A Second Life Checklist

An Institutional Checklist for Second Life Course Offerings http://mocozone.blogspot.com/2008/01/institutional-checklist-for-sl-course.html 110, 129, 24

Dr. Alice Bedard-Voorhees Avatar: MustangQuimby Messmer

Virtual World Activities
Second Life -- one of many 3D virtual
worlds
Key Questions:
What is the teaching and learning value?
Does this immersive environment
increase engagement and learning?

Why SL?
Immersive Environment
experience-based
allows application
and creation
Avatars serve self-conscious students
Extends Traditional Classroom
Field trips
Guest visits

What to Consider: Choosing Khan’s E-Learning Model to Develop a SL Checklist (Khan, 2008. Used with permission) Integrative e-learning model Considers various campus organizational units and services (Khan, 2005a; Khan, 2005b)

SL Institutional Considerations
Advantages: Market, discipline?
Who will endorse, lead the adoption?
Will SL be combined with face-to-face offerings or another online experience?
Is e-learning already offered? Existing orientation?
SL Orientation?
http://virtualworlds.nmc.org/2007/10/10/nmc-rolls-out-orientation island/
Cost: Use, rent, or build learning space?
Support : course registration, library, other materials or services?
(Used with Permission)

SL Management Considerations
People, Process, Product are key
and are further defined by oversight,
design, implementation, and ongoing
Updates (Khan, 2005b)
What people will do and what skills sets
are needed: oversee, make,
communicate, facilitate, maintain.
Will students serve any of the roles?
) (Used with Permission) P3

SL Technological Considerations
Hardware: Adequate Graphics card
Support and Policy: Allow SL download
Digital Literacy: Instructor and Learner Orientations
Support: Linden Labs, Internet?
Sharable Objects: SL Permissions
Support: CMS or LMS support
(Used with Permission)

Basic Technological Checklist
Download Second Life
http://www.secondlife.com
System Requirements: http://secondlife.com/corporate/sysreqs.php
Download: http://secondlife.com/support/downloads.php
Get Your Avatar
http://sl.nmc.org/join/
Pick your own first name, then pick a last name from list of choices
Select features
Attend an Education-Friendly Orientation
http://slurl.com/secondlife/NMC%20Orientation/69/107/32/
Things to Learn at NMC’s Orientation Island
Vocabulary
How To Change Your Avatar’s Appearance
Advanced Communication in World
Photography in SL
Where to Learn More about SL
And Much More!

Blackboard Needs provided by institution (Boise, 2004)
SL Technological and pre-requisite skills appear in the syllabus;
Linden Labs provides tech support.
System: http://secondlife.com/corporate/sysreqs.php
http://blog.secondlife.com
Prerequisite skills:
Use of camera controls
Ability to fly, walk, and teleport
Knowledge of communication tools (IM and chat)
Basic building skills (create prims, add textures and content)
Basic inventory management (can find items, wear
clothing, make a note card)
It is recommended that participants have at least 10-20
hours of prior participation in Second Life before the
course begins (Dawley, Syllabus, 2007b. Used with permission).
More Advanced Technological Checklist

Pedagogical Considerations (Used with Permission) Needs Analysis Media Instructional Techniques Provisions for blended deliveries Motivation (Khan, 2005b)

Field Trips to Landmarks, Civilizations, and Ecosystems Source: http://metaverse.acidzen.org/2007/dubai-tower-in-second-life 54, 126, 28

Guest Presenter

Live Simulcast from Japan into Second Life

Presentation Prior to Teleporting to Simulations & Debrief

Team Presentation

Constructivist Exploration at Literature Alive Literature Alive Field Trip 176, 189, 21

Constructivist Exploration In Literature Alive 141, 88, 51

Accounting: Interactive T-Account
Students become game pieces
Enables students to practice their understanding of the concept of normal account balances
Feedback is provided
Correct responses
Incorrect responses
Wrong side Correct type
Wrong type, Correct side
Wrong side, Wrong type
Source: http://www.slideshare.net/shornik/second-life-a-learning-platform /

Source: http://www.slideshare.net/shornik/second-life-a-learning-platform 444, 176, 22

Sloodle: Course Management and SL Converge 240, 160, 33

Immersed in Cellular Structure 148, 149, 34

Social and Political: Is SL allowed? Other
choices? (Ex. China’s www.hipihi.com ) Open or Closed Campus?
Geographic Diversity: (time zones)
Digital Access: Access to voice capacity?
Digital Access: Blocked Downloads of SL
Etiquette: Campus Codes for SL
Legal Issues: Ex. Disclaimer about exposure to mature content
SL Ethical Considerations

Dubai Women’s College Open Area—Engaged in a Map Game 208, 42, 29

Interface Design Content Design Navigation User Friendliness Universal Access (Khan, 2005b) (Used with Permission)

SL Interface Design
Not for entire SL courses.
Screen readers don’t work in chat.
Universal access is in R and D stage (Sierra, 2007; Foster, 2007)

SL Resource Support Materials and Services outside of the immediate class experience: technical support advising library object repositories tutorials (Khan 2005a; Khan 2005b) (Used with Permission)

Overall Evaluation: Overall operations—How smoothly do the experiences proceed? Learning Assessment: How do we know what they know? How do we measure it? Course Evaluation: Learner Satisfaction with the experience Evaluation of faculty performance (Khan, 2005a; Khan, 2005b) Evaluation Considerations (Used with Permission)

Formative Learning Assessment: Cellular Structure Quiz in Second Life 148, 149, 34

Project Based-Learning Assessment Products: Slideshow Project + Additional Project Container to Share with Class

Course Evaluation (Bedard-Voorhees, 2007)
SL Platform (Grid) could be undependable.
Activities where we had to create or interact support SL’s real learning power.
Faculty was an excellent facilitator.

Conclusions
Social meeting space
Best used for more than discussions
Developing data-driven research: http://www.aect.org/secondlife/archives/24-hornik/really-engaging-accounting.ppt#256,1,Really Engaging Accounting: Second Life™ as a Learning Platform

References and Contact Information
[email_address]
[email_address]
References and Resources:
http://trainers-online.com/wiki1/tiki-index.php?page=Second+Life+Checklist%3A+References+and+Resources

A Second Life Checklist

by AliceBV on Nov 18, 2008

Accessibility

Categories

Tags

Upload Details

Usage Rights

1 Embed 1

Statistics

A Second Life Checklist — Presentation Transcript