Identifying and locating frames of reference to inform the design of virtual worlds in higher education

In the changing context of higher education a series of pedagogical shifts have occurred and with them a number of interactive learning approaches have emerged. Learning in immersive worlds (simulations and virtual worlds such as Second Life) has received significant attention, but to date the impact of virtual world learning on higher education remains relatively under-researched. This paper will draw on 3 distinct but interrelated funded studies that have explored the socio political impact of virtual world learning on higher education, with a specific focus on Second Life (SL). It will argue that there are multiple frames of reference which inform the design of and response to virtual worlds as learning technologies. Such frames of reference were evident in the practices of those involved in using virtual worlds, but have largely been over-looked in the literature in terms of their impact.