Implementing the liquid curriculum: the impact of virtual world learning on higher education

Abstract

This paper presents findings from a large-scale study which explored the socio-political impact of teaching and learning in virtual worlds on UK higher education. Three key themes emerged with regard to constructing curricula for virtual world teaching and learning, namely designing courses, framing practice and locating specific student needs. The authors argue that the findings indicate that ‘liquid learning’ and ‘liquid curricula’ are central concepts and practices that can be used to democratise the way technology-enhanced learning can and should be integrated into higher education.

Keywords:

• liquid learning
• curriculum design
• student engagement
• assessment
• virtual worlds
• Second Life

Acknowledgments

This paper presents findings from the CURLIEW (Coventry University Research into Learning in Immersive Virtual Worlds) project. This work was supported by the Leverhulme Trust [grant number F/00 732/H].