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Paper presented at Sloan-C Carefree Symposium, May 7-9, 2008
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Teaching in Second Teaching in Second Life:Life:
Lessons from the fieldLessons from the fieldTeaching a Virtual Blended course in Teaching a Virtual Blended course in
Second LifeSecond LifeSecond Life and EntrepreneurshipSecond Life and Entrepreneurship
½ semester course½ semester courseBabson CollegeBabson College
Fall, 2007Fall, 2007
John Bourne and Erin McCormickJohn Bourne and Erin McCormick
Second Life and Second Life and EntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship
• Graduate course (MBA) offered Fall Graduate course (MBA) offered Fall semester, 2007, at Babson Collegesemester, 2007, at Babson College
• ½ semester – 1.5 credit hours ( 7 weeks)½ semester – 1.5 credit hours ( 7 weeks)• Blended – one face-to-face meeting at Blended – one face-to-face meeting at
beginningbeginning• Virtual Blended – avatar-face-to-face each Virtual Blended – avatar-face-to-face each
week in-world on Babson Islandweek in-world on Babson Island• Connected to BlackboardConnected to Blackboard• Course requirement 1 hour presentation, Course requirement 1 hour presentation,
blog postings, wikiblog postings, wiki
ChallengeChallenge
• To evaluate how useful Second Life is To evaluate how useful Second Life is for teaching onlinefor teaching online
• To learn about business-related To learn about business-related activities in SLactivities in SL
• To determine what Babson should do To determine what Babson should do in SL.in SL.
• Overcoming a perception of SL as Overcoming a perception of SL as only a “game”only a “game”
Overcoming the “image” of Second Life.
In the beginning…In the beginning…
And… at the end….And… at the end….
Creating the venueCreating the venue
• Buy - not makeBuy - not make– $50 invested to $50 invested to
startstart
• Students created Students created venues for their venues for their presentation – this presentation – this was a surprise.was a surprise.
Example venue
Course attributesCourse attributes
• Guest speakers from industryGuest speakers from industry
• Research on entrepreneurship in SLResearch on entrepreneurship in SL– Constructivist approachConstructivist approach
• Presentations by small teamsPresentations by small teams
• Building presentation venuesBuilding presentation venues
• ResearchResearch
• 22 students22 students
• Visitors from around the worldVisitors from around the world One Babson alum from New Zealand attended 4 One Babson alum from New Zealand attended 4
weeksweeks
Guest speakersGuest speakers
• President of Green Grotto StudiosPresident of Green Grotto Studios
• Collosus Linden (invented windlight)Collosus Linden (invented windlight)
• EMC group on interviewingEMC group on interviewing
• Vivox – the suppliers of second life Vivox – the suppliers of second life voicevoice
• Marketing from BabsonMarketing from Babson<-President of Green Grotto Studios
Colossus Linden – sold companyIn Waltham to Linden. - >
Administrative supportAdministrative support
• IslandIsland
• EncouragementEncouragement
• Why is Babson interested?Why is Babson interested?– Large evening MBA program onlineLarge evening MBA program online– Attacts studentsAttacts students
• Intern at Entrepreneurship centerIntern at Entrepreneurship center
Our internOur intern
LN Freenote
(students selectedtheir own avatars, including apparel.)
Integration with other toolsIntegration with other tools
• BlackboardBlackboard– URL redirect on IslandURL redirect on Island– WikiWiki– Blog (individual shared!)Blog (individual shared!)– Podcasts (recorded in-world)Podcasts (recorded in-world)
• Sl ToolsSl Tools– The traffic monitorThe traffic monitor– HoloemitterHoloemitter
• Sloodle guestures (by Jeremy Kemp, SJSU)Sloodle guestures (by Jeremy Kemp, SJSU)• FreeView TV setFreeView TV set
Brief SyllabusBrief Syllabus
• Week 1 – OrientationWeek 1 – Orientation
• Week 2 – Teaching, presentingWeek 2 – Teaching, presenting
• Week 3 – Interviewing in SLWeek 3 – Interviewing in SL
• Week 4 – Voice/VivoxWeek 4 – Voice/Vivox
• Week 5 - Linden Labs and Green GrottoWeek 5 - Linden Labs and Green Grotto
• Week 6 – PresentationsWeek 6 – Presentations
• Week 7 – Presentations/discussionWeek 7 – Presentations/discussion
Presentation agenda (posted Presentation agenda (posted on island)on island)
Getting started – the Getting started – the educational tools of “doing” in-educational tools of “doing” in-worldworld• Showed students how to use Showed students how to use
FreeView TV and Sloodle gesturesFreeView TV and Sloodle gestures
• Let them practice in the fieldLet them practice in the field
• Practiced talking, using text with Practiced talking, using text with audio, IM’ing and Chataudio, IM’ing and Chat
• Worked on viewer manipulationWorked on viewer manipulation
The TVThe TV
• Put TV anywherePut TV anywhere
• Move TVMove TV
• Click on ContentClick on Content
• Drag jpg to contentDrag jpg to content
• When done – takeWhen done – take
Getting ready to show slides In the auditorium
How to create powerpointPresentations in-world
Adding classroom gesturesAdding classroom gestures
Some photos of what Some photos of what students showedstudents showed
How to do podcasts with SLHow to do podcasts with SL
• Difficult with virtual audio cable (a Difficult with virtual audio cable (a product)product)
• Finally used: analog mixerFinally used: analog mixer• Microphone mixed with speaker Microphone mixed with speaker
output fed back to line-in worksoutput fed back to line-in works• Used Audacity to record, 11 mbpsUsed Audacity to record, 11 mbps• Converted to MP3 8 levels.. 5 Converted to MP3 8 levels.. 5
MB/hour, uploaded to BlackboardMB/hour, uploaded to Blackboard
Student engagementStudent engagement
Students tended to spend more time on this class
TeamworkTeamwork
Two thirds thought that team work was easier or about the same as in A traditional class.
AccessAccess
LearningLearning
On-ground vs SL experienceOn-ground vs SL experience
Travel as a factorTravel as a factor
Constructivist approach Constructivist approach evaluationevaluation
Some Major FindingsSome Major Findings
• Social presence vastly improved over traditional online Social presence vastly improved over traditional online courses (e.g. pure asynchronous and mixed synchronous courses (e.g. pure asynchronous and mixed synchronous and asynchronous)and asynchronous)
• Speakers from anywhere much more willing to participate.Speakers from anywhere much more willing to participate.– Alumni participate!Alumni participate!
• Mixing synchronous and asynchronous works well for Mixing synchronous and asynchronous works well for SL+BlackboardSL+Blackboard
• Students are energized by paradigmStudents are energized by paradigm• Monitoring of presence worksMonitoring of presence works• Invention flourishes (example: creation of meeting spaces)Invention flourishes (example: creation of meeting spaces)• Exploration worksExploration works• Students say they get to know people better than with pure Students say they get to know people better than with pure
asynchronous onlineasynchronous online
More findingsMore findings
• Experiential learning is keyExperiential learning is key• Traditional presentation methods form a Traditional presentation methods form a
bridgebridge– Students invent their own way of presentingStudents invent their own way of presenting
• Voice is essentialVoice is essential• Buddy system for exploring worksBuddy system for exploring works• Students are “captured” by the experienceStudents are “captured” by the experience• Lots of visitorsLots of visitors• Speakers easy to getSpeakers easy to get• Social presence is palpableSocial presence is palpable
Improvements needed.Improvements needed.
• Issue: The course needs an easy way to get Issue: The course needs an easy way to get acquainted with SLacquainted with SL– Answer: Tour, bootcamp, buddy systemAnswer: Tour, bootcamp, buddy system
• Issue: A way around technical problems (these Issue: A way around technical problems (these were MBA students)were MBA students)– Answer: Fortunately computers are getting more robust Answer: Fortunately computers are getting more robust
– same problem when we started online learning– same problem when we started online learning• Issue: Name issue – wanted RL namesIssue: Name issue – wanted RL names
– Answer: SL names are just to confusing – solution is a Answer: SL names are just to confusing – solution is a name tag (floating above head)name tag (floating above head)
• Issue: Audio is not good enough.Issue: Audio is not good enough.– Answer: Use group audio – much better (note most SL Answer: Use group audio – much better (note most SL
users do not know about this)users do not know about this)
AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements
• Patti Green, Provost Babson CollegePatti Green, Provost Babson College• Candy Brush: Division of Entrepreneurship, Babson Candy Brush: Division of Entrepreneurship, Babson
CollegeCollege• Wendy Silverman, Babson CollegeWendy Silverman, Babson College• Frank Mayadas, Alfred P. Sloan FoundationFrank Mayadas, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation• Gail Sullivan, Kathleen Ives, Sloan ConsortiumGail Sullivan, Kathleen Ives, Sloan Consortium• ..and to the many guests and Babson alumni who ..and to the many guests and Babson alumni who
participatedparticipated
.. John Bourne .. John Bourne ([email protected])([email protected])
What’s new now a semester What’s new now a semester later?later?• Creating a shared learning experience: Virtual Creating a shared learning experience: Virtual
Entrepreneurship IncubatorEntrepreneurship Incubator– NCIIA fundedNCIIA funded– Northeastern, Umass, VMINortheastern, Umass, VMI
• What happened this semesterWhat happened this semester– Creating venueCreating venue– MethodsMethods– Presentation for President of College in SLPresentation for President of College in SL– Surprises: Alumni, how much students like virtual Surprises: Alumni, how much students like virtual
blendedblended
The student focus areas for The student focus areas for BabsonBabson• Alumni Opportunities/Affinity GroupsAlumni Opportunities/Affinity Groups
• Global CampusGlobal Campus
• Time Saving/No travel – engaging experienceTime Saving/No travel – engaging experience
• Access to speakers/guests might not otherwise get to meetAccess to speakers/guests might not otherwise get to meet
• More immersive distance learning social presence – feel More immersive distance learning social presence – feel more connected - not just typing/text, linear conversation, more connected - not just typing/text, linear conversation, more layers of communicationmore layers of communication
• Collaboration/InteractionCollaboration/Interaction
• Streaming Video/ Meet in SL to discuss – experience Streaming Video/ Meet in SL to discuss – experience together – richer than watching alonetogether – richer than watching alone
• Simulations, training, testingSimulations, training, testing