Learning the vocabulary with AI. Two major cases. The DTA can provide an intelligent environment

Learning the vocabulary with AI. 
Two major cases.  
The DTA can provide an intelligent environment  

The intelligent scene: the things talk to you.  They tell their names. Even tell you aloud.  You have quests.  Just as in a game.  And you learn skills while playing.  The difference here is that the skills you learn in this game have long-lasting value. This article is explicitly licensed Public Domain (CC0).

Magnolia gardens

• Magnolia gardens of knowledge . A demonstration of introductory training on the parts (of anything)

Two cases? 

Case 1

• There are many instances of learning a second or subsequent language.
• The objective is always the same: 
• Get able to use the language in effective communication with native speakers.
• Instructional procedures are well understood.  The only problem: it takes practice.
• Practice takes time.  

Case 2

• A less obvious case occurs when students prepare to study a specialized subject.
• Here they do not  learn a whole new language but only a specialized vocabulary.
• Some of the words are familiar to them, but the meaning is specialized.
• And some of the things mentioned may be dangerous or inaccessible.
• Example: anatomy, surgical tools.

2020 #DTA: #VWEDU: WRITE: Would you use a virtual world to teach creative writing? Imaginary worlds are another kind of virtual worlds.

Would you use a virtual world to teach creative writing? 
Imaginary worlds are another kind of virtual worlds.

Suggestions about how to use virtual world resources to teach creative writing: Writing in the scene, working together apart, scenes as prompts. role-play, cold reads.

• Indeed, all virtual worlds were initially imagined.
• One reason we like virtual worlds is that we can create the worlds we imagine.
• And we can share that imagined world with others.
• Articles in this blog about writing

How would a DTA use virtual worlds to teach creative writing?

• DTA=Digital Teaching Assistant
• Manage brainstorming sessions:
• DTA can guide ideation sessions. Group ideation: "Brainstorming"
• Maintain an organized collection of prompts and scenes.
• Present scenes and writing prompts as directed by the teacher
• Provide entry fields with writing prompts for "write on site" exercises.
• Collect exercise products and deliver them to the teacher with grammar checked.
• File exercise products in word processor form.
• Manage cold reads by the writing group.
• Manage group role-play
• Provide promotion prompts at the teacher's direction.
• DTA can guide ideation sessions. Group ideation: "Brainstorming"

• update 1/9/2020 Brand New Grid: Rêves Fantastiques GridList becomes social! Great Canadian Grid seeks funds to reopen Kitely Market Passes $100,000 in Sales.

2020 #VWEDU: A campus grid for a graduate school. An independent grid using the Kitely organization system

A campus grid for a graduate school.  
An independent grid using the Kitely organization system.

A separate grid.  Managed by an organization.  Separate login page, with information about the organization, not about a grid.  But all the tech work is handled by Kitely.  And it has some places open to the Hypergrid. 

Online people attend a presentation

• VR-on Marian Island
• Hosting projects of the MALET program:
• Suny Empire State College MALET program
• Help to get started in virtual reality
• Change your avatar
• Start to build
• FAQ

2019 #VWEDU: Scenegate improvements: onboarding, accessibility, performance, usability

Scenegate improvements: 
onboarding, accessibility, 
performance, usability
Updated 1/25/2020

Scenegate is a new viewer for OpenSimulator grids, directed at the needs of newcomers and particularly newcomers entering to take classes or to attend meetings. It offers a simplified screen with few options--just those needed for classes and meetings. This article is explicitly licensed Public Domain (CC0).

Meeting at IMA Alpha

Contents

• Onboarding
• Accessibility
• Performance
• Usability

2020 HG: People: Hypergridders: We may be able to use Discord for event notices much as we have been using inworld groups.

We may be able to use Discord for event notices 
much as we have been using inworld groups.

Communities on the Hypergrid need a grid-independent way to announce and promote events.  They especially need a way to send Just-In-Time(JIT) alerts near the start time of an event.  Discord has features that can support JIT notices.  Friendica may have such features in the future.

Event in a virtual world

• Inworld groups can send notices to everyone in the group.
• We use that feature to notify group members of an upcoming event.
• Often all group members get the notice.
• They don't mind the notices because that's why they are in the group.
• But these notices at best only work for those who are inworld on the hypergrid.
• Many of us also use a web-world or a closed grid.
• And inworld notices reach no one not already in OpenSim.

Can we extend our reach to the outworld?

• We  do use social media for announcements that travel the web/
• But we would like to send notices shortly before the event.
• Discord may be able to do that .

• update 1/9/2020 Brand New Grid: Rêves Fantastiques GridList becomes social! Great Canadian Grid seeks funds to reopen Kitely Market Passes $100,000 in Sales.

2020 #VWEDU: You don't have to build to create scenes in OpenSimulator. RezMela can do most of the building for you

You don't have to build to create scenes in OpenSimulator.  
RezMela can do most of the building for you

An overview of the RezMela system:  components and how they are used

• Watch on YouTube
• RezMela YouTube channel 

Using a virtual world

• A big benefit of using a virtual world is that you can create scenes.
• In OpenSimulator the virtual land costs little and you can build things at little cost.
• That is, little cost unless you value your time.
• Experienced residents of the virtual worlds speak of a steep learning curve.
• But it is only steep if you expect to do everything for yourself. 
• There are lots of virtual things available on Kitely Market. 
• Many of these are scripted to provide various services.
• And RezMela will soon release an organized collection of things for building scenes.
• The collection is organized into components described in the video above and in the text after the break. 
• You may find it useful to read the text before watching the video.
• Gathering educational support in OpenSimulator. Scenegate, RezMela™, Kitely Organizations, DTA
• .Rezmela™ supports easy creation of instructional scenes. A demonstration in VWMOOC19

• update 1/9/2020 Brand New Grid: Rêves Fantastiques GridList becomes social! Great Canadian Grid seeks funds to reopen Kitely Market Passes $100,000 in Sales.

2020 #VWEDU: Affordances of virtual worlds can make a more effective presentation. From OpenSim Community Conference (OSCC)

How to use the affordances of virtual worlds 
to make a more effective presentation.  
From OpenSim Community Conference (OSCC)

Lessons learned while developing a new virtual world product. And a demonstration of how presentations can be improved by using the capabilities of virtual worlds.

• Watch on YouTube

• This was a presentation a the Opensim Community Conference 2019 
• The presenter made the video in advance and played it instead of talking live.
• The presenter answered questions (in chat) during the presentation. 
• Presenting in a video made effective use of the presenter's presence.
• The presenter could interact with the audience while the presentation continued.
• Live interactions instead of live talking.
• Mainstreaming Virtual World Learning Colloquium: Video summary and suggestions
• Can virtual worlds support large lecture classes? The past is not the future

2020 #DTA: #VWEDU: Who is building a digital teaching assistant? Can just anybody make one?

Who is building a digital teaching assistant?  
Can just anybody make a DTA?

Many people are building DTA components.  Under the name Learning Management System (LMS) the technology is widespread.  In a virtual world, the DTA could be represented as an avatar or animated object, possibly fostering a more personal relationship with the students.  

DTA1 (left)

Who is building a DTA?

• The Digital Teaching Assistant (DTA) for MUVES (virtual worlds): Summary
• People have already made some: Learning management system (Wikipedia)
• Some parts are available in virtual worlds:
• A Digital Teaching Assistant (DTA) in a MUVE (virtual world): What would it do?
• New educational term: Batch Registration: for schools and organizations in virtual worlds
• A professor built an AI teaching assistant for his courses — and it could shape the future of education
• Some parts involve integrating existing resources (Moodle) with DTA records.
• Some educational organization might assemble parts to cover a group of DTAs
• Possible DTA groups: K12, college, language learning, STEM.  
• Parts of the DTA would have to be designed for particular grade levels and content.

• Update 1/2/20: GridList become social! Great Canadian Grid seeks funds to reopen. Kitely Market Passes $100,000 in Sales. AVsitter is now open-source!

2020 ART: #VWEDU: Nuna art gallery in OpenSim, 3rd rock grid. A great addition to art and education in virtual worlds (Part 1)

Nuna art gallery in OpenSim, 3rd rock grid.  
A great addition to art and education in virtual worlds
(Part 1)

An extensive and well-curated art museum in OpenSim, organized to fit art education and with informative content nearby.  This article introduces the gallery and tells about art reproductions and copyright.  Subsequent articles will deal with exhibits and themes.

The Nuna Gallery

• Nuna Virtual Art Gallery
• Facebook connection
• How the Nuna Gallery came to be

Go there

• Hypergrid address:
• grid.3rdrockgrid.com:8002:The Nuna Gallery
• Firestorm hop 
• hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/The Nuna Gallery/375/459/141
• Travel tips for the Hypergrid. A DTA content page
• Ingrid (within a grid) Travel tips for OpenSimulator . A DTA content page

• Update 1/2/20: GridList become social! Great Canadian Grid seeks funds to reopen. Kitely Market Passes $100,000 in Sales. AVsitter is now open-source!

2019 #DTA #VWEDU: WRITE: Write on site. The scene as a story prompt. Mystery Manor as a story source

Write on site.  
The scene as a story prompt.  
Mystery Manor as a  story source

How a Digital Teaching Assistant (DTA) can manage assignments for a class in creative writing where the writing is prompted by a 3D scene. 

Does this desk suggest a story? 

• DTA: Do you see a story here?
• Me: Not one.  Several.  An old quill pen tells the era.  An ancient scroll--what secrets does it hold? Maps--maps tell many stories about travels.
• DTA: Think of a character who fits one of the stories you thought of.
• So begins one scenario of the DTA as writing coach.

The DTA as a writing coach on site

• In a virtual world you write in a place. The place is a prompt.  
• Here are illustrations of how the DTA can use the place to trigger writing practice. 
• This model would work best in groups.
• Writing is only a solitary task if you don't want readers.

• Update 1/2/20: GridList become social! Great Canadian Grid seeks funds to reopen. Kitely Market Passes $100,000 in Sales. AVsitter is now open-source!