Instructor Cathy Arreguin cathy_arreguin@mac.com

3-D Multiuser Learning Environments

What could you teach in a virtual 3-D world where the surroundings and learners can change their appearance at will? We'll look at simulations, role-plays, cross-cultural exchanges, 3-D WebQuests and much more while examining issues of identity and etiquette. Participants will create lesson plans, a reflection piece, and a well-dressed avatar.
Schedule # 09494

Overview

This course is designed to be practical, current, interesting, empowering and thought-provoking. It is built around active learning and collaborative thinking. When we're done, you'll have developed insights that will enable you to design virtual world learning experiences appropriate for your students and the subjects you teach.

Audience

This course is targeted at teachers at the K-12 and college levels as well as others involved in the training of adults. No prior experience with virtual life is needed.

Learning Outcomes

In this course you will learn how to:

• create and maintain an identity in a virtual world
• collaborate in a virtual world envirnment
• describe the range of educational possibilities opened up by such worlds
• analyze the affordances inherent in Second Life that may be useful for teaching and learning
• compare and contrast those affordances with those of other virtual worlds
• design experiences in a virtual world that could be embedded in a larger teaching and learning effort.

Resources

A growing list of course-related links is available and will be maintained after the course is over.

Technology Requirements

To succeed in this class, you will need the following:

• A computer capable of running Second Life. See here for system requirements.
• A headset/mic.

Course Outline

Advance Preparation:

A brief meeting will be held prior to the first session orienting students to Second Life and other course resources. The instructor will contact registered students to establish a convenient date and time.

Students should create their Second Life account at least one week before class begins. The instructor will email students instructions that clearly explain the process.

Session 1: June 7, 2008

• Logistics: Moodle
• Jumping to the EDTEC virtual campus
• Shaping your persona and dressing up
• Anthropological expedition in small groups
• Explore selected educational sites

Session 2: June 14, 2008

• Creating content in SL
• Affordances of SL for learning
• A taxonomy of possibilities

Session 3: June 21, 2008

• Presentations of summaries of educational event or site visited
• Debriefing and building of a taxonomy of Second Life educational applications and affordandaces
• Exploration and comparison of alternate MUVE environment

Session 4: June 28, 2008

• Presentations of Lesson Plans
• Special guest speaker tailored to student interests - TBD
• Final wrap-up

Weeks-In-Between

• Spend at least three hours in SL simply exploring and refining your persona.
• Post a notice to the SL Persona forum describing your online self.
• Attend at least one educational event, take snapshots, and be prepared to describe it online during session 3.
• Contribute to the affordances and taxonomy wikis.
• Draft a proposal for two learning experiences by June 28. In the week that follows, provide feedback to at least two of your classmates on their proposal.