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About MOOSE
The MOdelling Of Secondlife Environments (MOOSE) project is a “Next Generation Technologies and Practices project” based on research, institutional development and the experience of student learning, carried out by the University of Leicester (lead partner) and The Open University (collaborating partner). MOOSE investigates the scaffolding and processes needed to enable groups of students from formal HE environments to establish their socialisation and engagement for more productive information and knowledge exchange, and learning through the medium of online 3D environments. It also assesses the institutional opportunities and barriers to the successful alignment of the deployment of 3-D Multi User Virtual Environments (3-D MUVEs) and enhancement of student learning.
Socialisation as a stage for learning in online environments has been researched in practice (Salmon 2004, Motteram, 2001). Structured online activities (e-tivities) can be developed for productive engagement in text-based online environments (Salmon 2002). MOOSE project explores the extent to which such models and frameworks can be transferred to 3-D MUVEs where students and tutors interact with each other and the objects in the environment through the medium of their 3D-selves (‘avatars’). MOOSE delivers an exemplar model of students’ and tutors’ engagement and socialization in a 3D environment designed for learning in HE.
The 3-D MUVE chosen for the MOOSE project is Second Life, for ease of access and for exploitation of existing resources. The University of Leicester has recently opened up its Media Zoo island in Second Life (coordinates: 169/150/17). The Zoo space is a pleasant and creative environment specifically set up for the running of small group work for students and staff.
MOOSE will design, develop, integrate, delivery and research - eight distinct Second Life activities (SL-tivities) from two different courses. Students’ and tutors’ use of SL-tivities will be researched against 4 key questions. Deliverables include frameworks, guidelines, induction and training courses, a demonstrator and commentary on institutional context.