The work of nine tertiary institutions in NZ (all members of the Virtual Worlds Working Group) in virtual world teaching - see video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raArEReaj4g Full article: http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/hobart11/downloads/papers/Hearns-concise.pdf

2. He ara hou ka tū
mai:
NZ institutions of higher
learning unpacking demands
and facilitating change

3. Authors
Merle Hearns
Manukau Institute of
Technology
Scott Diener
University of Auckland
Michelle Honey
University of Auckland
Judy Cockeram
University of Auckland
David Parsons
Massey University
Erik Champion
Massey University,
Gareth Schott
Waikato University
Garry Falloon
Waikato University
David Thompson
University of Canterbury
Tim Bell
University of Canterbury
Mick Grimley
University of Canterbury
Richard Green
University of Canterbury
Todd Cochrane
Wellington Institute of
Technology
Niki Davis
University of Canterbury
Donna Morrow
University of Canterbury
Deborah Corder
Auckland University of
Technology
Alice U-Mackey
Auckland University of
Technology
Tony Clear
Auckland University of
Technology
Anne Philpott
Auckland University of
Technology
Roy Davies
Auckland University of
Technology
Swee Kin Loke
University of Otago
Clare Atkins
Nelson Marlborough
Polytechnic
Sue Gregory
University of New England

6. Welcome to:
SCOTT DIENER,
UNIVERSITY OF
AUCKLAND

7. Welcome to:
TODD COCHRANE,
WELLINGTON INSTITUTE
OF TECHNOLOGY

8. Welcome to:
MERLE HEARNS,
MANUKAU INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY

9. MIT Initiatives
• Led the Foundation Pilot, part of the SLENZ research
project "Engaging with Second Life; real education in a
virtual world"
• The build used to train students in interview skills
• Students researching their career pathways have
displayed their research findings as THINC books
• Literacy interventions with a Māori cohort of pre-degree
nursing students utilised the Red Mesa Native
American sim
• Currently in the planning stages of the production of a
literacy game to be built in JokaydiaGrid, OpenSim and
on the New Zealand Virtual World Grid (NZVWG)
• Several departments currently considering using virtual
worlds, eg. Computing & IT, Teacher Education, Social
Services, ESOL, & Nursing & Health

10. Themes: Immersion
• MIT report that students involved in the SLENZ
(Second Life Education NZ) Project reported a
sense of immersion which was supported by
anecdotal evidence
• Waikato Faculty of Education describe
improvements in student social interaction, and the
increased involvement of ‘peripheral’ students in
general classroom activities

11. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raArEReaj4g&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
Themes: Doing what is
impossible in RL
• The University of Auckland has simulations for
maternal haemorrhage, paediatric bereavement,
nursing and pharmacy
• The University of Otago has a virtual hospital in
which medical students play the role of junior
doctors/housemen - students are provided with
safe and authentic learning experiences

12. Themes: Sense of community
• Architecture students from the University of
Auckland, Computer Science students at
Canterbury University, WelTec, & NMIT are all able
to pursue projects made possible by virtual worlds
• Japanese students at AUT are able to go to the
Japanese sim (virtual build) to interact with native
Japanese speakers for an engaging and very real
experience
• Study in alternative corporeality includes Weltec &
Instituto das Humanidades e Ciências Inteligentes,
Lisbon, Portugal

13. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raArEReaj4g&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
Themes: Designing creative software
solutions
•
•
•
•
•
•
Massey University examining techniques of agile software
development in a game based activity
Massey’s Auckland School of Design researching interfaces
that can be adapted for virtual worlds
WelTec using virtual worlds as a development tool for
creating prototype 3D interactive environments
AUT Faculty of Design and Creative Technology has a
continuing investigation of ‘Teamlink’, a prototype Java 3D
CVE
AUT’s VRSuite, CoLab is examining the use of interactive
3D technologies to aid industry
NMIT students are creating applications in complex
immersive MUVEs

14. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raArEReaj4g&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
Themes: Real-time problem
solving
• MIT’s proposed literacy game will challenge
students to solve grammatical problems
• Waikato University Faculty of Education use
MARVIN in small group settings to support
discussion, debate, critique, organisation &
presentation of researched information through the
exercise of higher order cognition
• The University of Canterbury requires surveyors to
produce a traffic management plan for when they
are working on a road

15. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raArEReaj4g&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
Themes: Working across sectors
• Waikato University Faculty of Education has used
MARVIN in trials with two Intermediate schools
(Years 7/8) in Hamilton
• The Computer Science Education group at the
University of Canterbury the CS Unplugged project
(csunplugged.org) which exposes students to
advanced concepts in Computer Science without
using computers - prototype Unplugged activities
are on a local server as they are designed for the
use of primary school children

16. • Virtual worlds are changing education in NZ
• Qualities of virtual worlds allow students to
become immersed in active, problem-based
learning
• New Zealand has invested heavily in change
with research and practice in virtual world
teaching and learning
Thank you for listening!