Second Life and Virtual Academics

Second Life and Virtual Academics: Using MUVEs to Enhance Teaching and Learning

Beth Ritter-Guth (Desideria Stockton)

David Longenbach (Foe Hammerer)

Your Guides• Beth Ritter-Guth, Instructor of English,

Communication, and Women’s Studies, LCCC, CEO of Literature Alive, bguth@lccc.edu

• David Longenbach, Dean of Academic Services, LCCC, dlongenbach@lccc.edu

• Lisa Plummer, Associate Dean of Institutional Statistics, lplummer@lccc.edu

• Eloise Pasteur, Educational Designer, UK, eloisepasteur@gmail.com

• Daliah Carter, Literature Alive! Assistant, Displaced Worker/Graduate, LCCC

The Vestibule• Creating Desideria Stockton

– Gender Discourse Research Exploration– The Birth of Literature Alive!

• Lack of Humanities Content• Lack of Faculty Development Opportunities• Need for Edifying Content• Collaboration with Eloise Pasteur (Virgil)

Spotlight

The Archetypal Cavern

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cevert/131/87/50

Limbo• Challenges

– No Connections, No Money, No Clue

• Strategies– Quit– Found Harvard – Joined Sled List (

http://secondlife.com/education)– Met Sarah Robbins (Intellagirl Tully) and

Bryan Carter (Bryan Mnemonic)– Met Eloise Pasteur– Became a Student

Spotlight

Mama Day Interactivehttp://slurl.com/secondlife/Montclair%20State%20CHSS/222/160/0

The Lustful• Fears

– Adult Content– Counter Culture (BDSM/Furry/Gor/Child

RP/RC RP) – Griefing– Addiction

• Strategies– Prepare Students for International Travel– Engage Students– Provide Safe Havens

• Visit Literature Alive! Headquarters Lucky Chairs and Gaming Station

Spotlight

The Gothic Literature Classroomhttp://slurl.com/secondlife/Eduisland%203/224/32/0

The Gluttonous• Challenges to Finding Good Content:

– Educators Do Not Promote (strip clubs do)

• Strategies:– Started Building British Literature Classroom– Created Open Access Policy via Creative

Commons– Listed All Builds in Classifieds

Spotlight

Literature of the Progressive Erahttp://slurl.com/secondlife/VIT%20World/151/128/23

Hoarders and Wasters• Challenges:

– Some Educators Do Not Share– Locked Sims– No Place to Learn HOW to teach using SL

(lots of places to learn WHY)

• Strategies– Open SLedware Project (Hiro Sheridan,

Eloise Pasteur)– Creative Commons Licensing– Faculty Workshops @ the Collaboration

Station

Spotlight

The Walden Farm Projecthttp://slurl.com/secondlife/Monroe%20CC%202/210/212/0

The Wrathful

• Challenges:– Peer Faculty Perceptions– Bad Press– Frustrated Students

• Strategies:– Recruited Dean Dave– Good Press– Listened to Students

Spotlight

Grendel’s Lair

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Io/19/201/54

The Heretics• Challenges:

– Virtual Literature versus “Real Literature”– Perception of “Unethical Practice”– Restricted Classrooms

• Strategies:– Commitment to Virtual Ethics– Commitment to Global Partnerships– Tour

• Poe Classroom• Spoon River Anthology• Archetypal Cavern

Spotlight

Rime of the Ancient Marinerhttp://slurl.com/secondlife/Lehigh%20Carbon%20Island/194/89/31

The Violent• The Death of Good Ideas

– Lack of Funding, Lack of IT Support (Public Disapproval), Lack of Peer Support (Tenure/Promotion)

• Strategies:– Remember the Cause: STUDENTS!– “If you are going to kick up sand, expect to get sand in

your eye” – Former Administrator– Create Partnerships

• Community College Consortium (Pipsqueak Fiddlesticks)

– Sponsorships • Super Sponsors: Finger Lakes CC, Monroe CC, NMC,

FireSabre Consulting, Eloise Pasteur Educational Designs

The Women and War Partnershiphttp://slurl.com/secondlife/Drexel/194/30/0

• Introduction to Women’s Studies (online)

• History of World War II (F2F)– Shared Resources– Collaboration– Joint Projects– Assessment

The Fraudulent• Recreating Real Life

– Lack of Immersion– Empty Shells– Politics

• Strategies:– Revised Projects– Self Sustaining Builds– Surrounded by GREAT and AWESOME

people!!!!

Spotlight

Edgar Allan Poe’s House of Usherhttp://slurl.com/secondlife/Lehigh%20Carbon%20Island/194/89/31

The Treacherous

• The Nay Sayers– They do not go away!!!

• Strategies:– Start Somewhere (find a guide)– Build a Reputation– Celebrate the Success of All– Share Resources– Collaborate– Present– Publish (Innovate)

Questions?

• Beth Ritter-Guth– bguth@lccc.edu– BethRitterGuth@gmail.com– Desideria Stockton (SL)