last updated: Feb 26 2008
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The University of Texas at Austin
Executive Vice President and Provost

2008 Entries and Abstracts

Jerome Bump
English
Teaching Writing in Second Life

Hypothesis: "Most students would benefit from adaptation of the research on educational games and virtual worlds to required composition classes in college." In 2006-2007 we tested that hypothesis in a Plan II, two-semester, required freshman English course. In the Fall of 2007 we tested it again in new section of that course and also in a Plan I Freshman Seminar. The final papers written in those courses demonstrate that avatar chat in Second Life was able to increase student motivation for writing. See, for example,
http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~bump/Second%20Life/Case%20Study%20P3.htm
Ultimately, a complete virtual campus could also be used for student recruitment, orientation, and retention as well as tourist and alumni interaction with the university.