Enhanced Interaction in Mixed Social Environments

2009 ◽  
pp. 146-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Oliverio ◽  
Dennis Beck
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Strategic Learning ◽  
American University ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Virtual World Environments ◽  
Enhanced Learning

We introduce the term ‘mixed social environments’ as a strategic learning construct to augment student interaction when utilizing virtual world environments such as Second Life in the classroom. While an increasing number of institutions are investigating the use of virtual world environments for enhanced learning, at present there are at least three major areas that are underdeveloped: interdisciplinary research, documentation of best practices, and exploration of the use of mixed social environments. In the spring of 2007, a new interdisciplinary research seminar addressing these aspects was offered at a large American university. We present an overview of the resultant learning artifacts, outcomes, and research questions in hopes of helping to inform best practices, expand interdisciplinary research, and assist in the design of future mixed social environments for enhanced learning.

Enhanced Interaction in Mixed Social Environments

2010 ◽  
pp. 1362-1377
Author(s):  
James Oliverio ◽  
Dennis Beck
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Strategic Learning ◽  
American University ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Virtual World Environments ◽  
Enhanced Learning

We introduce the term ‘mixed social environments’ as a strategic learning construct to augment student interaction when utilizing virtual world environments such as Second Life in the classroom. While an increasing number of institutions are investigating the use of virtual world environments for enhanced learning, at present there are at least three major areas that are underdeveloped: interdisciplinary research, documentation of best practices, and exploration of the use of mixed social environments. In the spring of 2007, a new interdisciplinary research seminar addressing these aspects was offered at a large American university. We present an overview of the resultant learning artifacts, outcomes, and research questions in hopes of helping to inform best practices, expand interdisciplinary research, and assist in the design of future mixed social environments for enhanced learning.

Using Virtual World Technology as a Faculty Development Tool in Higher Education

2012 ◽  
pp. 149-160
Author(s):  
Linda W. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Faculty Development ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Faculty Perceptions ◽  
College Faculty ◽  
Teaching Tool ◽  
Development Tool ◽  
Virtual World Environments

Higher education institutions are constantly challenged with the task of educating a technology savvy generation of students. Colleges must be able and ready to meet the needs of these digital-age students. What are the perceptions of college faculty of using virtual world technology as a teaching tool in the classroom? The purpose of this chapter is to explore how virtual world environments can be used as a faculty development tool in order to encourage the use of virtual worlds as a teaching tool in the classroom. This chapter references research from a mixed methods study exploring college faculty perceptions of the adoption of virtual world technology into the classroom, which in turn, provides insight to the willingness of higher education faculty to adopt this type of technology. In addition, the final section of the chapter includes a suggested guide on how to create a virtual world faculty development workshop based in Linden Lab’s Second Life.

Communication and Education in a Virtual World

2012 ◽  
pp. 121-136
Author(s):  
Lorri Mon
Keyword(s):  
Learning Styles ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Social Presence ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Personal Learning ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
Personal Learning Environments ◽  
Virtual World Environments

Education within Second Life frequently recapitulates the “sage on the stage” as students sit their avatars down in chairs in the virtual world and listen to or read an instructor’s lecture while watching a slideshow. This conceptual article explores alternative active learning techniques supporting independent and collaborative learning within virtual worlds. Within Second Life, educators can utilize a variety of scripted tools and objects as well as techniques of building and terra-forming to create vibrant virtual personal learning environments and learning experiences that are engaging and responsive to individual learners. Issues of embodiment in an avatar are discussed in terms of social presence, and student learning styles are considered as well as approaches to problem-based learning, games, role play, and immersive virtual world environments.

scholarly journals Artistic Expression in Second Life: What can we learn from creative pioneers of new mediums?

2009 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Lester / Pathfinder Linden
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Visual Art ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Artistic Expression ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Performing Artists ◽  
Shared Experiences

Second Life is a virtual world that allows its Residents to create completely original content using atomistic building tools in a shared and globally accessible space. In this respect it is a very unique new medium for artistic expression, as it give artists not only a new collection of creative tools but also the ability to create an environment where individuals can experience this art as a group while engaging with each other. How are artists exploring this new medium of virtual worlds, and what can we all learn from them? In some ways, they are leveraging very ancient human desires for shared experiences around classic creative work such as music and visual art. In other ways, they may be creating completely new models of artistic expression, such as dynamic art that changes based on the interactions of both live performing artists and patrons in a global setting that sometimes blurs the boundaries between the virtual world and the physical world. Studying these new artistic explorations may yield insights into yet unforeseen best practices for engaging human beings around creative content and collaborative expression in virtual worlds.

Communication and Education in a Virtual World

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorri Mon
Keyword(s):  
Learning Styles ◽  
Social Presence ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Role Play ◽  
Personal Learning ◽  
Learning Games ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
Virtual World Environments

Education within Second Life frequently recapitulates the “sage on the stage” as students sit their avatars down in chairs in the virtual world and listen to or read an instructor’s lecture while watching a slideshow. This conceptual article explores alternative active learning techniques supporting independent and collaborative learning within virtual worlds. Within Second Life, educators can utilize a variety of scripted tools and objects as well as techniques of building and terra-forming to create vibrant virtual personal learning environments and learning experiences that are engaging and responsive to individual learners. Issues of embodiment in an avatar are discussed in terms of social presence, and student learning styles are considered as well as approaches to problem-based learning, games, role play, and immersive virtual world environments.

scholarly journals The effects of gamification on self-efficacy and persistence in virtual world familiarization

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Peter J. "Asikaa" Cosgrove
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Virtual Classroom ◽  
Barriers To Entry ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
Training Courses

Students who are inexperienced with multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) such as Second Life can experience significant difficulties when first entering the virtual classroom. The unfamiliar paradigm of moving an avatar around a simulated Euclidean space can lead to disorientation, confusion, frustration and ultimately, a defeatist affect that leads to abandonment of the format. Overcoming these barriers-to-entry necessitates a foundational training course in which students can become efficacious in the basic use of virtual worlds. However, researchers have not fully established evidence-based best practices for the design of these training courses. Gamification, the process in which non-game activities are endowed with the typical attributes of a game, is a technique that has been empirically shown to improve motivation and satisfaction in such fields as education and the workplace. This study experimentally tested the effects of gamifying a virtual world familiarization course on self-efficacy, persistence, task skill and satisfaction. The results inform a theoretical model and substantive recommendations for the design of familiarization courses for virtual world learning programs.

scholarly journals Third Places Take First Place in Second Life: Developing a Scale to Measure the ‘Stickiness’ of Virtual World Sites.

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wade Halvorson
Keyword(s):  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Business Operations ◽  
Quantum Leap ◽  
Ghost Towns ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Virtual World Environments

The objective of this study is to examine what drives visitor retention in successful businesses operating in online virtual world environments. The study draws motivation from increasing anecdotal evidence reporting on high profile corporate brands withdrawing from operations in Second Life - citing low visitor traffic as their motivation. Early adopter corporations that established business operations in Second Life did so anticipating benefits from the new technology akin to the quantum leap made when they embraced the World Wide Web. While disappointingly low visitor numbers left many virtual world operations looking like desolate ghost towns, there are businesses enjoying active repeat customers. Drawing on Oldenburg’s Theory of Third Place, this study seeks to quantify the reasons for high customer retention in successful virtual communities. To this effect, a questionnaire is developed and administered by a team of avatar researchers who interviewed over 250 avatars in Second Life. Website stickiness measures are reviewed and applied to virtual world sites. Conclusions are drawn and future research directions proposed. 

Lessons from the Virtual Campus

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn E. Stevens ◽  
Scott P. Stevens
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Museum Studies ◽  
James Madison ◽  
Virtual Campus ◽  
University Campuses ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Student Projects

Second Life is a virtual world where many universities have established an educational presence. Hoping to serve as a useful example for others that are considering the creation of a virtual campus, this article follows how the Second Life campus of James Madison University was created in 2008. It details the nontraditional ways that it was used by faculty and students for museum studies, student projects, and in-world conferencing. It also reviews the major reasons why the project failed in April 2012 after four years of successful use, concluding with thoughts on best practices for Second Life university campuses.

scholarly journals A team-based competition for undergraduate medical students to learn radiology within the virtual world Second Life

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teodoro Rudolphi-Solero ◽  
Alberto Jimenez-Zayas ◽  
Rocio Lorenzo-Alvarez ◽  
Dolores Domínguez-Pinos ◽  
Miguel Jose Ruiz-Gomez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Student Perception ◽  
Load Test ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Students ◽  
Exposure Test ◽  
Radiological Anatomy ◽  
Post Exposure ◽  
Course Grades

Abstract Background A multi-user competitive game within the virtual world Second Life for undergraduate radiology learning was adapted for team participation. This study aimed to assess student perception, impact on learning, and eventual correlation of game results with post-exposure tests and course grades. Methods The game consisted of six weekly stages, dedicated to thoracic, abdominal, and musculoskeletal radiological anatomy and semiology. Participants had several days a week to review self-guided radiology educational content and then complete individual multiple-choice tests and solve team tasks to progress through the game's ranking. Additionally, they completed a cognitive load test, a questionnaire about the experience and a post-exposure knowledge test. Results Fifty-two students organised into 13 teams participated in the game and assessed different aspects of the experience with a mean score ≥ 7.8 on a 10-point scale, highlighting the participation of the teacher (9.3 ± 1.1), the educational contents (8.8 ± 1.4) and the usefulness for their education (8.7 ± 1.4). Participants obtained better post-exposure test results (p < 0.007) and better course grades (p < 0.021) than non-participants did. Conclusion A multi-user game adapted to team competition to learn radiology in Second Life was very positively perceived by third-year medical students, who highly valued its content, organisation, and usefulness for their training. Most of the participants agreed that they had collaborated as a team and that playing in competitive environments helps them learn better. The best post-exposure and academic results compared to non-participating students indicate the potential impact of the game on learning.

Learning Real-Life Lessons From Online Games

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia G. Lange
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Online Games ◽  
Technical Knowledge ◽  
Life Lessons ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Scholarly Attention

Games have received increased scholarly attention due to the economic value they generate. Yet, some studies still conceptualize games as ‘‘virtual’’ realms that are theoretically distinct from ‘‘real world’’ experiences. Based on an ethnographic investigation of two online, text-based gaming environments, this study analyzes dynamics such as technical acculturation, access to technical knowledge, and opportunities for self-expression by studying social interaction that occurred in non-revenue-generating games. Frameworks that focus on dynamics such as in-game conversation in broader game-centric domains or ecologies should be considered to accommodate a wider variety of gaming forms and related interdisciplinary research questions. Different games have different consequences, and it is important to understand the varying consequential contexts that games afford. Whether or not the consequences may be measured economically, it is nevertheless important to consider how social interactions may complicate forms of self-expression in ways that impact the human spirit.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document