SLENZ PROJECT PROGRESS
‘Machinimas’ show the benefits,
comfort in learning virtually
It’s often difficult for an outsider – especially one with little experience in virtual technology - to get a real impression of what happens in an education environment in Second Life and just what the benefits can be.
As part of the on-going SLENZ Project, Midwifery Pilot lead educator Sarah Stewart (SL: Petal Stransky) and Foundation Learning Pilot lead educator Merle Lemon (SL: Briarmelle Quintessa) have attempted to show those benefits with the recent release of two machinimas, which are worth looking at.
The first, Te Wahi Whanau 2 ( the second video from the Midwifery Pilot team) demonstrates the benefits both in Second Life and Real Life of building and using an architect-designed “ideal” Birthing Centre like that on the SLENZ island of Kowhai.
Uploaded to YouTube by “Debdavis5″ (Dr Deborah Davis, principal lecturer in Midwifery at Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin, New Zealand) the machinima displays the build of “Te Wahi Whanau: The Birth Place” by Aaron Griffiths (SL: Isa Goodman) . “The Birth Place” is used in the Bachelor of Midwifery programme at Otago and also aims to inform Second Life residents about the importance of space/place in facilitating physiological birth. The machinima is also on the SLENZ Project website here.
The second video, Bridging Education: Interview skills @ SLENZ, by Merle Lemon, of the Manukau Institute of Technology, is somewhat different in that it is designed specifically to show Foundation Learning tutors why their students will benefit from the use of Second Life to improve their interview skills.
The video, which is also available at the SLENZ Project website, illustrates the difference between a real life practise interview situation and a Second Life interview situation.
Filed under: Education, Education in Second Life, Education in virtual worlds, Second Life, SLENZ Project, Virtual Worlds Tagged: | Aaron Griffths, Birth Centre, Deborah Davis, Foundation learning, Interviewing, Kowhai, Manukau Insitute of Technology, midwifery, Otago Polytechnic, Sarah Stewart, slenz, SLENZ Project, Te Waihi Whanau
