Holyrood Park: a virtual campus for Edinburgh

Hamish MacleodThe University of Edinburgh

H.A.Macleod@ed.ac.uk

new programme, launched this session (2006 / 07)

supported by the Principal’s e-learning fund

part-time, fully online learning

aimed at professionals in HE, FE and training

fully supported, collaborative, flexible

up to 30 students per semester

constructivist / constructionist context

tasks (if engaging)

experiences (if (personally / socially) relevant)

reflection

appropriate disequilibrium (major or minor)

new learning, and knowledge construction

Key players

Siân BayneRichard CoyneRory EwinsIan GrahamFiona LittletonJen RossJames StewartAustin Tate. . . . . . .

Second Life

ActiveWorlds

NewHorizone

Dreamscape

Sony Home

The Sims Online

Moove

There blaxxun Contact

Dreamville

Traveler

Adobe Atmosphere

Entropia Universe

Red Light CenterEverQuest

Ultima Online

Lineage

World of Warcraft

Guild Wars

Cybertown

Peace City

why choose Second Life?

• cross platform

• openness and neutrality– not a “game” but “playful”– like, and unlike, Real Life

• manifest involvement with education– existing participants– position of the developers

Student Computer Ownership

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Platform of Choice

Number of Students

WindowsMacintoshLinux

Virtual Campus for the University of Edinburgh?

Holyrood Park

What’s in a name?

©Hulton Getty. Licensor www.scran.ac.uk

King David 1 (1084 - 1153)King of Scots (1124 - 1153)Son of Malcolm Canmore & Queen Margaret

Established (among many other monasteries) in 1128

”the church of the Holy Rood of Edinburgh . . . ”

©Crown Copyright reproduced courtesy of Historic Scotland. Licensor www.scran.ac.uk.

Holyrood Park

• place where rich resources exist

• where interesting things have happened, and continue to happen

• where people can go to have certain sorts of experiences

• great place to play

for the University?

• presence in an important media space– promotion / marketing of the institution– point of access

• new opportunities for– learning & teaching– research– development

• area for community– forging new partnerships / collaborations

educational potential• re-defining of “learning spaces”

– physical and virtual

• highlighting active learning– student production as well as consumption

• highlighting issues of identity– learning as becoming

• highlighting learning as socially grounded– digital co-presence

• imagination and fantasy– likeness to, and isolation from, the real

issues for us• legal dimension

– relationship between institution and service provider

– “data processor” or “data controller”– risk assessment & guidance; liability

• system requirements– processor– bandwidth– firewalls etc

• accessibility– problems and potentials

• assessment– chance to break a few molds