Programme structure

Module Title

Orientation in Virtual Worlds

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

• Demonstrate their critical awareness of the nature of VWs.
• Demonstrate their critical and reflective understanding of the advantages and limitations of VWs and their different applications
• Develop their knowledge and skills to navigate and explore at ease the VW Second Life and transfer this knowledge and skill to other VWs.
• Demonstrate their sound and analytical knowledge of the main themes associated with VWs: identity, modality, spatiality and creativity)
• Demonstrate their critical understanding of different applications of VWs, namely entertainment, education, health, business, and evaluate their effectiveness.
• Demonstrate their critical awareness of the issues related the use of VWs by children.

Syllabus Outline

Session 1: Setting the context: Background and History of VWs. Task: Fieldtrip to different VWs.

Session 2: Avatar and virtual self, embodiment and identity issues. Discovery of SL: getting to know others on the course, basic features of Second Life: e.g sitting & standing; ways of changing avatar appearance.

Session 3: Modality. Using the voice controls and chat box in SL.

Session 4: Spatiality in VWs. Navigational skills, e.g creating landmarks, teleporting, map reading, SLURLS.

Session 5: Communication and Social Networking in VWs. Consider ways of ‘networking’ in SL; for example by using the ‘add friends’ feature; filling in your user profile; note cards.

Session 6: Creativity. Building basics: building prims, creating decks, textures etc

Session 7: Scripting basics

Session 8: Virtual economies and service delivery. Enterprise applications of VWs. Fieldtrips to relevant places. Formative assessment point.

Session 9: Culture and Relationships in VWs. Fieldtrips to relevant virtual places.

Session 10: Entertainment in VWs. VWs for kids. Fieldtrips to relevant virtual places.

Session 11: Healthcare in VWs. Educational applications of VWs. Fieldtrips to relevant virtual places.

Session 12: The future of VWs. Conclusions.

Module Title

Designing Curricula in Virtual Worlds

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

• Demonstrate their sound and analytical knowledge of the main issues and concepts associated with the use of VWs in education from a variety of theoretical and pedagogical perspectives
• Develop their theoretical and conceptual framework of a range of different instructional strategies suitable for VWs
• Display their critical awareness of the nature of classroom dynamics and interaction in-world as well as an understanding of appropriate teaching aids and virtual classroom management techniques at both a practical and theoretical level
• Interpret the relationships between VWs and pedagogy through the viewing (in-world), reading and discussion of research and case studies, as well as through the development, implementation and evaluation of virtual learning activities
• Demonstrate their critical and reflective understanding of the advantages and limitations of VWs in the current teaching and learning context.
• Demonstrate their critical awareness of the role of the tutor in VW education, particularly in terms of facilitating motivation and developing learner autonomy, self-direction and independence
• Evaluate the extents to which innovative assessment forms/approaches in VW are effective and evaluate the ways in which assessment and evaluation data can be collected and analysed

Syllabus Outline

Session 1: Getting started: VWs as constructivist learning environments. Introductory lecture and discussion followed by in-world task, where learners work in groups to program a short-problem based task.

Session 2: Cognitive theories. Use of Kolb’s experiential learning. Problem based learning. Scenarios and cases. Lecture followed by a field trip to UWEs SL simulations and discussion.

Session 3: Presence, co-presence and place-presence. In world task: organise a VW guided visit to a place of interest for all classmates.

Session 4: Learning by exploring. Lecture and discussion followed by in-world task to do with the conduct and subsequent analysis of fieldwork.

Session 5: Learning by collaborating. Lecture and discussion followed by in-world task: learners in group work on problem-solving tasks or in other forms of structured inquire i.e. use of flaw chart in SL.

Session 6: Learning by being. Lecture and discussion on explorations of self and identity, followed by in-world tasks: role plays or performances.

Session 7: The role of the tutor in VW education.

Session 8: Design of the learning environment and developing the teaching space. Field trip to Educational Locations in SL and discussion. Formative feedback point.

Session 9: Educational assessment in VW environments.

Session 10: Information providers in VWs. Resources for teaching in VWs. In-world task: fieldtrip.

Session 11: Main constrains of the use of VWs for education

Session 12: VWs compared to traditional learning paradigms. Investigation of the effects of VWs on learning outcomes and pre conditions under which they are to be used in education.

Module Title

Simulations and Role Play

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

• Demonstrate their ability to synthesise the underpinning theory of educational simulation and role play
• Plan and document an effective educational simulation in a virtual world
• Create an educational simulation in a virtual world
• Run an initial first test of the simulation
• Demonstrate their ability to critically reflect upon the approach taken to both design and construction

Syllabus Outline

Session 1: Introduction to underpinning educational theory of simulation. Introductory lecture followed by break-out focus groups.

Session 2: The value of role-play and alternative experiences/perspectives. Introductory lecture followed by break-out focus groups.

Session 3: Planning workshop – Project planning presentation; organised field visits to education simulations in Second Life and beyond

Session 4: Planning workshop – Oopal masterclass with Daden Ltd

Session 5: Creation workshop – Accessing and building Opal inventories

Session 6: Creation workshop – First design stages; placing items and building the environment

Session 7: Creation workshop – Assigning behaviours

Session 8: Evaluation workshop – Formative assessment point

Session 9: Creation workshop – In-world tests

Session 10: Creation workshop – Refining the Oopal plan

Session 11: Creation workshop – In-world tests

Session 12: Final workshop – Presentations of finished work

Module Title

Scripting and Building Learning Environments

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students will be able to demonstrate:

• their deep and systematic understanding of the concepts and skills needed to create virtual spaces for teaching within virtual worlds
• that they have developed a critical ability in relation to the aesthetic and design principles of a virtual world in relation to education activities.
• that they can build and script educationally effective shapes and environments in Second Life.
• that they can create a multi-object virtual space to support a particular education activity.

Syllabus Outline

Session 1: Introduction

The first seminar to consist of an introduction to the module, describing the areas to be taught, the expected outcome and introducing the two projects the students are expected to complete. The Design Concepts project will be introduced.

Design concepts project

The introductory seminar will cover a general basic introduction to the concepts and students will be given the on-going task during the module of exploring the Second Life world and finding what they consider to be good (and bad) examples of environments. The environments chosen are expected to cover a cross section of the types of Second Life environment (and not be limited to educational spaces only) and the student's report published on a blogging platform.
The seminar will also serve as an introduction to building in virtual worlds, covering concepts, course material, recommended programs, basic design constraints and considerations for building in Second Life. This will be followed by the core building and scripting seminars.

Sessions 2 – 6 Building And Scripting

Basics

Building and Object Manipulation:

• Basic Principles – prims, prim count, sculpties, mesh, rez, rotate, scale, accuracy, grid, co-ordinates and other numerical input fields
• Creation of objects – cutting and distorting, combining in sets, creation of complex multipart objects
• Additional options – light, flexibility
• Texturing – ways to create, application, shadowing, planning
• Planning and executing a build – 3D sketching, modelling and planning

This section of the build to be accompanied by:

• Construction of a simple multi part object, such as a chest of drawers with a small lamp. Textures to be provided.

Scripting and interactivity

Creating simple interactive scripts:

• Basic principles – preset interactivity types in Edit Mode, use of scripts, types of interactivity
• Creation of scripts – how to write, tools, resources, maintaining a script library
• Script concepts – states, variables (global and non global) information types, lists, basic formatting
• Interaction types – touch, listen, collision
• Manipulating prims – changing shape, visibility, location and function
• Media – video, internet, screens

This section of the build to be accompanied by:

• Adding simple interactive scripting to the chest of drawers. Switch the light on and off. Make a drawer slide in and out.
• Creating an interactive internet screen

Sessions 7 – 12 The Design Project

The second half of the seminars to consist of students working on their design project in a tutorial system, able to ask questions and receive guidance as they work on developing and building their final project. The final project is to be introduced in the early stages and students encouraged to develop their design proposal with guidance. Final design proposals need to demonstrate a sufficient understanding of the basic building and scripting seminars as well as an awareness of the design and aesthetic requirements of a virtual world, that are to be explored in the Design Concepts project. Formative feedback will be provided throughout this part of the module.

The Philosophy of Education in Virtual Worlds

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students will be able to demonstrate:

• their ability to distinguish, understand and articulate philosophical problems and argument. 
• their critical understanding of one or more philosophers whose work has relevance to the understanding of virtual worlds.
• their critical understanding of some key philosophical problems raised by virtual worlds. These problems might be metaphysical, epistemological or ethical in character.
• their critical understanding of areas where virtual worlds may throw light on related areas of philosophy such as the philosophy of mind and/or philosophy of science.

Syllabus Outline

The programme will address the conventional sub-divisions of philosophy as they apply to the specific area of virtual worlds.  Broadly - the module will address issues such as:

Metaphysical – What special problems with respect to ‘reality’ and ‘existence’ do virtual worlds pose? An example here might be the possible challenge posed to materialist or physicalist ontologies by virtual 'reality'. Engagement with phenomenalist idealism such as that of George Berkeley, or the process ontology of Alfred North Whitehead might be illuminating here.

Epistemological – What special problems with respect to reliable ‘knowledge’ do virtual worlds pose? An example here might be a possible challenge to realist and representationalist epistemologies. Engagement with French 20th century epistemology from Canguilhem to Foucault might be very interesting in this context.

Ethical – what special problems with respect to how humans should live are posed by virtual worlds? For example - can conventional moral philosophies such as utilitiarianism and Kantian deontology be applied without modification in this context? How does the environment of connectivity, anonymity and relatively unregulated communication and creativity effect conventional normative concepts of such as trust, duty, rights, responsibility, accountability and so on. Can they even apply in such a context?

Specialised areas - What are the areas of philosophy on which the experience of virtual worlds can throw new light? This will include areas such as our understanding of problems of mind and embodiment, and the relationship of science and technology to human experience and subjectivity? Rich areas to explore in this context would be Andy Clark's work on the technological extension of human consciousness, and Evan Thompson's work on phenomenology and self-organisation.

The module will attempt to address such problems through engagement with a range of important philosophical texts. These texts will not necessarily be, themselves, directed towards the theme of virtual worlds. Rather the students task will be to use these philosophical tools for the purpose of developing their own understanding of virtual worlds from a philosophical point of view.

Module Title

Sociology of the Metaverse

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students will be able to demonstrate:

• Their deep understanding of a range of sociological approaches to the study of the Metaverse
• Their deep and systematic understanding of the origins and development of material, symbolic and experiential narratives of the Metaverse
• Their critical awareness of current issues, controversies and trends in the sociology of the Metaverse
• Their critical ability to reflect upon the strengths and weaknesses of sociological analysis of computer-mediated social interaction
• Their deep understanding of the ethical and methodological issues associated with the practice of sociological research in the Metaverse
• Their deep and systematic understanding of a range of research strategies and methods and the ability to assess the appropriateness of their use in understanding the sociology of the metaverse

Syllabus Outline

• Narratives of the ‘real’ and ‘virtual’.
• The distinctive features of the metaverse from a sociological perspective.
• The Net, the Metaverse and the Self
• Presentations of self in the metaverse – interactions between avatars; interactions between avatars and bots; interactions between self and avatar; avatars as relational artefacts.
• Communities and other forms of association in the metaverse with special reference to learning communities.
• Sociological research in the metaverse – practical and ethical issues.
• Social Identities in the metaverse:  gender, ‘race’, disability, sexual orientation.
• Processes of inclusion and exclusion in the metaverse.
• The political economy of the metaverse – the permeability of the ‘real’ and the ‘virtual’.

Module Title

Artificial Intelligence, Bots and Non-Player Characters

Learning Outcomes

Students will be introduced to the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and will explore current implementations of AI applications. Students will analyse the use of conversational agents (chatbots), companion agents (bots) and non-player characters (NPCs) in computer games and online services.

The module is particularly concerned with developing students’ critical and creative understanding of the role that AI can play in sophisticated online/virtual learning experiences, its strengths and limitations.

By the end of the module students will be able to demonstrate:

• their critical and deep understanding of the main issues with which the field of AI deals; its characteristics, applications and limitations;
• their ability to critically appraise conversational agents using methods such as the Turing Test and the Chinese Room hypothesis;
• their systematic understanding of natural language processing and Artificial Intelligence Mark-up Language (AIML);
• their ability to explore and synthesise current AI solutions, vendors and products and their ability to evaluate the potential application to learning activities;
• their ability to design effective and contextual distributed learning experiences where AI is a component contributing to learner interaction and flexibility.

Syllabus Outline

Session 1: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence.
Setting the scene (what is and isn’t AI), potential and limitations.

Session 2: Knowledge, logic and intelligence.
Acquisition of knowledge, context and production. Logic limitations. What do we mean by intelligence? (Turing/Searle).

Session 3: Logic-based vs Computational Intelligence: Explicit knowledge representation and manipulation vs Machine Learning and Meta-heuristic optimisation.

Sessions 4-6: Artificial Agents: typology and implementations.
Kinaesthesia, conversation and presence. Bots, chatbots and NPCs.

Sessions 7-9: Natural Language Processing and AIML.
How can human language be processed? Corpus linguistics and transformational grammar. Structuring linguistic interaction with AIML. Formative assessment/feedback point in session 8.

Sessions 10-12: Learning Design and AI.
Distributable nature of learning as a process. Planning and designing interventions to achieve learning objectives. The role of AI (potential and limitations).

Module Title

Research Methods in Virtual Worlds

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

• Demonstrate their ability to synthesise a range of underpinning methodologies in educational research.
• Demonstrate their ability to apply educational research methods to virtual world environments
• Create a proposal for a research project that could be undertaken in a virtual world
• Demonstrate their ability to critically reflect upon the approach taken to both the design and expression of the proposed research

Syllabus Outline

Session 1: Introduction to underpinning education research methodologies.

Session 2: Characteristics of virtual worlds and the effects on research

Session 3: The theory and method of educational research

Session 4: Contextual and ethical considerations

Session 5: Formulating research questions

Session 6: Types of data and how they can be generated

Session 7: Finding, organising and reviewing the literature – online workshop

Session 8: Research proposal and critique workshop  - formative feedback point

Session 9: Designing qualitative research in a virtual world

Session 10: Collecting and analysing qualitative data

Session 11: Designing quantitative research in a virtual world

Session 12: Collecting and analysing quantitative data

Module Title

MA Education in Virtual Worlds Dissertation

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students will be able to demonstrate their ability to,

• Design a research project appropriate for Masters study in the subject area of education in virtual worlds
• Carry out an effective literature review
• Select and operationalize appropriate methods to address the needs of the project
• Carry out the research
• Analyse the findings of the research
• Draw conclusions from those findings, and
• Critically reflect upon and communicate about the above through the medium of a Masters dissertation not exceeding 20,000 words

Syllabus Outline

Session 1 – introduction to dissertation studies

Further workshops will be offered on topics such as

• Finding the focus of your research
• Selecting research methods
• What is validity and reliability?
• How to overcome blocks and twists in the road
• Phenomenology, ethnography and interpretist methodologies
• Data analysis
• Academic writing

As this is an individually supervised module there is no fixed weekly syllabus. Students will be expected to design and execute a well-planned research study having considered a range of methodological approaches. 

Module Title

MA Education in Virtual Worlds Extended Project

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students will be able to demonstrate their ability to:

• Create an effective project plan
• Design a learning environment in a virtual world
• Construct that environment
• Evaluate its operation and appropriateness in enabling users to achieve the desired learning outcomes
• Critically reflect upon and communicate about the above through the medium of a descriptive and reflective commentary not exceeding 5,000 words.

Syllabus Outline

Session 1 – introduction to the extended project

Further workshops will be offered on topics such as

• Finding the focus of your project
• Selecting appropriate approaches
• Instructional design
• Project management
• Testing and collecting data
• Data analysis
• Academic writing

As this is an individually supervised module there is no fixed weekly syllabus. Students will be expected to design and execute a well-planned project having considered a range of pedogogical approaches.