Ian Truelove | A JISC U&I Stream funded project

Teaching and Learning

What are the possibilities of creative and practical online collaboration and learning in Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs)?

Researching

A record of the research done during the Open Habitat project and a look forward to where the field may be going seen through that lens.

Managing

A trail of how some of the issues in the Open Habitat project were dealt with, together with some of our successes and challenges.

Ian Truelove

Title	Teaser
If we can't build bridges, let's plant trees: The art & design tutor’s perspective	In the world of touch and smell I’m Ian Truelove, a Principal Lecturer based in the School of Contemporary Art & Graphic Design at Leeds Metropolitan University. In the abstracted world of Second Life, I’m an artist, designer and virtual tutor going by the name of Cubist Scarborough. Here, I share something of my experience of Open Habitat.
Augment with OpenSim - Immerse with Second Life	This is Ian Truelove's blogpost of Dec 4th 2008 in which he reflects on the relationship between OpenSim and Second Life. Ian's developing conviction that OpenSim is a useful and potentially vital dimension in helping students to orientate themselves in a virtual world can be traced throughout his blog. This is one of his later reflections.
Early days in-world
New ways of being for new students at uni	Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Socialisation and collaboration	Friday, 19 September 2008 Working the detail into the phase 2 pilot plan. I've just come out of a very positive and productive Elluminate meeting with fellow Open Habitat project members, and I just want to capture a few thoughts that are in my head in relation to my proposed phase 2 pilot plan. The main issues that need addressing at the moment are around socialisation and collaboration, and the purpose and opportunities of 'The Book'. Socialisation is a complex and subtle problem to address.
Trans Institutional Education	Wednesday, 25 June 2008 Trans-institutional education.
The Atelier Method: masters and apprentices	This model formed the basis of the first modern design school, the Bauhaus. As well as providing quite rigid scaffold in the form of an initial 'foundation' course in the basic underlying design principles, the Bauhaus facilitated learning by promoting staff as active practitioners. By witnessing and working alongside the masters as they practiced their art and design, students of the Bauhaus gained knowledge and understanding through social learning. This approach has dominated art and design pedagogy ever since, but some embrace is more forcefully than others.
The Manual	The Manual: Second Life edition Use the Twitter tag #manual to share any outcomes from these micro-projects. 1. Fill in your profile. 2. Sit on the ground in a circle and play word association with some friends. (e.g. Say a word in response to the word just spoken by the avatar on your right.) When you get bored, look back through the chat window and copy your favourite two words. Build a chair or chairs based on these words. Use for meetings.
Learning Recipe 1: MUVEs table d'hote	LEARNING RECIPE 1: MUVEs Table d’Hôte This meal was first served to art and design students, but it should taste good whatever your clientèle. YOU WILL NEED: A computer lab with 20 computers. Lots of students. PREPARATION TIME: Half a day.