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Using Second Life as an Instructional Tool

The following is a proposal submitted to the AECT (Association for Educational Commnications and Technology) 2008 International Convention: "On the Horizon: Rays of Change (Call for proposals)".

Short Description:

As the technology of virtual worlds matures, instructional technologists are confronted with new tools that could be used to meet learning needs. This proposal discusses an ongoing virtual world pilot project using Second Life during the spring of 2008. The presentation will report on the findings of the pilot project. Through our experience using Second Life, we hope to shed light on the learning impact, practical advantages, and disadvantages of virtual worlds in higher education.

Abstract: Introduction

The first phase of the pilot project began 2 years ago with an exploration of virtual world technology in order to quickly respond to questions and teaching needs in the University. The exploration stage involved two primary goals: evaluate the technology and educate the University community.

During the evaluation process several virtual world technologies were considered such as Second Life, There, Google SketchUp, ActiveWorlds and the newly formed OpenLife Grid. Each technology was analyzed in the context of instructional purposes and for reliability, simplicity, scalability and sustainability. Despite the excitement from within the discipline of instructional technology there was little interest early on from the academic community. However, it was quickly determined there were key misconceptions about virtual worlds from the faculty community. Misconceptions usually regarded the concept of a user generated virtual space, understanding the difference between a goal driven game environment and a goal free virtual world environment, technology limitations such as 3D modeling capabilities and artificial intelligence. Generally, we found that faculty either overestimated what Second Life could provide or underestimated the possibilities. To address these misconceptions, university wide campus training events were held to educate the university faculty and community on the emergence of virtual worlds. As a result, interest on campus grew quickly and faculty requests for assistance in design and development involving virtual worlds began.

Results of Exploration

As a result of one of our training events, faculty in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning became interested in exploring Second Life as a possible solution to their instructional needs.

For the purposes of this project, we have identified the following learning objectives for Urban and Regional Planning students:

The instructor and instructional designers will:

The pedagogical foundation for this course utilizes a project-based authentic learning model. The Urban and Regional Planning students will work together to design an urban landscape based on an area in their local city, a real-life activity that many of them will have to perform once they receive their degree. Students can build spaces dynamically and collaboratively in real-time. All members of the team can work on the space together and communicate their intentions using voice over internet protocol (VoIP) or text chat. The online access to the designs will allow students to meet and work on their design anytime. An additional benefit is that Second Life immerses your avatar in the 3-D space providing a more realistic and authentic perspective of urban design.

Another aspect that makes Second Life a useful environment for this experiment is that it can facilitate immediate feedback from the professor throughout the design process. At any moment, the professor can check in on the progress of the design project and give critiques based on what is there. The professor can watch the group interaction and discussion occur in the design space, giving them further insight into the group's dynamics and increased understanding. Based on these findings, we have determined that Second Life can assist Urban and Regional Planning students in meeting their learning objectives.

Second Life presents an opportunity to engage students entering higher education in the types of activities that they prefer and leverage their technological understanding and experience for the purpose of learning. They have grown up communicating through social networking tools like Facebook, MySpace, and have used Flickr, chat, SMS, World of WarCraft etc. to collaborate with their friends on common projects (or quests).

To alleviate student anxiety, we will provide training in using Second Life's 3-D modeling tools. In addition, the students will be able to choose whether they will use Second Life's modeling tools, paper, or other media to demonstrate their understanding.

Based on how well Second Life aligns with the learning objectives and cooperation from the professor, the following project plan has been outlined:

Project Plan

1. Instructional design and development

a. Train students and faculty on basic Second Life functionality

i. Determine how much training is needed

ii. Provide training for basic navigation and interaction in Second Life

iii. Provide training in building objects using Second Life's 3D tools


2. Administrative

a. Provide a sandbox island for Urban Design students to develop urban landscapes

i. Determine if this is enough space

b. Assist with technical issues throughout the semester

i. Determine amount of technical support that is required

3. Technology evaluation

a. Determine scalability of resources and technology

b. Determine sustainability of resources and technology

c. Determine reliability of the technology

d. Technology performance

e. Technology learning curve

4. Instructional evaluation

a. Survey students and faculty regarding

i. Learner growth

ii. Learner style

iii. Effectiveness of Second Life for visualization and creation of an urban environment

iv. Usefulness of Second Life for learning basic concepts and principles of urban design

v. Satisfaction with the tools

vi. Recommendations for future projects

Educational Implications

The emergence of any technology with the potential to advance learning requires instructional technologists to examine its effectiveness and efficiency. On a micro level we hope to give assistance to educators in domains similar to Urban and Regional Planning. On a macro level this pilot project intends to add to a newly forming collective knowledge and providing more predictive insight into how virtual worlds could be leveraged in other learning domains.