Implementing the Virtual World Environment
Seton Hall University’s Initiative
Mary Balkun, Professor, English Department Chairperson
Mary Zedeck, Instructional Designer, TLT Center
SHU’s VW Initiative Course Variety/Delivery Methods
Through a series of projects in a Experience • Face-to-Face
variety of courses, the university has Imagine Design • Distance Education
been exploring the ways students work
collaboratively, can develop projects Co-create New Realities • Undergraduate
that allow them to actively engage
• Graduate
course material and concepts, and
become dynamic participants in their • Professional
own learning.
SHU’s Future VW Explorations
Courses • Associations with virtual world
• I/O Psychology partners
− NMC
• Graduate American Literature
− RezEd
• Senior Seminar: Gothic Literature − Media Grid
• Business/Law Collaboration • Investigate variety of virtual world
platforms
• Public Healthcare Administration
• Reaching out to other institutions to
• Ecology/Introduction to Geology form collaborations
(Fall 2009) • Exploring venues for research and
publication
Teaching/Learning Activities • Continued support and further
• Inworld collaborations development of existing initiatives
• Co-creation Faculty/Instructional Designers
• Team building • Faculty: Danielle Mirliss, Mary Balkun, Jack
Shannon, Susan Spencer, Anne Hewitt,
• Simulations Martha Schoene, Marian Glenn
• Instructional Designers: Heidi Trotta,
• Role-playing Mary Zedeck, Riad Twal