Metaverse Health

Archive for April, 2009

The macinima below was created by John Miller from MUVErs, and it outlines a fairly comprehensive nursing simulation revolving around a patient with chest pain:

It’s certainly one of the more well fleshed out simulations that would be useful as an adjunct to standard nursing labs and practicums.

Via Dusan Writer, here’s an interesting piece on the use of Second Life to train pharmacists in using pharmacy clean rooms.

I’ve had the opportunity to use pharmacy clean rooms myself , and I can see how a virtual walk through can be of use before doing the real thing.

Over at Terra Nova, Robert Bloomfield has written a very interesting post on research methods and virtual worlds. You can read it in full here.

The quantitative vs qualitative debate is nothing new in research, but Bloomfield posits that the current momentum toward quantitative research poses some challenges for the other side of the coin.

The latest issue of the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research has been released, and as usual it’s full of peer-reviewed research papers, plus some discussion pieces and other features. Pedagogy is a key consideration for any educator, and this issue goes some way to establishing a pedagological framework for virtual worlds. Major kudos to the editorial team for the production of such a high quality publication.

Read on for the contents of the issue with links to abstracts and full versions:

Peer-Reviewed Research Papers

Learning in a different life: Pre-service education students using an online virtual world. Chris Campbell Abstract  |  PDF

An integrated framework for simulation-based training on video and in a virtual world David Chodos, Eleni Stroulia, Parisa Naeimi Abstract  |  PDF

Using Second Life for Problem Based Learning in Computer Science Programming Micaela Esteves, Benjamim Fonseca, Leonel Morgado, Paulo Martins Abstract  |  PDF

Beyond the Game: Quest Atlantis as an Online Learning Experience for Gifted Elementary Students Jackie Gerstein Abstract  |  PDF

Virtual Education: Teaching Media Studies in Second Life David Kurt Herold Abstract  |  PDF

Canadian Border Simulation at Loyalist College Ken Hudson, Kathryn deGast-Kennedy Abstract  |  PDF

Using Second Life to Teach Operations Management Peggy Daniels Lee Abstract  |  PDF

Questions and Answers in a Virtual World : Educators and Librarians as Information Providers in Second Life Lorri Mon Abstract  |  PDF

A virtual environment study in entrepreneurship education of young children Angela M Pereira, Paulo Martins, Leonel Morgado, Benjamim Fonseca Abstract  |  PDF

Second Life Physics : Virtual, Real or Surreal? Renato P. dos Santos Abstract  |  PDF

Second Life and Classical Music Education: Developing Iconography That Encourages Human Interaction David Thomas Schwartz Abstract  |  PDF

3D virtual learning in counselor education: Using Second Life in counselor skill development Victoria Lynn Walker Abstract  |  PDF

A Composite Adult Learning Model for Virtual World Residents with Disabilities: A Case Study of the Virtual Ability Second Life® Island Marjorie A. Zielke, Thomas Roome Abstract  |  PDF