A MUVEing Experience: an instructional perspective on Second Life

Colleen Carmean

School of Global Management & Leadership

Arizona State University

Research: A look at the landscape

20% of VW inhabitants believe/claim that they live there, and only eat, sleep here.

Synthetic Worlds (Castranova, 2006)

Research: A look at the landscape

Our world is not on their affective map. It is no longer where their community abides.

E Castranova, 2006

A look at the landscape: Kurzweil

Ray Kurzweil claims this immigration will become more pronounced, in numbers and in feeling of presence there within 5 years.

What if we met them there?

•http://www.flickr.com/photos/nmc-campus/427626589/

What if we met them there?

How might this change teaching?

Learning?

Identity?

Engagement?

EDT 598: Evaluating emerging technologies (hybrid)

EDT 598: hybrid doctoral course

We explored trends, usability, meaning and affordances of Second Life for teaching and learning

Second Life

13,000,000+ million citizens38,000 on at any one time~30% have PhDs

What we found

130+ campuses up, numerous more ‘under construction’

•http://www.flickr.com/photos/marksimpkins/142984795/

Tradition often determines design outcomes

•http://www.flickr.com/photos/89376128@N00/380907239/

Instructor issues

Inability to age gracefullyInappropriate presence Back chatterGetting started

How does one teach there?

Higher education now building facsimile and imaginary campuses without codes of behavior, conduct, expectationsorunderstanding of pedagogical potential

Who is designing the learning experience?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/89376128@N00/380919210/

Rio Salado Community College (AZ)

Learning spacesMeeting spacesAVATARS of instructors and

administrators

Designed by young men in Canada unconnected to learning outcomes ($175,000)

Linda Thor, President, RSCC (Sloan 2008)

Learning Spaces by design

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nmc-campus/297008520/

Teaching by design?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nmc-campus/260218800/

Deeper Learning

SocialActiveContext-drivenFosters ownershipRequires engagement

(Carmean & Haefner, 2002)

What next for the instructional (design) community?

SLED : Second Life Educatorshttps://lists.secondlife.com/cgi-bin/mailman/l

istinfo/educators

New Media Consortium (nmc.org)

My contact info:Ariel Surya aka carmean@asu.edu