Education in SL
Posted by bethrhu on November 28, 2007
Interesting interviews with some folks who are really exploring SL for education (from Emory and Ohio University Online) — click here (thanks to Nyla for the link!)
And wow! think about “transmedia storytelling” — the intersection of tv and sl
And here’s some fashion shows.
So, how to teach in this environment? What to teach in this environment?
Larry Dugan at Finger Lakes Community College advises,
Before you dive in, make a plan. There is no way we would create an online course with definitive learning outcomes and strategic plans… would we? My advice is to take the course, pick a chunk, and apply SL to it. Build your course this way before you dive in and drown. Use others experiences. Use the MCC island or the SUNY island to host your classes, where you will find friendly concierge types to get you through. But plan, don’t just dive in with students.
That makes a lot of sense!
The students are king! SL represents true Web 3.0 mentality. If we think about the pedagogy for our online courses, we have shifted the paradigm to empowering students to be masters of their own learning. This takes that to a whole new level. In SL, you truly become the guide on the side, and the master of the content, while the students become the masters of the exploration of content in a much deeper way. Give in. Let them teach as they learn.
More pearls of wisdom from Larry:
If nothing else, be ready and flexible for change. SL changes all the time. Keep in mind too that SL was not designed as an educational tool. For that matter, neither was the internet. What we have is an intense collaboration tool that “feels” different. I won’t say it feels like RL or like anything else, but it is different. It gives our students a feeling of belonging. It gives them a 4th presence we cant describe in terms of social, emotional or teaching. Its more like a “metaphysical” presence that we can use to encourage students engagement.
Larry’s final words: Recommendation…
Spend some time in SL before trying to get students in. When you do, plan-plan-plan.
