Thoughts on Second Life use in higher education…
After setting up an account on Second Life, I went through the orientation island program to lean how to navigate and the terminology, such as prims, etc. I learned how to change my avatar and found some freebies. So, then, I moved on to the purpose of my decision to join – finding ways to incorporate Second Life into my course. So, what can Second Life offer to engage students in my course? And what is available in Second Life that I can use as a guide to creating an active learning environment for engaging students in my course?
My places in Second Life for educational opportunities to assist me with class sessions are listed below.
This Second Life site by Boise State University seems to have a variety of options from gaming, to social exploration, and for teaching. It is managed by professors at Boise State and has online courses such as understanding how to teach advanced concepts. Some of the site is said to provide new sources of curriculum, and even a digital studio. Also there are tree houses for classes, which is where my interest in the site begins. I hope to be able to explore and observe classes so that I can create a session for my courses soon!
I joined the site and read the intro:
EDTECH island is a resource for all teachers. We offer a variety of no-cost spaces for education events and teaching, a sandbox, some free condos, and an informational center. Graduate courses and workshops offered on the island. IM Bcreative Wilde to reserve space. I am attempting to reserve some space to have a class session established, but hope to view a few class sessions before I begin. I have learned that after joining a group, I will receive notifications on when class sessions are available.
There was a YouTube video that I viewed on the second life site by Boise State University video (see below). This video gives a brief overview of what the university has available on Ed Tech Island.
I also viewed a few of the sims and even found an online camp for 3D games to be held in August. I only know the information that was provided by the note card - inserted below:
Hi folks, we hope you'll consider joining us in August for our fully online teacher camp in 3D GameLab, Learning on another Level! In the camp, we use quest-based learning and game mechanics (such as badges, rewards, experience points and levels) to "play" our way through six strands of professional development, all fully facilitated by our guild officers.
Then there was another site I stumbled on to (literally) called hobo helpers.
Other uses for student engagement in Second Life include scavenger hunts and guided tours that could be used for a class session’s topic. Another option is the virtual sandbox where you can have students experiment with objects and different environments. This would seem to be helpful for my website design course as I could see the possibility of having student’s try out different media tools in second life. Also, whiteboard with PowerPoint’s and movies can be used in second life. I need to look into these as well! The use of note cards that can be saved to your inventory is valuable as well. I can see how research can be enhanced by having students use their note cards to prepare a short essay/paper/blog post on a subject matter and then share their note card with each other as well.
So, as I consider how to integrate a class session to include Second Life, I will seek out and pursue these sites to observe and learn from others who have been involved in teaching. I feel that there is merit to including Second Life as a way to engage students in my course. However, I see that this will take more time and effort and research on my behalf in Second Life.
Ed Tech video
After setting up an account on Second Life, I went through the orientation island program to lean how to navigate and the terminology, such as prims, etc. I learned how to change my avatar and found some freebies. So, then, I moved on to the purpose of my decision to join – finding ways to incorporate Second Life into my course. So, what can Second Life offer to engage students in my course? And what is available in Second Life that I can use as a guide to creating an active learning environment for engaging students in my course?
My places in Second Life for educational opportunities to assist me with class sessions are listed below.
iEducate Island - http://www.ieducate.eu/sliedi.php#menuDiv
The iEducate project - helps vocational education and training professionals (VETPROs) to learn about e-learning technologies, overcome barriers and enhance the experience for their learners. Contact jim@knowinghand.co.uk for further information.Rockcliffe University Consortium - http://www.urockcliffe.com/education/secondlife-and-opensim/
Rockcliffe University Consortium is an online nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of science, education, and research in 3D virtual environments. There are free workshops and forums provided on a regular basis, as well as live music and movies. There's also a theater, art gallery, sandbox and a full academic research library.EdTech Island - Teacher Education in Virtual Worlds - http://edtechisland.wetpaint.com/
EDTECH island offers free resources and space for all teachers and faculty. Boise State University - educational technology, education, teachers, educators, teaching.This Second Life site by Boise State University seems to have a variety of options from gaming, to social exploration, and for teaching. It is managed by professors at Boise State and has online courses such as understanding how to teach advanced concepts. Some of the site is said to provide new sources of curriculum, and even a digital studio. Also there are tree houses for classes, which is where my interest in the site begins. I hope to be able to explore and observe classes so that I can create a session for my courses soon!
I joined the site and read the intro:
EDTECH island is a resource for all teachers. We offer a variety of no-cost spaces for education events and teaching, a sandbox, some free condos, and an informational center. Graduate courses and workshops offered on the island. IM Bcreative Wilde to reserve space. I am attempting to reserve some space to have a class session established, but hope to view a few class sessions before I begin. I have learned that after joining a group, I will receive notifications on when class sessions are available.
There was a YouTube video that I viewed on the second life site by Boise State University video (see below). This video gives a brief overview of what the university has available on Ed Tech Island.
I also viewed a few of the sims and even found an online camp for 3D games to be held in August. I only know the information that was provided by the note card - inserted below:
Hi folks, we hope you'll consider joining us in August for our fully online teacher camp in 3D GameLab, Learning on another Level! In the camp, we use quest-based learning and game mechanics (such as badges, rewards, experience points and levels) to "play" our way through six strands of professional development, all fully facilitated by our guild officers.
Then there was another site I stumbled on to (literally) called hobo helpers.
Hobo Helpers - http://thinkerer.org/SLintChan/SLentryHH.htm
Member of the approved Resident Help Network Working with Hobo Junction to welcome newcomers into SL. and help them find the benefits of this virtual village. This group will maintain open enrollment and present easy opportunities for newcomers to join and to send IMs to request help. We are a community working together to build the kind of virtual village we want to live in. http://thinkerer.org/SLintChan/SLentryHH.htm I thought this would be interesting for my website design course to view and join as well.Other uses for student engagement in Second Life include scavenger hunts and guided tours that could be used for a class session’s topic. Another option is the virtual sandbox where you can have students experiment with objects and different environments. This would seem to be helpful for my website design course as I could see the possibility of having student’s try out different media tools in second life. Also, whiteboard with PowerPoint’s and movies can be used in second life. I need to look into these as well! The use of note cards that can be saved to your inventory is valuable as well. I can see how research can be enhanced by having students use their note cards to prepare a short essay/paper/blog post on a subject matter and then share their note card with each other as well.
So, as I consider how to integrate a class session to include Second Life, I will seek out and pursue these sites to observe and learn from others who have been involved in teaching. I feel that there is merit to including Second Life as a way to engage students in my course. However, I see that this will take more time and effort and research on my behalf in Second Life.
Ed Tech video