This document summarizes an experience implementing a lecture for a university course on Technology, Human and Transcendence in the virtual world Second Life. The lecture focused on identifying connections between technology, faith, and philosophy in recent terrorist events. Students found the virtual lecture engaging but noted that tutorials are needed to adapt to the environment and that lectures should be less than 45 minutes for attention. Overall, the experience showed that Second Life can provide an immersive online learning environment that approximates face-to-face interaction, though usability and reliability must continue to improve.

1. A First Experience on Implementing
a Lecture on Second Life
Luis M Martinez, BScEE, MSc IMS, PhD
Department of Communications
Learning Technolgies Laboratory
Universidad Iberoamericana
Mexico

2. Introduction
• We implemented a Technology, Human and
Transcendence course lecture in SL
• Used first principles of pedagogy including delivery
criteria
• First higher education experience in SL reported in
Mexico
Instructional Lecture
Results
design implementation

3. • SL is a furtive and challenging
environment for academic and
educational activities
• Observed development lines of SLEA :
– Meta-educational regions
– Extension of “real world“ activities
– Personal teaching initiatives

4. Course & context
• Universidad Iberoamericana is
the Jesuit university in Mexico
City (+12,000 students @ 33+
UG & PG programs)
• Every UG student must carry-out
4 elective courses “University
Reflection Courses” (curricular
spaces aimed at ethical reflection
and development of critical
capacity and self criticism)

5. Course & Context
• Reported experience belongs to the
course “Technology, Human and
Trascendence”
• Aims to identify convergence points
between philosophy, religion and
science

6. Motivation
• Research at the Learning Technologies
Program at UIA
• Broader study, identifying SLEA
• Exploration of spirituality activity at SL
• Experimentation spirit within SL

7. Instructional design
• Based on theory on learning (Gagne) &
the Ignatian pedagogy
Context
Experience
Reflection
Action
Evaluation

8. A lecture in second life
• Theme: Terrorism
• Objective: identify convergence between technology,
faith and philosophy in recent terrorist events
• Delivery strategy: present information, discussion,
brainstorming
• Additional activities for “extra time”
• Student profile: UG, 3rd year, engineering, design,
law, political science and architecture
• Lecturer profile: engineer & researcher, 15y teaching
experience

9. Lecture hall design

10. Pedagogical event

11. Lesons learned
• Students need a “SL tutorial” for adapting to
the environment and optimize time
• Implementation time is twice as for face-to-
face lecture
• We estimate a length of less than 45min for
proper attention level
• Chat must be “moderated”
• Active learning techniques = less distraction
• Parallel conversations in other channels
• Observers can be present in RL without
interference
• Lectures can be recorded

12. Student´s experience
• Graded the lecture with 8.5 / 10
• No need for RL presence
• Care for avatar design
• Slower class rythm compared to RL

13. Conclusion
• Novel and exciting environment for online
learning
• Competitive advantages over conventional
LMS. Inmersive interaction and synchronous
dialogue
• Near face to face interaction can be achieved
• Usability and reliability needs improvement

14. Luis M Martinez (Hipouia masala)
Luism.martinez@uia.mx
Department of Communications
Universidad Iberoamericana