Engaging in [y]our Second Life? C U There!

| Web 2.0 | Social Software | “… tools, environments, services which enable new forms of collaboration and knowledge sharing …” “… support, extend, or derive added value from, human social behaviour…”

“… tools, environments, services which enable new forms of collaboration and knowledge sharing …”

“… support, extend, or derive added value from, human social behaviour…”

| Web 2.0 | Social Software | The Web is “ unequivocally the first port of call ” for students when studying They use technologies in a “ pervasive, integrated, personalised, social and interactive way ” Students “use social software on their own initiative to support their studies”

The Web is “ unequivocally the first port of call ” for students when studying

They use technologies in a “ pervasive, integrated, personalised, social and interactive way ”

Students “use social software on their own initiative to support their studies”

| Web 2.0 | Social Software | Students are using “…tools such as Bebo, MySpace, Wikipedia and YouTube for informal socialisation , communication , information gathering , content creation and sharing ”

Students are using “…tools such as Bebo, MySpace, Wikipedia and YouTube for informal socialisation , communication , information gathering , content creation and sharing ”

| Web 2.0 | Social Software | Students use tools that “ afford processes with an informal focus on self-direction , communities of practice , collaboration , sharing and identity exploration ” They “…are adaptable in their use of tools to support their learning…and they will use the tools that they have available”

Students use tools that “ afford processes with an informal focus on self-direction , communities of practice , collaboration , sharing and identity exploration ”

They “…are adaptable in their use of tools to support their learning…and they will use the tools that they have available”

| Web 2.0 | Social Software | Students are: Socialising and creating communities Supporting each other through those communities Sharing and creating resources Organising their learning and their groups

Students are:

Socialising and creating communities

Supporting each other through those communities

Sharing and creating resources

Organising their learning and their groups

| Web 2.0 | Social Software | Web 3.D | “ Web 3.D ?!?”

“ Web 3.D ?!?”

| Web 2.0 | Social Software | Web 3.D | Virtual Worlds are “…for a large part, social arenas ” They have been described as “… learning environments which nurture a creative sense of dissonance, troublesomeness and ‘strangeness’ in both learners and teachers…”

Virtual Worlds are “…for a large part, social arenas ”

They have been described as “… learning environments which nurture a creative sense of dissonance, troublesomeness and ‘strangeness’ in both learners and teachers…”

| GCU’s Second Life | Marketing | Initial 6 month project to develop a GCU presence

Initial 6 month project to develop a GCU presence

| GCU’s Second Life | Marketing | “ C U There”

“ C U There”

| GCU’s Second Life | C U There | “ ... by the community, for the community ”

“ ... by the community, for the community ”

| GCU’s Second Life | C U There | CA | Second Life as an Emerging Technology 'Taster' sessions for staff ‘ Avatar Training’ for staff Learning & Teaching in 3D Virtual Worlds Competition

Second Life as an Emerging Technology

'Taster' sessions for staff

‘ Avatar Training’ for staff

Learning & Teaching in 3D Virtual Worlds Competition

| GCU’s Second Life | C U There | CA | C U There philosophy + Exploration for Learning & Teaching = adoption of a different approach

C U There philosophy + Exploration for Learning & Teaching

= adoption of a different approach

| GCU’s Second Life | Eve Classes | “ ...aim to reach and gather a university wide group of interested individ uals, both students and staff, in an unofficial, non-formal setting , allowing for a self paced discovery of the Virtual World and its possibilities.”

“ ...aim to reach and gather a university wide group of interested individ uals, both students and staff, in an unofficial, non-formal setting , allowing for a self paced discovery of the Virtual World and its possibilities.”

| GCU’s Second Life | Eve Classes | A weekly evening class to “…facilitate development of new 3D literacy and skill in staff, students, and members of local business and community ”

A weekly evening class to “…facilitate development of new 3D literacy and skill in staff, students, and members of local business and community ”

| GCU’s Second Life | Eve Classes | A “…genuine feel of community has developed with all helping each other , while traditional borders between students and staff disappear ”

A “…genuine feel of community has developed with all helping each other , while traditional borders between students and staff disappear ”

| GCU’s Second Life | Teaching & Learning | Competition “…to find pilot projects that explore 3D Virtual Worlds for Learning & Teaching”

Competition “…to find pilot projects that explore 3D Virtual Worlds for Learning & Teaching”

| GCU’s Second Life | Competition | “ Finding the Way in Second Life ” - Artificial Intelligence and Behaviour Simulation Project is being developed by MSc students, for 1 st years Simulation be will further developed by subsequent cohorts Students attended SL 'training' classes Evaluation is ongoing

“ Finding the Way in Second Life ” - Artificial Intelligence and Behaviour Simulation

Project is being developed by MSc students, for 1 st years

Simulation be will further developed by subsequent cohorts

Students attended SL 'training' classes

Evaluation is ongoing

| GCU’s Second Life | Competition | “ Overcoming the Barriers of asking for help” - the feasibility of Second Life as an environment for students to access support from an Academic Development Tutor without feeling stigmatised. School staff are learning SL skills so the school can ‘do-it-themselves’ Students will help with the second phase

“ Overcoming the Barriers of asking for help” - the feasibility of Second Life as an environment for students to access support from an Academic Development Tutor without feeling stigmatised.

School staff are learning SL skills so the school can ‘do-it-themselves’

Students will help with the second phase

| GCU’s Second Life | Competition | “ Radiographic Exposure Manipulation” A simulation of an X-Ray machine is being built Students can practice safely (no practice on real patients!)‏ Students can practice any time As many copies of the sim as required for size of cohort –versus- one physical machine

“ Radiographic Exposure Manipulation”

A simulation of an X-Ray machine is being built

Students can practice safely (no practice on real patients!)‏

Students can practice any time

As many copies of the sim as required for size of cohort –versus- one physical machine

| GCU’s Second Life | Competition | “ i-CAMPPUS” - Internet College Articulation and Mentoring Project for Prospective University Students Aim is to develop informal learning networks and peer support structures A Social hub will be built by student mentors for other students 4 th year student mentors have registered in SL Initially aimed at college students, now aims expanded to include 1 st year support

“ i-CAMPPUS” - Internet College Articulation and Mentoring Project for Prospective University Students

Aim is to develop informal learning networks and peer support structures

A Social hub will be built by student mentors for other students

4 th year student mentors have registered in SL

Initially aimed at college students, now aims expanded to include 1 st year support

| GCU’s Second Life | Other Activity | Applied Knowledge Exchange – working with local business partners and councils

Applied Knowledge Exchange – working with local business partners and councils

| GCU’s Second Life | Capacity Building | A range of events in order to get staff up to speed and comfortable in this environment and thence become involved with, and take ownership of, identifying and developing potential to support their own work:

A range of events in order to get staff up to speed and comfortable in this environment and thence become involved with, and take ownership of, identifying and developing potential to support their own work:

| GCU’s Second Life | Work Placements | To encourage others those in the community to become involved , learn new skills , and disseminate and share that knowledge back within their own schools

To encourage others those in the community to become involved , learn new skills , and disseminate and share that knowledge back within their own schools

| GCU’s Second Life | Research | Data collection and evaluation is ongoing into a variety of aspects of the use of online 3D worlds Virtual Learning Communities Virtual Worlds for Learning & Teaching An exploration of the early experiences of new SL Residents in order to identify potential barriers to staff engagement

Data collection and evaluation is ongoing into a variety of aspects of the use of online 3D worlds

Virtual Learning Communities

Virtual Worlds for Learning & Teaching

An exploration of the early experiences of new SL Residents in order to identify potential barriers to staff engagement

| GCU’s Second Life | Conclusions | “ A key facet is that activity involves both staff and students…” working together in the building of the world learning about and of this world in an informal way socialising in this world and around its development taking ownership of the Island This extended community “…will be a vital backbone for further sustainable and scalable development”

“ A key facet is that activity involves both staff and students…”

working together in the building of the world

learning about and of this world in an informal way

socialising in this world and around its development

taking ownership of the Island

This extended community “…will be a vital backbone for further sustainable and scalable development”

| GCU’s Second Life | Conclusions | “… It’s fun”

“… It’s fun”

| GCU’s Second Life | CU There Project website: http://www.gcal.ac.uk/cuthere/ Caledonian Academy News Blog: http://www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/news/index.html Applied Knowledge Exchange: http://www.gcal.ac.uk/appliedknowledgeexchange/video/index.html Emerging Technologies (SL) resources blog: http://atasteofsecondlife.blogspot.com/ Trinder, K., (2008) “Fearing your avatar: The scary journey to the 3 rd dimension (upcoming) Caledonian Academy Learning Communities Forum - talk by Dr Sian Bayne held on 6 th March 2008, "Learning in a strange place: Second Life at the University of Edinburgh" http://www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/professional/iws.html Francino, F., (2008), “CU There…but when?”, Internal report, GCU. Trinder, K., Francino, F., Littlejohn, A., (2008) “GRiID: Gcu research in Internet 3D”, Poster presented at ALT-C 08 https://alt.conference-services.net/reports/template/onetextabstract.xml?xsl=template/onetextabstract.xsl&conferenceID=1272&abstractID=229321 Trinder, K., Guiller, J., Margaryan, A., Littlejohn, A., and Nicol, D. (2008). “Learning from Digital Natives: Integrating formal and informal learning”, Final project report. Higher Education Academy, UK. http://www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/ldn/deli.html Creanor L., Trinder K., Gowan, D.,. & Howells C. (2006) The Learner Experience of E-Learning, Final Report of the LEX project, available online at http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearning_pedagogy/elp_learneroutcomes.aspx

CU There Project website: http://www.gcal.ac.uk/cuthere/

Caledonian Academy News Blog: http://www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/news/index.html

Applied Knowledge Exchange: http://www.gcal.ac.uk/appliedknowledgeexchange/video/index.html

Emerging Technologies (SL) resources blog: http://atasteofsecondlife.blogspot.com/

Trinder, K., (2008) “Fearing your avatar: The scary journey to the 3 rd dimension (upcoming)

Caledonian Academy Learning Communities Forum - talk by Dr Sian Bayne held on 6 th March 2008, "Learning in a strange place: Second Life at the University of Edinburgh" http://www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/professional/iws.html

Francino, F., (2008), “CU There…but when?”, Internal report, GCU.

Trinder, K., Francino, F., Littlejohn, A., (2008) “GRiID: Gcu research in Internet 3D”, Poster presented at ALT-C 08 https://alt.conference-services.net/reports/template/onetextabstract.xml?xsl=template/onetextabstract.xsl&conferenceID=1272&abstractID=229321

Trinder, K., Guiller, J., Margaryan, A., Littlejohn, A., and Nicol, D. (2008). “Learning from Digital Natives: Integrating formal and informal learning”, Final project report. Higher Education Academy, UK. http://www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/ldn/deli.html

Creanor L., Trinder K., Gowan, D.,. & Howells C. (2006) The Learner Experience of E-Learning, Final Report of the LEX project, available online at http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearning_pedagogy/elp_learneroutcomes.aspx