
educational foundation, helps students to
develop skills (intellectual, social, emotional,
personal) needed to live/work in a “rapidly
globalizing world”
Diploma Program (DP): IB high school,
prepares students for 21st century: inter-
connectedness, international-mindedness,
critical thinking
3. Background (cont.):
Information Technology in a Global Society
(ITGS): “…the study and evaluation of the
impacts of Information Technology (IT) on
individuals and society…[i]t explores the
advantages and disadvantages of the access
and use of digitized information at the local
and global level”
- IB ITGS Handbook
4. Background (cont.):
ITGS:
Not a technology class per se, but lots of
geekiness involved
In the IB‟s Individuals and Societies Group, so
is considered a Humanities class
Overarching goal is to enable a “global
village,” but until Second Life no practical way
of achieving this
5. Background (cont.):
Virtual world: computer-based interactive 3D
simulation, in which users take the form of
avatars visible to others graphically
Second Life – commercial 3D virtual world with
millions of users, hundreds of educational
organizations “inworld”
OpenSimulator – “open source” version of
Second Life, used for students 3-15 (Second
Life only for learners 16 and older)
6. Background (cont.):
Second Life (http://secondlife.com):
Launched in 2003 by Linden Labs (company),
not a game in the usual sense
Can blow stuff up, but the main idea is to
interact with others (plus build and program)
Own economy and currency (average quarterly
holdings exceed: US $25,000,000)
Intellectual property respected, everything you
make/code is yours to sell
7. Background (cont.):
Peterson Schools leases its Second Life
cybercampus from the New Media Consortium
(http://www.nmc.org), contact Carol Pfeifer if
interested: carol@nmc.org
Peterson Schools leases its OpenSimulator
cybercampus from Dreamland Metaverse
(http://www.dreamlandmetaverse.com),
contact Snoopy Pfeffer if interested:
snoopy.pfeffer@yahoo.com
8. Game-based learning will happen with or
without you! Get on board or get left behind!
Get the 2012 Horizon Report, K-12 or Higher Ed:
http://www.nmc.org/horizon-project/horizon-
reports
Predicts that game-based learning will be
MAINSTREAM in schools by as early as 2014.
Why wait until then to get started?
9. Better Traditional Academic Results:
“The early evidence, both rigorous and
anecdotal, seems to strongly suggest that
highly interactive virtual learning is a
permanent transformation of the educational
landscape…[t]his is due in part to interactive
environments‟ ability to produce better
traditional academic results.”
- Clark Aldrich
10. ITGS Versus Computer Science:
ITGS – main focus is people, systems thinking,
using existing software (and hardware), social
context is vital, global reach
Computer Science – main focus is
hardware/software, algorithmic thinking,
creation of new software, business context is
vital, usually limited audience
11. ITGS Three Strands:
1. Social and Ethical Significance: intellectual
property, the digital divide, globalization and
cultural diversity, etc.
2. Application to Specified Scenarios: business
and employment, education and training,
home and leisure, etc.
3. IT Systems: hardware/software, digital
multimedia, project management, etc.
12. ITGS Three Strands (cont.):
Strands are to be taught in an integrated way,
with the focus on stakeholders (individuals or
groups affected by IT developments and/or
proposed solutions).
Strands can be taught in any order. A project
might be started via an issue, or a particular
objective, or the IT systems involved.
13. ITGS International Dimension:
Embodies global and international awareness
Emphasizes global reach (and effects) of
technological advancements
Explores advantages and disadvantages of
technology at local and international levels
Seeks to develop international connections
and cooperation, concept of “global village”
15. Traditionally Taught:
Textbooks such as: “Discovering Computers”
for hardware/software, “Gift of Fire” for
social/ethical considerations (now: ITGS
textbook)
Online components such as: nings, wikis,
blogs, websites in general (2D, not 3D!)
Generally, still typical classroom instruction
(where‟s the GLOBAL if it‟s mostly LOCAL?)
23. Now 3D ITGS:
Students maintain cybercampus in Second
Life, put on art/music/other shows for now
Enables students (and teachers) to connect,
communicate and collaborate with others all
over the (real) world
Learners actually are members of a global
society (versus just reading about it!)
Products/services can help local and global
students and teachers
24. Now 3D ITGS (cont.):
Taken more than 600 students inworld since
first university cybercampus in 2006
Language exchanges: our students hosted
and visited others, learning/teaching English
Concerts and exhibits: kids‟ art included in
international show, thousands of visitors
For ITGS, started with China schools and then
started expanding to different countries and
continents
25. Strand-Specific:
Social and Ethical Significance: Students are
part of a million-user online community,
joining hundreds of other schools
Application to Specified Scenarios: Students
will run actual businesses in online economy,
create/maintain intellectual property, etc.
IT Systems: Students must master Computer
Aided Design, graphics/photography, project
management, programming, etc.
26. Strand-Specific (cont.):
Social and Ethical Significance: Students will
interact with other schools, ideally helping to
bridge the digital divide
Application to Specified Scenarios: Student
products/services will benefit others, will
enable cross-curricular instruction locally
IT Systems: Instruction is student-centric, so
students design and manage own projects,
learning hardware/software in the process
27. Strand-Specific (cont.):
Example Project I: Art/Music Show
Social and Ethical Significance: Art itself,
collaboration and cooperation, cross-
curricular efforts, marketing
Application to Specified Scenarios: Project
management, deliverables by deadlines
IT Systems: Computer Aided Design building,
some programming, graphic/music production
30. Strand-Specific (cont.):
Example Project II: 3D Tutorials
Social and Ethical Significance: Digital divide,
reciprocal guidance, interaction with students
and teachers in different countries
Application to Specified Scenarios: Creating
and/or selling product/service to help others
IT Systems: More sophisticated building and
programming, but mainly understanding to
teach others (hardware and software)
32. Integration/Dimension-Specific:
Enables integration of the three strands in
ways never possible before (direct relation-
ships between technology, applications and
social/ethical implications)
Literally (virtually) creates an interconnected
“global village” via which students can not
just study but impact fellow digital citizens
around the (real) world
33. Profile-Specific:
All qualities covered, particularly:
Inquirers/Thinkers: Students are in charge of
their investigations/research
Communicators: Students will meet and train
others to use 3D virtual worlds
Risk-Takers: Students know about 3D games,
but have never done anything like this before!
Principled: Students must develop and
practice digital citizenship skills
34. Summary:
Peterson‟s 3D ITGS surpasses all IB require-
ments: strands, profiles, dimensions, etc.
Our 3D ITGS will revolutionize the way not just
this course is taught, but all IB classes
Art and Music already involved, soon Science,
Math and other subjects (locally/globally)
Ideal: 3D community of international schools,
sharing sims/regions/campuses (contact me if
you‟re interested in participating)
35. Invitation:
If your students are 16 or older, come visit us
on our Second Life cybercampus!
We can conduct language exchanges or just
plain meetings (ideally lessons/seminars)
If your students are younger than 16, we can
meet on our OpenSimulator cybercampus (or a
public grid with permissions)
Again, one goal could be to get your school
started with 3D virtual worlds!
36. Summary (cont.):
Perhaps most important: “Global village” is a
possible reality (well, virtually!)
Can be not just for ITGS/DP students but
learners of all ages via OpenSimulator!
Share sims in Second Life or own entire sims
in OpenSimulator (one school could host the
gateway and then all others would accessible
via hypergridding)
SL tomorrow, OpenSimulator maybe 1 year off
37. Global Education Conference:
“Seeks to present ideas, examples, and
projects related to connecting educators and
classrooms with a strong emphasis on
promoting global awareness, fostering global
competency, and inspiring action towards
solving real–world problems.”
How about having sessions in Second Life
and/or OpenSimulator next year?
Join us for meetings/projects in the meantime!
38. Student Quotations:
“It is incredible to see how you can relate to
people all around the world!”
“I really like this course because it encourages
you to create new things and meet different
people.”
And I‟ll conclude with my favorite learner quip:
“This is education's way to say „Welcome to
the 21st century!‟"
39. 2012 Educational Technology Conferences:
Otavan Opisto (Finnish academy, online)
Flat Classroom Workshop, part of ASB
Unplugged in Mumbai (to students!)
Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education
Conference, inworld
Meta Institute for Computational Astrophysics,
inworld
AACE Global Learn 2012, online
Global Education Conference (this one!)
40. Thank you! Questions/Comments:
David W. Deeds (FaceBook, LinkedIn)
E-Mail: ddeeds@peterson.edu.mx
Skype: davidwdeeds, Twitter: dwdeeds
Scoop.it: http://www.scoop.it/t/3d-virtual-worlds-
educational-technology
Second Life: Deed Davids, visit Teaching 6, SLURL:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Teaching%206/180/132/23