Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
The projects described in this chapter were
not subject to this constraint, taking place in a
persistent virtual city (English) or small town
(Spanish). (Figure 1)
This has several affordances. The immediate
context for any task was itself contextualised (i.e.
the hotel reception desk is located within an ac-
tual hotel, which, in turn, is on landscaped grounds
with external facilities. Although
Second Life
's
teleport facility is available for group and indi-
vidual navigation between locations, the potential
of travelling from point A to point B is useful in
tasks such as walking tours and bus rides which
require an environment to be described or inter-
preted. At lower levels, as is the case with the
Spanish course, it underpins course elements such
as giving directions and learning the names of
town features.
Additionally, students have the possibility of
re-visiting the scenario where the last task took
place and revising the lesson content. However,
temporary environments i.e.
Holodecks
have other
advantages such as the potential to have a greater
variety of immersive situations on tap.
Customisable
Whether persistent or temporary, environments
are nonetheless customisable. Any stage of day /
night, seasons, weather conditions can all be varied
to provide atmospheric and functional variants. A
townscape may be decorated to reflect a national
or cultural celebration such as St. Patrick's Day
2
or Halloween.
Communication and Interaction
The traditional classroom is subject to forced
communication where a textbook or teacher
provides structure and guidance. Interaction is
also limited by the shared experiences of the
participants in the classroom, who in many cases
Figure 1. Spanish town: Ciudad Bonita. (© 2009, Languagelab.com. Used with permission.)
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