The Second Life of Urban Planning

Abstract
Virtual environments such as Second Life can bring about a new educational outlook when it comes to life-long learning, connectedness and engagement. In this study we ran an urban planning workshop using Second Life with thirty Grade 8 high school students in a regional town in Queensland, Australia. We created activities that linked technology with proven pedagogical practices and approaches to teaching. Young people are traditionally an underrepresented demographic when it comes to participating in urban planning decision making processes. We experimented with Second Life as a novel community engagement tool that enhanced and added value to the usual classroom experience.

Students were asked to transfer their experiences in the physical setting into that of a virtual environment. Methods used to elicit student responses and engagement in material included role play, questioning, collaborative learning, peer tutoring and immersion in the virtual environment. Second Life provided a platform for students to express themselves and catered to the various learning styles of the students. In this paper we reflect on our review of technical platforms, the design of our workshop activities, the creation of various forms of narrative, and the role they can play in informing urban planning.

Team

Partners

Resources
04/06/2009 The Second Life of Urban Planning
 
Or visit http://webcast.oii.ox.ac.uk/?view=Webcast&ID=20090604_287

Publications
Foth, M., Bajracharya, B., Brown, R., & Hearn, G. (2009). The Second Life of Urban Planning? Using Neogeography Tools for Community Engagement. Journal of Location Based Services, 3(2), 97-117. (eprints >)

Mallan, K., Foth, M., Greenaway, R., & Young G. T. (2010, forthcoming). Serious Playground: Using Second Life to Engage High School Students in Urban Planning. Journal of Learning, Media and Technology. Accepted 16 Oct 2009. (eprints >)