Higher Education in Virtual Worlds: Teaching and Learning in Second Life (International Perspectives on Education and Society)

The use of virtual world platforms is still in its infancy and many educators are wondering how best to use such platforms as a complement to their teaching and facilitation strategies. Targeted at educators and researchers wishing to use virtual environments in their teaching practice "Higher Education in Second Life" provides practical advice specifically for educators in higher education. This book focuses on the use of Second Life - a free, readily-accessible virtual world which is increasingly being used for both formal and informal learning. "Second Life" provides a platform where people can meet and collaborate, teach and learn, play roles and live through experiences. For the experienced this publication provides case studies and ideas for implementing effective learning experiences, for the novice it offers suggestions for overcoming potential barriers and joining the community of 'new frontier educators'. It has a broad appeal to educators from a wide range of disciplines, from the academic community, to training and development managers, and companies with corporate universities looking to reduce their costs through the use of technology and distance learning. Higher Education in Virtual Worlds: Teaching and Learning in Second Life ......Page 4 Copyright page ......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 List of Contributors......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 1. Why This Book? ......Page 12 2. Why Second Life? ......Page 14 3. Structure and Content of This Book ......Page 15 4. Some Initial Conclusions Arising ......Page 18 References......Page 19 1.1. Introduction ......Page 22 1.2. Institutional Barriers ......Page 23 1.3. The Hype Cycle ......Page 24 1.6. Protocols ......Page 25 1.7. ‘‘But...it’s a Game...’’ ......Page 26 1.8. Technology Barriers ......Page 28 1.10. End-User Barriers ......Page 31 1.12. Conclusions ......Page 35 1.13. Recommendations ......Page 36 References......Page 38 2.1. Introduction ......Page 40 2.3. Interpersonal and Group Communication in CMC Contexts ......Page 41 2.4. Interpersonal Uncertainty Reduction and Relationship Development ......Page 42 2.6. Group Communication and Participation ......Page 43 2.7. Interpersonal and Group Communication in Second Life ......Page 44 2.8. Method ......Page 46 2.9. Results ......Page 47 2.10. Discussion and Implications ......Page 52 References......Page 54 3.1. Introduction ......Page 58 3.2. Building Social Confidence Virtually with Students on and off the Autistic Spectrum ......Page 60 3.3. The Pedagogical Implications of ‘‘Once-Removed’’ vs. True Representation ......Page 62 3.4. Harmless Deception or Deceptions that Harm? ......Page 65 3.5. Failing without Consequences - the Academic Benefits ......Page 67 3.6. Conclusions ......Page 69 References......Page 70 4.1. Introduction ......Page 76 4.2. Research Methodology ......Page 77 4.4. Unique Pedagogical Advantages of Second Life ......Page 78 4.5. Educational Uses of Second Life ......Page 80 4.7. Features Contained in the Second Life Client ......Page 81 4.9. Potential for Discipline Specific Usage ......Page 82 4.10. Challenges Faced by Business Faculty as Early Adopters of Second Life ......Page 84 4.14. Practical Task ......Page 87 4.15. Reflections on the Lesson Plan ......Page 88 4.16. Business Education in Second Life: Two Students’ Perspectives ......Page 89 References......Page 91 5.1. Introduction: Business Schools Using Virtual Worlds? ......Page 94 5.4. Virtual Education ......Page 95 5.5. Internal Process Management and Student Recruitment ......Page 96 5.7. How INSEAD Experiences Second Life’s Potential and Challenges ......Page 97 5.8. INSEAD’s Three Virtual Campus Areas ......Page 98 5.9. INSEAD’s SL Presence Characterized by Informal Start-up Feeling ......Page 102 5.10. Challenges and Limits of INSEAD’s SL Island ......Page 103 5.11. INSEAD’s Future in SL ......Page 104 5.13. Advances in Hard and Software ......Page 105 5.15. Transformation toward Standardization and Interoperability ......Page 106 5.16. Interconnection between Reality and Virtual Worlds ......Page 107 5.18. Conclusions: Business Schools Using Virtual Worlds ......Page 108 References......Page 110 6.1. Student Perceptions of Instructor Nonverbal Immediacy ......Page 112 6.2. Nonverbal Immediacy and Learning Outcomes ......Page 113 6.3. Social Presence, Immediacy, Technology, and Education ......Page 114 6.4. Online Instruction, Immediacy, and Educational Outcomes ......Page 115 6.6. Method ......Page 116 6.7. Limitations and Future Research ......Page 121 References......Page 122 7.2. Marketing Theory in Traditional Academic Curricula ......Page 126 7.3. Role of Simulations in Contemporary Academic Curricula ......Page 129 7.4. Simulating Brand Management ......Page 130 7.5. The Second Life Branding Project ......Page 131 7.6. Technical Support ......Page 133 7.8. Quantitative Analysis ......Page 134 7.9. Qualitative Analysis ......Page 135 7.10. Looking Back and Ahead: Lessons Learned ......Page 142 7.11. Conclusions ......Page 145 References......Page 146 Appendix......Page 148 8.1. Introduction ......Page 152 References......Page 167 9.1. Introduction ......Page 170 9.2. A Rationale for a Constructivist Approach in Design Education ......Page 171 9.3. Approaches to Construct Knowledge in Computer-Supported Education ......Page 172 9.4. Design Learning in Virtual Worlds ......Page 173 9.5. Virtual Worlds for Enhancing Creativity in Design ......Page 174 9.6. Case Study: A Collaborative Architectural Studio in Second Life ......Page 175 9.7. Collaborative Design Outcomes ......Page 176 9.8. Evaluation and Discussion ......Page 180 9.9. Student Perceptions ......Page 183 9.10. Recommendations ......Page 186 References......Page 188 10.1. Introduction ......Page 192 10.2. Performance Appraisal Training Development Possibilities ......Page 193 10.3. The Study ......Page 197 10.4. Findings ......Page 203 10.5. Conclusions ......Page 208 References......Page 209 11.1. Introduction ......Page 214 11.2. Using Second Life with Students ......Page 216 11.3. Using Second Life in Staff Development ......Page 218 11.4. From Theory to Practice ......Page 220 11.5. Evaluation and Development ......Page 222 11.6. The 3 Rs: Rigour, Relevance and Re-iteration ......Page 225 11.7. Reflections and Lessons to be Learned ......Page 226 References......Page 228 12.1. Introduction ......Page 232 12.2. Description of the Class and Types of Participation ......Page 233 12.3. Review of the Literature ......Page 235 12.4. Co-presence and Embodiment in SL ......Page 236 12.6. Results ......Page 238 12.7. Results Related to Social Interaction and Persona ......Page 245 12.8. Discussion ......Page 247 12.9. Conclusions ......Page 249 References......Page 250 Targeted at educators and researchers wishing to use virtual environments in their teaching practice, this work provides practical advice specifically for educators in higher education. It focuses on the use of Second Life - a free, readily-accessible virtual world which is increasingly being used for both formal and informal learning.