The document presents reflections and lessons learned from utilizing Second Life in a blended learning approach at the University of Sheffield. It details the context of the educational modules, the pedagogical framework for virtual and face-to-face interactions, and outcomes based on observations and interviews with students and tutors. Key insights include the challenges and advantages of using virtual environments for enhancing student engagement and information literacy skills.

1. Teaching and Learning in Second Life as Part
of a Blended Approach:
Reflections and Lessons learned
Sheila Yoshikawa Sheila Webber, Senior Lecturer, Information School:
the iSchool, University of Sheffield, UK
Ridvan Researcher Ridvan Ata, PhD Candidate, School of Education,
University of Sheffield, UK
VWBPE-16 MARCH 2012
Slides copyright Sheila Webber and Ridvan Ata; sources for pictures listed on the final slide

2. Outline
• Who we are
• Ridvan’s research journey
• Context and basics of the class
• Approach to teaching & class components
• SL components of the class
• Our reflections on teaching the class

3. Where Sheila comes from
• Language: English
• Climate: Temperate
• Population: 60 million
1
• Faculty member
• Key areas of research & teaching are educational informatics &
information literacy*
• *"the adoption of appropriate information behaviour to identify,
through whatever channel or medium, information well fitted to
information needs, leading to wise and ethical use of
information in society." (Webber and Johnston)

4. Sheila & Second Life

5. Where Ridvan comes from
2 3
• Language: Turkish
• Climate: hot, dry summers with mild, winters; harsh,
snowy
• Population: 75 million
• Religion: Muslim, 99%
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6. Ridvan’s journey to the topic
4
• MA DTCE at the University of Manchester, the current status of VLEs
in HE, Moodle in 2008/9
• Findings ; students prefer f2f,use VLE as repository, isolated
environment rather than social
• Something is missing!
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7. Ridvan’s journey into PhD
• In 2009 , The University of Sheffield, UK
• The School of Education under supervision of Julia
Davies, Education Department, and Sheila Webber,
Information School.
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8. Research Questions
Main Question: What pedagogical
framework enables teaching in virtual worlds
and f2f learning situations in HE?
• Implementations of teaching in SL/f2f
situations
• Impacts of teaching in SL over tutors’ f2f
pedagogy
• Becoming a SL Tutor
• Motivations of tutors for participating in
VWs other than the requirement of a class
activity 5
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9. Methodology
CASE STUDY
• Educational Informatics module
• Information Literacy module Inf6011
Inf104 • Observations
• Interviews with lecture tutors
• Observations • Interviews with master students
• Interviews with tutors
Interviews with tutors from Virtual ethnographic texture
different countries (Observations and reflections from my
personal journey into Second Life during
2009-2012/13 )
VWBPE-16 MARCH 2012

10. The context
• Information School, University of Sheffield (small UG
programme, larger Masters programme + PhDs)
• Core module in BSc Information Management programmes
+ a few other students (e.g. Hong Kong exchange)
• Inquiry-based approach
for key classes; for all
classes assessment mostly
coursework (not exams)
Images: University of Sheffield

11. Inf104 module: Information Literacy
• Information Literacy core level 1 module: aims
– to progress students' information literacy in key areas (working
towards being an information literate citizen)
– to develop their understanding of information literacy & information
behaviour theories and practice
• 43 students this year, 22 from outside UK; 19 female
• Using face to face, Blackboard, web resources
• Mostly students used SL together in lab with Ridvan
and Sheila

12. Components of IL Module
Lecture
Handouts
Readings
Discussions
Blackboard Module
Assignments
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13. Components of IL Module
Lectures
IL
Activities
Classroom Individual
Feedback
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14. Components of IL Module
SL
Familiarisation
SL Mini
Islands
INFOLIT
IL
exercises
Island
Interviews
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15. The Rationale for using SL
• 50% coursework involves students
– carrying out research interview in SL
– analysing performance as interviewer
– analysing transcript in relation to research models
• Access to wider population; internationalisation
• Prompts reflection and comparison with RL
• As information managers, relevant to learn virtual
world communication skills

16. 5th year Sheila has done this exercise, see…
• Webber, S. (2010) 3D virtual learning case study.
University of South Australia.
http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/3DVLE/siteassets
/docs/3DVirtual_Case_Study_BScIM.pdf
• Webber, S. (2010) “Investigating modes of student
inquiry in Second Life as part of a blended
approach.” International Journal of Virtual and
Personal Learning Environments, 1 (3), 55-70.
• Some tweaks & changes each year

17. Changes?
• Students
– more international this year
– still very little prior use of any virtual worlds
• Overall learning, teaching & assessment approach
– has not changed much, still problem-based & inquiry focus
• Interventions
– has varied a little e.g. last year student groups did oral
presentation of work in f2f class rather than SL exhibit
• Interviewees in assessment-related exercise
– normally professionals e.g. educators, librarians etc. + a few
graduate students
– this year more undergraduate student interviewees

18. Infolit ischool
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19. SL: sequencing of activities (Ridvan will give details!)
1st week: Basics
of moving,
communicating
etc.
2nd week: 9 teams of 4-5
students: each given own
mini island + start info prob
3rd week: opinionator exercise
and further work on mini-island
+ work on info prob
4th week: Teams import
presentation on info problem to
SL + set up quiz ball

20. Information problems
• Is the “Google generation” really bad at searching
for, and evaluating, information?
• How is Wikipedia reliable?
• Should Facebook users be concerned about their
privacy and safety on Facebook?
• 9 student teams, 3 tackling each problem
• PPT identifies search process and their conclusions

21. SL interviewing focus
1st week: practice
interviews f2f and in
SL
Subsequently: a student
carries out his/her own
interview in text chat

22. Mini islands and SL Familiarisation
by Ridvan Atolia,2011 by Sheila Yoshikawa,2011
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23. SL Activities
The Opinionator exercise Students’ mini island
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by Sheila Yoshikawa,2011

24. An example of students’ interview in SL
by Ridvan Atolia,2011
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25. Reflections Through
Our Eyes
Data Collection;
• Tutors’ interviews,
• Students’ interviews, 6
• Observations, (both in f2f & inworld)
• Chatlogs,
• Inworld snapshots,
• And our own notes and records.
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26. Sheila’s reflection
• Assignment more challenging than ordinary essay:
some excellent responses to challenge
• Still find that mixture of learning environments
valuable

27. SL
familiarisation
Short lecture and
Assignment handout about
Practice interviews
briefing interviewing
in triads (interviewer,
Lecture, exercises, interviewee, observer)
readings on research,
information behaviour, Handouts
data collection & Blackboard
Discussions
analysis, ethics module
Presentations
Practice interviews
in triads in SL
Student’s
Assignment FAQs etc
Individual feedback
Research /communication: email,
interviews F2F, SL .
in SL
Email, IM etc used to
communicate with interviewees

28. Sheila’s reflection, continued …
• Wide variety of responses to SL (& contrast with
responses from educators!)
• Value of having “experienced” & empathetic
interviewees

29. Ridvan’s reflection
• SL was a favorable environment for utilizing IBL
with constructivist approach in which the students
collaborated, interacted, and experimented.
• Capable of having a greater presence inworld, one
student ; if she could die in SL , another student ; if
I read all the books in my office inworld.
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30. Ridvan’s reflections continued…
• SL enabled students’ work to be visited by external
visitors,
• Many occurrences of the interrelationship of SL,
Blackboard and RL,
• the students benefited from the visual of Seven
Pillars of Information Model and The Opinionator
activity

31. Some things we have learned
• All materials in virtual world need to be
perfectly functional and operating if the viewers
were peers and tech savvy
• Basic SL skills such as camera control,
manipulating with avatar at early stage might
have a significant impact on students learning
and involvement inworld
• It may be difficult to make mental connection
between what they do and learn in SL for
freshmen students
• SL might polarise the students much more than
other educational tools.
7
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32. Sheila Yoshikawa /
Sheila Webber
s.webber@shef.ac.uk
Twitter: sheilayoshikawa
http://information-literacy.blogspot.com/
http://www.slideshare.net/sheilawebber/
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23396182@N00/
Netvibes: http://www.netvibes.com/sheilawebber
Ridvan Researcher /
Ridvan Ata
r.ata@shef.ac.uk

33. Image sources
Pictures & Photos by Sheila Webber & Ridvan
Ata except the following
1. University of Connecticut Libraries’ Map and Geographic Information Center (MAGIC).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uconnlibrariesmagic/6732354783/
2. http://www.virgintoursntravels.com/timeless_turkey
3. http://www.map-of-turkey.com/
4. snail. Amanito used under Creative Commons license: http://www.flickr.com/photos/amanito/513566490/
5. .The Unquiet Librarian used under Creative Commons license:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10557450@N04/6632470867/
6. gregw, used under Creative Commons license: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregw/4165889/sizes/m/in/photostream/
7. abakedcreation used under Creative Commons license:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/abakedcreation/3028287871/sizes/m/in/photostream/

34. Click here for a
notecard of their
talk