Alternative Realities

2010 ◽  
pp. 245-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Gregory ◽  
Torsten Reiners ◽  
Belinda Tynan
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
Cultural Economic ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Equity And Access

As students increasingly engage with alternative social networking (or realities) there is a scope for educators to explore whether they pose opportunities for rethinking learning and teaching spaces. The authors argue that there is a requirement to shift away from mapping traditional thinking about what constitutes a learning experience when considering virtual worlds. This chapter draws upon two case studies that have provided two distinctly different learning designs for Logistics students and pre-service teachers. These cases, alongside a comprehensive review of the use of virtual worlds in education will draw out issues and factors which need to be considered when pursuing virtual worlds as learning spaces. Specifically, discussion and recommendations will have a focus on pedagogical, organisational, equity and access, cultural, economic and social factors relevant to the use of virtual worlds in distance education.

scholarly journals Exploring Active Blended Learning Through the Lens of Team-Based Learning

2021 ◽  
pp. 172-192
Author(s):  
Rachel Maxwell ◽  
Roshni Khatri
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Teaching Strategy ◽  
Learning Technologies ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
Approach To Learning ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
The Core ◽  
Team Based Learning ◽  
Core Concepts

This chapter showcases how the collaborative learning and teaching strategy known as Team-Based Learning™ (TBL) can deliver against the conceptual components within active blended learning (ABL), through exploration of different case studies from the authors' university. It begins by detailing the core concepts and theories underpinning each pedagogic approach before considering how adoption of TBL is consistent with the wider implementation of ABL. Case histories are used to highlight how these approaches enhance the student learning experience and how learning technologies can enable staff to do more of what they value within the classroom. The value of different learning spaces to facilitate TBL and augment the learning experience for both staff and students is considered. Finally, the chapter explores some of the more difficult questions around the lack of broader uptake of TBL within an institution committed to ABL as its standard approach to learning and teaching.

A Preliminary Evaluation of the iPad as a Tool for Learning and Teaching

2013 ◽  
pp. 154-168
Author(s):  
Sue Gregory ◽  
Tony Brown ◽  
Mitchell Parkes
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Large Distance ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Laptop Computers ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
The Third ◽  
Education Study

In May 2010, the release of the iPad in Australia brought a whole new dimension to learning. This chapter presents the preliminary findings of a pilot study conducted at a large distance education university designed to explore the use of the iPad as a tool for learning from three perspectives. The first is the use of the iPad from a lecturer’s point of view, outlining how it can be used to enhance the task of teaching in distance education. The second is from a student’s point of view, exploring how the iPad can assist in distance education study. The third examines the iPad from an insider perspective, reviewing the variety of apps available including those for social networking. The overall impression is that the iPad has great potential as a tool for learning but it will not necessarily reduce the need for desktop or laptop computers.

Learning and Assessment with Virtual Worlds

2009 ◽  
pp. 55-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Hobbs ◽  
Elaine Brown ◽  
Marie Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Preliminary Analysis ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Cognitive Approach ◽  
Approach To Learning ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Transferable Skills ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Initial Results

This chapter provides an introduction to learning and teaching in the virtual world Second Life (SL). It focuses on the nature of the environment and the constructivist cognitive approach to learning that it supports. The authors present detailed accounts of two case studies and provide preliminary analysis of the way in which the environment helps students to achieve both explicit and implicit learning outcomes. The formal assessment for these studies allowed the content, style, narrative and working pattern to be decided by the students. They believe that this approach provides a useful stepping stone between content driven and problem-based teaching techniques. Initial results seem to indicate that students have brought in learning from other areas with a mature approach that enhances their transferable skills in group work, project management and problem based learning. The authors suggest that loosely specified assessments with suitable scaffolding, within the rich environment of Second Life, can be used to help students develop independent, self motivated learning. To support this they map criteria from problembased learning literature and link the learning experience to types of learner.

Community@Brighton

2010 ◽  
pp. 50-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stan Stanier
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Shared Learning ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Strategic Vision ◽  
Network Platform

This chapter details the implementation of a university-wide social networking platform “Community@ Brighton” – using the open source Elgg platform and describes the technical, institutional and educational issues arising from the two years of experience in running the platform. The strategic vision of providing a social network platform alongside an institutional VLE to provide an integrated Shared Learning Environment is also explored, including key case studies and discussion on the challenges such technologies place on existing models of online learning and teaching.

scholarly journals Learning spaces in virtual worlds: bringing our distance students home

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari Carmen Gil Ortega ◽  
Liz Falconer
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
Pedagogical Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Postgraduate Students

Purpose – Distance learning (DL) programmes are becoming increasingly popular in higher education. Overcoming feelings of isolation that may occur due to the reduced support available, the few possibilities of social interaction and the non-existent campus atmosphere in online courses, have become one of the major challenges of designers and instructors of DL programmes. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This paper provides an example of how the authors can create and use virtual world (VW) learning spaces that not only match the face-to-face learning experience, but also enhance it. Innovation@UWE Island in Second Life, home of the MA education in virtual worlds, is an example of pedagogical innovation that capitalises on what VWs have to offer to social aspects of teaching and learning. In this programme the authors use a three-dimensional virtual space to provide postgraduate students – physically located in diverse geographical areas of the world – with a sense of community and connectedness that matches the sense of belonging that often accompanies the on-campus learning experience. Findings – The paper provides examples of students engaging in an environment where traditional conceptions of both “teaching” and “learning” do not apply, where the four-walled classroom is not the only setting where learning happens, where everyone in the group can potentially be an instructor or a peer, an expert or a novice, and learn from each other in a meaningful way. Originality/value – This paper introduces the rationale behind the choice of architecture of the learning environment as well as the instructional design of the programme to enhance co-presence and place presence, to build a true community of practice and to foster collaboration for reflective learning.

scholarly journals Beyond the Game: Quest Atlantis as an Online Learning Experience for Gifted Elementary Students

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackie Gerstein
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Students ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Student Behavior ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Teacher Observations ◽  
Quest Atlantis ◽  
Unit Plans

Quest Atlantis (QA) is a learning and teaching project that uses a 3D virtual environment to immerse children, ages 8-15, in educational tasks. It allows users to travel to virtual places to perform educational activities known as Quests. The core elements of QA are: 1) a 3D multi-user virtual environment (MUVE), 2) inquiry learning Quests and unit plans, 3) a storyline involving a mythical Council and a set of social commitments, and 4) a globally-distributed community of participants (Barab, Arici, & Jackson, 2005). These inherently engaging environments are natural motivators for this age-level student, who can be considered members of the Club Penguin generation. To determine the perspectives of the users, themselves, a survey was conducted with a group of 35 gifted elementary students. The results, gathered through both closed and open-ended questions, identified the strengths and limitations of this media as a viable pedagogy for teaching more traditional content area subjects. Teacher observations of student behavior both in the real life classroom and in the online environment present additional insights how digital natives engage in and interact with this media. Implications for using virtual worlds such as Quest Atlantis for distance learning of upper elementary students are proposed.

scholarly journals Promoting Interprofessional Collaboration: A Pilot Project Using Simulation in the Virtual World of Second Life

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Lee Davis ◽  
Gylo Hercelinskyj ◽  
Lynette M. Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Interprofessional Education ◽  
Interprofessional Collaboration ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Learning And Teaching

Background: Contemporary health services increasingly call for teamwork and interprofessional collaboration, though undergraduate curricula provide few opportunities for students to develop the necessary skills. This article presents the results of an innovative pilot project focusing on providing an interprofessional clinical learning experience for students using the virtual world of Second Life.Methods and Findings: A pilot project was implemented and tested on a small group of students studying at two institutions in four healthcare programs. Qualitative descriptive methods were employed to analyze semi-structured interview transcripts. The evaluation revealed that participants were easily able to manage the technologies associated with Second Life and the learning and teaching strategies were engaging and useful. While the project provided students with an opportunity to learn more about the role of other health professionals and their contribution to patient care, it will require some development before it achieves in full the aim to promote interprofessional collaboration. Conclusions: Simulation in virtual worlds such as Second Life offers promise in the area of interprofessional education.

Dialogic Teaching and Translanguaging in Deaf Education

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Swanwick
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Deaf Education ◽  
Deaf Children ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Diverse Learning ◽  
Language Context ◽  
Pedagogical Framework

This chapter proposes a pedagogical framework for deaf education that builds on a sociocultural perspective and the role of interaction in learning. Pedagogical principles are argued that recognize the dialogic nature of learning and teaching and the role of language as “the tool of all tools” in this process. Building on established work on classroom talk in deaf education, the issues of dialogue in deaf education are extended to consider deaf children’s current learning contexts and their diverse and plural use of sign and spoken languages. Within this broad language context, the languaging and translanguaging practices of learners and teachers are explained as central to a pedagogical framework that is responsive to the diverse learning needs of deaf children. Within this pedagogical framework practical teaching strategies are suggested that draw on successful approaches in the wider field of language learning and take into account the particular learning experience and contexts of deaf children.

scholarly journals Frameworks for understanding the nature of interactions, networking, and community in a social networking site for academic practice

2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grainne Conole ◽  
Rebecca Galley ◽  
Juliette Culver
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
User Interactions ◽  
Academic Practice ◽  
User Behaviour ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Changing Patterns ◽  
Teaching Ideas

This paper describes a new social networking site, Cloudworks, which has been developed to enable discussion and sharing of learning and teaching ideas/designs and to promote reflective academic practice. The site aims to foster new forms of social and participatory practices (peer critiquing, sharing, user-generated content, aggregation, and personalisation) within an educational context. One of the key challenges in the development of the site has been to understand the user interactions and the changing patterns of user behaviour as it evolves. The paper explores the extent to which four frameworks that have been used in researching networked learning contexts can provide insights into the patterns of user behaviour that we see in Cloudworks. The paper considers this within the current debate about the new types of interactions, networking, and community being observed as users adapt to and appropriate new technologies.

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