ERIC Number: EJ869932
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0047-2395
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Instructional and Design Elements that Support Effective Use of Virtual Worlds: What Graduate Student Work Reveals about Second Life
O'Connor, Eileen A.
Journal of Educational Technology Systems, v38 n2 p213-234 2009-2010
To determine if and how using immersive virtual platforms might further educational purposes, the report examines three graduate, teacher-education, online courses that were conducted in part in Second Life (SL). By studying students' SL-related debriefings and assignments, by considering the type, format, and scheduling of SL events, and by integrating the instructor's knowledge of the courses' progression, a perspective on the most effective instructional and design elements emerges from these three different courses. In all courses, students quickly become acclimated, overcoming the resistance of some to working in a virtual environment. Students made rich, expansive (beyond the direct course readings and experiences) comments and suggestions about the real world in which they did or would soon work; these comments sprang from the collegial interactions and virtual experiences within SL. However, students needed help becoming comfortable with the technology and scheduling concerns arose. This report considers the social and collaborative gains possible when online courses use virtual platforms and offers suggestions to minimize the potential problems that could be encountered when adjusting to a powerful and "different" instructional environment. (Contains 7 tables and 2 figures.)
Descriptors: Graduate Students, Teacher Education Programs, Online Courses, Computer Uses in Education, Virtual Classrooms, Computer Simulation, Educational Environment, Adjustment (to Environment), Social Systems, Acculturation, Scheduling, Time Management, Simulated Environment, Self Concept, Curriculum Design, Student Attitudes, Anxiety, Attitude Change, Alignment (Education), Teacher Expectations of Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New York
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A