Occasionally Marianne would shout at the screen. This was not because of a technical issue but because of a reaction to the philosophical comments being made. I took this as a good sign that the technology was not getting in the way of the subject.
| Title | Teaser |
|---|---|
| Aaargh! Why are we all here? The philosophy tutor's perspective |
I am not a techie. Boy, am I not a techie! Nevertheless I was intrigued by what I read about Second Life in the newspapers. So when I saw that our elearning unit was asking for volunteers to pilot a trial use of Second Life I jumped at the opportunity. I teach philosophy in the Department for Continuing Education at Oxford University, and I could immediately see the possibilities of Second Life as a pedagogic tool, especially for my part-time distance learning students. |
| Is this nothing but fantasy? |
'A student applies to a course and pays fees. They want marks, because marks equal credit points, and credit points add up to a degree. Fair enough. If we want to give them marks, we need to know who they are and what they have done. If they produce work in Second Life, then we invariably need to betray the identity of the avatar, so the puppeteer can get credit for the learning. This limits the potential for the really deep learning that a full-on immersionist/role play/fantasy approach enables. |
| Principles of Good Practice |
These Principles of Good Practice for using MUVEs in an HE context are those which have emerged from the project and are based on the collective experience of the two pilot studies. They should be understood as work-in-progress rather than definitive and established principles.
1. Identify why and how the use of a MUVE should enhance student learning.Consider questions such as: |
