Free Training in Problem-based Learning and Teaching in Virtual Worlds (Second Life) for Psychology. Tuesday 7th April 2009 at University of Derby.

We have now confirmed the date of the Upskilling Day and you are most welcome to register to attend. Please distribute this email to colleagues that you feel may also be interested in attending the UK-based event.

The JISC-funded PREVIEW-Psych project (http://preview-psych.org) is a 3D virtual world educational collaboration between University of Derby, Aston University and The Higher Education Academy Psychology Network. We are transferring problem-based learning techniques and technologies from Coventry University’s PREVIEW project to the Psychology subject group. The project is developing Psychology scenarios and virtual teaching techniques within the 3D virtual world Second Life.

You are invited to a free ‘Upskilling Day’ at University of Derby on Tuesday 7th April 10am-4pm. We will provide a series of hands-on workshops, guest lectures and interactive training in problem-based learning methods for effective online teaching in Second Life. No previous experience of Second Life or virtual worlds is required and all resources are provided. Buffet lunch and refreshments are also provided.

If you are involved in teaching and learning in Psychology or a related subject group and would like to attend the Upskilling Day or would like to find out more, please download a flyer and register online at the project website http://preview-psych.org or email Simon Bignell (University of Derby) at s.bignell@derby.ac.uk .

Please download the event flyer http://previewpsych.org/Upskilling%20Day%20Flyer.pdf

Regards,

Simon Bignell (Avatar: Milton Broome)
Lecturer in Psychology – University of Derby

Back to Virtuality

Here's a link to a review of a lecture I gave in Second Life last year by a fellow Blogger. Some time on and it's nice to see a lot of what we were working on at that time has been completed.

Back to Virtuality

PIVOTE Open Source Code Released

Virtual Worlds development company Daden have just released the open source code for PIVOTE (Previously MVP player). PIVOTE is a virtual learning authoring system for virtual worlds based on the Medbiquitous Virtual Patient standard. It was developed as part of the JISC funded PREVIEW project, where it was used to develop training material for Paramedic students at St George's Hospital and Kingston University. We've been using the player at University of Derby to 'rez' teaching objects in the virtual world Second Life for our PREVIEW-Psych project. We've integrated it into our problem-based learning scenarios and the results are fantastic.

Find out more at http://www.pivote.info/.

Food for thought for virtual worlds