Day 3-- 4 Dec 08

Tick tock tick tock....As i update yesterday's posts, its already 11+pm here in Japan.

But anyway, let us continue on the priceless experiences today.

E learning plays one a vital role in education today. Though it is still a once a year event, but it represents the future of education. As e-learning begins to play a pivotal role in education, avatar-mediated games can take on a new look in local education systems. Avatar-mediated games...what are they???

Avatar mediated games are basically games where you, the gamer has an avatar (in-game character), and you control the avatar to explore around the in-game environment. During the sharing session today, the professor told us of how they educated their students on the highly controversial issue of Guantanamo Bay in USA. Well, what is Guantanamo Bay? Guantanamo Bay is the high-security prison in the USA where highly-dangerous criminals are detained. There has been several reports of soldiers and prison wardens brutally treating the prisoners there, not treating them as humans. President George Bush seems to be silent regarding the issue, sparking off debates whether Bush is actually supporting the supposedly inhumane activities done to the prisoners. The professor then wanted to let students understand fully what the prisoners experience like in Guantanamo Bay in order to discuss the social issues involved.

The professor then incorporated the highly popular Second Life game, whereby it is a virtual game world aimed to simulate the real world. Using Second Life and developing the code, the professor re-creates Guantanamo Bay from reality and fact-based accounts, using audio and videos that are real and non-fictitious. The students take the role of the "prisoner" whereby they fully experience in the first-person the whole process of being "'imprisoned" in Guantanamo Bay. Students showed positive responses and felt that they learnt more via Avatar mediated games in an after-game survey.

Hence, during E-learning in Singapore, students and log on to the online platforms such as Second Life and they have an avatar. While exploring the virtual environment, educational videos and audio, as well as content can be present in the gaming environment. Boundaries and private servers can be created to prevent students from wandering else where not within the perimeters of the e learning platform area in the game itself. Schools and MOE can collaborate with current popular game platforms to develop education systems ONLINE, as what many other education systems have done, especially in Europe and USA.

This system is ideal for several reasons:
Firstly, students are very attached to computers and even more to computer games. During e learning in today's context, students often display obligations to deviate from their motive: to study online. Many turn towards games to kill boredom or just to socialise with their friends. Hence,incorporating the e learning INTO the game itself will enhance the overall effectiveness, as learning takes place in the game itself, and students have no reason to deviate from the game. Results would be better achieved.
Secondly, for schools yet to introduce and are foreign to e learning, this is a very viable option for them to explore further on this new, interesting e learning field.
Teachers themselves can take on the roles of avatars themselves and conduct lessons in the game too! "Field trips" can be organised with ease in the virtual environment.