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The Autumn 2008 Snapshot ofUK Higher and Further EducationDevelopments in Second Life
Virtual World Watchwww.virtualworldwatch.netOctober 2008Funded and supported by the Eduserv Foundationwww.eduserv.org.uk/foundation
 
Summary
‘
Se
cond Life is not the only fruit’
 
This is the first snapshot survey where a significant number of respondents were supported byexternal, often research-based funding. The spread of funding sources is diverse, includingnational sources (JISC are mentioned by several respondents), European funding and non-academic sources. Of the other respondents, the majority had institutional support, e.g. fromcentral funds, the department, or a Pro-Vice C
hancellor‟s fund; such funding i
s sometimesmulti-departmental in nature.Many respondents had either carried out some kind of teaching and learning activity, or wereplanning such events for the new academic year. These included collaborative learning anddesign, seminars, workshops, tutorials and induction courses. Several lecturers and supervisorswere using Second Life to hold tutorials, or communicate with remote undergraduate or PhDstudents. A significant number of universities are carrying out research as to the effectivenessof using Second Life especially in teaching and learning.Some, but not all, teaching and learning activities were assessed, with no particular method ofassessment being predominant. Positive benefits were mentioned by the majority, such asstudent skill acquisition, ease of communication and the ability to meet peers one wouldotherwise not meet. Problems such as the amount of work required to run in-world sessionswere also reported.As with previous snapshots, the two issues of obtaining funding for virtual world development,teaching and learning, and technical problems, predominated. Several respondents indicated aneed for guides and tutorials, as well as a ready-to-
use „kit‟ of high quality, education
-specificresources.The general reaction of peers and academics to virtual worlds seems to have improved overtime. More respondents reported largely positive, or a mixed, attitude locally and in the wideruniversity sector. Some academics who were previously cautious or negative about the use ofvirtual worlds in education become more positive after using the technology, or seeing thebenefits. Funding for research and virtual world projects has also had a positive effect onacademic attitudes.Looking ahead, most respondents who chose to answer thought that virtual worlds were more
likely to be a „mainstream‟ feature of UK education, rather than a „niche‟ or „novelty‟.
However, several of these respondents felt this would be a gradual long-term developmentover several years.Many respondents had used, or were considering examining, virtual worlds and onlineenvironments other than Second Life. A dozen such applications were cited. Of these threewere mentioned by far the most: Google Lively, Wonderland and OpenSim. Lively was found tobe disappointing in terms of education-relevant functionality, Wonderland had considerablecommunication potential, and OpenSim had attractive options for creating a closed virtualenvironment.This theme, that Second Life is not the only option for teaching, learning and other educationalactivities in virtual environments, will be explored in future snapshots and activities of VirtualWorld Watch.
 
1. Quotes of note
 Some quotes
„
caught the eye
‟ while
compiling this survey report.
“
Hard to sum up 18 months of experience in a sentence! Overall my experiences havebeen exciting, perhaps especially when I have been the one learning from teenagerswho have developed not only technical and other skills in the environment, but a reallyeffective sense of how to teach!
” (Julia Gillen)
 
“
Educationalists need to embrace the idea that environment and interaction areinseparable.
” (Simon Bignell)
 
“
There may be a whole range of virtual worlds emerging which might be used for
different purposes and subjects. I think that there will still be value in a „messy‟, more
heterogeneous world l
ike SL, as life is messy and heterogeneous and I don‟t thinkstudents would be done any favours if they were only allowed in sanitised „educationonly‟ silos.” (Sheila Webber)
 
“
It has taken around 15 years from the birth of the web for web-based e-learning tobecome thoroughly institutionalised (with ongoing pockets of resistance throughoutacademia). The 3D internet could easily take as long.
” (Daniel Livingstone)
 (On how virtual worlds are perceived in
UK universities) “
One-third mixture ofexcitement about the potential, one-third trepidation about the user requirements andthe lack
of support forthcoming from IT „service‟
departments and one-thirdbewilderm
ent about what the value of this for education could be.”
(Mark Childs)
(Same question) “
Some real enthusiasm, some disgust at moving away from the real-world, some apathy.
” (Lorna McKnight)
 
“
In general, adapting our learning approach to virtual worlds has forced us to re-examine our beliefs about education, and we have developed a deeper understandingof what we do well. Abstracting and testing different learning approaches in virtualworlds has enabled us to apply them more effectively on the real life courses that wemanage.
” (Ian Truelove)
 
“
I think the idea of virtual worlds will not be a dead-end novelty as long as thesoftware gets better with less bugs and continued development, and enough people inUK education see the potential and create examples of virtual world experiences whichcan be shown to
positively benefit the users.”(
Lindsay Da Silva)
“Although Second Life is
virtual it was clear that a number of experiences can have anunexpected emotional impact: in a positive light when students were complemented ontheir work by casual passersby and in a negative light with students being harassed,and once imprisoned.
” (Simon Walker)
 
“
It reminds me of the early days of the web when HE web pages were put together bysome very unlikely people purely because they had the skills and interest. And there
were all the pitfalls of having people working on „official‟ sites who were basicallyhobbyists who didn‟t necessarily have a great understanding of communication and
marketing but who liked playing with HTML.
” (Kriss Fearon)
 
“
Generally very successful in meeting the needs of distance learners
–
I have betterretention than I do with face to face groups
.” (Anna Peachey)
 
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