2019 EDU: What would I want in a MUVE if I were using it to teach a class?

What would I want in a MUVE 
if I were using it to teach a class?

MultiUser Virtual Environments (MUVEs) are widely available now and are in use for online instruction.  Here I view the use of MUVEs from the standpoint of a retired university professor. 

The Empty Classroom

• I taught college and graduate level classes for 25 years.
• So I have some experience to know what an instructor needs.

Would I use a MUVE to teach a class?

• I would be concerned about how I could evaluate performance.
• Here I assume that evaluation for credit is not done in the MUVE.
• But otherwise I would be happy to use a MUVE.
• Indeed, I would see online experience as necessary student preparation now.
• Online learning includes learning how to use the internet for finding out things.
• (Instructors translate finding out things to doing research.)
• You need to learn how to find out things if you didn't learn everything in school.  
• Becoming able to find out things is called learning how to learn.

• MUVE update 3/10/2019 Opensim Fest exhibits thru April 6; Time to shift away from G+

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What would I ask about to evaluate a specific system?

What is the mechanism for registering and starting the students?

• If students  register themselves, some will need help, some will get it wrong.
• I want batch registration: I get the data from the registrar and send it to the MUVE.
• I also want students to get to the right place.  
• Batch registration should authorize them to go only to the right place(s).

How much time will students spend getting used to a MUVE?

• I want the students to put their time and attention on the course material.
• I don't want them to be distracted by the novel environment. 
• The first thing of interest for many newcomers to virtual worlds is their avatars.
• They want to personalize the avatar.  Natural.  And one reason for school uniforms.
• I don't want to spend class time on that. I want them to pick one avatar and keep it. 
• They might be allowed to put a nickname on the avatar.
• They might be allowed to upload a picture that would go on the avatar.
• But otherwise, they keep the avatar till they have the skills and time to change it.
• There might be an avatar changing room with resources for changing.
• They might have to earn access to the changing room by showing skills.

How do your teach the basic skills needed in a MUVE?

• The basic skills are:
• Log on and off 
• Make and set your password. 
• Move avatar locally: walk
• Interact with things: Sit, stand, activate (click or hover)
• Interact with people: Identify, find, friend 
• Communicate: Typed chat, voice, Instant Message
• Find other rooms and teleport there.
• I probably expect to have video and text instructions for each skill.
• I expect the instructions to be accessed with one web link.

How can I give the students feedback on their progress?

• I expect to be able to set up quizzes and challenges that reflect the target skill.
• I need to be able to evaluate the answer: numbers, words, and phrases.
• I need to be able to choose a response based on the answer. 
• I need to get records of each student's response into my database or LMS
• I can track student progress with those evaluations and give them feedback. 
• Note that I distinguish evaluation for feedback from evaluation for credit. 

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• Kitely offers themed "grids". Independent websites using Kitely tech but managed by an organization