1. "The Relationship Between
Identity and a Students' Ability to
Learn Within the Virtual. How Will
this Change in the Future?"
By Megan Tyrrell

2. Identity/ in the Virtual World
• Identity is the characteristics that determine who a person is. It is the fact of being and incorporates
all the aspects that come together to make a person who they are.
• Communicating Understanding Evaluating Projective Identity.
Creating a projective identity involves the
reflection of one’s existing values onto a
second life character. (2003 p.55).
“Projective identity is externalised on the
screen, in the form of what one wants to say
and does” (Wankel & Kingsley, 2009,p.190)
But, what is Projective Identity?

3. Education and the Virtual World
Education in the virtual world are a part where students can
conduct learning…
but is a two sided coin:
De Freitas argues that learning
through an immersive space
helps students to engage in
experiences and gain a sense of
empowerment (2009 p.4)
WHEREAS Buckingham believes it is important to
consider that we live in a society that has a digital
divide and that the use of technology in schools
may offer an advantage to some and deteriorate the
equality school should provide (2007 p.96)

4. KEY WORDS/PHARSES that
bring IDENITY and EDUCATION together.
TEAM WORK
ENGAGMENT:
* In relation to the virtual world engagement
refers to, in effect, being presence even if not in
reality. In education it is students taking part in
learning and communicating through a simulated
world.
TELEPRESENCE:
* This refers to the virtual presence of
somebody in the virtual. It is the communication
of actions through signal using technology.
INNOVATIVE
SKILLS:
* New, creative way of doing
something.
* Creating a new identity that the
student then uses to communicate
in a new, inventive environment.
* Team work involves communicating to complete
a task, in the virtual all these communication involve the
students projective identity

5. Buckingham discusses that
the growing digital culture has
led to a struggle for control in
the “socialisation and
enculturation of children
during their time in school”
(2007, p.9).
Affordances of the use of virtual worlds
in education and the link identity:
Issues with the use of virtual worlds in
education and the link with identity:
Examples:
It is believed that second life
offers all students the opportunity
to use the technology to learn
from each other and all become
technological experts through
teamwork (Prensky, 2010 p.64).

6. Despite any problematic areas,
Advancements in both digital technologies and learning theories are transforming the way we teach
and learn. Those advantages are refining our views of what it means to learn in a contemporary
post-industrial age (Wankel & Blessinger, 2012 p.3).
All advancements in
technologies and the
way students learn
relate back to
IDENTITY!
“Increase higher order thinking and
decision making” (Wanker & Blessginer,
2010 p.4)
Different skills necessary “to function
effectively in a globalised world” (Wanker &
Blessginer, 2010 p.4)
The use of the virtual world in education
exposes students to a diversity of
worldwide views and opinions. (Peachey
and Childs, 2011, p.15)

7. The use of the virtual world in education, places emphasis on a new type of social interaction. All
social interaction connects back to identity. It is natural a human beings social interaction with
each other to be affected by identity. For example:
Both the above are print screen examples of virtual worlds used as educational tools. One is from a
higher education virtual learning environment for Newman University. The other one is a virtual
education resource known as ‘Minamiopia’ that young children can use to develop their Maths,
English and Science from home.

8. Information:
* Identity in the virtual educational world is about information.
* The Virtual is “made up of information rather than matter” (Kollock & Smith, 1999,
p.29)
* “Information spreads and diffuses; there is no law of the conservation of
information” (Kollock & Smith, 1999, p.29)
* The identity in the virtual world is based on the energy, time and effort that is put into
the creation.

9. Special Education, Empowerment and
Identity
A sense of empowerment is given through using the virtual world to express the
self you feel you truly are inside (Peachey and Childs, 2011, p.4).
“Free from the bodies
unifying anchor” (Kollock &
Smith, 1999, p.29)
* Students can interact with other users without
being considered in anyway different because of
their disability
* The students in special education can interact
with tasks in their own time dependant on their
rate of ability in different areas.
* Escapism from their real life struggles.

10. If a student has will power they will be successful. The will power to achieve
will result in success, no matter how they are being taught. The will to learn
will carry students forwards into any new pedagogical situation. (Barnett,
2007 p.15)
Also, Barnett (2007) text, ‘Being a Student in an Age of Uncertainty’ argues:
* Using a virtual representation of one’s self to interact with others, learn and submit work is
currently a new pedagogical situation.
* Such uncertainty is a positive way of preparing students for the intellectual uncertainty which is
fundamental to a life.
*Such academic ways of thinking and practising prepares the students for the future.

11. In Conclusion – Current Positive and Negatives:
Positives:
1. Everyone has a voice when using the virtual world.
2. Communication with a teacher in this way means the students will not be judged publicly by peers
on the answers they give
3. Allows self exploration of material
4. Allows for self development at own pace
Problematic Areas:
1. Can be anonymous for the student
2. Misses key classroom interactions
3. Can be a place for learners to "hide"
4. Learning may be quicker with a good teacher/facilitator

12. My Predictions for the Future
1. Access via Smartphone's
2. 1 to 1 laptop programs
3. VLE catered to ability. For example school may have several levels of the one unit. The student
types their name in and has a personalised VLE based on your APS (Academic Point Score)
4. The use of environments that a student can be inside of in schools. The use of head sets, the
student can actually move around and learn this way.
5. Manipulation of it with a smart 3D TV used in classrooms.
Negative Future Social Factors in relation to
Identity…

13. Finally despite what I think will happen in the future I
believe the ultimate goal, regardless of the technology
used or the instructional methods employed, should be
to start students down the path of becoming lifelong
learners through the help of immersive, empowering
activities.

14. Reference List
* Gee, J (2003a) What Video Games have to teach us about Learning and Literacy. New York:
Palgrave MacMillan p.55
* Wankel, C,. Kingsley, J (2009 ). Higher Education in Virtual Worlds - Teaching and Learning in
Second Life.. Bingley : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. P190.
* Buckingham (2007) Beyond Technology: Children’s Learning in the Age of Digital Culture.
Cambridge: Polity Press.
* De Freitas (2009) Serious Virtual Worlds: A scooping study. Bristol: Joint Information Systems
Committee [Online]. Available at
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/publications/seriousvirtualworldsv1.pdf (Accessed: 14th
Apr 2013)
* Wankel,C,. Blessinger, P (2012). Increasing Student Engagement and Retention Using Immersive .
Bingley : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. p.3-4
* Childs, M. (2011a) ‘Identity: A Primer’, in Peachey, A. & Childs, M. (eds.) Reinventing Ourselves:
Contemporary Concepts of Identity in Virtual Worlds. London: Springer
* Kollock,P,. Smith, M (1999). Communities in Cyberspace . London: Routledge . p29.
* Barnett, R (2007). A Will to Learn: Being a Student in an Age of Uncertainty. England: Open
University Press. p3-6.