University students' cognitive engagement while learning in a Virtual World

Universities and other educational institutions continue to invest heavily in acquiring virtual worlds. However, rigorous research on the value of these environments in terms of cognition is scant. In response, this qualitative empirical research gathered evidence of student cognitive skills and strategies utilised during a 90 minute Second Life lesson. In order to develop proficiency in a first year university core Chinese language and culture subject, students were required to identify and order food in Mandarin in the Second Life Chinese inn/teahouse. To ascertain the cognitive skills utilised during this SL lesson, stimulated recall methodology, centred within Information Processing Theory and a Mediating Process Paradigm, was employed. An innovative screen and video capture technology provided the stimulus for the stimulated recall interviews. A total of 735 thinking skills and strategies, including 73 metacognitive skills, were reported by 11 students as having occurred during the lesson. Nevertheless, there was a marked disparity between interviewees with the lowest reported thoughts (23) and the highest (178). Although all students completed the tasks, this variability in students’ cognitive skills highlights the value of using a Mediating Process Paradigm to understand more insightfully the complexities of teaching and learning in virtual worlds.

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