"Ugly in a world where you can choose to be beautiful": Teaching and learning about diversity via virtual worlds

Joey J. Lee, Christopher M. Hoadley

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss an approach to providing students with first-hand learning experiences that help them understand cultural differences and aspects of diversity. As part of a five-week course, fourteen high school students participated in activities within massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) as learning environments to explore issues of identity construction, discrimination, and cultural sensitivity. Student attitudes towards diversity and towards the technology used in the course are discussed. The students reported using the tool to explore and to equalize cultural and demographic differences. They showed significant improvement on a measure of sensitivity towards an understanding of diversity, and evidence suggests they were able to develop a more sophisticated, less essentialist model of diversity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationICLS 2006 - International Conference of the Learning Sciences, Proceedings
Pages383-389
Number of pages7
StatePublished - 2006
Event7th International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS 2006 - Bloomington, IN, United States
Duration: Jun 27 2006Jul 1 2006

Publication series

NameICLS 2006 - International Conference of the Learning Sciences, Proceedings
Volume1

Other

Other7th International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS 2006
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityBloomington, IN
Period6/27/067/1/06

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Computer Science (miscellaneous)
  • Education

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