Whyville Article I

From Eduwiki

Children with Multiple Identities? The Creation of Self in an Interactive Online Community

Melanie S. Jones, Cameron McPhee-Baker, Brian Foley & Pamela Aschbacher CAPSI/Caltech

Paper presented at Session 18.010 of the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Chicago, IL. April 2003.

Whyville

The authors explain that this study looks at the identity development on a new type of website, one that provides a rich environment for communication and self-expression. Whyville is an interactive site where adolescents can explore science, while exploring their identity as well. Whyville and sites like it provide new opportunities for young users to learn about their own self development and the impact of the community on their development. There has been an increased interest in sites like this and how the internet influences identity development of kids. Whyville allows kids to create a new identity that's different than their true identity. Within the virtual environment, Whyvillians have the opportunity to participate in community building as well as educational activities. They can participate in an economy where they can sell facial parts to earn clams (money) which allows them to survive and engage in other activities. Research on Whyville determined that some students used Whyville as a means to build up their confidence in the real world, while others used Whyville to modify their appearance in a way they wish they could in real life. More importantly, for educators, Whyville opens new possibilities. Students can wear many different hats related to learning. For example, they can become advanced users of technology. They can be scientists, poets, creative writers, activists, etc. Thus, the educational implications are endless.