A Systematic Review and Environmental Analysis of the Use of 3D Immersive Virtual Worlds in Australian and New Zealand Higher Education Institutions: Final Report 2013

Abstract

3D immersive virtual worlds, such as Second Life, have been the focus of substantial attention from tertiary educators in recent years and the potential for the use of such environments in learning and teaching contexts has been a frequent topic of discussion by commentators on higher education futures. However, despite anecdotal evidence of an increase in usage of such environments for learning and teaching in Australian and New Zealand higher education, there have been no published studies reporting on the breadth of use and the nature of the experience of adopters of such environments across the sector. This report draws on data from a review and environmental analysis of the use of 3D immersive virtual worlds in higher education in Australia and New Zealand carried out by researchers from Charles Sturt University (CSU), the University of New England (UNE) and the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) from 2010 to 2012. The study sought to identify and examine existing applications of 3D immersive virtual worlds by educators throughout the two countries, with the aim of developing an understanding of how the technology is being used for learning and teaching across institutions and disciplines and the relevant experiences of academics, educational designers and Information Technology (IT) support staff.