lesley blicker, office of the chancellor zala fashant, office of the chancellor mnscu second life...
TRANSCRIPT
Lesley Blicker, Office of the Chancellor Zala Fashant, Office of the Chancellor
MnSCU Second Life Islands Project
Purpose of this Session
Not an intro to SL, however:
Will provide some limited pedagogical context for focusing on it as an instructional technology for faculty (part of next gen tech efforts)
Will demo the MnSCU islands later in the session
The World in 3D – Predictions through 2013
Continued exploration in immersive virtual worlds as learning environments
Growth in number of products which have 3D “engines” built in (e.g., Second Life, Lively, 3B, EON Reality)
More 3D modeling, robotics, holographic software used in education
Transportable, personalized avatars (cross platform) 3D learning objects Marriage of social networking and 3D interaction 7-8 years – primary Web interface begins morphing to
3D; 2D lives alongside 3D or in it for a while
© Lesley Blicker
Source: SL Certificate Program , led by Karl Kapp, Learning Times LLC, 2008
Source: “Virtual Worlds – Real Opportunities.” Gartner IT Symposium, April 22, 2007.
Source: SL Certificate Program , led by Karl Kapp, Learning Times LLC, 2008
Some Instructional Purposes in Using Second Life
Guided and self-guided tours (facts)
Scavenger hunt (facts)
Group forum (facts, concepts)
Conceptual orienteering (concepts)
Role play (rules, procedures)
Critical incident (problem-solving)
Co-creation (problem solving, producing things)
Breakout sessions (concepts, rules, problem solving)
Source: SL Certificate Program , led by Karl Kapp, Learning Times LLC, 2008
Instructor led or self-guided tours
Scavenger hunt: New England Folk Art Museum in SL
Group forum
Conceptual engineering (tsunami, control variables to see impact)
Role play, critical incident
Co-creating in SL
Breakout groupsSource: SL Certificate Program , led by Karl Kapp, Learning Times LLC, 2008
Instructional Analysis:Choosing When/For What to Use SL
What are the teaching objectives?
What is best taught in a 3D environment?
Why choose a 3D tool over another one?
What tasks are most effectively taught in a 3D world?
Segue
MnSCU SL Islands Project
to
Second Life MnSCU Island Timeline
Late 2006; initial plot purchased - called MnSCU Island
A dozen or more buildings and class spaces built - mostly organic and unmanaged; meant to be experimental
2006 200920082007
Steering team formed to develop policies and sort through island “chaos”
4 new spaces conceptualized and designed; managerial oversight in place
Preparing for Fall 2009 “Go Live” milestone. CTL provides training opportunities
Jenni Swenson via RFP grant, develops MnSCU Isld Best Practices Pavillion
MnSCU Second Life Islands Steering Committee
Formed to: Assess current use of the island
Assess future requirements for space and use
Create policies and guidelines for use
Create process for approval of projects and orderly development on the island (zoning practices)
Business Requirements:4 Spaces
Student sandbox
Faculty sandbox (former island to become this)
Teaching island
MnSITE SL island (MnSCU collaborative projects, OOC staff use, CTL or HR training or conferences
New Policies and Design ElementsEstablished by Committee
MnSCU islands - not to be used for campus-specific activities (i.e., student services) or to house anything with campus branding (in which case campuses need to purchase their own SL island
Sandbox - open for experimentation and building things, but building permissions need to be approved by committee
Anything built in sandbox – if meet guidelines could be moved to teaching or MnSITE SL islands
20 pre-built classrooms and several common spaces available to be reserved right in SL (i.e., auditorium, faculty lounge
Pre-builds can be used for faculty office hours
New Policies and Design ElementsEstablished by Committee
Non-sandbox islands will have reception areas, info on requesting building permissions and/or reserving spaces
St. Paul College contracted to provide Island Administration
New Policies and Design ElementsEstablished by Committee
Publicize “Islands” project and procedures for use
Assess our system processes for requests, approvals
Track and document demand and usage
Faculty involvement in fleshing out Best Practices Pavillion
Promote sharing and collaboration via list serv, conferences, web or in-world sessions
Provide training opportunities to learn SL
FY 2010 Project Objectives
More in-world conferences
Development of “smart cart” or SL smart classrooms (how to use multiple technologies in SL such as Power Points or a webcam to connect with guest speaker)
Future Objectives (Budget Dependent)
MnSITE SL
Teaching Island
Student Sandbox
Faculty Sandbox
Let’s Have a LookAt the MnSCU Islands!
Thanks for Attending!
Zala FashantProgram CoordinatorCenter for Teaching and LearningOffice of the [email protected]
Lesley BlickerDirector of IMS Learning and Next Generation TechnologyAcademic InnovationsOffice of the [email protected]