Developing a mashup for virtual world and VLE content: SLOODLE at The Open University

One area that has received little attention in the focus on virtual worlds in education since 2006 is the effective use of virtual worlds with existing web-based e-learning systems, and the potential pedagogical and other benefits of blending use of these technologies. A second emerging issue is the need to be able to share and reuse virtual world eLearning materials and content. Sharing and reuse of virtual-world content that is linked to web-based materials presents a challenge that has not been explicitly addressed to date. SLOODLE is an open source software application that explicitly aims to blend eLearning across 3D and web-based platforms. It provides a range of tools for integrating the open source Moodle VLE and Second Life and OpenSim virtual worlds making it possible, for example, to build immersive settings around existing VLE content, and to use the VLE to provide greater accessibility to immersive content. This paper will report on the early stages of a JISC-funded collaboration exploring the pedagogical opportunities made possible by the integration of Web and 3D content. The teams, from The University of the West of Scotland and The Open University*, also explored the development of reusable learning objects in virtual worlds. These investigations took place in the context of a level one technology module. * Other partners in the full project are University of Ulster and Imperial College