A study on learning styles and acceptance of using second life for learning in a visual arts course

This seminar reports and discusses on a study aiming to explore the relationship between students’ learning styles and their acceptance of using Second Life (SL) for learning. Participants in this study involved a small group of undergraduate students (N = 17) taking a Visual arts course called ‘Digital Imaging’ at a university in Hong Kong. They were asked to create and showcase their own digital artwork in SL. Furthermore, they were also required to present their work and critique peers’ work in SL. Their learning styles were measured by the Index of Learning Styles (ILS), whereas their acceptance of Second Life for learning was evaluated by a questionnaire designed by the researcher. The results of this study indicate that most participants were identified as visual learners (i.e. the ones who prefer to see in graphical/video representation). However, it is found that active learners (i.e. the ones who prefer to try something out to see how it works) were more likely to accept the educational use of SL. Copyright © 2014 MIT Departmental Seminar.