Think Virtual Worlds: Not Second Life
Here is this Month’s ASTD Big Question:
More specifically:
- In what situations, do you believe it makes sense to develop a learning experience that will be delivered within Second Life?
- If you were to develop a training island in Second Life, what kind of environment and artifacts would you consider essential for teaching?
- Just as there are considerable differences in blended learning and virtual classroom training, what are some of the major differences (surprises) in training within virtual worlds?
First I am going to answer the question with two videos and then, for the next couple of weeks, I am going to post some examples of 3D learning that I think are effective. But first I want to say that we need to get away from thinking the only 3D learning envrionemnt is Second Life. Many other 3D learning worlds exist and many of them are doing some extraordinary things…worth examining. So I will look at both Second Life activity but also activity in other 3D worlds.
Here are the Two Videos. The first one I created and the second was created by my colleague Tony O’Driscoll.
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Posted in: Second Life 3D worlds
Leave a Comment (3) ↓
Hi Karl
I am currently about to resume study on my MA and I am particularly interested in the use of Second life in Education. I am very interested in the use of virtual worlds to encourage creative thought and making theory based subjects more interesting and fun for students.
I currently teach animation and multimedia at Cornwall College England and I would be very grateful for readings, books etc that you feel could be of use to me.
Thanks Stephen Howard
In the first video above comparing 2D and 3D training, Karl highlights that in the 3D world the students can experience every element of the drill display, if built properly. But to create an authentically real display, all the way down to the types of display fasteners (as he references in the video) would be incredibly expensive. If I’m wrong, please give me examples of low-cost 3D training that has been developed where there is meaningful details for students to utilize. These types of solutions feel like they are for very large scale use (when training thousands of employees) or where the developer has an unlimited budget.
If the situation is observable, interactive and involves critical thinking it makes sense to develop this learning experience in a virtual world like Second Life.
The challenge is finding ways to create these learning experiences so that they are more engaging and dynamic then a face to face lesson. Instructors have to be a bit more imaginative to achieve this. Just giving students the chance to login is not enough.
Some of the great minds in math, science and the arts did their best work immersed in “other worlds” of imaginative knowledge and creativity periodically emerging with brilliant offerings. Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
Virtual learning experiences are a great way for students to learn how to learn using their imagination.