The last group project of my summer Teaching and Learning at a Distance class focused on virtual learning environments. For some hands-on learning, two of my classmates hosted two class meetings within Second Life, a multi-user virtual environment (MUVE). I was excited to be able to attend one of these.
The meeting was held on Virtual Ability Island, and we were fortunate to have one of the island's founders in attendance to help facilitate the meeting, show us some of the capabilities of Second Life, and answer questions. I very much enjoyed meeting and interacting with my classmates and the guide in this virtual setting, even if I felt a bit out of place exploring the island. Since the meeting, I have explored a bit further, briefly visiting the Mayo Clinic's island and an island focused on educating about sustainability.
I can absolutely see the benefit of learning in a virtual environment. Second Life, for example, offers a way for people from all over the world to connect and experience things together that wouldn't otherwise be possible. In many ways, interacting in a virtual environment is a bit more personal than other forms of synchronous learning, such as webcasts or web meetings, and the format does allow for some asynchronous learning, too. Some examples of learning in Second Life that I've found interesting include:
That said, there is also quite a steep learning curve to utilizing the technology, and technical difficulties can be very frustrating. I'm concerned that these issues might take the focus off of the intended learning. Perhaps as the technological aspects are fine-tuned and become easier to manage over time, this won't be such a hurdle. I'm also curious about whether the cost to "buy land" and establish a learning environment will impact how quickly the technology is adopted.
So far, my verdict on virtual learning environments is out. I see some great potential for learning in a MUVE such as Second Life; however, I'm concerned about the learning curve required to use the technology and issues around accessibility. I'd be open to exploring the use of MUVEs further but am a bit hesitant to invest too much time in learning this technology just yet. I do, however, believe that learning in virtual environments is something to watch!
The meeting was held on Virtual Ability Island, and we were fortunate to have one of the island's founders in attendance to help facilitate the meeting, show us some of the capabilities of Second Life, and answer questions. I very much enjoyed meeting and interacting with my classmates and the guide in this virtual setting, even if I felt a bit out of place exploring the island. Since the meeting, I have explored a bit further, briefly visiting the Mayo Clinic's island and an island focused on educating about sustainability.
I can absolutely see the benefit of learning in a virtual environment. Second Life, for example, offers a way for people from all over the world to connect and experience things together that wouldn't otherwise be possible. In many ways, interacting in a virtual environment is a bit more personal than other forms of synchronous learning, such as webcasts or web meetings, and the format does allow for some asynchronous learning, too. Some examples of learning in Second Life that I've found interesting include:
- Employee orientation for new hires who are geographically spread out,
- Modeling new, eco-friendly homes that were then built in the real world (something that might not have happened without their demonstration in Second Life), and
- Connecting those with disabilities who are often isolated and may not be able to interact easily face-to-face.
That said, there is also quite a steep learning curve to utilizing the technology, and technical difficulties can be very frustrating. I'm concerned that these issues might take the focus off of the intended learning. Perhaps as the technological aspects are fine-tuned and become easier to manage over time, this won't be such a hurdle. I'm also curious about whether the cost to "buy land" and establish a learning environment will impact how quickly the technology is adopted.
So far, my verdict on virtual learning environments is out. I see some great potential for learning in a MUVE such as Second Life; however, I'm concerned about the learning curve required to use the technology and issues around accessibility. I'd be open to exploring the use of MUVEs further but am a bit hesitant to invest too much time in learning this technology just yet. I do, however, believe that learning in virtual environments is something to watch!