Engaging the Disengaged: Using SL to Revitalize the Undergraduate Classroom Heidi Trotta, Instructional Designer Danielle Mirliss, Sr. Instructional Designer

The Class … Industrial and Organizational Psychology Content is dry for most undergrads Students have limited real-work experience Find ways to try to engage students Bring real world experiences to the classroom via technology danielle

The Class …

Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Content is dry for most undergrads

Students have limited real-work experience

Find ways to try to engage students

Bring real world experiences to the classroom

via technology

danielle

The Technology … Free to students Easy to support, no additional hardware Run on university issued laptops Ability to craft a custom simulation Needed an environment that encouraged collaboration and active participation heidi

The Technology …

Free to students

Easy to support, no additional hardware

Run on university issued laptops

Ability to craft a custom simulation

Needed an environment that encouraged collaboration and active participation

heidi

The Design …. Second Life names only 15 Scavenger hunt tasks – educational emphasis 3 hour time limit Deliverables – wiki and individual survey Extra credit (No partial credit awarded) – worth 15 points, must work as a team heidi

The Design ….

Second Life names only

15 Scavenger hunt tasks – educational emphasis

3 hour time limit

Deliverables – wiki and individual survey

Extra credit (No partial credit awarded) – worth 15 points, must work as a team

heidi

The Design (continued) …. 14 students participating, 4 groups of 3-5 students 45 minute introduction – virtual teams, second life introduction heidi

The Design (continued) ….

14 students participating, 4 groups of 3-5 students

45 minute introduction – virtual teams, second life introduction

heidi

The Experience … Majority of students that volunteered participated Moderate scaffolding provided, instructors present in SL “ Dropping-In” – teachable moments Special Guests danielle

The Experience …

Majority of students that volunteered participated

Moderate scaffolding provided, instructors present in SL

“ Dropping-In” – teachable moments

Special Guests

danielle

The Wiki … danielle

The Wiki …

The Results … All completed the wiki and survey – problems with images Connected exercise with course content Some groups were more prepared and organized than others Most felt problems with technology affected virtual team success Avatar added to the experience heidi

The Results …

All completed the wiki and survey – problems with images

Connected exercise with course content

Some groups were more prepared and organized than others

Most felt problems with technology affected virtual team success

Avatar added to the experience

heidi

The Results (continued) … Time to complete hunt was sufficient although only one group finished. Some students felt “less inhibited” Enjoyed interviews Half would use Second Life after the class was over and felt the application should be used for more classes heidi

The Results (continued) …

Time to complete hunt was sufficient although only one group finished.

Some students felt “less inhibited”

Enjoyed interviews

Half would use Second Life after the class was over and felt the application should be used for more classes

heidi

The Challenges … “ No Shows” Few technology and account problems Snapshots danielle

The Challenges …

“ No Shows”

Few technology and account problems

Snapshots

danielle

The Survey … Course Content Questions (i.e. Did beneficial or competitive conflict occur?) Technology Questions (i.e. Did you leave the scavenger hunt before the rest of the team? If so, why?) danielle

The Survey …

Course Content Questions (i.e. Did beneficial or competitive conflict occur?)

Technology Questions (i.e. Did you leave the scavenger hunt before the rest of the team? If so, why?)

danielle

The Survey (continued)… Process Questions (i.e. Do you feel that your team had enough time to complete the scavenger hunt?) Research Questions (Did the virtual environment enable you to take on a role you might not have in real life?) danielle

The Survey (continued)…

Process Questions (i.e. Do you feel that your team had enough time to complete the scavenger hunt?)

Research Questions (Did the virtual environment enable you to take on a role you might not have in real life?)

danielle

Fall 2006 … Orientation was provided and more time allotted (changing appearance, basic skills need for experience) Provided additional support materials (introductory utube videos, handouts, readings, how-to’s) heidi

Fall 2006 …

Orientation was provided and more time allotted (changing appearance, basic skills need for experience)

Provided additional support materials (introductory utube videos, handouts, readings, how-to’s)

Fall 2006 (continued) … Developed a “cover story” for the activity Provided an anchored activity – guest speaker on virtual team building Embedded activity into the curriculum Identified beginning and ending location for the scavenger hunt heidi

Fall 2006 (continued) …

Developed a “cover story” for the activity

Provided an anchored activity – guest speaker on virtual team building

Embedded activity into the curriculum

Identified beginning and ending location for the scavenger hunt

Fall 2006 (continued) … Held class in computer lab instead of students using laptops Reevaluated tasks for value and content Identified formal goals and objectives, matched survey Reevaluated assessment – now part of class final grade – final activity, collaborative wiki and survey heidi

Fall 2006 (continued) …

Held class in computer lab instead of students using laptops

Reevaluated tasks for value and content

Identified formal goals and objectives, matched survey

Reevaluated assessment – now part of class final grade – final activity, collaborative wiki and survey

heidi

Survey 2006 … Change focus of survey from “exercise” to how did the Second Life environment help you learn virtual team building what did you learn about team process visual composition of the teams danielle

Survey 2006 …

Change focus of survey from “exercise” to

how did the Second Life environment help you learn virtual team building

what did you learn about team process

visual composition of the teams

danielle

Questions?