Edinburgh University plan to broadcast the Master’s in E-Learning graduation ceremony into Second life today the 26th of November at 3PM (GMT). The BBC reports that this is in order to enable off-campus E-Learners to be able to join in on the festivities.
The University manages a website that contains a lot of information about their virtual selves including detailed information for students on how to attend the ceremony. The virtual ceremony will run parallel to the traditional one held in the University’s (very grand) McEwan Hall and will be streamed live into the VUE (Virtual University of Edinburgh).
Ok, I can see that they only mean well. Student life is a big part of higher education (and arguably life itself) and it is very unfortunate that E-Learners will miss out on the grandeur of a traditional graduation. But, I still don’t see Second Life as the ‘cutting edge’ learning tool that some claim it to be. I struggle to see it being any more useful than a youtube tutorial or a text document full of instructions. Then again, most E-Learning courses are just this (speaking from experience). This strikes me as a futile attempt to enable distance students to be involved with the festivities. How can you get absolutely smashed through a keyboard and mouse interface? (Whoever figures that out will be a billionaire).
This is the first time that Edinburgh University has tried anything like this, and certainly the first I have heard of any University holding a virtual graduation. One student shares her thoughts on the VUE event:
Holding the ceremony in Second Life is a great idea, especially on a distance learning course. This kind of innovation is what I’ve loved about studying at Edinburgh.
Tutorials on using Twitter? Innovative, sure. Useful? Hell no.
Via: BBC Scotland
I have no idea why, but ever since Second Life came into existence scholars have jumped on it. My Computer Science department bought (with real money) a Second Life island.
I guess it’s the sci-fi romance?