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
Goals
Spring '08
Requirements/Expectations
Grading
Texts
Special Considerations
Flexible Schedule
Assignments
Blogs

Field Research in Virtual Worlds: MM 444

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

Class attendance is required. Students should read and study the textbooks according to the schedule. Students will discuss readings, take oral quizes, report on their research preparations, and/or conduct research, daily in class. Additional work outside of class is expected.

Grading
Quizes (3 @ 100, 50, 50) over texts and notes: 200
Student presentations: 100
Research assignment/exercises: 250
Blog entries: 100
Final Paper: 350 (in two parts; 150 draft & 200 completed final)
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 :

The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. (Paperback) 
by Barney Glaser & Anselm L. Strauss

Virtual Methods: Issues in Social Research on the Internet. (Paperback)  edited by Christine Hine.

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 <mm44401-sp@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:

  • Register for and complete CITI online Bradley student protocol and deliver "certificate/proof of completion" to Dr. Lamoureux, no later than February 4 (assignment 1).
  • 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).
  • 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.
  • Faculty review of 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. Similar adjustments made to location shots and maps where needed.
  • Copy of assignment progress and final papers posted to the student blogs.

  • Class Research Ethics FAQ
  • The Belmont Report
  • CITI

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]

1/28 class 1
In Class:
For future class: CITI BU student certificate must be completed and passed to Ed no later than noon, Wednesday, 2008. Establish new blogspace. Students without completed certificate will be asked to drop the class. No research data may be collected until we receive positive notification from BU CUHSR. For 2/4: Read Glaser & Strauss, II, Generating Theory (21-43) ; Read Hine, chapter 1 (1-13). Complete Assignment 1 for 2/4.

February

2/4 class 2
In Class: Assignment 1 due. Using Grounded Theory (including material in chapter 1); Hine, ch. 1.
For future class: Glaser & Strauss, III, Theoretical Sampling (45-77)

2/11 class 3
In Class:Glaser & Strauss, III, Theoretical Sampling (45-77)
For future class: Assignment 2 due the Monday after BU CUHSR approval is announced in class. Hine, ch. 2, Joinson 9 (21-34); Download TAMS Analyzer; “TA graphic overview” & “Qualitative Research for Beginners.pdf”

2/18 class 4
In Class:Assignment 2 due; Hine, ch. 2, Joinson 9 (21-34)
For future class: Assignments 3 & 4; Glaser & Strauss, V, Constant Comparison (101-116); “TAMS Analyzer User Manual”

2/25 class 5
In Class: Assignments 3 & 4 due; Glaser & Strauss, V, Constant Comparison (101-116)
For future class: Assignment 5; Hine, ch 6, Rutter & Smith (81-92)

March

3/3 class 6
In Class:; Assignment 5 due; Quiz 1: Glaser & Strauss II, III, V; Hine, ch 6, Rutter & Smith (81-92)
For future class: Assignment 6

3/10 class 7
In Class: Assignment 6 due; Quiz 2: Hine, 1, 2, 6. TAMS Analyzer Implementation
For future class: Watch the two documentaries at: http://gcc.bradley.edu/classes/M%20M333/Videos/
be prepared for discussion . . . draft questions and prep. a summary of your "take" on each

spring break march 15-23: Implement TAMS Analyzer if you have not already done so

3/24 class 8
In Class: Discuss the videos; discuss TAMS Analyzer implementation
For future class:Hine, Ch. 8 & 10. Start assignment 9 due 4/14.

3/31 class 9
In Class: Assignment 7 due; Hine, Ch. 8 & 10

April

4/7 class 10
In Class:Assignment 8 due; quiz 3, Hine 8 & 10; S&S
For future class:

4/14 class 11
In Class:Assignment 9 due
For future class: Assignment 11 for 4/21

4/21 class 12
In Class:Assignment 11 due
Assignment 11: Final paper draft due by noon Friday April 25.
For future class:
April 23 is the last day to drop

4/28 class 13; Assignment 12 due
In Class: One on one meetings toward final paper

May

5/5 class 14
In Class: Assignment 13: Final paper due

5/7, noon: assignment 14; Blogs close out.

12 8-10 pm Final Exam meeting: Present findings to the class

Assignments

1. Articulate a plan of study for the first month of the term (post-Feb. 4). Include the following:

  • A list of 3 topics of interest about the group that you will explore. Explain and justify.
  • A list of 4 interviewees (or if not by name, indicate the type of interviewee you need to engage) with potential topics of foci for your interviews.Explain and justify.
  • Sampling grid: Observation time in world and how you will spend it clearly indicating how the plan relates to various aspects of the topics of interest (how are you going to sample those topics?)
  • Note rendering and transcription time/sessions.

2. Re-work your permission notices for real research and MM 444. After BU CUHSR approval, re-establish contact with land-owner/coordinator and obtain signed permission. This assignment is due the first Monday after BU CUHSR approval is announced in class.

3. Indicate 4 "groups/subgroups" for data collection for the purpose of comparisons. Identify two "groups/subgroups" for comparison; two "groups/subgroups" for contrasts. Explain and justify.

4. Identify a principle "informant" for in-depth interview series (at least 3), tours, guidance, etc. Obtain permission (if not yet completed). Explain and justify. Present schedule for 3 interviews, spread out, across term.

5. (a) Submit "completion report summary" from first month's research plan (single page); (b) submit ALL completed work to this point in one combined file with headings indicating what is what.

6. submit plan for month 2.

7. (a) Submit "completion report summary" from second month's research plan (single page); (b) submit ALL completed work in Feb. (do not resubmit Jan.) in one combined file with headings indicating what is what.

8. submit plan for month 3 (separate document).

9. Submit a chronicle and review of all completed interviews; submit a "concept map/schematic" detailing major concepts and their relationships.

10. [optional and probably NOT used this term] Complete a review of the literature (5-10 pages). Focus could research about the community of practice outside SL or a principle concept you are developing.

11. Re-submit assignment 9's "concept map/schematic," with listing of all categories, linkages, note sets organized within.

12. Final paper rough draft.

13. Final paper.

14. Blogs will be graded at the end of March and on May 7.


© Ed Lamoureux