CIT+Virtual+Worlds

== =CIT Virtual Worlds Project=

= In 2010 Centre for Education Excellence and Centre for Health Community and Wellbeing were funded to: = · Increase the number of staff within Centre for Health Community and Wellbeing with baseline skills that will allow them to develop Virtual World training and assessment resources · Start the use of virtual worlds in training, assessment and/or RPL in all teaching areas of Centre for Health Community and Wellbeing · Evaluate the Virtual World for learning and assessment potential, technical issue and ICT security compliance · Develop a Learning and Assessment structure · Scope markets for virtual worlds products · Guidelines for training, assessment/RPL to be developed

** From March to June in 2010 the following was accomplished: **
== · A cohort of 10 teaching staff from the Centre of Health Community and Wellbeing will work with the staff at Flex:Ed for 3 hours per week. Once a base line skill level in the development of virtual worlds activities and resources has been reached, specific projects with be developed. ==  · The development team (Flex:Ed) will work on implementing the existing 3D objects and the development of new objects as needed. · Flex:Ed will support the teachers with student orientation and support “in world” as necessary. · Flex:Ed in conjunction with Research and Innovation and Health Community and Wellbeing teachers will evaluate the products, resources and activities · Report to Deputy Chief Executive Academic The teaching team used the framework that was developed as part of the ‘Virtual Worlds in Health Education’, to develop scenarios for use in the virtual world. This framework allowed the teachers to have a process to follow when developing scenario based-role plays for use in a virtual world. CIT Island in Second Life has been populated with 3D objects and the development of new objects (including a hospital, conference room, amphitheatre, and interview rooms), the island is working in a continuous improve cycle where objects are being developed and re-designed with input from the teaching team. The teaching team in conjunction with Flex:Ed staff have developed a template. This template will be trialed in Semester 2 with a wider range of teaching staff. The teaching team has also been working on assessment rubrics or assessment check sheets for use when assessing in the virtual world. Five resources have been developed included in the recourse are: · student information for accessing virtual worlds · student information · teacher information and instructions · video of the scenario for use either in the classroom or in eLearn These resources are now in the polishing stage. Student testing commenced on the 17th May and will continue till the end of Semester two 2010. Part of the testing involves an evaluation and the results will be available at the end of Semester 2. So far the major of students do feel like they are learning in this environment. Second Life is now available for use on the student network this will allow for more students to have access. The teaching teams have scheduled virtual world activities and assessment into their subjects guides for next semester.

** From July to Novemeber 2010 Stage two accomplished the following outcomes: **
· Three of the teaching team will work on the Learning and Assessment structure for virtual worlds · One teaching team member will work on an asynchronies activity that will be based on a decision tree format using virtual worlds to develop and film the necessary conversation to explain the scenario · One teaching team member will work on another synchronies activity with a member of ACT Health · Flex:Ed development team will work on scripting objects and the development of ‘BOTS’ for use in the scenarios · Flex:Ed development team will also continue to work on the environment and objects within the virtual world to enrich the scenarios already developed · One Flex:Ed team member and two teaching team member will present a workshop at the SimTect Health 2010 Simulation Conference titled “Building scenarios for use in virtual worlds” · Flex:Ed will continue to support teaching team members with their tasks · Development of ‘BOTS’ automated response robots · Scripted objects for OH & S, and medications for a-synchronous activity

The deliverables for this project can be found under videos and deliverables pages