Rotherham College of Arts & Technology: The educational opportunities of Second Life

An Excellence Gateway case study

Published: 19 May 2008

This case study was produced by JISC RSC (Regional Support Centres) Yorkshire and Humber on behalf of the Excellence Gateway.

Sector relevance: FE colleges, schools, adult and community learning (ACL), Sixth Form colleges, training providers

Keywords: Improving teaching and learning, improving responsiveness to learners, 14-19, young people, virtual learner, e-learning, learner support, motivating learners, virtual learning environments (VLEs), personalisation, curriculum planning, development of teaching and learning resources, staff development, equality and diversity

Summary

A case study highlighting the benefits of using multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs), such as Second Life, in teaching and learning. This case study also considers potential issues and problems in using the technology.

About Rotherham College of Arts & Technology

Rotherham College of Arts and Technology (RCAT) has two main campus sites and community venues in the Rotherham Borough. There are 3,100 courses, 15,500 learners and 700 staff.

The activity

Second Life, the website explains, is “an online, 3D virtual world imagined and created by its Residents”. Users create an “avatar” to represent themselves in this virtual world and they can then interact with other users, “build” their own spaces, and explore what other users have created. Recreations of real world places can be visited, such as the Coliseum and the Louvre. In-world currency can also be earned and spent.

Image 1: Second Life - Welcome page

Stuart Frankland, Access to HE (Computing) Co-ordinator at RCAT, first saw Second Life at the JISC Regional Support Centre for Yorkshire and Humber's annual conference and was inspired to research the possibilities of using it in teaching and learning.

Second Life is free of charge to explore but RCAT decided to purchase and develop some “land”. There are none of the real-world limits: avatars can fly and “breathe” under water. Stuart built his virtual college complete with a computing area in the sky!

Areas were built for various subjects within the College, not just for the computing students.

The outcomes

There have been various benefits to a variety of students from using Second Life:

• Computing

  A “sandbox” area allows learners to experiment with building in Second Life. There is a virtual motherboard that students can “walk around” on. They explore it in detail and in a way impossible in real life. The computing area is in the sky: a fun way to go to a lesson!

  Image 2: Second Life - Virtual motherboard

  


• Hair & Beauty
  Challenging customer service scenarios can be played out in the virtual salon in a way that often does not happen in real-life work experience.
• Arts

  The virtual gallery can be used to showcase learners' work - and, increasingly, as a marketing tool for the College. It can also help improve technique. Creating 3D objects helps the learner study form. Second Life is also useful for Photography students, controlling view and angle and helping frame shots. It is also a cheap option for cartoon making.

  Image 3: Second Life - Virtual art gallery

  


• Fashion
  Students can create clothes and then change outfits by dragging a new one to their avatar. A catwalk allows them to exhibit their work. Students can work with different textures, as in real life.
• Music
  Learners create sound files that they can then “perform” on the virtual stage in a virtual gig.
• Catering/Mechanics/Building site (Health & Safety)

  A kitchen, garage workshop and building site have been recreated to explore Health and Safety issues in a safe manner. It is a more engaging method to address the subject.

  Image 4: Second Life - Virtual kitchen

  
  
• Library
  The library is stocked with e-books. In Stuart's experience, notes given out in Second Life are read, whereas handouts in real life can be ignored.

Other benefits:

• Learner collaboration Learners can meet in Second Life and discuss work. Users are able to create and share new textures, sound, gestures, and images within Second Life. Group activities can be set up, such as creating a film or play.
• Learners with special needs Stuart reports how one student with disabilities is able to feel “normal” in Second Life. Her confidence has noticeably grown in just five months and she is now a DJ. The format of MUVEs is also good for visual learners and learners with dyslexia.
• Distance learning Stuart has used Second Life to bring together students across both RCAT campus sites. Second Life also has the potential to interview prospective students wherever they are.

The impact

The real impact of using Second Life in teaching and learning has been being able to engage learners in a different and more “fun” way. Stuart is also able to do things impossible in real life, such as getting inside a motherboard or demonstrating health and safety hazards in a safe environment. MUVEs are another platform to use to expand teaching methods and accommodate various learning styles.

Feedback from Stuart's learners:

“Using Second Life was a good experience, it's…very easy to use”

“Using Second Life as part of a learning tool was a different experience and made gaining information for my assignment an easier and more enjoyable process”

Hints and tips:

• Staff resistance Stuart found some initial staff resistance to using Second Life, as it is a relatively new tool to use in teaching. A couple of hours are needed to train staff in using it. However, Stuart believes that, as Second Life becomes more established as a teaching tool, the benefits will outweigh the perceived difficulties.
• Staff commitment Stuart was allocated 60 hours to develop the virtual college, but it took him 1000 to build. However, it is not necessary to build your own environment to use Second Life.
• Network capacity Second Life needs appropriate bandwidth and a good graphics card in order to access the application.
• Budget limits If you choose to build in Second Life, rental in the first year is £1,300 followed by monthly payments of around £150. This can be reconciled, as a subscription to a service or buying in server capacity. However, exploring what already exists in Second Life is free of charge.
• Young learners Accessing Second Life main grid is restricted to over 18s only. However, a whiteboard following the tutors avatar allows access for younger learners and also allows tutor total control. The Teen Grid allows younger students up to the age of 18 to access a safe controlled environment where adults are strictly vetted before being allowed access.
• Assessing and recording work Second Life links to other Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs and e-portfolios, enhancing the use of each. Snapshots of scenes and voice and video recordings allow learners to guide the tutor around their work, allowing student reflection and tutor verbal critical feedback. All recordings can be converted into podcasts.

The Chat /Instant Message window can be copied to produce a record of what has taken place. Stuart has conducted System Justification interviews using this method. One learner noted the benefits of this: “I felt that the interview on Second Life went very well. I liked the fact that I didn't have to take notes in the interview, as I could just copy the Chat log when the interview was over”.

• Cultural objections A small group of Muslim students have taken offence at being asked to use Second Life. From their point of view, the main logo looks very like the Masons/Knights Templar open-hand and all-seeing eye. The group is by no means representative of all Muslim students.

Note: RCAT SL Island is open access to anyone - search for “Rotherham room 101”.

Useful links

• Rotherham College of Arts & Technology website
• Email Stuart Frankland or “Quickmoving Sands” (Stuart's name in Second Life) at sfrankland@rotherham.ac.uk
• Second Life website
• Second Life Education Wiki

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Disclaimer: The Regional Support Centres (RSC) and the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) support the development of educational e-learning. In the case study, we may refer to specific products, processes or services by trade name, trademark, manufacturer or otherwise, or link to websites or supporting material. Such references are not endorsements or recommendations and should not be used for product endorsement purposes.