Bologna University

Centro Interfacoltà di Linguistica Teorica ed Applicata

Project Coordinator
Joanne Maloney
maloney@cilta.unibo.it

World Name: LINGUAE
 

Project Description

The VESPE Project aims to create and evaluate a virtual environment for the teaching and collaborative learning of English as a foreign language. The project entails research and the development of virtual EFL classrooms. The needs of the language learning classroom are distinct and require the use of the most advanced information technology available. After months of research regarding the existing alternatives for virtual learning environments, we have decided to pilot with Active Worlds. Active Worlds' capacity for the visualization of the collective virtual environment, and for the use of audio and video files as well as the numerous options it allows for in terms of interaction dynamics are the basis of this choice. One course of 10/15 students and 1-2 teachers will be piloted in Active Worlds. The entire virtual environment system will be managed by a database and interfaced with HTML pages, the pilot class will use the Active Worlds browser. The VESPE project team consists of two teachers of English as a foreign language and a computer scientist.