The Journal of Virtual Environments

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Dear Virtual Environment Educational Researchers and advocates,

The American Educational Research Association's annual conference in San Diego is coming up fast and I wanted to connect with you to let you know that we hope to see you for this first and very exciting year of full programming for the Applied Research in Virtual Environments for Learning SIG. Wow - what a lineup we have! While the full AERA program is now up and you can log in with your membership number and see what's on the docket, I've copied the ARVEL program below to entice those of you who might be persuaded to register and join us!

With the quality of the presentations represented here as an indicator of the kind of value that we intend to bring to this burgeoning field, we hope you'll agree that our work in this SIG is both meaningful and significant. Please be sure your membership is in good standing with both AERA and the ARVEL SIG... your full participation is necessary if we are to continue our efforts.

More ARVEL announcements on the horizon.... more quality research, great presentations, a periodic newsletter coming out, an improved web presence, and opportunities for more people to participate in educational research in virtual environments. Thank you for your many efforts to develop and elicit evidence-based practices in these exciting new worlds.

Best,

Jonathon Richter, Ed.D., ARVEL Chair
Research Associate, Center for Electronic Studying - University of Oregon;
Director, Center for Learning in Virtual Environments
1244 Walnut Drive, Suite 205A
Eugene, OR 97403 - 2056





ARVEL SIG 2009 Program

AERA Annual Meeting, San Diego

MONDAY, APRIL 13

12:00 PM - 12:40 PM; Marriott Hall Salon 4

Roundtables: Exploring Learning, Teaching & Curriculum in Immersive Virtual Environments

Collaboration and the Use of Three Dimensional Interface within a Virtual Learning Environment
Brian Burton, Abilene Christian University; Barbara N. Martin, University of Central Missouri

Empowering the Disenfranchised: Explorations in Building Futures in Second Life
Sandra Sutton Andrews, Arizona State University; Mary Stokrocki, Arizona State University; Angel Kay Jannasch- Pennell, Arizona State University

Understanding Teaching Strategies in Second Life: A Variable-Based Approach
June Ahn, University of Southern California

Virtual Critical Friends Groups: A vehicle for professional development and supporting beginning teachers
Nancy Jo Schafer, Georgia State University; Kara Kavanagh, Georgia State University; Barbara Meyers, Georgia State University; Susan L. Swars, Georgia State University; Karen Czaplicki, Georgia State University; Regine Haardoerfer, Georgia State University

Development of Community College Students' Contemporary Learning Abilities in Globaloria-West Virginia in the First Pilot Year
Rebecca Reynolds, World Wide Workshop Foundation; Idit Harel Caperton, World Wide Workshop Foundation

Virtual literacy ethnography: investigating literacy practices in a Teen Second Life project
Julia Gillen, Lancaster University; Peter Twining, The Open University


4:05 PM - 4:45 PM: Marriott Hall Salon 4

Roundtables: Investigating Guilds, Games, and MUVEs for Learning

Adult Learning in a Virtual Environment
Rochell Rae McWhorter, Texas A&M University; Donna S. Mancuso, Texas A&M University; Dominique T. Chlup, Texas A&M University - College Station

My raid leader, my teacher: What we can learn about schools from guild leadership
Richard R. Halverson, University of Wisconsin; Moses Benjamin Wolfenstein, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Seann Mason Dikkers, University of Wisconsin - Madison

N00b or PR0: An expert-novice study of World of Warcraft Players
Matthew Gaydos, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Situated Assessment using Virtual Environments for Science Content and Inquiry (SAVE Science): Exploring Cognitive Load in Immersive Educational Games
Brian C. Nelson, Arizona State University; Diane Jass Ketelhut, Temple University; Catherine C. Schifter, Temple University

The Panhellenic Project: Assessing Learning Engagement Using Web 2.0 Technologies
Cheryl A. Carter, Pepperdine University

Using Computer Simulation to Reduce Secondhand Smoke Exposure of Children in Automobiles
Pamela M Drake, ETR Associates, Inc.; Neil Klepeis, ETR Associates, Inc.


TUESDAY, APRIL 14

8:15-9:45 AM; Marriott, Leucadia

Interactive Symposium: The Learner Human in Immersive Virtual Environments
Discussant: Jonathon Richter
Chair: Johannes Strobel

Computer games for students from different gender and language groups
Sunha Kim, Mido Chang, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Next Gen Interfaces: Embodied Learning Using Motion, Sound, and Visuals- SMALLab
David Birchfield, M. Colleen Megowan-Romanowicz, Mina Catherine Johnson-Glenberg, Arizona State University

Effects of Immersive Virtual Environments on Student Achievement and Confidence
Lisa Daniels, University of Central Arkansas; Otto Borchert, Guy Hokanson, Jeff Clark, Bernhardt Saini-Eidukat, Don Schwert, Brian Slator, Jeff Terpstra, North Dakota State University

Studying the effects of a Math and Language Arts Augmented Reality curriculum in Middle School
Patrick OShea, Rebecca N. Mitchell, Sam Catherine Johnston, Chris J. Dede, Harvard University


2:15-3:45 PM; Manchester Grand Hyatt; Manchester Ballroom, Section E

Interactive Symposium: Going 3D: Teaching with Virtual Worlds and Multi-User Games

Chair: Lisa Dawley

Discussant: Chris Dede

Teaching with virtual worlds: Factors to consider for instructional use of Second Life
Michael Charles Mayrath, University of Texas - Austin; Tomoko Watanabe Traphagan, University of Texas - Austin; Avani Trivedi, University of Texas - Austin; Paul E. Resta, University of Texas - Austin

Games as Virtual Experience: Implications for Teaching and Design
Jessica Hammer, Teachers College, Columbia University; John B. Black, Teachers College, Columbia University; Gillian B. Andrews, Teachers College, Columbia University; Charles K. Kinzer, Teachers College, Columbia University; Zhou Zhou, Teachers College, Columbia University

The Pragmatics of Virtual Worlds for Educators: A comparison of the affordances and constraints of Active Worlds and Second Life for K-12 in-service teachers
Michele D. Dickey, Miami Univerisity


4:05-5:35 PM; Mariott, Warner Center

Interactive Symposium: Towards a Comprehensive Definition of Game-Media Literacy: Playing and Building as Reading and Writing
Session organizer: Rebecca Reynolds

Chair: Elisabeth R. Hayes

James Paul Gee , Arizona State University, Idit Harel Caperton, World Wide Workshop Foundation


6:15-8:15 PM; Marriott Hall Salon 2

ARVEL SIG Business Meeting

Chair: Jonathon Richter & Chris Dede

Keynote Speaker: Yasmin Kafai


WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15

10:35-12:05 PM; Marriott Ballroom Salon B

Symposium: Narratizing Formalisms and Formalizing Narratives: Games as 21st Century Curriculum

Chair: Sasha Barab

Discussant: Michael F. Young

Tyler Dodge, Indiana University; Adam Ingram-Goble, Indiana University; Kylie A. Peppler, Indiana University - Bloomington; Sinem Siyahhan , Indiana University; Maria Solomou, Indiana University; Constance A. Steinkuehler , University of Wisconsin - Madison


THURSDAY, APRIL 16

10:35-12:05 PM; Marriott, Rancho Las Palmasa

Symposium: Developing Financial Literacy in Virtual Worlds

Chair: Barbara Zebe Johnson

Discussant: Constance Steinkuehler

Negotiating a Virtual Economy
David Simkins, University of Wisconsin

Virtual Economies as Financial Litercy Sandboxes: Case Studies in Second Life and Gaia Online

Barbara Johnson, University of Minnesota

Incubating Financial Literacies Through the Affordances of the Virtual Economy in World of Warcraft

Elizabeth King, University of Wisconsin