Sloodle: Moodle Meets Second Life
Simulation Linked Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment, a.k.a. Sloodle, is an open-source, web-based interface that combines the popular learning management system Moodle with Second Life - an immersive, virtual 3D world. Sloodle takes many of the best attributes of each program to create an educational environment that is aimed at engaging distance education students, improving the educational process, and ultimately, improving retention rates.
In Sloodle, students can utilize Second Life to create avatars (animated characters that represent themselves), attend virtual classes with their peers, give presentations, and engage in text chats with other students. All of this information is then integrated into the classroom's Moodleroom.
Institutions that have experimented with Sloodle have reported successful results. At Huntington Junior College in West Virginia, administrators are in the process of rolling out Sloodle in all of the distance education courses. During the initial experiment, both students and instructors greeted the program with a high degree of enthusiasm, with some students commenting that the virtual classroom environment in Sloodle made them feel like they were part of a real college classroom for the first time.
Although the program was initiated at Huntington Junior College in an effort to increase retention rates among their distance learners, it is too soon to determine what effect Sloodle will have on Huntington's retention. A deaf culture class did experience a 10 percent increase in retention after Huntington adopted the Sloodle platform, however.
Some of the features of Sloodle include a "web intercom" that integrates the Moodle and Second Life text chats, a registration booth that manages that links Second Life avatars to their Moodle accounts and a quiz tool that allows instructors to assess student performance in Second Life and assign grades to students in Moodle.
Online Course Finder
Find the path to your
education in 3 easy steps.
