Research and Articles

Educational Uses of Second Life

• http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/educationaluses_page2
  
  

Research: Action Learning

From: CIDER http://cider.athabascau.ca/CIDERSessions/sessionarchive

Taking Action Learning Online in the 3D Virtual World of Second Life

Facilitator: Lindy McKeown
Institution: University of Southern Queensland Date and time: Nov 02, 2007 11:00 AM

"With the support of a Queensland Government Smart State PhD Grant, Lindy McKeown has created an innovative online professional development space on the virtual island of Terra incognita in the MUVE Second Life. This island was developed to support Action Learning online. This strategy uses a cyclic process of explore, plan, act and reflect around a workplace project that embeds the doing in with the learning. By using Participatory Design Based Research, this learning space has been created with the input of experienced Action Learning facilitators, gamers, 3D world users, online learning specialists and the program participants. In this presentation, Lindy will share the experiences of conducting Action Learning programs in Second Life."

The Scientific Research Potential of Virtual Worlds

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true
(for off-campus use, copy and paste this URL into the Queen's proxy service at http://proxy.queensu.ca. Use your Queen's NetID to log in.)

Authors: Bainbridge, Wiuiam Sims

Source: Science; 7/27/2007, Vol. 317 Issue 5837, p472-476, 5p, 1 graph, 2 color

Research on Children in Virtual Worlds

Excerpts below are from: http://www.childreninvirtualworlds.org.uk/papers.htm

Summary:

Eight Types of Players From Sociable to Solitary

1. explorer-investigators
2. social climbers
3. collector-consumers
4. life-system-builders
5. self-stampers
6. fighters
7. power users
8. nurturers

The Value of Virtual Worlds For Children

1. A playful, engaging, interactive alternative to more passive media
2. Becoming a creator and having control over elements of a world
3. Creating mental maps, exploring, and understanding a new world and its systems (e.g. transport, money)
4. Rehearsing having responsibilities, looking after things
5. Learning social skills
6. Playing with identity, e.g. dressing up
7. A tool for self-expression
8. Computer literacy

Thirteen Principles For a Successful Virtual World For Children

1. Sociable - meeting and chatting
2. Creative - making avatar, making things
3. Control - owning and changing the space
4. A big, outdoors world to explore
5. Visible status - how am I doing?
6. Clear location - where am I? + easy transport
7. Mission and motivation - what's the purpose?
8. Some humour
9. Help when you need it
10. Chance to see professional video, their own work, and other children's
11. Somewhere to live - a home, hotel or town
12. Shops - buying stuff
13. A space away from adult rules (as seen in: everything chocolate!)

BOOK: Creative Explorations New approaches to identities and audiences by David Gauntlett; further information is available at: http://www.theory.org.uk/david/book8.htm

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