Virtual spaces for building friendships and learning about lifelong disability

1. Virtual spaces for building friendships and learning about lifelong disability Judith Molka-Danielsen j.molka-danielsen@himolde.no Meetingwith Ryfylke læringssenter Strand kommune, oct 18. 2011

2. Overview A research project called “Virtual spaces for building friendships and learning about lifelong disability”, sponsored by the Norwegian Research Council, is being conducted by a research team at Molde University College, Norway. Through our project we are focusing on the affordances offered by virtual worlds to people with lifelong disability, (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy) to assist them to engage in meaningful activities and social settings. Affordances under study may include community, identity and shared activities. The project has ethical clearance from the Norwegian Social Science Data Services. We can forward copies of information, letters of consent etc. if you require them.

3. Virtual Worlds: Introduction Virtual worlds (VW) are ICT based environments. Second Life™ (2003) is one example of a VW. VW are a type of social media that has the features to: • Support representation of self • persistent presence • allow members to interact with each other and share object Minecraft Second Life

4. Virtual Worlds: as Social Media Real time interaction with others in a seemingly personal (although not identical to real life) “face-to-face” format. Createcustomized virtual self - represented through characters called “avatars”. Flexible representation allowing the avatar to appear quite like the member or very different. Sharing of virtual elements – collaboration (multi-user) supporting 3D sharing of virtual elements.

5. Social educator students need opportunities to interact with people with disability, to learn from them, to practice communication and to recognize that having a disability does not equate with having no skills to offer. The project: Using ICT to promote flexible lifelong learning in communications, health and disability; allowed lecturers with disability to deliver lectures using video and supported student learning through reflection group meetings in a virtual setting. Former Project: Using ICT to promote flexible lifelong learning in communications, health and disability

6. Prepare questions for student discussion that follow the video lecture Theme of Thor’s Lecture: Disabled – Burden or Resource? Questions for students: What values does Thor wish to present in his lecture? What are Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices? Explain how communication can be prepared for people with CP that cannot write themselves. How prepared is our society to create the right conditions for disabled people?

7. Establish meeting for viewing lectures and virtual meetings

8. Shared activity in SL: Wheelchair Race Everyone was given a wheelchair and explained how to “wear” it. The race began at the fountain. Despite given earlier instructions by email and given a map to show the route, most people went off in the opposite direction of Zelli’s place.

9. Reflection Meeting The reflective discussion took place by using text chat. The session leader asked open-ended questions and asked for the students to respond by text chat. T: what is the best thing about learning using videos or even meeting people with disability in SL?' S1: verylearningrich, weget to see it from theirperspective! S2: It left a strongimpression, and it movedme to be so near. S3: To be invitedintotheirdaily lives in a completelyspecialway! T: what new impressions did you get that you have not had in a lecture? S3: I think we can relate in a different way now. In a lecture I think there is always a distance... If you understand what I mean? T: or how might these videos help someone working as a social educators S3: To understand what’s important for the people that we are assisting, not what we think is valid or important... L: Yes, asking is very important, not assuming you know what is best S3: Thats what I mean!!

10. Our Present Project Virtual spaces for building friendships and learning about lifelong disability The goal of this project is to evaluate the effect of a virtual world (Second Life) on allowing people with disability to engage in meaningful activities in social settings and increasing social interaction for adults with lifelong disability. A PhD works within this project: Molde University College SHP Project, 2010-2012.

11. Project: Virtual spaces for building friendships and learning about lifelong disability Little is known about how people with lifelong disability use and interact socially in the virtual worlds, and if virtual worlds create personal value to this group of people. During VW sessions a member of our research team will be a participant observer in various activities and social settings in which the participant chooses to engage.

12. Virtual spaces for building friendships and learning about lifelong disability • Theoretical Frameworks : • Social Presence Theory & Embodied Social Presence • Theory of Inclusion • Social Capital Theory • Methods • Exploratory Case Study • Interviews • Descriptive analysis

13. Plan of Action The study will be conducted in Second Life, where a member of our research team will meet with participants once a week over an eight week period. Each session will last 1 – 1,5 hours. During these sessions the member of our research team will be a participant observer in various activities and social settings that the participant choose to engage within. Also in weeks 4 and 8 of the project, the researcher will conduct two interviews in the virtual world to help clarify and understand how the participants experience the time spent in the virtual world.

14. Goal ofToday’sMeeting Obtain signed permission forms from those who wish to participate Introduce Second Life to the new participants Ask participants to fill in two survey forms Take note of the avatar names (of the participants) Ask them to suggest a schedule of when to start the 8 weeks of sessions. We will get back to you with a schedule. The 8 weeks can be over several months. But, we wish to start as soon as possible (in November or December).