Teaching Role-Playing Instruction in Second Life: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Web-based and Internet technologies are constantly being developed, evolving new ways of working, teaching, and learning for a broader range of professional and social groups. In a land- scape of technology innovations, teacher professional development should try to capitalize on modern internet-based tools and services, better known as Web 2.0 and virtual worlds, in an effort to meet the increasing lifelong learning needs of pre- and in-service teachers. In this paper we suggest using the Second Life MUVE for teaching role-playing instruction to practitioners. After designing and implementing a 3D virtual learning environment in Second Life according to cog- nitive apprenticeship methods, we taught role-playing instruction to fifteen primary and secon- dary school teacher educators, using as a case scenario a rhapsody from Homers Odyssey. We applied qualitative research methods to investigate the effect of role-playing on affective, behav- ioral and cognitive engagement of our participants. Our exploratory study indicated that learning role-playing instruction in a virtual learning environment has positive impact on learning en- gagement.