ILE 08 and ILE 09 Judith Good IDEAs Lab University of Sussex Liz Thackray Open University National Workshop in Learning in Immersive Virtual Worlds 23 October 2008

Overview Background Premise and outline for research Practical set up Research process Showcase of student work Relating practice to theory What next - ILE 09 Discussion/Questions

Background Sussex Learning Network elearning conference (May 07) showcased Second Life Interactive Learning Environments (ILE) is an established course at Sussex with a practical component Collaboration between the course leader and elearning project led to a project using Second Life in ILE 2008 (funded by InQbate’s Creativity Development Fund)

Premise for research Second Life is a virtual environment Users create all of the content within the environment Educators can and do make use of it Many times they replicate currently real-life educational practices

Premise for research So… can we move beyond this and do something truly innovative? More specifically… might students, with no prior experience of delivering traditional teaching, be better placed to think creatively about learning in Second Life?

Outline for research As the assessment for the ILE course, have students create learning experiences: – in Second Life –which address real life teaching and learning situations –which aim to push the boundaries and lead to innovation and creativity in teaching and learning

Practical Set up - course Interactive Learning Environments (ILE) introduces students to technology enhanced learning, including: Theories of learning Games and simulations Social software for learning Virtual reality Augmented and embodied learning Applications of artificial intelligence to learning

Introducing students to Second Life Students familiarised themselves with SL over Christmas Theoretical introduction at 1st course session Introductory building class at 2nd course session

Project brief Students work in self-selecting project teams External clients from the Sussex Learning Network partner institutions identified a topic or issue which is difficult, dangerous, or impossible to teach in real life Students design a potential solution/learning experience in Second Life

Course structure – student tasks Interview with client Project specification and feedback Research project and familiarisation with SL (in parallel) Create a learning experience in SL Machinima presentation Reflective documents

Situations Client - Open University Issue - Helping students understand systems diagrams: –Students often have a black and white view of systems –Need to understand there may not be one definitive answer –Need to understand basic concepts such as boundaries, stakeholders, etc.

Situations Client - Open University Issue - Training social workers in mental illness or child abuse assessment skills: –geographical issues around arranging access to cases –presence of trainee social worker may impact negatively on case –Difficult to suspend disbelief in real role- play situations

Situations Client - Brighton University Issue - Helping student nurses to calculate correct dosage and drip rates (and overcome maths anxiety): –Student nurses may lack maths skills (and have concomitant anxiety); –Based on prescriptions received, often need to calculate correct dosages, convert between units, etc. –Obvious importance of getting it right.

Situations Client - Brighton University Issue - Helping trainee police officers to conduct drug searches: –Role-play is not realistic –Students know a “drug” has been planted –It can be embarrassing to search one’s classmate

Machinima

Relating practice to theory Project can be viewed in terms of process and product Process: –Process as an example and extension of problem-based learning

Relating practice to theory Process: –Boundary issues: Institutional Curriculum First and second life roles and persona Face to face and distance delivery modes Safety and risk-taking

Relating practice to theory Product (were learning experiences truly innovative?) –Use of virtual space to: situate action make implicit concepts explicit make abstract entities tangible make real-life entitles more abstract signify progression through difficulty levels signify different types of learning

Relating practice to theory Product (were learning experiences truly innovative?) –Role-playing simulations: Collaborative Immersive –Ludic, playful, engaging elements –Mixing of real/virtual

Where next – ILE 09 Focusing on projects across the Sussex campus Moving to testing SL learning experiences with real student cohorts Raising awareness of Second Life across campus

Discussion/Questions