The document discusses several projects exploring the potential of virtual worlds like Second Life for learning and teaching at Glasgow Caledonian University. It describes 4 projects that have been implemented, including using Second Life for simulations in nursing, computing, and law. Interviews are included with project leads discussing their experiences, such as nursing students forgetting they were in Second Life during simulations. While the potential is explored, challenges are also acknowledged, like students' lack of familiarity with such virtual environments. Overall it reflects on both opportunities and open questions around the role of new platforms in education.

2. “ Meeting the challenge - Adopt or Avoid” Exploring the potential of virtual worlds for learning and teaching

4. Exploring the potential of virtual worlds for learning and teaching "...the whole point of Second Life is that there isn't necessarily a point to it, it's about what you are doing there that is significant." (Lecturer in Law, GCU)

6. Exploring the potential of virtual worlds for learning and teaching at GCU Background “ CU There” (funded by Executive) Evening Classes (staff, students, peers, locals) Internal Competition “ …to find pilot projects that explore 3D Virtual Worlds for Learning & Teaching”

8. Questions Have we, perhaps, been conned by the speed of 'change' on the Internet into rushing to judgement about the role of new platforms? How much do we really understand at this point about using such platforms in a learning context without further exploration? Should we avoid repeating what we already do in the physical world and only embrace pedagogies that go beyond our traditional models? Can we extend the use of VWs to better support our students who, we are told, increasingly reside online?

10. Exploring the potential of virtual worlds for learning and teaching at GCU 4 Projects which have gone 'live': Finding the Way in Second Life - Artificial Intelligence and Behaviour Simulation (Built by 2 Computing students & David Moffat) Overcoming the Barriers of asking for help - the feasibility of Second Life as an environment for students to access support from an Academic Development Tutor without feeling stigmatised (Jane McKay) SALSER – Second-life And Law; Student-led Educational Research (Michael Bromby & Martin Jones) Virtual CSL - Clinical Simulation Labs (Jacqueline McCallum, Valerie Ness, Theresa Duffy & Andy Whiteford)

12. Exploring the potential of virtual worlds for learning and teaching at GCU Projects in the development cycle: Radiographic Exposure Meter (Jan Little) iCAMPPUS - Internet College Articulation and Mentoring Project (Frank Brown) The Eye in the Sky - in collaboration with 4 students (4th year project) from Vision Sciences (Velitchko Manahilov) Cyberpsychology module (Jane Guiller) Plus...

14. Exploring the potential of virtual worlds for learning and teaching at GCU Introductions to 4 of the pilot projects Nursing & Health – Decision making Computing – Artificial Intelligence Law – Student research Student Mentors - Support & Well-being Video clips available on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/kathtrinder

16. Exploring the potential of virtual worlds for learning and teaching at GCU In a recent focus group, computing students stated that they did not believe these technologies would be easily used by all disciplines. Their example discipline was 'nursing' http://www.iicm.tugraz.at/home/cguetl/Conferences/ViWo/ViWo2009Workshop/finalpapers/ViWo2009Workshop_02.pdf

18. Exploring the potential of virtual worlds for learning and teaching at GCU Lela Vela & Myrtle Scorble (Jacqueline McCallum & Theresa Price) talk about their work and thoughts on teaching in a 3D virtual Clinical Simulation Ward Video clip available on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/kathtrinder "We wanted to look at skills we could do in Second Life that we can't do in the actual skills lab“ " ...a couple of students said that after maybe about 5 or 10 minutes they actually forgot they were in Second Life..."

20. Exploring the potential of virtual worlds for learning and teaching at GCU Forensis Michalak (Michael Bromby) on his use of, and thoughts about, using 3D virtual worlds for teaching in Law Video clip available on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/kathtrinder "...explaining to the students that whole point of Second Life is that there isn't necessarily a point to it, it's about what you are doing there that is significant.” "This is a bit odd. I'm not sure I like it" (student comment)

21. Exploring the potential of virtual worlds for learning and teaching In a 2007/8 survey of student uses of digital technologies, 3 out of 160 students had used Second Life ™. Most did not know what it was. - http://www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/ldn/

23. Exploring the potential of virtual worlds for learning and teaching at GCU Morrow Merlin (David Moffat) on his use of, and thoughts about, using 3D virtual worlds for teaching AI Visualisation Video clip available on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/kathtrinder “ They were more concerned with the colour of their hair…” " We expected to have difficulties with students being unfamiliar with Second Life, so we thought at the beginning they may not even be able to operate the scenario."

24. Not only are students not familiar with this environment, it seems that neither are we…

26. Exploring the potential of virtual worlds for learning and teaching at GCU Aero Byk (Frank Brown) chats about his ideas for using Second Life as an additional support environment for GCU's student mentor initiative Video clip available on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/kathtrinder “ My daughter..has grown up with these technologies and is entirely at ease with them...they meet up there, they chat, they build stuff, they exchange stuff...”

28. Questions Have we, perhaps, been conned by the speed of 'change' on the Internet into rushing to judgement about the role of new platforms? How much do we really understand at this point about using such platforms in a learning context without further exploration? Should we avoid repeating what we already do in the physical world and only embrace pedagogies that go beyond our traditional models? Can we extend the use of VWs to better support our students who, we are told, increasingly reside online?

29. Conclusions? Over to you, Delegates! (and back to the asynchronous discussion…)

30. Further info: Forensis Michalak: http://ukcle.typepad.com/digital_directions/2008/04/secondlife-and.html & http://www.ukcle.ac.uk/newsevents/lilac/2009/papers/bromby.html School of Health – Second Life: http://caledonianblogs.net/soh-secondlife/ CU There website: http://www.gcal.ac.uk/cuthere/

31. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcd0SGEbxv4