Science ID

Challenge: Keeping track of and managing students in SL.
Outspoken students can approach instructors on multiple fronts while quite students may get lost in the static and unmotivated students might check out sort inventory, angel about, IM, or do any number of things in RL. Teachers in RL classrooms have developed techniques for interacting with their [...]

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Most of the assessment techniques hinge on polls or similar feedback mechanism that collect user input. On the surface they seem limited to lower order thinking skills – and many of the examples showcase knowledge-based assessment. This seems contradictory to the rich environment the second life provides. That is, we have access to an environment [...]

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We may see some institutional buy-in for professional networking before passing the second life environment onto the students. The social networking opportunities, collaboration and building tools make SL a viable work environment for educational developers. (101 Uses for SL in a College Classroom) Getting students in there will be more difficult. Reflecting on my own [...]

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Teaching Strategies:
I’m not sure these are any different, per se. We may be teaching more advanced concepts with more advanced students, but we could have a broad range of ability in either grid.
Teaching tools:
Again, I don’t think age appropriate for comprehension isn’t specific to the grid. A 16 year old taking AP [...]

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Two of the articles below make a case for androgyny as an ideal for education and training. The ability to be androgynous in an online environment removes any bias from the instructor and frees the student from any self-limitation based on their own gender expectations. SL gives learners an opportunity to change their gender or [...]

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I have some experience in museum education and found the paper “creating Museum Content and Community in Second Life” (http://www.archimuse.com/mw2007/papers/rothfarb/rothfarb.html) a practical document with a number of suggestions that explain how museums can use SL for exhibits. With regard to simulations, they highlighted SL’s ability to create 3-D interactive content. I believe that this approach [...]

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This has been an interesting week and I’m seeing some good examples of simulations in SL and am convinced some educators are leveraging SL’s ability to make simulations and are going beyond creating 3D virtual classrooms. I dreamed about Svarga.
I’ve compiled my characteristics and supporting references for the classification I’ve been thinking about [...]

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Last week I wondered if we were “playing school” and after promised to consider some advantages of SL that are unique to this world.
The The Daedelus Project and related links provided some insight on motivation. Data suggests that identifying with an avatar increases motivation and that students may share a common bond as they assist [...]

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Week 3 was a mix of excitement and frustration and I connected with the articles “how not to teach in second life” (http://theory.isthereason.com/?p=1363) and have been exploring the sim tech wiki for code resources. http://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page.
I have a map that helps me map out what we could do in SL but I’m having difficulty finding good [...]

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I’m summarazing my class experince and readings by trying to define some broad structures useful for moving forward. I find concept maps as useful tools to sturcuture my thoughs so I’ll map these out. The key topics I’m exploring this week are broad catagories of learning environmetns and (a subtopic) broad categories of simulated experinces. 

Broad [...]

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