Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Case Study 2: ACT
The
ACT
program was a 3-day orientation program for new first year students at
our university. The program was first held in 2006 and then again in 2007 (Bers,
2008a, b; Chau & Bers, 2007). A flyer was included in the new student orienta-
tion packet during the summer prior to their arrival and all incoming students were
eligible to participate in the ACT program. The flyer included information about
program activities and the goal of the program to use a virtual environment to
design
a campus of the future
. Interested students completed an online application form
that collected demographic information including gender, age, hometown, and pre-
vious experience with various computer software programs. These questions were
intended to help screen and select a student group to represent a variety of tech-
nological backgrounds. Because of the nature of university orientation programs,
participants were a self-selected group of students who were interested in what the
program offered.
Each year, 18 participants attended the ACT program. Participants ranged in
age from 17 to 19 (mean
18), and included three female students during
the first year and four female students during the second year. All participants
were fluent in English. Based on the background questionnaire, participants of
both years represented technical competences ranging from basic word process-
ing tasks and e-mail communication to web programming and graphic design.
During postinterview, we also learned that while none of the first year students were
familiar with the Active Worlds platform, two students from the second year pro-
gram had had experience with Active Worlds environments as a user prior to the
program.
During the ACT program, participants were divided into two groups who logged
onto the ACT Zora world from separate computer labs on campus. Two peer leaders
who were upperclassmen at the university guided each participant group through
the ACT curriculum to build a
campus of the future
in the Zora world. Over the
3 days, participants logged onto Zora for ACT activities for approximately 26.5 h,
and spent approximately 27 h in noncomputer orientation activities such campus
tour, orientation lectures, dining out, and social activities. All Zora activities were
recorded automatically using the Zora log system, and peer leaders documented out-
of-computer activities with photographs and field notes. A researcher who did not
take part of the Zora curriculum was also present during computer and noncomputer
activities to observe and take field notes.
Throughout the ACT program, students use the Zora virtual environment to cre-
ate a virtual campus of the future in which they graphically display information
gathered from their visits around campus and the surrounding neighborhoods in the
form of 3D virtual exhibits. They create virtual public and private spaces populated
by objects, stories, and discussion cases, and engage in both synchronous and asyn-
chronous discussions about a variety of civic and campus topics. In reflection of
discussion cases, the activities on Zora encourage students to choose and work on
the issues that are most personally meaningful to them and then share their ideas
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