TY - JOUR
T1 - Using second life in an English course
T2 - How does the technology affect participation?
AU - Wang, Airong
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - This paper examines how technology affects participation in an English course in Second Life. Second Life-specific affordances, i.e. voice-morphing and sound isolated parcels, were used in this course. The data set consists of approximately 33 hours of audio recordings and chat logs of 8315 words. In audio, 10.8% of the course time deals with technological challenges, while in chat, 69.2% of the words concern technology. The types of technological challenges interfering with participation involve software complexity, unreliable functionality of SL, as well as hardware and connectivity issues. To deal with these problems, participants were assisted by pedagogical facilitators, technological facilitators, and SL-experienced peers. Based on the analysis of the challenges outlined above, this paper provides recommendations for language practitioners, focusing primarily on the course, participant, and program levels.
AB - This paper examines how technology affects participation in an English course in Second Life. Second Life-specific affordances, i.e. voice-morphing and sound isolated parcels, were used in this course. The data set consists of approximately 33 hours of audio recordings and chat logs of 8315 words. In audio, 10.8% of the course time deals with technological challenges, while in chat, 69.2% of the words concern technology. The types of technological challenges interfering with participation involve software complexity, unreliable functionality of SL, as well as hardware and connectivity issues. To deal with these problems, participants were assisted by pedagogical facilitators, technological facilitators, and SL-experienced peers. Based on the analysis of the challenges outlined above, this paper provides recommendations for language practitioners, focusing primarily on the course, participant, and program levels.
KW - Affordances
KW - English course
KW - Participation
KW - Second Life
KW - Technology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85046011912&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4018/IJCALLT.2017010105
DO - 10.4018/IJCALLT.2017010105
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85046011912
SN - 2155-7098
VL - 7
SP - 66
EP - 85
JO - International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching
JF - International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching
IS - 1
ER -