Monsters to Monarchs: Teaching Literature in Second Life Desideria Stockton (SL) AKA Beth Ritter-Guth (RL) Lehigh Carbon Community College

Challenges of Teaching Literature Online Literature is meant to be read and shared Discussions are a cornerstone of teaching literature Course Objectives Matter CMS (WebCT) provides Chat Can’t Toggle Windows Chat is unattractive Difficult to foster and maintain interest

Literature is meant to be read and shared

Discussions are a cornerstone of teaching literature

Course Objectives Matter

CMS (WebCT) provides Chat

Can’t Toggle Windows

Chat is unattractive

Difficult to foster and maintain interest

Assumptions about Active Learning Students learn by doing Students care about what they create Students want to care about what they read Students have a hard time with most canonical literature

Students learn by doing

Students care about what they create

Students want to care about what they read

Students have a hard time with most canonical literature

In a Virtual Reality… Grendel’s lair can exist Students can walk the path of the Canterbury Tales The House of Usher can Exist Walden Pond can exist Othello can be staged Students can meet Henry the 8th

Grendel’s lair can exist

Students can walk the path of the Canterbury Tales

The House of Usher can Exist

Walden Pond can exist

Othello can be staged

Students can meet Henry the 8th

Comparisons Beowulf in a book Watching Video of the Canterbury Tales Camelot in a painting Watching Elizabeth alone Reading about Walden Pond Listening to stories about the Tell Tale Heart Grendel’s Lair Going on a Pilgrimage Building Camelot Watching Elizabeth with others Creating Walden Pond Creating Animated floor boards that SOUND like the Tell Tale Heart

Beowulf in a book

Watching Video of the Canterbury Tales

Camelot in a painting

Watching Elizabeth alone

Reading about Walden Pond

Listening to stories about the Tell Tale Heart

Grendel’s Lair

Going on a Pilgrimage

Building Camelot

Watching Elizabeth with others

Creating Walden Pond

Creating Animated floor boards that SOUND like the Tell Tale Heart

Why Second Life? It’s Pretty Students can be creators Minimal cost to college Great resource community

It’s Pretty

Students can be creators

Minimal cost to college

Great resource community

Good Projects are Collaborative Debs Regent, Virtual Commerce Project The British Literature Classroom Liam Kanno, The V3 Group Faculty Mini Grants Chris Hambly/Audio Zenith (ACHUB) Sleducating Podcast Andrenalize.com Sloodle Support Independent State of Caledon, JJ Drinkwater Rotating Exhibits

Debs Regent, Virtual Commerce Project

The British Literature Classroom

Liam Kanno, The V3 Group

Faculty Mini Grants

Chris Hambly/Audio Zenith (ACHUB)

Sleducating Podcast

Andrenalize.com

Sloodle Support

Independent State of Caledon, JJ Drinkwater

Rotating Exhibits

More… The Renaissance Project The Renaissance Classroom Drexel University - Jean-Claude Bradley The Women’s Studies & World War II History Learning Community Land Grant

The Renaissance Project

The Renaissance Classroom

Drexel University - Jean-Claude Bradley

The Women’s Studies & World War II History Learning Community Land Grant

Good Projects are Open Access Creative Commons Licensing Google Share Products Blogs Wikis Podcasts, Vodcasts Slide Share

Creative Commons Licensing

Google Share Products

Blogs

Wikis

Podcasts, Vodcasts

Slide Share

Good Projects are Ethical Copyright Behavior Academically Grounded Current Content BEFORE technology

Copyright Behavior

Academically Grounded

Current

Content BEFORE technology