GLOBAL: College offers virtual world digital course

The virtual world Second Life has become a focus of higher education by providing a remote forum in which to teach and hold seminars. Now a college in Texas is offering a certificate and degree course of interest to a large number of SL residents.

At the virtual campus of Texas State Technical College (vTSTC), a student can earn a certificate or a degree in Associates in Applied Science, both in digital media. The certificate can be completed in two semesters totalling eight months, while a degree in AAS takes four semesters to complete.

As with most online courses, the classes for the certificate and degree are flexible. Speaking to SL newspaper, the Metaverse Messenger, through his Second Life avatar, (a digital representation of himself whose real name is Kevin Brown), KevinRB Techsan, the vTSTC project manager said, "We leave a lot up to the teachers but we do have all the students meet together with the instructor although how many times is dependent on the class."

Techsan later told UWN virtual reporter Belinda Blessed: "Our certificate and degree plan has had a wonderful response from current and potential students. From our surveys, it is the engagement factor that is really popular... getting to interact in real time with other students and the faculty on SL."

He noted that previous students had asked for more class time in Second Life and that traditional online components such as the Blackboard product are used: "The instructors do much of the lecturing with discussions face-to-face with the students here [on the college's virtual campus on SL]," he said.

Other features of the classes at vTSTC include guest speakers and team projects. Techsan said that efforts at collaboration had been very positive. The virtual campus features more than the rather traditional classroom; for example, there is a digital photography classroom containing interactive displays that foster hands-on learning.

As Techsan explained: "Students may involve themselves with the knowledge not just look at a static page on a website."

Most of the displays offer buttons students can push to watch a slide or engage in some other activity that will immerse them in learning. Techsan said that sometimes it was "just a matter of simplifying a concept to a 3D visual."

As an example, he pointed out a large digital model of a cut-away camera demonstrating the path of light when using a shutter of a digital single-lens reflex camera: "[It's] very simple but easily understood, plus I don't have to rip apart an expensive camera to show the same thing," he said.

Techsan said vTSTC instructors were not required to have a virtual classroom but they were encouraged to have one, and to involve the students in what those rooms should be and look like. Informal discussion areas that offered seating for avatars allowed students to converse through them on topics of interest and concern, including assignments.

"I wanted them to know that they could talk to me, ask questions and make sure I understood," he said

The work of students is often displayed in galleries throughout the campus. Project managers for the facility created display boards to exhibit the photography and media designs of students. Each board has a mailbox underneath so other students as well as visitors have a way to offer feedback on each student's work.

The campus also displays some Texan touches, such as the many digital wind turbines scattered throughout the virtual campus (called 'sim' in Second Life jargon).

*www.tstc.edu
*Kristan Hall is the editor of SL newspaper the Metaverse Messenger - see www.metaversemessenger.com