A Gentle Introduction to MOOing "MOOing?" you say. "Does this mean that we are going to pretend that we are cows?" Okay, okay. I've heard that "funny" response about a MILLION times. I'll try to explain what a MOO is, how I got started MOOing, and why I like MOOs. In addition, I'll provide some useful links for MOOxploration. What is a MOO? A MOO is a "real-time" text-based virtual environment that is accessible on the Internet and is useful for teaching and learning. MOOs and MUDs originated as virtual-reality games. Some helpful terms: MUD: Multi-User Domain MOO: MUD Object Ooriented How I Got Started MOOing I saw a friendly invitation from the folks at Diversity University (not a real university but a MOO, later to be affiliated with the real Marshall University in West Virginia) on an electronic mailing list to which I subscribe, inviting me to participate in a free MOO class. I signed up for this semester-long class, excited, thrilled to be included, sensing that I was about to be changed but didn't yet know how. Over the course of the semester, I got to know the other teachers taking the class at least as well as the teachers in my own department here at USD. A MOO, I discovered, helps to create a genuine feeling of community. We all encouraged and prodded each other. And we had fun! I learned how to communicate, how to "build" a room, and how to write descriptions of objects in my room (for people's reading pleasure). I even toyed with "bots" or robots but I'm still learning a lot in that area. Why Do I Like MOOing? As I mentioned, MOOing creates a real sense of community. I found myself brainstorming with people I'd never actually met, sharing ideas and jokes, and working together in completing tasks. When I started teaching with a MOO, I discovered that students could carry on an interesting conversation in the MOO, working in groups and talking with my bots. I could also record their conversations in the MOO and mail the transcripts of their conversations to them. They could then read the transcripts and reflect further on what was said, continuing the conversation asychronously on our class listserv. Really, I'm just skimming the surface here. These are, in fact, surface reflections. But if you want to learn more about MOOing, you'll probably want to explore some of the links listed below. Have fun! Helpful Guide to MOOing MRG's Beginner's Guide to MOOing http://www.usd.edu/~mrogge/MOOnotes2.html Rachel's Super MOO List An extensive list of MOO sites, arranged alphabetically and in the following categories: educational, miscellaneous, foreign language (ESL), RPG MOOs, and Social MOOs. This site also highlights new and updated MOOs, and you can receive information about the updates by email if you wish. http://cinemaspace.berkeley.edu/~rachel/moolist/ MOO Guide Contains a list of MOOs that you can explore, as well as other MOO info. http://tecfa.unige.ch/edu-comp/WWW-VL/eduVR-page.html