Coventry University DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Exploring learner identity in virtual worlds in higher education narratives of pursuit, embodiment and resistance Steils, Nicole Award date: 2013 Awarding institution: Coventry University Link to publication General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of this thesis for personal non-commercial research or study • This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission from the copyright holder(s) • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. 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Oct. 2021 Exploring Learner Identity in Virtual Worlds in Higher Education: Narratives of Pursuit, Embodiment, and Resistance Nicole Steils PhD 2013 Exploring Learner Identity in Virtual Worlds in Higher Education: Narratives of Pursuit, Embodiment, and Resistance Nicole Steils A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the University’s requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2013 Coventry University i To Rebecca and Zoë - to the future ii Contents Detailed contents iv Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 Literature review 10 Chapter 3 Methodology 53 Chapter 4 Pursuit 96 Chapter 5 Embodiment 135 Chapter 6 Resistance 197 Chapter 7 Discussion 225 Chapter 8 Conclusion 258 References 268 Appendices 297 Content Appendices 297 iii Detailed contents List of Tables viii Acknowledgements ix Abstract x Chapter 1 Introduction 1 The study in context 1 My story in relation to the study 6 The study in summary 7 Chapter 2 Literature review 10 2.1 Conceptualizing identity 10 2.2 Value, engagement, and opportunity: virtual world education and identity construction 20 The perceived value of virtual worlds in higher education 20 Positioning learners and identities in a digital age 26 Identity construction in virtual environments: overcoming constraints? 33 2.3 Expressing identity in virtual worlds through avatars 38 Avatar creation in different virtual worlds and for different purposes 39 The Proteus Effect 46 Relationship with one’s avatar(s) 48 2.4 Summary and indications for the study 51 Chapter 3 Methodology 53 3.1 Methodological framework: narrative research 54 3.2 Researcher stance 58 iv 3.3 Context of the data collection: research sites and participants 63 Overview of the data collection 63 Access to research sites 64 Second Life in modules as part of the Employability scheme at Churchtown University 65 The Risk Assessment module as part of an Environmental Health course at Seaview University 67 Overview of the participants 68 3.4 Ethics 71 Positioning of research 71 Access to participants and informed consent 73 Ethical considerations unique to research in virtual worlds 75 Data management, confidentiality, and security 77 3.5 The data collection: methods and engagement of participants 78 Interviews 78 Focus groups 81 Observational data 82 3.6 Data analysis: framework, preparations, and trustworthiness 85 Analysis approach framework 85 Transcription as part of the analysis 87 Inclusion and exclusion of participants, interviews, and themes 89 Trustworthiness and member checking 90 3.7 Shifting from analysis to interpretation to presentation 91 Phase one and two: Locating findings and themes 92 Phase three and four: overarching findings and presentation 94 3.8 Summary 95 v Chapter 4 Pursuit 96 4.1 Framing Pursuit 97 4.2 Narratives of presented selves 99 Positional identities 101 Professional identities 110 Alternative identities 117 Complex identities – a case study 127 4.3 Summary 131 Chapter 5 Embodiment 135 5.1 Framing Embodiment 136 5.2 Narratives of relationship to and appearance of the avatar 140 The avatar as a tool – utilizing the default avatar 140 The avatar as a tool – despite physical resemblance 145 The avatar as a tool – can have any, except the default, appearance 152 The avatar as an extension of self needs to resemble physical world appearance 159 The avatar as an extension of self can have any appearance 164 5.3 Narratives of naming the avatar 173 Avatar naming process dominated by functionality 176 Naming based on notions of physical world names 181 Naming based on forms of popular culture 183 Naming the avatar as a form of role-play 186 5.4 Summary 193 Chapter 6 Resistance 197 6.1 Framing Resistance 198 vi 6.2 Narratives of resistance 200 Resisting the value of virtual worlds 201 Managing reality in virtual worlds 206 Troublesome communication and interaction 211 Anonymity, norms, and identity confusion 215 6.3 Summary 223 Chapter 7 Discussion 225 7.1 Learning in virtual worlds: a threshold concept 226 Virtual Worlds are troublesome 228 Rasmus: A transformational journey 231 The boundaries of ‘real’ education 233 Integrating play and learning 235 Overcoming barriers through transformational learning 239 7.2 Managing and managed identities through the avatar 241 Dimension one: dislocated avatars 244 Dimension two: representative avatars 246 Dimension three: avatars as toys and tools 248 Dimension four: avatars as extensions of self 249 Dimension five: avatars as identity extensions 250 Rasmus – a transformational journey 251 Chapter 8 Conclusion 258 Summary 259 Limitations to learner identity in virtual worlds 260 Changes to the avatar creation process in Second Life 263 The importance of enabling identity in virtual world education 265 vii References 268 Appendices 297 Overview of the three data collection phases at the two research sites 298 Second Life modules as part of the Employability scheme at Churchtown University 299 Risk assessment module as part of an Environmental Health course at Seaview University 302 Approval by Coventry University’s Ethics Committee 305 Example of participant information and consent form 306 Example of interview schedule (possible themes/prompts/questions) 308 Example of observation notes [slightly edited for reasons of anonymity] 310 List of Tables Table 3.1 Data collection phases 64 Table 3.2 Overview of participants in interviews and observations 69 viii Acknowledgements My deepest thanks to my participants, without which this thesis would not have been possible. You all have been inspiring. my supervisory team: Professor Maggi Savin-Baden as my Director of Studies, as well as Dr. Katherine Wimpenny and Dr. Gurnam Singh as additional supervisors. You have been critical, encouraging, and full of trust. my colleagues: Gemma Tombs and Matt Mawer, undertaking their PhDs alongside my study; and also Cathy Tombs and Sheila Leddington Wright. You have become dear friends. Michelle Cawley and Sonia Lal for always helping to overcome administrative challenges. my (critical) academic friends, especially Dr. Alexandra Homolar, Dr. André Broome, Dr. Ian Dunwell, Dr. Rebecca Khanna, Dr. Lesley Gourlay, Dr. Frances Deepwell, and the team at CAW (Centre for Academic Writing at Coventry University) for your invaluable contributions in guiding this research. my parents for supporting me along the way with their love. my family and friends for thinking of me; especially Alex, Lilo, and Ian – I could always laugh and cry with you. ix Abstract This research study, funded by the Leverhulme Trust as part of the CURLIEW project, explored how learners understand, construct, express, and manage identity when virtual worlds are utilized in higher education and how the virtual world itself might impact on concepts of identity. In particular, the study focused on aspects of learner identity from the physical world and learner identity in virtual worlds, the latter being a ‘translation’ of physical identity markers onto the avatar. The research builds on the experiences of 75 student participants, who employed virtual worlds as learning environments. A narrative research approach was applied to thematically analyze interview, focus group, and observational data, collected from two educational contexts at two British universities. Three themes emerged from the analysis and interpretation of these data, which are presented as narratives of Pursuit, Embodiment, and Resistance. The study makes two main contributions to existing knowledge on learning in virtual environments: firstly, it reveals that virtual worlds are ‘threshold concepts’, in which students need to be able to align their learner identities with the utilization of virtual worlds to integrate them successfully in their learning. Secondly, the study develops a five- dimensional typology of the ways in which students engage and manage identity directly in the virtual world through their avatars. This typology includes: dislocated avatars, representative avatars, avatars as toys and tools, avatars as extensions of self, and avatars as identity extensions. The study demonstrates that engagement with virtual worlds and avatars in the educational context can provide a valuable opportunity to foster critical thinking, if learner identities are given a central place in course design and delivery. Then, virtual world learning can enable students and tutors to reflect critically on what shapes, influences,