Teaching Art History Online in a
Multi-User Virtual Environment
Kevin Huotari
Teaching Art History Online in a
Multi-User Virtual Environment
Retention in community college level online art
history classes was significantly lower than in
equivalent in-person classes.
Teaching Art History Online in a
Multi-User Virtual Environment
Retention in community college level online art
history classes was significantly lower than in
equivalent in-person classes.
Non-traditional learners in online classes faced
greater difficulty in maintaining engagement
due to lessening of the affective component in
course content.
Teaching Art History Online in a
Multi-User Virtual Environment
This project was intended to help evaluate the
efficacy of the use of an online virtual world
such as Second Life as a way to increase
student engagement in online classes by
providing opportunities for real-time, virtual
face-to-face student-faculty and studentstudent interaction.
Drop out and failure rates among distance
learners are significantly higher than those for
traditional, campus-based students and even
higher among nontraditional students.
Nash, R. D. (2005). Course Completion Rates among Distance
Learners: Identifying Possible Methods to Improve Retention.
Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 8(4).
Investigation into the use of virtual worlds for
synchronous and asynchronous distance learning
has indicated that Multi-User Virtual
Environments afford opportunities for
experiential learning and situated learning within
a collaboration learning environment.
Dickey, M. (2005).Three-dimensional virtual worlds and distance
learning: two case studies of Active Worlds as a medium for
distance education. British Journal of Educational Technology. 36,
439-451.
Using an online virtual world such as Second Life
may increase student engagement, particularly
for online classes, by providing opportunities for
real-time, virtual face-to-face student-faculty and
student-student interaction.
Baker, S. C., Wentz, R. K., & Woods, M. M. (2009). Using Virtual
Worlds in Education: Second Life as an Educational Tool.
Teaching of Psychology. 36. 59-64.
The project was implemented in Linden Lab's
Second Life, a Multi-User Virtual Environment
(MUVE),a virtual-reality experience. Students
visited a virtual-reality art gallery in Second
Life.
Second Life is a client-server based MUVE that
represents participants as avatars. Avatars
have independent movement and animation
control, can interact with one another through
gesture, text chat, and live voice chat, and can
create three dimensional objects. Avatars can
create realistic simulations of physical
environments.
How often do you use a courseware product (e.g., ETUDES, Blackboard, etc.)?
• Never (1) 0 0.00%
• Rarely (2) 0 0.00%
• Sometimes (3) 0 0.00%
• Often (4) 2 22.22%
• Frequently (5) 7 77.78%
• No answer 0 0.00%
I was able to complete the Gallery Visit Assignment because there was a gallery
available to visit in Second Life.
• Strongly Disagree (0) 0 0.00%
• Disagree (1) 0 0.00%
• Neutral (2) 0 0.00%
• Agree (3) 1 11.11%
• Strongly Agree (4) 7 77.78%
• No answer 1 11.11%
The Second Life gallery was more accessible to me than the real life galleries.
• Strongly Disagree (0) 0 0.00%
• Disagree (1) 0 0.00%
• Neutral (2) 2 22.22%
• Agree (3) 3 33.33%
• Strongly Agree (4) 3 33.33%
• No answer 1 11.11%
I was able to more successfully complete the Gallery Visit Assignment because
Second Life offered the opportunity to speak with my instructor.
• Strongly Disagree (0) 0 0.00%
• Disagree (1) 0 0.00%
• Neutral (2) 0 0.00%
• Agree (3) 1 11.11%
• Strongly Agree (4) 7 77.78%
• No answer 1 11.11%
I found the instructor's presence in the Second Life gallery helpful.
• Strongly Disagree (0) 0 0.00%
• Disagree (1) 0 0.00%
• Neutral (2) 0 0.00%
• Agree (3) 1 11.11%
• Strongly Agree (4) 7 77.78%
• No answer 1 11.11%
The technical requirements can be found here:
http://secondlife.com/support/sysreqs.php
You can download the Second Life client here:
http://secondlife.com/support/downloads.php
Create an Avatar in Second Life
http://secondlife.com/whatis/avatar.php
Press the Join Now button:
https://join.secondlife.com/
Second Life Classroom Location
Teaching 10
Are you ready to teach in Second Life?
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Educators -- SL Educators (The SLED List)
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