Conceptualising learning in social virtual worlds: an ethnography of three groups in Second Life

Thesis

This thesis presents an ethnographic investigation of how people organise themselves into groups in social virtual worlds and how learning occurs through such organisation. In particular, emphasis is placed on examining the learning processes occurring in both the individuals and the groups that they belong to. To examine this overarching question, an ethnographic-based study of three informal, self-organising groups was conducted over a nine-month period in the social virtual world, Secon...

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Authors: Tay, W

• Publication date: 2012
• DOI: 10.5287/ora-goqvenarg
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: online groups; learning; group dynamics; communities of practice; ethnography; group development
• Subjects: Learning; e-Learning; Internet and everyday life; Ethnographic practices