eLearning and Fun

In their article "eLearn ing and Fun" Lisa Neal, Editor-in-Chief, eLearn Magazine, and Lorraine Normore, Librarian, Center for Early Literacy Information, describe some deeply validating observations about effective teaching, online and off:

"Four dimensions emerged across the groups. The first could be characterized as rigidity vs. spontaneity. 'Fun' experiences were seen as the result of situations that were surprising, playful, and challenging. The second dimension concerned the communication mode. Unidirectional messages from 'teacher' to 'student' were perceived as undesirable. Interactivity was prized. The third dimension was related to the nature of the social experience provided. Working in isolation was felt to be 'not fun.' Working collaboratively was felt to be fun or engaging. The final dimension concerned the flexibility of the program. Fixed programs were seen as inferior to programs that contained user customizable features.

"As the session drew to an end, the group moved towards one additional realization, that the dimensions that make e-learning and e-teaching effective are, in essence, the same as those that make any learning and teaching situation effective. However, virtual environments can be used in ways that present new opportunities and which provide new ways to enable experiences that have been shown to be effective in face-to-face learning situations."

I so much prefer the intimacy of the face to face environment, that I've really not thought about e-teaching - not until recently when I had this amazing experience at USC. I was invited by the Electronic Arts Game Innovation Lab , USC Cinema-Television, Interactive Media Division, to tell them everything I know about fun and games. It turns out that my book, The Well Played Game, has become somewhat precious for people involved in designing for online community - because the book focuses on the relationship between games and the community that plays them. At any rate, my presentation was held at the Zemeckis Media Lab - a beautiful facility with, I dunno, maybe a dozen computer projectors in the ceiling, and screens on all the walls. Students who wanted to connected their laptops to the projectors and followed my presentation, bringing up things from the web that reinforced what I was discussing, or just chatting. I could see the chat (back channel), and respond to it when I wanted to. It was incredible, like being able to see into my audience's minds, actually extending the bandwidth of my face-to-face presentation. Though this was a very mixed media experience, and one that not too many people would find comfortable, I reveled in it.

Online I have had similar experiences - especially when combining real time teleconferencing with chat. I don't like videoconferencing much. For the most part, it seems a waste of bandwidth. If there is material I wish to present, I find it easier to prepare it on the web and direct people to it as I lecture. But having the backchannel present while I'm "lecturing" - (I rarely lecture, usually point people to different pages on the web, act responsively to questions, and occasionally suggest structured experiences) - seems to me to make the communication more whole, and hence more fun.

There is much to try. Many wonderful games and simulations. May media to be mixed. Me, I think it's in the combination that the real power, and playfulness, arises - the combination of real and virtual presence, real and virtual time.