This the presentation I gave at the SLEDcc conference Sept 2008

1. 16 Ways to Use Second Life in Your Classroom: Pedagogical Approaches & Virtual Assignments Michele Ryan © September 2008 SLEDcc Sparks m.ryan2@lancaster.ac.uk

3. 2. Interactive Library (Data Repository) Host yours or link to others.

4. 3. Connection Device As an alternative meeting place; live gatherings or recorded conferences.

5. 4. Role-Playing With predetermined roles, tasks, or scenarios.

6. 5. Simulations Practicing complex processes.

7. 6. Creating & Playing Learning Games Developing content or skill based learning games, puzzles, scavenger hunts, and other competition based activities.

8. 7. Solely for Skill Development (Soft Skills) Assigned task is not the focal point of the learning exercise.

9. 8. Research (Inworld & About-world) Study an inworld behavior (i.e.: economic or social) or use SL as a backdrop for your subject.

10. 9. For Virtual Tourism ( Field Trips) Bring students to a place they could not otherwise visit.

11. 10. Social Device Social activities as icebreakers, to build team cohesion and to practice communication skills.

12. 11. To Create Anonymity Real time interviewing, part of asessment, or a place to collect feedback.

13. 12. Machinima Use the creation of a Machinima as a primary task

14. 13. Recruitment Create an inworld presence to showcase student work or promote your school.

15. 14. Awareness or Event Promotion Create items of information or build awareness of a social issue.

16. 15. ‘Building’ (for the sake of learning how to ‘build’) Building, sculpting, working with prims, scripts, textures, animations, 3D rendering, 3 rd party programs or platform management.

17. 16. Virtual Action Learning (Open, Participative Learning) As an open, non-structured, student-centered learning community

18. To ensure sustainability, establish your initial comfort zone. Stay inside it at first, but be willing to step away when you are ready. Content Sources Learning Objectives Students create of locate material Skill Development Teaches inworld w/ students Sends students inworld w/o teacher Educator’s Engagement Teacher creates or locates material Content Specific

20. Thank you! Michele Ryan © September 2008 My email: [email_address] Link to docs: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/postgrad/ryanm2/