Thursday, October 29
2:45 PM-3:45 PM
UTC
Pavilion Ballroom A

Immersive Virtual Worlds in Educational Practice: Introducing Educators to Second Life

Brief Paper ID: 26929
  1. aaa
    Anita Zijdemans Boudreau
    Pacific University, College of Education
  2. Scot Headley
    George Fox Univeristy
  3. Robin Ashford
    George Fox Univeristy

Abstract: This paper reports outcomes of the second iteration of a longitudinal action research study on the affordances of Second Life for enriched online teaching and learning. 'Introduction to Second for Educators' was a professional development opportunity offered to graduate students, faculty, and administrators as a distance course in spring 2009. Participants’ wiki reflections and exit questionnaires were analyzed to determine the effectiveness of a constructivist instructional design using guided discovery within a supportive Community of Inquiry [CoI]. Results indicate that the constructivist design ensures a level of facilitation requisite to successfully scaffolding novices’ experiential learning inworld. The CoI model is well supported in the data, with some deficits in cognitive presence. Challenges persist in the areas of technology and time. Action items for the Fall 2009 iteration include increasing activities to maximize SL affordances for building, problem solving, and peer collaboration, and adjusting measurement tools for improved future data analysis.

Presider: Lee Williams, Slippery Rock University of PA

Topic

Conference attendees are able to comment on papers, view the full text and slides, and attend live presentations. If you are an attendee, please login to get full access.
x