Learning in Second Life: Developmental Theory of Avatar Growth and Change

Learning in Second Life: Developmental Theory of Avatar Growth and Change

Maureen Ellis, Patricia J. Anderson
Copyright: © 2013 |Pages: 20
ISBN13: 9781466642492|ISBN10: 1466642491|EISBN13: 9781466642508
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-4249-2.ch014
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MLA

Ellis, Maureen, and Patricia J. Anderson. "Learning in Second Life: Developmental Theory of Avatar Growth and Change." Handbook of Research on Teaching and Learning in K-20 Education, edited by Viktor Wang, IGI Global, 2013, pp. 228-247. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-4249-2.ch014

APA

Ellis, M. & Anderson, P. J. (2013). Learning in Second Life: Developmental Theory of Avatar Growth and Change. In V. Wang (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Teaching and Learning in K-20 Education (pp. 228-247). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-4249-2.ch014

Chicago

Ellis, Maureen, and Patricia J. Anderson. "Learning in Second Life: Developmental Theory of Avatar Growth and Change." In Handbook of Research on Teaching and Learning in K-20 Education, edited by Viktor Wang, 228-247. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2013. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-4249-2.ch014

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Abstract

As technology natives, 21st Century students are dramatically different than their counterparts of the previous century when many university educators were learners themselves. Piggy-backing off of the technology that students already use, the use of Second Life as an immersive instructional tool offers innovative opportunities for simulation, collaboration, and virtual field trips not easily replicated in the traditional online classroom. As an online manifestation of self in a virtual world, a Second Life avatar enhances interaction in a virtual space, facilitating movement, choice, and interaction within the virtual environment, allowing the user to take on a visible persona (Falloon, 2010; Peterson, 2005). An individual’s personification with his/her avatar, ranging from human form to animal form to robot form, is the key to an immersive experience and affords the user the opportunity to engage in surreal and imaginary experiences transcending the actual world in which they live (Deuchar & Nodder, 2003). This chapter describes the characteristics and skills comprising maturation for the five stages of avatar development, along with matching pedagogy for facilitating the teaching and learning process for avatars and users in Second Life.

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