The Role of the “Inter-Life” Virtual World as a Creative Technology to Support Student Transition into Higher Education
Affiliation(s)
nterdisciplinary Science Education, Technologies and Learning Research Group, School of Education, College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK. Interdisciplinary Science Education, Technologies and Learning Research Group, School of Education, College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
nterdisciplinary Science Education, Technologies and Learning Research Group, School of Education, College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK. Interdisciplinary Science Education, Technologies and Learning Research Group, School of Education, College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
ABSTRACT
The shape of Higher Education (HE) in the UK and internationally is changing, with wider access policies leading to greater diversity and heterogeneity in contemporary student populations world-wide. Students in the 21st Century are often described as “fragmented”; meaning they are frequently working whilst participating in a full time Degree programme. Consequently, those in the HE setting are required to become “future ready” which increasingly involves the seamless integration of new digital technologies into undergraduate programmes of teaching and learning. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of the “Inter-Life” three-dimensional virtual world as a suitable Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) tool to support the initial stages of transition from school into university. Our results demonstrate that Inter-Life is “fit for purpose” in terms of the robustness of both the educational and technical design features. We have shown that Inter-Life provides a safe space that supports induction mediated by active learning tasks using learner-generated, multi-modal transition tools. In addition, through the provision of private spaces, Inter-Life also supports and fosters the development of critical reflective thinking skills. However, in keeping with the current literature in the field, some of the students expressed a wish for more training in the functional and social skills required to navigate and experience the Inter-Life virtual world more effectively. Such findings resonate with the current debate in the field which challenges the notion of “digital natives”, but the present study has also provided some new evidence to support the role of virtual worlds for the development of a suitable community to support students undergoing transition to university.
The shape of Higher Education (HE) in the UK and internationally is changing, with wider access policies leading to greater diversity and heterogeneity in contemporary student populations world-wide. Students in the 21st Century are often described as “fragmented”; meaning they are frequently working whilst participating in a full time Degree programme. Consequently, those in the HE setting are required to become “future ready” which increasingly involves the seamless integration of new digital technologies into undergraduate programmes of teaching and learning. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of the “Inter-Life” three-dimensional virtual world as a suitable Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) tool to support the initial stages of transition from school into university. Our results demonstrate that Inter-Life is “fit for purpose” in terms of the robustness of both the educational and technical design features. We have shown that Inter-Life provides a safe space that supports induction mediated by active learning tasks using learner-generated, multi-modal transition tools. In addition, through the provision of private spaces, Inter-Life also supports and fosters the development of critical reflective thinking skills. However, in keeping with the current literature in the field, some of the students expressed a wish for more training in the functional and social skills required to navigate and experience the Inter-Life virtual world more effectively. Such findings resonate with the current debate in the field which challenges the notion of “digital natives”, but the present study has also provided some new evidence to support the role of virtual worlds for the development of a suitable community to support students undergoing transition to university.
KEYWORDS
Inter-Life; Transition; Higher Education; Virtual Worlds; Community; Technology Enhanced Learning
Inter-Life; Transition; Higher Education; Virtual Worlds; Community; Technology Enhanced Learning
Cite this paper
Devlin, A. , Lally, V. , Canavan, B. & Magill, J. (2013). The Role of the “Inter-Life” Virtual World as a Creative Technology to Support Student Transition into Higher Education. Creative Education, 4, 191-201. doi: 10.4236/ce.2013.47A2025.
Devlin, A. , Lally, V. , Canavan, B. & Magill, J. (2013). The Role of the “Inter-Life” Virtual World as a Creative Technology to Support Student Transition into Higher Education. Creative Education, 4, 191-201. doi: 10.4236/ce.2013.47A2025.
References
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[1] Barnett, R. (2007). A will to learn: Being a student in an age of uncertainty. McGraw-Hill/Open University Press. [2] Bennett, S., Maton, K., & Kervin, L. (2008). The “digital natives” debate: A critical review of the evidence. British Journal of Educational Technology, 39, 775-786. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00793.x [3] Beaumont, C., Savin-Baden, M, Conradi, E., & Poulton, T. (2012). Evaluating a second life problem-based learning demonstrator project: What can we learn? Interactive Learning Environments, 1-17. doi:10.1080/10494820.2011.641681 [4] Biesta, G. J. J. (2011). How useful should the university be? On the rise of the global university and the crisis in higher education. Qui Parle: Critical Humanities and Social Sciences, 20, 35-47. [5] Bourdieu, P. (1986). “The forms of capital”. Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of capital. New York: Greenwood Press. [6] Brockbank, A., & McGill, I. (1998). Facilitating reflective learning in higher education. Buckingham: Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press. [7] Bronack, S., Riedl, J., & Tashner, J. (2006). Learning in the zone: A social constructivist framework for distance education in a 3-dimensional virtual world. Interactive Learning Environments, 14, 219232. doi:10.1080/10494820600909157 [8] Campbell, C. (2009). Learning in a different life: Pre-service education students using an online virtual world. Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, 2, 4-17. [9] Christie, H. (2009). Emotional journeys: Young people and transitions to university. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 30, 123-136. doi:10.1080/01425690802700123 [10] Cresswell, J. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). New York: Sage. [11] Currant, B., & Keenan, C. (2009). Evaluating systematic transition to higher education. The Brookes Ejournal of Learning and Teaching, 2, 4. http://bejlt.brookes.ac.uk/article/evaluating_systematic_transition_to_higher_education/ [12] Dede, C. (2009). Immersive interfaces for engagement and learning. Science, 323, 66-68. doi:10.1126/science.1167311 [13] De Freitas, S., Rebolledo-Mendez, G., Liarokapis, F., Magoulas, G., & Poulovassilis, A. (2010). Learning as immersive experiences: Using the four dimensional framework for designing and evaluating immersive learning experiences in a virtual world. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41, 69-85. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2009.01024.x [14] De Freitas, S., & Veletsianos, G. (2010). Editorial: Crossing boundaries: Learning and teaching in virtual worlds. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41, 3-9. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2009.01045.x [15] Devlin, A. M., Lally, V., Sclater, M., & Parussel, K. (2011). The development of life transition skills in Inter-Life: A novel, 3-dimensional virtual learning environment. In H. Spada, G. Stahl, N. Miyake, & N. Law (Eds.), Connecting Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning to Policy and Practice: CSCL 2011 Conference Proceedings, II, 874-875. [16] Devlin, A. M., Canavan, B., Magill, J., & Lally, V. (2012) Evaluation of the novel Inter-Life virtual world as an innovative technology to support transition to University. European Conference on Educational Research (ECER), University of Cadiz, 18-21 September 2012. [17] Devlin, A. M., Lally, V., Sclater, M., & Parussel, K. (2013). Inter-life: A novel, three-dimensional, virtual learning environment for life transition skills learning. Interactive Learning Environments, iFirst Article. doi:10.1080/10494820.2013.768271 [18] Dweck, C. (1999). Self-theories: Their role in motivation, personality and development. Philadelphia, PA: Psychology Press. [19] Ecclestone, K., Biesta, G., & Hughes, M. (2010). Transitions and Learning throughout the life course. Routledge: London & New York. [20] Edirisingha, P., Nie, M., Pluciennik, M., & Young, R. (2009). Socialisation at a distance in a 3-D multi-user virtual environment. British Journal of Educational Technology, 40, 458-479. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2009.00962.x [21] Edward, N. S. (2003). First impressions last. An innovative approach to induction. Active Learning in Higher Education, 4, 226-242. doi:10.1177/14697874030043003 [22] Facer, K., & Sandford, R. (2010). The next 25 years? Future scenarios and future directions for education and technology. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 26, 74-93. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2009.00337.x [23] Gale, T., & Parker, S. (2012). Navigating change: A typology of student transitions in Australian higher education. Studies in Higher Education, iFirst Article. doi:10.1080/03075079.2012.721351 [24] Glogowska, M., Young, P., & Lockyer, L. (2007). Should I stay or should I go? A study of factors influencing students’ decisions on early leaving. Active Learning in Higher Education, 8, 63-77. doi:10.1177/1469787407074115 [25] Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in everyday life. New York: Doubleday. [26] Harley, D., Winn, S., Pemberton, S., & Wilcox, P. (2007). Using texting to support students’ transition to university. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 44, 229-241. doi:10.1080/14703290701486506 [27] Helsper, E., & Eynon, R. (2010). Digital natives: Where is the evidence? British Educational Research Journal, 36, 503-520. doi:10.1080/01411920902989227 [28] Hew, K. F., & Cheung, W. S. (2010). Use of three-dimensional (3-D) immersive virtual worlds in K-12 and higher education settings: A review of the research. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41, 33-55. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2008.00900.x [29] Jewitt, C., Kress, G., Ogborn, J., & Tsatsarelis, C. (2001) Exploring learning through visual, actional and linguistic communication: The multimodal environment of a science classroom. Educational Review, 53, 5-18. [30] Jewitt, C. (2006). Technology, literacy and learning: A multimodal approach. London: Routledge. [31] Jewitt, C. (2008). Multimodality and Literacy in school classrooms. Review of Research in Education, 32, 241-267. doi:10.3102/0091732X07310586 [32] Kennedy, G., Judd, T., Dalgarno, B., & Waycott, J. (2010). Beyond natives and immigrants: Exploring types of net generation students. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 26, 332-343. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2010.00371.x [33] Kift, S., & Nelson, K. (2005). Beyond curriculum reform: Embedding the transition experience in Higher Education in a changing world. Proceedings of the 28th Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australia (HERDSA) Annual Conference (pp. 225235), Sydney, 3-6 July 2005. [34] Kift, S., Nelson, K., & Clarke, J. (2010). Transition pedagogy: A third generation approach to FYE—A case study of policy and practice for the higher education sector. The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, 1, 1-20. [35] Kolb, D. A. (1984) Experiential learning: Experience as a source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. [36] Kress, G. (2003). Literacy in the new media age. London: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780203164754 [37] Lally, V., Magill, E., Magill, J., Canavan, B., Kolberg, M., Pomerantz, M. et al. (2009). Inter-Life: Inter-operability and transition. Paper Presented at CAL09-Learning in Digital Worlds conference, Brighton, UK. [38] Lally, V., & Sclater, M. (2012). The Inter-Life project: Inter-cultural spaces for young people to use creative practices and research to assist with life changes and transition. Research in Comparative and International Education, 7, 480-502. [39] Lally, V., & Sclater, M. (2013). The Inter-Life project: Researching the potential of art, design and virtual worlds as a vehicle for assisting young people with key life changes and transitions. 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