25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
Presented by
Julian Scheinbuks
Aka Jules Gigamon
Veronica Halloway
Aka No Morane
Deb Antoine
Aka Vidorah Messmer
Copyright 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
Brief History of Second Life
Second Life is a 3-D
virtual world entirely
created by its residents.
Since opening to the
public in 2003, it has
grown and today is
inhabited by millions of
residents from around the
globe.
Copyright 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
Stats
As of yesterday
afternoon over 1
million 444 thousand
people have logged
into Second Life in the
last 60 days.
Copyright 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
Second Life Comes to UIS
In February of 2008,
UIS, through the
Office of TechnologyEnhanced Learning
bought an island in
Second Life to explore
its educational uses.
Copyright 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
The Collaboration
Copyright 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
History of the Collaboration
• Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Developed
online BASUAH training using the Moodle CMS
supported by UIS
– Target Audience—College Students
• UIS experiments with Instructional Tools and Games
Second Life
• Chicago State University
– Encourage students in Biology of Sexually
Transmitted Diseases for non-majors to become
BASUAH Ambassadors
– Experiments with teaching in Second Life stimulates
student interest.
Copyright 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
Biology Class @ CSU
• Seven years ago, an online introductory Biology Class
was offered by CSU to study Sexually Transmitted
Infection (STIs)
• The purpose of the course was to educate and motivate
non-major students to influence the community about the
epidemiology and medical issues associated with STIs
and HIV/AIDS.
Copyright 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
Student Profile
• AGE: average age was 30 to
35 years
• Family status: Most were
married or were single parents
• Financial Status: Most
received financial aid
• Education: most were juniors
or seniors
• Majors: Students were
enrolled in: COE, CAS, Honors
College, COB, and BOG.
Copyright 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
Student Profile (cont.)
• Racial or Cultural
Background:
– 80% African American
– 0.6% Asian American
or Pacific Islander
– 6.7% Hispanic
American
– 0.1% Native American
– 9.9% Caucasian
• Gender: 65% female,
35% male
Copyright 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
Biology Class Objectives
• The class studied those pathogens which cause (STIs)
and associate them with their biological families with
specific interest in the bacterial and viral agents
• The class studied the nature and epidemiology of the
agents and how to protect against exposure to STIs..
• Members of the class completed the IDPH BASUAH
Ambassador program.
• The class created presentations using Elluminate.
Recordings of their presentations and related skits were
placed into Second Life to assist in development of the
Second Life BASUAH Ambassador Program.
Copyright 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
Benefits of the Collaboration: IDPH
• Engagement and Retention of BASUAH
Ambassadors
• Ambassador Programs:
– State-wide networking
– National networking
– Global networking
Copyright 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
Benefits of the Collaboration: CSU
• Engagement and Retention of Students
• Three Biology classes have participated in the
BASUAH program.
• 50 biology students have become BASUAH
Ambassadors
• BASUAH Ambassador Program Objectives for
CSU students:
– State-wide networking
– National networking
– Global networking
Copyright 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
Benefits of the Collaboration: UIS
• Experiment with teaching and learning in Second Life:
interactions in SL
– Gaming
– Role Playing
– Avatars with disease-like symptoms
• Social Networking in SL, Moodle, Blackboard etc.
– Face book
– SLOODLE
– Access to Moodle through SL
– Blogs
Copyright 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
Resources
• Blog
– http://basuahinsl.blogspot.com/
• Ning
– http://basuah.ning.com/
• Higher Ed in Second Life: Fall 2007
– http://rayschroeder.googlepages.com/secondlife
Copyright 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
Second Life Demo
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