Second Life to serve as Virtual Learning Model at University of Texas

September 16th, 2009 · View Comments · Technical Writing

Linden Lab, the Makers of Second Life, have rolled out the first virtual learning environment in the world at the University of Texas.
The Transforming Undergraduate Education Program, at the University of Texas System, awarded a grant to fund the initiation of a pioneering statewide virtual learning community of students, faculty, researchers and administrators in Second Life, that offers an innovative, low-cost approach to undergraduate instruction.

“The System’s virtual collaborative learning community… will allow participants to learn, share, collaborate and grow alongside one another,” said Leslie Jarmon, Ph.D. , the primary investigator for this statewide virtual initiative for the University of Texas 16-campus System.

He adds that in this evolving system-wide virtual learning community, all of these players—and especially our undergraduates—will be seen as learners with expanded roles: learners as scientists, learners as designers, learners as researchers, learners as communicators, and learners as collaborators.

Like many higher learning organizations, the University of Texas System’s has an imperative to continually enrich the learning experience for students while reducing—or even eliminating—expensive brick-and-mortar costs while becoming energy efficient. These are the key drivers that led the University of Texas to invest in a virtual learning environment in Second Life.

1. The year-long rollout involves all 16 University of Texas campuses

2. It will be designed for extensive inter-campus, intra-campus, and out-of-state collaboration

3. It will occupy over 50 Second Life regions.

Each campus will develop its own SL (Second Life) project plan according to its needs and priorities.

Throughout the project, evidence-based research data will be collected and shared with the Second Life education community on best practices to offer to all educators—and other similar organizations—that are interested in holding classes and building campuses in Second Life.

“Hundreds of educational institutions from around the world have used Second Life as a compelling and cost effective platform to augment an existing curriculum and explore new models of learning. But, the University of Texas System’s ambitious system-wide program is not only an industry first, but it will also create the largest virtual learning community in existence,” said John Lester (SL: Pathfinder Linden), Customer Outreach Advocate at Linden Lab.

In an interview on Second Life, Pathfinder asked Dr. Leslie Jarmon, “What were the biggest challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?”

He highlights:

1. Finding the most effective language and concrete examples from within the generous educational community in Second Life to craft a proposal that would be hearable by key administrators.

2. When an opportunity arose, a real time demo of SL using Voice with real educators and Linden Lab officials answering the Chancellors¹ questions right there on the spot was more effective than 100 pages of textual description. Very pragmatic, concrete, visionary at the same time.

3. Rigorously ensuring that our provision of the virtual infrastructure for 15 campuses and information and training support will not be dictating which directions each campus will take as they discover and create their own unique learning and research journeys.

Finally, he adds that, “Virtual worlds are a new human dimension for educational activity, and we¹re constantly exploring and learning alongside one another.”

Links:

TUE Learning Community website at http://tuelearningcommunity.com/
UT System VLCI Initiative: Dr. Leslie Jarmon (SL: Bluewave Ogee) LJarmon@austin.utexas.edu
Linden Lab: Amanda Van Nuys (SL: Amanda Linden) amanda@lindenlab.com