AN EXPLORATION OF TEACHING AND LEARNING IN A VIRTUAL WORLD IN THE CONTEXT OF HIGHER EDUCATION Sabrina Fitzsimons B.Rel.Ed, MA Rel & Ed Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Supervisor: Dr. Margaret Farren School of Education Studies Dublin City University July 2012 DECLARATION I hereby certify that this material, which I now submit for assessment on the programme of study leading to the award of Doctor of Philosophy is entirely my own work, that I have exercised reasonable care to ensure that the work is original, and does not to the best of my knowledge breach any law of copyright, and has not been taken from the work of others save and to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text of my work. Signed: Sabrina Fitzsimons ID No.: 59115491 Date: 9 th July 2012 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis would not have been possible with the help and guidance of several individuals. First of all, I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Margaret Farren, for her continued guidance, patience and good humour. Margaret made this an enjoyable learning experience and encouraged me to be confident in my knowledge and ability. I wish to express my sincere thanks to the Director of the Institute, Dr. Andrew McGrady, for his support of this research. The financial support of the Research Committee of Mater Dei Institute of Education is gratefully acknowledged. I would like to thank my colleagues for their support during this research. As a member of the School of Education, I enjoy working with colleagues who are committed to their students. This supportive and inclusive environment has greatly enhanced my professional development. In particular, wholehearted thanks to Elaine, Enda, Gareth, Kevin, PJ, Mary, Sandra and Semra. Thank you to the students who participated in this research, to Dublin Virtually Live for hosting MDI, to James Neville (SL: Sitearm Madonna) for continued support and guidance. Thank you to John O’Connor, Dublin Institute of Technology, for generously permitting me to participate in his virtual world module. Thank you to my family and friends for their encouragement and belief, a special mention to Pat for his great proof reading skills. I am indebted to him for his help. Finally, thank you to David. I could not have completed this thesis without him. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 2 Research Focus ........................................................................................................................... 2 Data Collection Methods ............................................................................................................ 2 Professional Context .................................................................................................................. 2 Rationale .................................................................................................................................... 3 Student Teachers ........................................................................................................................ 4 Initial Teacher Education and ICT ............................................................................................. 8 Summary .................................................................................................................................. 10 Chapter Organisation ............................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER ONE: SECOND LIFE ........................................................................................... 13 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 14 Play ........................................................................................................................................... 14 Computer Gaming .................................................................................................................... 15 Second Life .............................................................................................................................. 19 Technical Access Requirements .............................................................................................. 22 Identity .................................................................................................................................................. 23 Community ............................................................................................................................... 28 Topography .............................................................................................................................. 29 Economy within SL ................................................................................................................. 33 Summary .................................................................................................................................. 34 CHAPTER TWO: A REVIEW OF SECOND LIFE USE IN SEVEN HIGHER EDUCATION SETTINGS ...................................................................................................... 35 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 36 Purpose ..................................................................................................................................... 36 Method ..................................................................................................................................... 36 Communal Constructivism ...................................................................................................... 40 Experiential Learning ............................................................................................................... 44 Simulation ................................................................................................................................ 47 Role-Play .................................................................................................................................. 51 Collaborative Learning ............................................................................................................. 52 Summary of Pedagogic Approaches ........................................................................................ 56 Research Methods .................................................................................................................... 57 Summary .................................................................................................................................. 59 CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH PARADIGM .................................................................... 60 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 61 SECTION ONE ........................................................................................................................ 62 Defining the Research Purpose ................................................................................................ 62 Defining the Research Setting: ‘Identifying the Field’ ............................................................ 62 Research Paradigm ................................................................................................................... 65 Ontology ................................................................................................................................... 66 Epistemology ........................................................................................................................... 66 Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 67 Literature .................................................................................................................................. 69 Data Collection Techniques ..................................................................................................... 70 (1)Participant Observation ....................................................................................................... 70 (2) The Use of Written and Non-Written Sources ................................................................... 74 (3)Interview .............................................................................................................................. 75 (4)Data Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 76 (5)Reflexivity ........................................................................................................................... 76 Neutrality .................................................................................................................................. 76 Addressing Researcher Bias ..................................................................................................... 77 Voices in Concert ..................................................................................................................... 78 Reflections ................................................................................................................................ 79 Fallor Ergo Sum ......................................................................................................................