As part of its Transforming Undergraduate Education Program, the University of Texas SYSTEM has initiated a statewide virtual learning community of students, faculty, researchers and administrators, that offers a creative approach to undergraduate instruction through the innovative use of a 21st century low-cost online virtual world technology. This is a high-profile project involving 16 campuses, is the first of its kind in the world, and may serve as a learning model for other statewide systems. Designed for extensive inter-campus, intra-campus, and out-of-state collaboration, the project has IRB-approved research and assessment integrated throughout and takes into account the most current evidence-based research on pedagogy in virtual learning spaces.
As is generally true nationally, the critical need for a pedagogical transformation in undergraduate education motivated the UT System to initiate this preliminary extension into the virtual world environment with a program that emphasizes teaching in the areas of science/ math, international/ intercultural, and health/ medical, among other areas. A focus is to use 21st century technology to develop 21st century knowledge and skills. In addition, however, like many state systems of higher education, the need to reduce (and in some cases replace) brick-and-mortar costs while becoming more energy-efficient also played a role. The project described here uses a low-cost, online virtual world environment for student learning, research, collaboration, and operations. Hosting almost 200,000 students and 7,500 faculty, the UT System has funded the creation of a virtual 49-island archipelago in Second Life (SL), with three islands per campus and one central island for System-wide collaboration and administrative activities.
Continue to our Virtual Learning Community Initiative site to learn more
The University of Texas System
Transforming Undergraduate Education Initiative
There are currently three significant issues affecting higher education in the state and across the nation: (1) Increasing access and student success; (2) reducing costs while maintaining quality; and (3) a new generation of students that have been raised using multiple technologies simultaneously. Increased access and student success, and control or reduction of rising costs, continue to challenge our institutions of higher education. These issues are interrelated. As tuition costs continue to rise, access for some students is diminished. Contributing to the complexity of higher education is a new generation of students who have a different set of skills, expectations, and technology experiences.
The solutions to these issues are also interrelated. Improving quality education, increasing access and success and educating a new generation of students demand new approaches to higher education. This calls for a significant effort and innovation in undergraduate education.
In recognition of this need for improvement, the Board of Regents approved the investment of $2.5 million to fund innovative proposals that promise transformational changes in undergraduate education.