PITTSBURGH, PA - The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division, has opened a student campus in Second Life, a virtual online community, which will be the forum for a new Business Communications course. The faculty, realizing the potential for a rewarding learning experience, credits student interest in Second Life as the source for the course's development.
Developed by San Francisco-based Linden Lab, Second Life is a rapidly growing and constantly changing 3D MUVE (multi-user virtual environment) where residents can discover a world of exploration, socializing, creativity, self-expression, and learning. The online society uses real-time 3D streaming technology and runs on proprietary software that students can download from the Second Life web site at www.secondlife.com.
Second Life allows The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division students and faculty to create avatars - or cartoon-like characters - that interact with one another and are controlled via keyboard and mouse. The course will be primarily asynchronous and students will have the opportunity to communicate in an environment that lends itself to socialization.
The course will involve both constructivism (learning by doing) and simulation-based learning. By providing real-world objects, structures, and scenarios, student 'players' will be able to apply knowledge of business processes and techniques associated with the real world to this virtual environment.
"An environment such as this takes advantage of lateral and community-based learning," said Jeannie Novak, Academic Program Director, Game Art & Design/Media Arts & Animation at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division. "We are always striving to create that within our current 2D online courses and this certainly takes lateral learning to the next level."
"We are very excited to be a part of something so revolutionary," said Kate Kelleher, VP of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division. "Our venture into Second Life is a wonderful complement to our creative online education and is sure to provide our students with an innovative and quality learning experience."
Instructors say the Second Life class experience is particularly enhanced for online learners. In Second Life, classmates and instructors don't just communicate in chat rooms; they can actually see one another - or, at least, digital alter egos - on screen.
"Students will always know they're taking a course," said Novak. "But they'll be playing a game in the process, which is what serious gaming is all about."
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division joins other colleges and universities that have set up campuses on virtual islands, where classes meet and students interact in real time. "I believe The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division is truly revolutionizing online learning by developing this innovative course," said Novak.
About The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division, delivers education in the creative arts through the Internet, extending the opportunity for learning to all students desiring classes by eliminating geographic, lifestyle, or physical constraints. With online courses designed using the same curriculum delivered on ground through The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division offers associate's and bachelor's degree programs in Graphic Design and Interactive Media Design; bachelor's degree programs in Advertising, Fashion & Retail Management, Game Art & Design, Interior Design, Hotel & Restaurant Management and Media Arts & Animation; a bachelor's degree completion program in Culinary Management; and diploma programs in Digital Design, Residential Planning, and Web Design. For more information about The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division, call 1-877-872-8869 or visit http://www.aionline.edu. The Art Institute of Pittsburgh is one of The Art Institutes (http://www.artinstitutes.edu), with 34 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion, and culinary arts professionals.
