Using a Virtual Environment in Special Care Counselling
2015 Mini-grant Project
Students in the 3D space complete course assignments under the guise of their online avatar. Thus, students are thrown into a job function without knowing which of their classmates is controlling the avatar in front of them. The goal is to discover whether this online tool has merit for immersion and learning as well as to create a virtual presence for Champlain Cont. Ed. and an asynchronous practice space for our students.
The SALTISE mini-grant was instrumental in providing the necessary funding to build and study an online 3D learning environment. Without the grant, this project would not have been possible. While the goal was to build an authentic, immersive simulation on SecondLife for Special Care Counselling students, the project has now gone beyond this simple pilot study to generate interest from the nursing department at Champlain College.
Currently, the simulation space on SecondLife is being considered as a viable option for running simulations for nursing students. One of the biggest lessons to emerge from this project was not necessarily the implications for motivation and immersion in teaching and learning, but more importantly, that the use of technology and games in education is highly attractive to contemporary students as technology has become a pervasive part of their lives. By encouraging the use of technology in education, we encourage out students.
Project Follow-up
The online tool (Second Life) is no longer in use. The cost was prohibitive in relation to the added value in student learning.
There have been materials created in conjunction with the project (see below: Survey Questions and Grading Rubric)
The motivational effects were studied using a 7-point likert (not 5) using a peer-evaluated motivational tool (Sims, et al.).
Grades were given but not overtly compared to previous student groups.
Students were interviewed qualitatively – briefly. They all liked using the simulation.
How can a mask (avatar) leverage our ability to receive or give special care services?
How can the use of a 3D virtual environment more realistically mirror the real-life occupational demands of a special care counsellor in ways that a classroom simply cannot?
How can we implement a lab environment for students within the Special Care Counselling program at Champlain that would allow them to virtually practice client interventions in an authentic way, without the contrivance of in-class role-plays and case studies?
How can this environment then be modified to answer the real-life occupational demands of graduates from our other programs?
We at Champlain Cont. Ed. Are highly interested in emerging educational IT in an effort to support, promote and innovate in all of our teaching and learning activities. The current proposal is for the initial set-up of a SecondLife virtual environment in which students enrolled in course 15 “Helping Relationship” of our Special Care Counselling ACS would have the opportunity to don the mantle of either the “client” or “professional” in a virtual counselling office and complete asynchronous lab assignments from any location.
This type of virtual learning platform has never been developed for any program at Champlain College, nor apparently in any Montreal area CEGEP. Once the initial environment has been created and used in the aforementioned course, an evaluation will be performed in order to assess student perception in terms of motivation and learning efficacy. If results prove positive, our SecondLife environment should grow to encompass other courses, programs and inter-disciplinary teams.
Often, it is difficult to simulate the “real-world” work environments of occupations that our programs target. Teachers are often forced to resort to text-based case studies, which do little in simulating real work scenarios as they are detached from the authentic environment. Teachers can also elect to take students on a field trip, but as is often the case, visiting students cannot participate in the occupation during their studies, often being forced to simply observe professionals going about their duties. Internships are often used at the end of our programs, but are limited in scope and amount of experience/time in the position.
Furthermore, when students engage in case-studies or role-plays, they are well aware that their partners are not real special care counselling clients. By building a virtual, non-physical environment, we come one step closer to the “real” working conditions and provide the following learning outcomes that would not be possible in a face-to-face setting:
Deeper authentic immersion in the target work environment
Deeper authentic immersion in the target professional role (removing the student mask and donning the counsellor mask in the form of a 3D avatar – a double-blind)
Asynchronous lab environment used for mandatory and optional assignments
An immersive practice space for students, open 24/7
Used as a CMS
An experimental lab for teachers and platform for blended and distance courses
The first, non-physically invasive and authentic Deweyan “Experiential Alternate Learning Environment” (ALE) available for any of our programs at Champlain
After consulting with several teachers in the SCC program, the course “Helping Relationship” (351-334-LA) was chosen due to the large number of application type assignments and competencies within the course.
It was surmised that a virtual environment would help in generating more practice time for students and would give them a better idea of what it is like to work in the field. While this is probably true for other courses and other programs, budgetary and time constraints do not permit further virtual environments from being developed at this time.
Once the initial piloting of this educational environment is complete, students will be surveyed on relevant motivational, affective and educational effects using a five or seven-point Likert scale.
Data collected from the survey will be analyzed in order for us to determine if this is a viable learning platform for our other courses. Comparisons between grades attained on in-class case studies and in the virtual learning assignments (case studies) will also be compared. Students will also be qualitatively interviewed.
Resources Used and Developed
Second Life Software
Create interactive 3D content and social experiences.
Greg De Luca: As pedagogical counsellor for the Continuing Education Department of Champlain College St-Lambert, my mandate is to act as an agent of change, to innovate and assure quality in all of our programs, to perform teacher training and to build teaching and learning tools. I possess a master’s in Education, ten years of teaching experience and a good knowledge base in video game design. My current team consists of Laura Malbogat, M.Ed. and professional special care counsellor, along with Shari Levine a professional special care counsellor as well.
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