MOOSE

Rationale of MOOSE

The academic community is showing a strong interest in the use of 3-D environments for education (JISC, 2007a, 2007b, Eduserv Symposium, 2007). The Horizon Report (2007) forecasts that 3D environments have 'strong potential for teaching and learning', and that the developments in open source and standards bring 3-D MUVEs 'closer to mainstream education year by year' (EDUCASE, 2007, p. 25). Free/low cost access and relatively low technical abilities required for engagement make 3D environments such as Second Life increasingly popular amongst the ordinary users (Guest, 2007). However, these environments, originally developed for gamers and recreational purposes, are little researched in terms of their educational uses. Other popular uses of 3D environments are limited to creating a 3D presence of an educational institution and facilitating a 3D experience for prospective students. Typical first attempts at educational uses of 3-D MUVEs replicate face-to-face contacts (such as tutorials, guest lectures. At this early stage, we urgently need to develop pedagogical models to use in supporting and enhancing students’ learning through 3D MUVEs.