Proceedings of the International Technology, Education and Development (INTED) Conference. Valencia, Spain.

As a result of the Compact of Free Association in 1986, emigration from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), made up of the states of Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap, increased greatly to the island of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Due to the economic boom related to tourism on Guam and Saipan at the time, a majority of emigrants from the FSM moved to these larger Micronesian islands to find employment. In the twenty years since, along with the surge in population due to immigration from the FSM, Guam has seen a rise in prejudice among the Chamorros of the Northern Mariana Islands and immigrants from the Philippines and other Asian countries, directed at the Micronesian groups who have recently settled on Guam. This paper presents the design of a pilot study to measure the effects of intergroup contact on prejudice utilizing a collaborative virtual environment. The sample for this study was selected from a diverse population representing Micronesian, Chamorro, and other Asian and Pacific Islander groups. It has been shown in previous studies that contact between individuals from opposing groups can be beneficial in reducing intergroup prejudice. This project employed interactions within a collaborative virtual environment to simulate contact with the outgroup; and made use of perspective taking and empathy development via outgroup avatar embodiment. Implications for teacher and student communication and collaboration activities in distance learning environments are discussed.