Article
A Classroom of Bunnies, Blimps, and Werewolves: Teaching Asian Religions Online in Second Life
Author:
M. Alyson Prude
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, US
About M. Alyson
Alyson Prude received her PhD in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She came to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for the year 2011-2012 as an ASIANetwork-Luce Foundation Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow. This article is based on the online course she taught as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.
Abstract
Virtual environments promise a myriad of exciting opportunities for college and university online teaching, but how much do they actually deliver? This evaluation of the use of Second Life in an Asian religions course contributes to the small but growing body of literature addressing the incorporation of online virtual worlds into higher education. It discusses benefits and drawback of teaching in Second Life and suggests Asian-inspired Second Life locations that can be useful in the classroom. Given instructor commitment to making use of the unique possibilities Second Life offers, including synchronous communication, virtual world fieldtrips, animations, and the potential for guest lectures and international participation, Second Life can provide a lively and interesting alternative for online Asian-content courses.
How to Cite:
Prude, M.A., 2013. A Classroom of Bunnies, Blimps, and Werewolves: Teaching Asian Religions Online in Second Life. ASIANetwork Exchange: A Journal for Asian Studies in the Liberal Arts, 20(2). DOI: http://doi.org/10.16995/ane.73
Published on
06 May 2013.
Peer Reviewed
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