Games, simulations and virtual worlds: what evidence do we have that they change practice?

While there’s a lot of interest in games, simulations and virtual worlds, and much talk of their potential, there is arguably less evidence about what their benefits are. Where there is evidence, this is often for the feasibility of new pedagogic approaches or of student enjoyment – not necessarily about learning.

The Games, Virtual Worlds and Higher Education Special Interest Group are holding an event on 15th April at the London Knowledge Lab to look at these issues - as part of the event they intend to bring together a body of evidence that develops this situation and starts to make sense of it. The day will combine short presentations with workshop-like sessions, so that evidence about changes to practice can be shared and analysed. For more information on the event and details on how to submit a proposal see this post.

For more information about the Game SIG, see http://www.game-sig.info/?page_id=80

Virtual trenches immerse students in First World War poetry

With Armistice Day fast approaching a JISC project team has taken an unusual approach to ensuring that people continue to learn about the First World War.

The First World War Poetry Digital Archive and the Learning Technologies Group at Oxford University have collaborated on an exciting new venture in the 3D virtual world Second Life to simulate areas of the Western Front 1914-18. The team believes this is the first time anything of its kind has been done on Second Life.

Visitors to the virtual trenches can explore digitised archival materials like poetry manuscripts, letters and diaries from the major poets of the First World War as they walk around a training camp, a trench network and No Man’s Land dressed as a soldier or a nurse. The terrain is waterlogged and difficult to navigate, rife with rats and littered with poppies; moving nearer to the front line the clamour of shell blasts and artillery fire becomes louder and louder.

The resources include works by Wilfred Owen, Isaac Rosenberg and Vera Brittain, along with contextual primary source materials. These materials have been supplemented with new interpretative content and a spectrum of interactive tools and tutorials, streaming video and audio effects.

The artefacts have been drawn from the highly successful First World War Poetry Digital Archive, launched in 2009 to mark the 90th anniversary of the end of the war. By placing them in an online virtual model the collection is made even more useful and engaging to a range of different user groups across UK education sectors, research communities and the heritage industry.

Ben Showers, digitisation programme officer at JISC, said:

“The First World War Digital Poetry Archive is constantly pushing the boundaries of what it means to be an academic archive, and now users are able to interact with the collections and materials. JISC funding for this additional virtual environment means students, researchers and everyone interested in this material can collaborate and become immersed in the world of the Western Front to experience the immediate context of these manuscripts and poems like never before.”

As guests explore the simulation, they can listen to the voices of veterans recounting their experiences of the war, watch original film footage from the time, and learn about life on the Western Front. Within this context they can encounter some of the most powerful poetry in English literature by handling the original manuscripts, turning the pages of the poet’s war diaries and letters, and listening to readings.

For more information see: http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/secondlife

Getting Started with Second Life

This JISC guide offers a basic overview of how to get started in Second Life, along with some tips on how to facilitate learning in this space.

The guide is written by representatives from several projects from within JISC’s recent Users and Innovation programme, which gave project teams the opportunity to work in emergent technology spaces that at the time were the domain of very few in higher education. These included multi user virtual environments such as Second Life.

During the life of the Second Life projects, one area stood out as needing support more than any other - getting started in Second Life. And here it is: aimed at staff who are looking to connect through a virtual world to learning and research activities, this guide should be the first step in any proposed use of Second Life for learning and teaching, providing a step by step approach and a range of guidance in the key areas and issues.

To download and view the report, go to http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/documents/gettingstartedsecondlife.aspx

Evaluating Learning Spaces Study - Final Report Available

This JISC funded study aimed to identify and review the tools, methods and frameworks used to evaluate technology supported or enhanced physical learning spaces. A key objective was to develop the sector knowledgebase on emerging practice in the evaluation of learning spaces, identifying innovative methods and approaches beyond traditional post-occupancy evaluations and surveys that have dominated this area to date.

The study found that less than a third of evaluations studied made use of any sort of baseline data, therefore limiting the extent to which impact could be fully assessed. It also found that a tension existed between evaluation studies and research into student learning. However it did find pockets of good practice, and these are detailed in the report.

The study also proposes a conceptual Framework for Evaluating Learning Spaces (FELS), which builds upon the input gathered through study interviews and project workshops.

The report can be downloaded at www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/projects/learningspaces08.aspx

iCamp handbook: How to Use Social Software in Higher Education

Just stumbled across this publication - not had chance to read it yet, but it looks like it should be an interesting read. The handbook is a result of the iCamp project, a three-year EC-funded research project that set out to encourage innovative educational practices within European higher education. According to its authors, iCamp promotes the eff ective integration of emerging Social Software technologies within the changing landscapes of European higher education, and this handbook illustrates possible strategies for making good use of these technologies, guided by a constructivist pedagogical vision.

You can download the handbook here as PDF or get in contact with any of the iCamp partners for a printed version.

EQ Magazine - special issue on learning spaces

The latest edition of EDUCAUSE Quarterly Magazine focusses on learning spaces covering a wide range of approaches. To view the issue, follow this link: http://www.educause.edu/library/EQM091W

Call for posters - 3rd Annual Conference of Technology Supported Learning in the 21st Century

Are you using Web 2.0 tools to support student learning in post-16 education or have you done exciting work in any of the following areas at the cutting edge of technology supported learning?

• Sustaining creative cultures
• Learner-led models of technology supported learning
• Changing academic identity and practice

If so, the 3rd Annual Conference of Technology Supported Learning in the 21st Century is looking for practitioners to present posters. The conference takes place at Staffordshire University on 1st June 2009.

If you would like to present a poster, please submit an abstract of no more than 250 words to Christa Appleton (contact details c.appleton@staffs.ac.uk) by noon on 6th May 2009. Please note that a reduced conference rate is offered to poster presenters.

See http://www.staffs.ac.uk/tsl09conference for full details of the conference themes and programme.