Associate Professor, Multimedia Program and Co-Director, Bradley University
New Media Center
Associate Professor, Communication
Bradley University
Peoria IL 61625
Global Communication Center 315
(309) 677-2378 ell@bradley.edu
AIM/IM: dredleelam
2nd Life: Professor Beliveau
office:Tues: 10:30-12; Thurs: 1:30-2:30

Introduction to Field Research Methods in Virtual Worlds: MM 333

Course Goals

The purposes include:

• Teach students about virtual worlds/immersive environments, especially as social/community environments rather than as quest games.
• Teach students a valuable and oft-use strategy/method for doing research (ethnographic field methods).
• Learn about a community of practice in Second Life
• Learn about ways Second Life can be used for distance education.

Requirements/Expectations

Grading
Class Discussion over texts: 200
Daily student presentations: 200
Research assignment/exercises: 200
Blog entries: 200
Final Paper: 200
Total----------------------------------------------1000* (final total could be more or less than 1,000)
A: 88.5%-100% B:88.4-78.5 C: 78.4-68.5 D: 68.4-58.5 F:<58.5

Texts :

Field Research: Strategies for a Natural Sociology (Paperback) 
by Leonard Schatzman, Anselm L. Strauss

Second Life: The Official Guide (Paperback)  by Michael Rymaszewski

Special Considerations

Your attendance during classtime is required. Please limit multitasking and focus your attention and energy on class activities. Later in the term, some of the time will be spent on your own, doing research. I may join you/supervise from time to time. Blog work is homework, to be done out of class time. In cases of Second Life failure, iChat audio will be substituted during class.

Our class will be visited, both in world and "over Ed's shoulder" by guests throughout the term. Please remain respectful and focused. Do not invite friends to class. All visitors must be approved by Professor Beliveau/Ed. Refer potential guests to me for clearance and scheduling.

We have a class e-mail alias <mm33301-fa@bumail.bradley.edu>. Please check it daily (if you forward your mail out of it, be sure to empty the BU box regularly). I deduct 25 points (I'll notify you) from your score total each time--after the first (I'll warn you of this one)-- that I get bounced mail because your box is full. There is a BlackBoard site for grades.

Protection of Human Subjects Procedures

HSP Procedures:

• Uphold LL/SL "community standards" in all contact with residents.
• Uphold LL/SL "terms of service" with regard to "conduct of users," IP rights, the DMCA, and other matters in the agreement.
• Create a HSP handout carried by every student as a notecard offered to any avatar who inquires as to the research work/researcher’s presence (model attached at link). Although we are not conducting formal research in MM 333, we will treat human subjects protection as though we are.
• Maintain subject confidentiality in data management (coded names, etc) from informal conversations.
•  Forbid students from copying and saving transcripts of talk from avatars with whom they have not gotten permission (and who haven’t been given an HSP handout).
• Forbid students from using camera controls to see through objects and into spaces where they are not co-present with the subjects.
• Publish the URL for the student course blogs for the purpose of returning knowledge to the communities of practice in question.
• Review the student blogs regularly to catch any “beginners’” mistakes that might compromise subject protections.
• Block out avatar names and faces in cases of publishing photos of subjects without their permission.
• Copy of final papers posted to the student blogs.
  
  
  • Association of Internet Researchers ethical research document
    www.aoir.org/reports/ethics.pdf
  • Sample class FAQ (Aaron Delwiche at Trinity) http://www.trinity.edu/adelwich/mmo/faq.html
  • Bradley CUHSR materials
    http://cuhsr.bradley.edu/
• Class Research Ethics FAQ
  
• The Belmont Report

Policy regarding student absence due to an illness:
When missing classes and related assignments due to an illness, it is the student's responsibility to provide a document issued by a medical authority to verify the student's absence due to illness, unless the Office of the Associate Provost for Student Affairs informs an instructor of the basis for the student's absence. Instructors will not call the Health Center or any other source to verify the student's reason for absence. Verification does not excuse the student from assigned work.

Policy regarding e-mail communication about grades:
As a matter of the Multimedia Program policy to protect student privacy and in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, questions and concerns regarding grades must be presented in person or in a written letter. Instructors will not respond to questions and concerns communicated through e-mail or telephone calls regarding grades.

Flexible Schedule [may be revised with notice]

Remember: DO NOT COLLECT ANY DATA FROM HUMAN SUBJECTS until cleared by Ed.

Prior to 8/29: you must log on to Second Life, establish an account (free is ok; recommend that you give credit card information if you can); create an avatar and send me an IM BEFORE noon 8/29 so that I can send you a landmark for the classroom). Read chapter 4 of the official guide for information about avatar set up.

8/30 class 1
In Class: Introduce our avatars. Communication in SL. Search in SL (hit those money trees!)
For future class: Read Chapters 1, 2, 4 of the official guide.

9/4 class 2
In Class: Oral quiz. Introduction to Second Life and Field Research Methods/Ethnography.
For future class: Read Chapters 5 & 6 of the official guide.

9/6 class 3
In Class: Oral Quiz. Examine some previous student work in this area.
For future class: Read Chapters 3, 11, & 12 of the official guide.

9/11 class 4
In Class: Oral Quiz. "Normal" v. "qualitative" science, part 1.
For future class: S&S chapter 1 & 2

9/13 class 5
In Class: "Normal" v. "qualitative" science, part 2. Oral quiz: S&S chapter 1
For future class: Set up your class blog, report the url by 9/18.

9/18 class 6
In Class: Fields and communities of practice. Oral quize: S&S chapter 2
For future class: Assignment 1, by 9-20 [also post all assignment reports to your blog]

9/20 class 7
In Class: Discuss your Assignment 1 reports

9/25 class 8
In Class: Field Research, Ethnography, and Ethnography of speaking, pt. 1
For future class: S&S chapter 4, by 9/27

9/27 class 9
In Class: Field Research, Ethnography, and Ethnography of speaking, pt. 2
For future class: study the entire HSP section (above, including all 4 linked files) by 10/4

10/2 class 10
In Class: Field Research, Ethnography, and Ethnography of speaking, pt. 3. Oral quiz: S&S, chapter 3.
For future class: Complete assignment 2 by 10/11

10/4 class 11
In Class: Human Subject Protection Protocols, part 1.

Fall break 10/6-9

10/11 class 12
In Class: Human Subject Protection Protocols, part 2; Student presentations of assignment 2.
For future class: complete assignments 3 & 4 by 10/16

10/16 class 13
In Class: Oral quiz: Protection of Human Subjects; Presentation of assignments 3 & 4; discussion of pragmatic considerations and plans.
For future class: S&S Chapter 4 by 10/18

10/18 class 14
In Class: Research roles pt. 1.
For future class: complete assignment 5 by 10/23

10/23 class 15
In Class: Present results of assignment 5; Quiz over S&S chapter 4; Research roles pt. 2.
For future class: S&S chapter 5 by 10/25

10/24: Midterm grades due at registrar.

10/25 class 16
In Class: Quiz over S&S ch. 5; Casing, presenting self, and entering
For future class: Complete assignments 6 & 7 by 10/30; S&S chapter 6 by 10/25

10/30 class 17
In Class: Present assignment 7; Quiz over S&S chapter 6

11/1 class 18
In Class: Mapping a scene & Sampling
For future class: Complete assignment 8 by 11/8

11/4 Vote

11/6 class 19
In Class: Interviewing, pt. 1
For future class: Complete assignment 9 by 11/13

11/8 class 20
In Class: Present assignment 7; Interviewing, pt. 2
For future class: Complete assignment 10 by 11/20

11/13 class 21
In Class: Present assignments 8 & 9; Field Observations, pt. 1

11/15 class 22
In Class: Field Observations, pt. 2
For future class: Complete assignment 11 before 11/27

11/20 class 23
In Class: Present assignment 10. Rendering field notes

last day to drop classes 11/21
11/21-25 Thanksgiving break

11/27 class 24
In Class: Presentation of assignment 11
For future class: S&S chapter 7 for 12/4

11/29 class 25
In Class: Quiz, S&S chapter 7; Wrap up, presentation 10; Analysis pt. 1
For future class: Final paper, assignment 12, due 12/11

12/4 class 26
In Class: Analysis and write up pt. 2: Format for prospectus

12/6 class 27
In Class: Individualized writing workshop

12/11 class 28 Prospectus due

FINAL: Monday Dec 17: noon-2pm: Presentation of prospectus and critique

Assignments

1. Identify 5 communities of practice in SL. Describe them and their activities in some detail.
2. Observe and describe, in detail and natural language, an event in SL that is typical of the kind in which you might be interested. Do not collect or record subject names or take pictures that might identify subjects. keep a written record of your observations.
3. Identify the community of practice in which you are interested.
4. Revise Human Subjects Protection handout to meet the needs of the community of practice you might come to better understand.
5.Complete the HSP handout with the <land-owner/group owner/proprietor> of the <land/group/place> you are going to observe.
6. Read "Visualizing the Spatial and Temporal Distribution of User Interaction Data Collected in Three-Dimensional Virtual Worlds", by Katy Börner, William R. Hazlewood and Sy-Miaw Lin. Adapt one of their protocols for mapping interaction in virtual spaces to your site/community of practice and render a preliminary version of the map. Render a final version with your completed paper/report.
7. Adapt one of Börner et al's. protocols for mapping interaction in virtual spaces to your site/community of practice and render a preliminary version of the map. Render a final version with your completed paper/report.
8. Engage and get permissions from an informant for a conversation in which you will practice interviewing. For assignment 7, identify with details and justify via explanations who this person is in the community of practice and why they can serve as useful informant. DO NOT INTERVIEW THE PERSON.
9. Prepare a draft question schedule for your conversation with the informant.
10 . Complete a conversation with your informant in which you practice the skills of the interview. Write report of the conversation, complete with illustrative Q&A with regard to the points you pursued.
11 .Determine two days and times before 11/27 that are most likely to result in viewable behaviors by participants in your chosen community of practice. Notify me of the days, times, and SL coordinates for the events. Briefly summarize what sorts of event you (roughly) expect to take place at that time. Let me know if I need special permission to enter the area; if so, let me know from whom I get that permission. You will observe the event and take descriptive notes to be turned in to me for the assignment; I will also observe parts of the event. You may or may not know that I am present (depending on the circumstances, I may use an "ALT" that is unknown to you and all present). Within 24 hours after each event, turn in to me data files (a) with the rough observations that you take at the event and (b) transform some of those observations into sample note files (ON/TN/MN/Packages/analytic memos).
12. Final research prospectus detailing the research project that you complete if you take MM 444.
© Ed Lamoureux