The Next Best Thing to Recess: Teaching Biology in Second Life

1. The Next Best Thing to Recess:Teaching Biology in Second Life Dr. Mary Anne Clark Professor of Biology Texas Wesleyan University 18 February 2010

2. Genome Island Genome Island is located in the SciLands – a continent composed of 64 science-related islands at Second Life. Second Life is a 3D virtual world with user-created content. Over 300 colleges and universities have an educational presence at Second Life.

3. Genome IslandLearning Spaces Conference Area Exhibit Student Project Gallery Experiment Place to Think

4. Genome Island Activity Clusters Tower Abbey Terrace

5. Genome Island Use at Wesleyan • Biology majors in required courses • Occasional on-campus use • Laboratory simulations • Class demonstrations • *Nonmajorselecting a science class • Online class in world • Class sessions and content on Genome • Blackboard (CE6) interface

6. Preparation for the NSC 1414 class • Before the class began: E-mails sent to all students enrolled in the class Students registered for SL accounts Students downloaded the free SL browser Orientation at SciLands basic skills center • First week of class: Blackboard login check Class met in the Abbey conference area Genome Island Orientation

7. Course Activities • Eight course modules • Weekly discussions in world • Activities on Genome Island • Assignments related to activities • Pretest, Midterm, Final Exam • Gene Project

8. Course Blackboard Site Link to Genome

9. Blackboard Portal from Genome

10. Student Discussion Group The presence ofan instructor is critical.

11. Activity Guidelines on Blackboard

12. Student Activity

13. Activity Data

14. Assignment on Blackboard

15. Information Collected • Pretests/Posttests • Visitor data ( http://mayarealities.com ) • Number of unique visitors • Total visits • Average time/visitor • Visitor returns • Object activity records • Discussion recording

16. Weekly Visitor Records Classbegins Classends 7139 Weeks

17. Weekly Time / Visitor Minutes Weeks

18. Return Visits Return Visits

19. Discussion Attendance

20. Activity Records Index Objects

21. Activity Records

22. Student Retention and Achievement

23. Is Genome Island a Game? Genome Island is more of a laboratory for me. (3) Genome Island is more of a classroom in my opinion because when I go there I feel like I am stepping into a classroom, plus the fact that the teacher is there makes it seem more structured like a classroom environment. (2) I think that Genome Island is like a lab and a game rolled into one. The game aspect makes it more fun, but the work is just as difficult. Genome Island is an environment that is a combination of classroom, laboratory and great game. It definitely is a classroom. However, the labs are surrounding the learning materials that helps enforce learning. The whole island is a big game to me that I very much enjoy. Genome Island is a new and different type of environment. It is WAY more challenging mentally than any game (any game I have played!) Not quite as formal as a classroom and a very controlled laboratory Well, it’s all of the above. It functions like a video game though, which is not so great for people like myself who are video game challenged. This application is really all 3 rolled into one which helps by keeping things fun. It is cartoony like a game, but with relevant information provided to help learning.

24. Max Chatnoir E-mail: mclark@txwes.edu http://slurl.com/secondlife/Genome/119/145/54http://slurl.com/secondlife/SciLands/196/17/23http://secondlife.com/support/downloads/?lang=en-US