This document describes a study that developed three online simulations using Second Life to enhance employability skills for psychology undergraduates: a supermarket scenario, a counselling agency scenario, and a Dragons Den entrepreneurial pitch scenario. Student satisfaction and learning outcomes were evaluated and compared between the online simulations and equivalent face-to-face activities. Results showed the online simulations were equivalent to face-to-face activities in terms of student satisfaction, learning, and attitudes, with the exception that students reported higher satisfaction with the supermarket simulation online compared to face-to-face. The researchers concluded online simulations may be a useful way to extend student learning outside the classroom.

1. USING ONLINE SIMULATION TO ENHANCE
EMPLOYABILITY
Tony Ward, Liz Falconer, Manuel Frutos-Perez
University of the West of England
Frenchay
Bristol
tony.ward@uwe.ac.uk

3. Previous work using second life in psychology teaching and learning:

5. The current project.
Develop three simulations, for use with psychology undergraduates.
These are:
1) Supermarket
2) Counselling agency
3) Dragons Den

6. Qualwest Supermarket scenario.
Students check in with personnel manager, and then interview a checkout
operator. Their task is to find out about staff morale.
Then they get a second task from the marketing manager, and
interview a client on the shopfloor. The task is to find out about attitudes to
A new brand of tuna which is being launched.
Finally, they checkout using a computer, answering a series of questions about
the tasks set.

7. Holistic pastures counselling agency.
The students check in with the agency manager. Then they watch a therapy
session taking place. Finally, they interview a new client about their issues,
for whom a standard wellbeing scale is provided.
Finally they checkout via a computer, answering various questions around the
activities.

8. Dragon’s Den scenario.
Modelled on the popular TV series, in this simulations teams of students
pitch entrepreneurial ideas to a range of dragons (who were famous
psychologists and a dragon).

9. Condition n male female Mean age SD
Supermarket
F2f 32 10 22 19.7 1.1
SL 26 6 20 18.8 2.9
Counselling
F2F 31 7 24 22.3 4.9
SL 44 4 40 22.9 5.3
Dragons Den
F2F 31 5 26 19.1 1.2
SL 22 3 19 19.9 3.4
Participant details
The supermarket and dragons den scenarios were run as
part of a first year skills module, whilst the counselling
scenario was used in a final year module.
The face to face comparison activities were designed to be
as similar as possible to the second life scenarios.

10. Evaluation.
All scenarios were compared to face to face activities using
A short student satisfaction scale.
The Dragons Den scenario also used a short entrepreneurial
Efficacy scale devised for the purpose.
In the supermarket and counselling agency scenarios, the students
Group scores on the outcome quizzes were also compared.

11. The student satisfaction scale.
Item Rating
1. This activity has helped me to understand the related theory
better.
1 2 3 4 5
2. I found the activity stimulating and engaging. 1 2 3 4 5
3. This was an interesting and novel activity. 1 2 3 4 5
4. I would like to see more of this kind of activity on the course. 1 2 3 4 5
5. I found the activity easy and non threatening to engage in. 1 2 3 4 5
6. The activity gave me insight into how enterprise psychology works. 1 2 3 4 5
7. I enjoyed taking part in the activity. 1 2 3 4 5
8. I felt I learned a lot from the activity. 1 2 3 4 5
Enterprise psychology role plays and simulations.
You have just taken part in a counselling psychology role play or simulation.
This questionnaire is designed to gauge your evaluation of the session.
For each statement, please rate the extent to which you agree, by circling the
appropriate number, where:
1 = strongly disagree, 2= mildly disagree, 3 = not sure, 4= mildly agree 5 =
strongly agree
Test retest reliability across 30 students was 0.84
Cronbach’s alpha across 186 students was 0.9.

12. The enterprise scale.
Item Rating
1. This activity has helped me appreciate how Psychology can lend
itself to business start ups.
1 2 3 4 5
2. Ideas from Psychology can lend themselves to entrepreneurialism. 1 2 3 4 5
3. This activity has given me a new appreciation of how Psychology
could be used in the real world.
1 2 3 4 5
4. I am more likely to consider psychology applications in business
when I graduate.
1 2 3 4 5
5. This was an interesting opportunity to reflect in a different way
about how psychology can be applied.
1 2 3 4 5
Additional questions for the Dragons Den
scenario.
Please rate the following items
1 = strongly disagree, 2= mildly disagree, 3 =
not sure, 4= mildly agree 5 = strongly agree
Test retest reliability across 28 students was 0.81
Cronbach’s alpha across 53 students was 0.9.

13. Item f2f/sl N Mean Std. Deviation Gp1 vs. Gp2 One Sample t
q1 1 32 2.88 .751 -1.55 -0.94
2 26 3.23 .992 1.18
q2 1 32 3.03 1.092 -1.57 0.16
2 26 3.54 1.363 2.01
q3 1 32 3.38 .976 -1.45 2.17
2 26 3.81 1.297 3.17
q4 1 32 2.97 1.121 -2.84 -0.15
2 26 3.77 .992 3.95
q5 1 32 3.91 .995 -2.62 5.15
2 26 4.50 .648 11.80
q6 1 32 3.56 .801 -1.96 3.97
2 26 3.96 .774 6.53
q7 1 32 3.56 .914 -1.28 3.48
2 26 3.88 .993 4.54
q8 1 32 2.84 .723 -1.71 -1.22
2 26 3.27 1.151 1.14
total 1 32 26.13 5.129 -2.40 2.34
2 26 29.96 7.034 4.32
q9 1 32 55.31 15.237 -1.29 1.97
2 26 61.73 22.313 2.68
q10 1 32 62.34 17.551 -1.87 3.97
2 26 71.54 19.838 5.54
Supermarket results
Item
1. This activity has helped me to understand
the related theory better.
2. I found the activity stimulating and engaging.
3. This was an interesting and novel activity.
4. I would like to see more of this kind of
activity on the course.
5. I found the activity easy and non threatening
to engage in.
6. The activity gave me insight into how
consumer psychology works.
7. I enjoyed taking part in the activity.
8. I felt I learned a lot from the activity.

14. Item ff/sl N Mean Std. Deviation Gp1 vs. Gp2 One sample t
q1 1 31 3.71 1.10 0.45 3.58
2 44 3.59 1.12 3.48
q2 1 31 3.74 0.93 0.96 4.44
2 44 3.50 1.15 2.88
q3 1 31 3.81 1.04 -0.60 4.29
2 44 3.95 1.03 6.12
q4 1 31 3.68 1.30 0.19 2.89
2 44 3.61 1.41 2.87
q5 1 31 4.06 1.12 -1.30 5.27
2 44 4.39 0.99 9.26
q6 1 31 3.84 0.96 -0.10 4.81
2 44 3.86 1.04 5.47
q7 1 31 3.90 1.01 0.52 4.97
2 44 3.77 1.09 7.67
q8 1 31 3.68 1.07 1.45 3.50
2 44 3.30 1.15 1.70
q9 1 31 66.94 20.50 0.43 4.59
2 44 64.73 22.43 4.33
q10 1 31 63.61 24.82 1.36 3.05
2 44 55.52 25.53 1.43
total 1 31 30.42 6.28 0.26 5.69
2 44 29.98 7.47 5.33
Counselling results
Item
1. This activity has helped me to understand the related
theory better.
2. I found the activity stimulating and engaging.
3. This was an interesting and novel activity.
4. I would like to see more of this kind of activity on the
course.
5. I found the activity easy and non threatening to
engage in.
6. The activity gave me insight into how counselling
psychology works.
7. I enjoyed taking part in the activity.
8. I felt I learned a lot from the activity.

15. Item
f2f/sl N Mean Std. Deviation Gp1 vs. Gp2 One Sample t
q1 1 31 3.39 0.80 1.47 2.68
2 22 3.00 1.11 0.00
q2 1 31 4.10 0.97 1.23 6.24
2 22 3.73 1.20 2.83
q3 1 31 3.97 0.94 .05 5.68
2 22 3.95 0.95 4.71
q4 1 31 3.68 1.13 -1.04 3.31
2 22 4.00 1.06 4.38
q5 1 31 3.65 0.98 -1.32 3.64
2 22 4.05 1.21 4.04
q6 1 31 3.55 1.06 -0.62 2.88
2 22 3.73 0.98 3.46
q7 1 31 3.97 0.87 -0.12 6.15
2 22 4.00 1.02 4.58
q8 1 31 2.74 0.96 -1.66 -1.48
2 22 3.23 1.15 0.93
total 1 31 29.03 4.78 -0.37 5.85
2 22 29.68 7.13 3.76
q9 1 31 59.84 20.55 -0.50 2.66
2 22 62.68 19.35 3.07
q10 1 31 67.10 16.72 -0.37 5.69
2 22 68.95 19.23 5.42
E1 1 31 3.77 0.99 -0.17 4.35
2 22 3.82 0.79 4.83
E2 1 31 3.90 0.94 -0.57 5.33
2 22 4.05 0.78 6.24
E3 1 31 3.71 0.93 -0.60 4.21
2 22 3.86 0.88 4.56
E4 1 31 3.23 1.17 -0.84 1.07
2 22 3.50 1.14 2.05
E5 1 31 3.84 1.09 -1.13 4.25
Dragon’s
Den
Results
Item
1. This activity has helped me to understand the
related theory better.
2. I found the activity stimulating and engaging.
3. This was an interesting and novel activity.
4. I would like to see more of this kind of activity
on the course.
5. I found the activity easy and non threatening to
engage in.
6. The activity gave me insight into how enterprise
psychology works.
7. I enjoyed taking part in the activity.
8. I felt I learned a lot from the activity.

16. q4 1 31 3.68 1.13 -1.04 3.31
2 22 4.00 1.06 4.38
q5 1 31 3.65 0.98 -1.32 3.64
2 22 4.05 1.21 4.04
q6 1 31 3.55 1.06 -0.62 2.88
2 22 3.73 0.98 3.46
q7 1 31 3.97 0.87 -0.12 6.15
2 22 4.00 1.02 4.58
q8 1 31 2.74 0.96 -1.66 -1.48
2 22 3.23 1.15 0.93
total 1 31 29.03 4.78 -0.37 5.85
2 22 29.68 7.13 3.76
q9 1 31 59.84 20.55 -0.50 2.66
2 22 62.68 19.35 3.07
q10 1 31 67.10 16.72 -0.37 5.69
2 22 68.95 19.23 5.42
E1 1 31 3.77 0.99 -0.17 4.35
2 22 3.82 0.79 4.83
E2 1 31 3.90 0.94 -0.57 5.33
2 22 4.05 0.78 6.24
E3 1 31 3.71 0.93 -0.60 4.21
2 22 3.86 0.88 4.56
E4 1 31 3.23 1.17 -0.84 1.07
2 22 3.50 1.14 2.05
E5 1 31 3.84 1.09 -1.13 4.25
2 22 4.14 0.64 8.33
Total 1 31 18.45 4.47 -0.77 4.29
2 22 19.36 3.77 5.42
Dragon’s
Den
Results
Entrepreneurial
Questions.
Item
1. This activity has helped me appreciate how Psychology can
lend itself to business start ups.
2. Ideas from Psychology can lend themselves to
entrepreneurialism.
3. This activity has given me a new appreciation of how
Psychology could be used in the real world.
4. I am more likely to consider psychology applications in
business when I graduate.
5. This was an interesting opportunity to reflect in a different
way about how psychology can be applied.

17. Quiz scores
Counselling scenario
7 questions across 15 vs 8 groups.
Mean % correct = 96.1 vs 93.8%
Supermarket scenario.
12 questions across 22 vs 9 groups
Mean % correct = 94 vs 93%
No significant differences.

18. Qualitative comments:
- Can explore new environments.
- Self paced.
- Low social demands
- Technology
- Nature of interaction with avatars
- Issues with the quite limited nature of the scripts.
- Supermarket was rated as most beneficial, some students felt
counselling agency was a bit artificial. Dragons Den worked OK
In both.

19. Conclusions.
The SL simulations were equivalent to face to face activities, in terms
of student satisfaction, learning and entrepreneurial attitude.
The exception was the supermarket scenario, where SL was significantly
better in terms of student satisfaction.
This probably reflects the fact that this complex, problem based learning
scenario was less believable in the face to face classroom.
SL may be a very useful way therefore of extending students learning
outside of the classroom.

20. Future work.