2. Background Information  Client group: Adolescents from 14-17 years from ESL or disadvantaged background.  Schools: West Town High School in the Western Suburbs of Sydney and Parks Secondary College in Country NSW. Both these schools have culturally diverse and have been identified socially disadvantaged schools.  West Town student population originate from China, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Australia and a large proportion of students live in the Department of Housing accommodation.  Parks Secondary College students population originates from Sudan, Thailand, India and Australia. There is also a large indigenous student population at the school. Parkes is a farming community with many families effected by the drought

3. Key Features

4. Storyboard  Participants Teachers and support staff. Pupils (ESL and native speakers) Buddies  Main Platform Teen 2nd Life  Web2.0 support Wiki Email Blog

5. Storyboard  Learning Experiences Pre-project training. ○ Pupils ○ Teachers  Project goals Educational outcomes  Learning sequence 6 weeks in duration Building competency through scaffolding Assessment by teachers Reflection by pupils

6. The Virtual Worlds Project Flowchart ( school level) Storyboard

7. The Virtual Worlds Project Diagram (interschool)

8. Educational Rationale Constructivism (Bodner 1986): TTheoretical basis of eLearning SStudent-centred SStudent must interact with external stimulus and learn by synergising new experiences into existing cognitive structures (learn by doing) Bodner, G.M. 1986, ‘Constructivism: A Theory of Knowledge’, Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 63 no. 10, pp. 873-78.

9. Students realise the education challenge/task, its associated learning outcomes and purpose Teen Second Life Email F2F activities Students approach the learning opportunity and uses the process of reflecting, retention, adapting, exploring and researching. Teen Second Life Blog Email F2F activities Students conceptualise by identifying occurring conceptual changes during the learning process. Students use metacognition, representation, and adaption Teen Second Life Blog Email F2F activities Students structure meaning through retention, synthesis, etc. Teen Second Life Blog Email F2F activities Students apply their newly gained cognitive structures to different scenarios. Teen Second Life Blog Email F2F activities

10. Educational Rationale Scaffolding (Bruner,1985)  Gradual withdrawal of provision of support as a student’s level of task mastery increases. Bruner, J. 1985 Vygotsky: a historical and conceptual perspective. In J. V. Wertsch (Ed), Culture, Communication and cognition: Vygotskian perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Teacher support Student Competence Time

11. Educational Rationale Syllabus Outcomes  Geography Syllabus Years 7-10 Focus Area 5A1 Investigating Australia’s Physical Environments The unique characteristics of Australia’s physical environments and the responses of people to the challenges they present.  ESL Scales 1. Pragmatic competence - the ability to use language appropriately and acceptably according to particular purposes, audiences and situations. 2. Organisational competence - the ability to control correctly and coherently the formal structures of language. 3. Strategic competence - the ability to assess, respond to and negotiate meanings as part of a dynamic process of language use. Competencies are developed through the language modes of oral interaction, reading and responding, and writing.

12. A Learning Community?  Common interest of achieving learning outcomes  Social structure which balances the common goals with individual needs.  Members build connections and trust through meaningful interactions to work towards common goals and to satisfy individual needs.  Diversity and cohesion  Synergy

13. Collective Learning Opportunity?  Inclusive pedagogy  Dynamic learning environment Multiple channels of communication Multidirectional communication  Social capital  Syllabus compatibility  Policy compatibility