What is a MOO?

Before defining what exactly a MOO is, I must first introduce you to the MUD.
This is the acronym for Multi-User Domain.  Essentially, this means that it is an
environment in which users are able to log-on simultaneously and interact with each
other as well as the environment.  It is a role-play game enacted in a text-based virtual
environment.  The environment is described by written passages (e.g., “You are in a large
room.  There are doors to the east and west...”) and players navigate and interact with the
environment by commands such as “pick up book” and “read book.”  Players need not be
known by their real names as nicknames are generally the norm, thus giving the safety of
anonymity, which aids in removing the inhibitions often felt by ESL students (Falsetti,
1995).

MOO is the acronym for Multi-User Domain Object-Oriented (MOO sound more
attractive than MUDOO), and operates in the same manner as the MUD.  However,
MOOs are generated about a real environment, such as a library or a university, whereas
MUDs are generally fantasy realms.   Since MOOs are an imitation of real life and
contain relevant text, MOOs are generally more acceptable to the ESL classroom.  Julia
Falsetti created a MOO specifically for ESL students called SchMOOze University.  As
the name suggests, it is modeled after a university, and students may enter grammar
classrooms (at Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced levels), go to the library and read a
book, visit someone at the dorms, or even request their own rooms in the dorms.

Teachers are indeed using SchMOOze University and it has had good reviews;
however, there are a few points to take into consideration if contemplating the use of a
MOO with the class.  One drawback to MOOs is that students must be fairly proficient in
the language to be able to understand the descriptive text.  Another is that teachers
themselves must have good working knowledge of MOOs in order to be able to instruct
usage and troubleshoot.  It is also suggested that ESL students limit their MOOing to ESL
sites, as native speakers can be quite rude.

Luckily, many MUDs and MOOs have homepages which give a background of
the virtual environment, a list of basic commands, and sometimes even a section with
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) concerning the MUD or MOO.  SchMOOze
University can be found on the World Wide Web at
http://schmooze.hunter.cuny.edu:8888/  Another good site with information about MOOs
and how to build your own is at http://lingua.utdallas.edu/

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How to Get There

Telnet allows the user’s computer to connect with a remote machine
communicate directly with that remote machine.  To do this, you must open a Telnet
connection, and log on to the remote host.  To reach SchMOOze University, the
connection address is schmooze.hunter.cuny.edu:8888  The remote host name is
schmooze.hunter.cuny.edu and the port number is 8888.

There are also programs available to help you MOO better.  Some are available
now to let you MOO with a graphical browser.  Others allow you to have an edit line, so
that you may see and edit the text you type in before sending it.

For more information on Telnet, Zen and the Art of the Internet’s Telnet page is
very informative, and may be found at http://www.iprolink.co.nz/zen-1.0/zen-1.0_7.html

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Activities

2.12  SchMOOze U.  (Int/Adv)
Help your students to navigate and interact within the SchMOOze University.  Here they
may interact with each other.

Variation:
Pre-arrange to have another class logged on at the same time.  This way the class
members can interact.

2.13  Create Your Own.  (All levels)
If you have the ability and resources to make your own MOO, this could be quite a fun
activity for students.  You could tailor the MOO to any level, and model it after any
place, real or imaginary.  One possibility is to create a MOO that requires students to
work collaboratively to solve a problem, such as a murder mystery.  Here your
imagination can fly.