La Trobe University Island

Since July, another Australian university has been developing a presence in SL – La Trobe University. As others have done, La Trobe has chosen to purchase an island and it is a quite dramatic build with a coastal plains style area at the teleport point and soaring ridges behind.

The current main lecture theatre is called The Moat and not too far away, nestled in a small valley, are the under construction “Social Areas”.

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This is still a work in progress, a key and important element we have noted in a recent post on Australian universities developing presences in SL.

Of special interest is the faculty that is driving this particular SL presence – the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The diversity of faculties that underpin SL builds by Australian universities is especially heartening as it highlights, to some degree, the use of Web 2.0 technologies being explored beyond computer science courses.

The person to contact in-world is Flossy McMahon, (Dr Kay Souter), Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching) of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Doubtless we will see some interesting teaching and learning developments.

Check it out in-world.

Victoria University joins the class

Recently, Victoria University established a large holding in SL.

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It is pretty obvious that Victoria University is taking a ‘from the ground up’ approach to their SL presence. There is none of the polish or professional builds we have seen with other Australian or other Universities. In fact, there could be said that this presence is akin to that of the MIT area that was set up some time ago. A lecturer and student led development aimed at learning by doing.

Visitors may at first blush be dissapointed at what they see. Objects and items such as sheep and chickens, helicopters, vehicles and bits n’ pieces floating either in water, in the air or strewn about the land. Buildings that look like they have been grown one atop the other or blocks of grey granite style cubes pushed together in a very haphazard fashion.

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How refreshing! It is heartening to see SL being used for this kind of activity in an age where education institutions are expected to perhaps display polished and “marketable” product. Victoria University is displaying education in the raw. Experimentation, trial and error and cooperative learning enterprises. It should prove worthwhile watching how this initial offering in the Sl world evolves.

Check it out in-world

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