Professional experience (or practicum) is problematic within teacher education courses because preparation for, and the quality of, placements can be inconsistent. Preservice teachers can commence their first placement without some of the requisite skills and off-campus pre-service teachers do not always have opportunities to practise any ski lls at all pre-placement. VirtualPREX is an innovative approach to professional experience preparation, providing opportunities for practice in a virtual world such as Second Life . In this chapter the authors outline the rationale for this innovation and then report on the data from the pilot trials of the VirtualPREX role plays where pre-service teachers role-played the teacher and students in a Second Life virtual classroom. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the next steps in the project.

A virtual classroom and playground have been created in Second Life, which are replicas of real life classrooms and school playgrounds. This paper discusses the creation of a virtual classroom and playground and explains why the decision was taken to base them on exemplars from the real world rather than allow imagination to run riot. It outlines the journey of Jass Easterman and Tamsyn Lexenstar, avatars and our personae as educators in Second Life, as they began to create the environment. In particular, the paper discusses the rationale for the creation of this Second Life area: the need to be able to educate our distance education students in an interactive environment so that they can be engaged more fully as part of an education community. By utilising the Second Life environment, education students from the University of New England will be able to use resources within this virtual environment as they would if they were in a real-world classroom or playground. The opportunity to interact with other students and educators, use a variety of resources and undertake role-playing exercises has the potential to improve learning outcomes and to develop teaching skills. At present, students can only access online resources via one of two Learning Management Systems. This new scenario provides students with the opportunity to become immersed in a virtual environment, interacting with others so that it will seem like they are really there, all from their own home.

Higher education teaching traditionally occurred, and to some extent still does, in face-to-face physical settings (often lecture theatres) with an academic and a group of students. In recent decades, the emphasis has shifted to learning communities and the mode of delivery has evolved from traditional face-to-face to online. This occurs either blended with face-to-face or exclusively online, most commonly through the medium of a learning management system. For students who have been studying by distance education, this has frequently been an isolating, if not alienating, experience. At the University of New England, Australia, transformative learning spaces have been created in the virtual world of Second Life. These spaces have proven to engage students in their learning and provide opportunities for interaction that can span both time and space. In doing this, learning communities and a sense of belonging have been fostered. Data from four research projects are presented in this paper, demonstrating how virtual world learning spaces have transformed learning for students. From the data, it is argued that learning in a virtual world lessens the sense of isolation and heightens the sense of belonging to a learning community. It is also argued that virtual world learning increases engagement and provides opportunities for students removed from each other geographically to work together to meet learning outcomes. The paper is concluded with a discussion of how virtual world learning spaces have the capacity to provide for global sharing of both learning and teaching.

Gregory and Masters have been exploring the affordances of teaching in a virtual world since 2008, having taught more than 650 students between them. They have explored a variety of teaching strategies for use in Second Life and the students, from the University of New England, have always provided their perceptions of their learning either after an activity or at the end of their learning. Within this chapter is a comparison of two research projects, undertaken in 2009/2010 and 2011/2012, examining the use of role-playing in a virtual world. The authors present their findings from the data reporting student perceptions of their role-play experiences. The role-plays reported in this chapter were first conducted in Second Life with on-campus students prior to extending the teaching to off-campus students. This was to ensure that the learning experiences were appropriate and would work effectively when real-time trouble-shooting could be used. Both quantitative and qualitative data support the findings reported here. It can be concluded that role-play in a virtual world provides an authentic learning experience for students, particularly if they are not provided with the opportunity of experiencing this technique in a face-to-face setting.

When Second Life first came to the attention of the mainstream media in 2007, educators recognised the potential of virtual worlds for teaching and learning. They seemed to be the ideal environments to facilitate authentic learning, alleviate the tyranny of distance for students not on campus, and provide an inexpensive and safe environment to teach skills that were too dangerous or expensive to teach in the real world. In spite of all this fanfare, virtual worlds have failed to gain significant traction in higher education. This paper outlines a preliminary investigation into the reasons why virtual worlds have not been adopted for learning and teaching. The reflections of the six authors on this topic were subjected to a thematic analysis with themes arranged under four broad topics. This information informed the development of a survey to be distributed more widely to further explore this phenomenon.

Three distinct clusters were identified from a survey study of a sample of 127 unit coordinators from a regional Australian University. The clusters emerged after a survey that explored perceptions of pedagogical practices that incorporated the use of Information Communication and Technology (ICT). The key components of the survey were based on seven constructs derived from the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK). For future investigations of TPACK application in university contexts, a three-cluster configuration of teacher-practitioners is proposed that requires empirical confirmation. Alongside the theorised clusters of university lecturers according to their perceived engagement with ICT, several layers of technology policy disconnect have also been discovered. The relevance of the findings of the inquiry and their implications on universities that conduct ICT intensive courses are also discussed, especially in relation to improving teaching practices.

In May 2010, the release of the iPad in Australia brought a whole new dimension to learning. This chapter presents the preliminary findings of a pilot study conducted at a large distance education university designed to explore the use of the iPad as a tool for learning from three perspectives. The first is the use of the iPad from a lecturer's point of view, outlining how it can be used to enhance the task of teaching in distance education. The second is from a student's point of view, exploring how the iPad can assist in distance education study. The third examines the iPad from an insider perspective, reviewing the variety of apps available including those for social networking. The overall impression is that the iPad has great potential as a tool for learning but it will not necessarily reduce the need for desktop or laptop computers.

Role-plays in a virtual world hold tremendous potential for higher education because they allow synchronous, immersive participation by students located across the globe. They also have the added advantage of allowing students to adopt roles and carry out tasks that are not possible in the real world. In this article, a project that involved pre-service teachers carrying out role-plays based on de Bono's 'Six Thinking Hats' framework is presented. A pilot study was carried out over two years with on-campus students, who performed the role-plays both in a real-life, physical setting and within the virtual world of 'Second Life'. The activity has since been extended to off-campus students exclusively using 'Second Life'. The authors report selected quantitative and qualitative survey data from the pilot study that provide insight into students' perceptions of this style of learning, and discuss the challenges that were encountered and how they were overcome. The future of virtual world-based role-playing as a strategy for teaching and learning is discussed, with a focus on its application to distance education contexts.

While the fundamental principles of education still provide the foundation of how educators guide their students in Australian universities, the tools provided by new technology offer enormous opportunities to enhance education. This paper explores the common and emerging social computing tools used in universities today. To some extent these tools are 'old hat' because of the rate of change of technology. Newer tools will be explored in more detail which may challenge the concept of traditional education. The question of the effective use of tools in higher education is discussed. The virtual world of Second Life will be examined to see whether it can enhance the learning experience for higher education students. Currently in Australia there are very few institutions using Second Life as an instructional tool. However, some international institutions have been using Second Life for several years.

The reality is that online learning can be a daunting and lonely experience. This is why icebreakers can be a rewarding practice for both students and educators. The use of icebreakers allows students studying online to introduce themselves and become familiar with other members of the group and/or community. Not only are these icebreakers used as a starter within the first weeks of study, but they are also used to help motivate students throughout the course. Highlighted in this paper are particular online (virtual) tools that can be used as icebreakers within an online learning environment and help shift the view of isolation associated with learning online and create a more engaged community of practice with effective learning.