ALT-C abstract submitted by David White

Swords and Hairstyles: Massively Multiplayer Game
Design as a Model for Teaching in Second Life.

There is a form of digital divide emerging between the manner in which educational institutions employ online technologies and the way today’s students use the web. One area where this is evident is in the forms of collaboration and communication facilitated by a new generation of online environments. Outside of formal education, this is typified by Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games such as World of Warcraft. These games support a sophisticated form of situated learning using a range of tools in a 3D virtual environment. Despite being a niche area in terms of web usage, MMO games often exhibit rich collaborative spaces which can be useful as a model for elearning providers seeking to explore teaching and learning in immersive environments.

Whilst it is theoretically possible to teach using a MMO environment, the reality is that educational practitioners are likely to find it a challenge to see past the surface of the MMO ‘worlds’ populated by dragons and ogres. Therefore, Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) such as Second Life, which many consider to be the poor cousin of the MMO, are a much more likely candidate as a platform for teaching and learning. MUVEs can be regarded as a ‘blank canvas’ version of an MMO installation offering the educational sector the opportunity to create appropriate aesthetic and pedagogical structures rather than struggle through pre-defined narratives and environments.

However, it is important that the growing number of learning practitioners who are experimenting with the use of MUVEs do not disregard what has been learnt from the study of activity in MMO environments. Much of the 'gaming' activity in MMO environments points towards a possible future for MUVEs, not in terms of the fantasy genre but in the manner in which a MMO environment can support a vibrant community of learners. There needs to be an understanding of the new forms of practice these environments can support which, if employed correctly, will reduce the digital divide in this area between educational provision and the wider culture of the web. This paper will draw on studies of the World of Warcraft MMO game and the initial findings of the JISC-funded Habitat project, which is piloting the educational use of MUVEs. It will use Wenger’s Community of Practice model to demonstrate ways in which the divide could be bridged, foregrounding notions of identity, belonging and participation.