Researching Machinima in Project-Based Language Learning: Learner-Generated Content in the CAMELOT Project

Abstract

This chapter describes a 2-year (2013-2015) European Union funded project exploring the use of machinima in language education and the research approach used to investigate learner interaction in the immersive learning environments in which machinima are produced. Machinima are digital videos created by learners and instructors using screen-recording software within 3D immersive worlds or digital games. The CAMELOT project (Creating Machinima Enhances Language Learning and Teaching) includes nine partners from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Holland, Poland, Turkey, and the UK and has been supported by the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) under Key Activity 3 ICT (KA3).In addition,over 30 associate and network partners provide expertise across a range of pedagogical and technical fields, building successfully on previous EU projects that have investigated the potential of virtual worlds (e.g., LANCELOT, AVALON, NIFLAR, EUROVERSITY).CAMELOT focuses on a range of key themes in contemporary computer-assisted language learning (CALL), including a commitment to open educational resources and Creative Commons licensing, and an investigation of the role of learner creativity using digital video in the context of project-based learning (PBL)