My co-supervisor on my PhD, Dr Denise Wood, has just featured on page one of the UniSA newsletter with news of her Second Life research.
UniSA joins elite US institutions such as Harvard and Duke Universities and Australia’s University of Queensland, in its foray into new ways of teaching and learning in the 21st century.
Project leaders of the virtual campus, UniSA Island, Dr Denise Wood and Associate Professor Gerry Bloustien believe that while the 3D virtual learning experience does not replace face to face contact with teachers on campus, it does provide a more flexible environment for students to participate in campus activities – from just about anywhere they may be.
Dr Wood and Prof Bloustien are the principal researchers of a recently awarded Australian Learning and Teaching Council research grant of just over $220,000 to further develop an accessible open source 3D virtual learning platform with the aim of improving the accessibility, and teaching and learning benefits of such environments.
The project will be undertaken in collaboration with five Australian Universities – Monash, RMIT, Edith Cowan, Flinders and Sydney and an international partner in the UK, the University of Sheffield. Other team members from UniSA include Dale Wache, Associate Professor Tony Spawton, Dr Sheila Scutter, Jen Seifert, Frank Kurzel, Rosie Kerin, Kyle Tripodi and Phil Marriot.
"The preliminary case studies undertaken by Dr Denise Wood and our interviews with academics in other institutions show that it provides greater flexibility for students unable to attend the real campus who through a 3D virtual learning environment have a chance to see, hear and interact with those present on campus. It is an excellent platform for students to take part in presentations from international experts and guests speakers – something not normally easily accessible or viable in everyday academic life," Prof Bloustien points out. "There are obvious benefits where students may be isolated by distance because even hundreds of kilometres away, they can feel involved in their learning through the Second Life platform."
Dr Wood says the popularity of 3D virtual worlds is opening up once unimagined educational opportunities and has the potential not only to benefit students who have been isolated from student life by distance and disability, but to enrich the educational experience of all students.
"Alongside the regular campus experience it is offering a uniquely collaborative, flexible and dynamic approach to the delivery of courses."
The outcomes from the project, which include both the development of the open source 3D learning platform and guidelines for the application of these technologies in the graduate and undergraduate curriculum, is already paving the way for future cross-disciplinary research partnerships with industry.
More information about the ALTC funded project at UniSA is available from Dr Wood at denise.wood@unisa.edu.au
Cool! Well done, Denise!
