JISC

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This project was a partnership between the University of Oxford, Leeds Metropolitan University, Kings College London and a small number of consultants. We explored the use of Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) for teaching and learning. These MUVEs are commonly known as Virtual Worlds in which individuals in a 3D environment are represented as an ‘avatar’. The most familiar of these environments is Second Life which was extensively but not exclusively used by this project.

Executive Summary

The project team was made up of a combination of researchers and teaching practitioners with varying degrees of expertise in the MUVEs themselves. OH was formulated around a 2 phase set of pilots with Art and Design students based at Leeds Metropolitan University and online distance philosophy students attached to the University of Oxford. The general areas explored by the project across these groups can be visualised as follows:

The project focused on the notion of ‘creative collaboration’ as it was felt that MUVEs could be an ideal space for this type of activity. The reality of what creative collaboration actually meant in MUVEs was complex and required a flexible and iterative approach to piloting which followed the UIDM model proposed by JISC.

Open Habitat found that a diverse mix of factors, some technical but mostly cultural/pedagogical came into play when attempting to run successful sessions in MUVEs. Most significantly, the nature of the environment engendered a non-traditional relationship between student and teacher in which the ‘expert’ worked alongside the students rather than being a font of knowledge.

Overall the project found that MUVEs can be spaces in which highly creative and engaging teaching takes place but that there is a high risk of failure in which students become disorientated and disillusioned.

Much of what an MUVE can bring to a teaching session is qualitative rather than quantitative and in an attempt to capture this the project has produced a form of magazine which sits alongside this report. The magazine contains articles which discuss the project’s approach and findings, reflections from the teaching practitioners’ points of view, a manual of suggested creative activities for students using Second Life and a concise set of ‘principles of good practice’ for those considering using MUVEs in their teaching.

Open Habitat magazine

Report available electronically only