USING A GROUP CONTINGENCY TO INCREASE STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN THE SECOND LIFE CLASSROOM

Abstract

Given the expanding definition of classrooms, it is important to investigate evidence-based interventions to address student behavior in various academic formats. Universities have been using Second Life (SL) learning islands to provide instruction for distance learners in a virtual online world, and this has been met with difficulties including lack of student participation. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effectiveness of a class wide intervention designed to increase student participation in class discussion within courses taught via SL. It was hypothesized that by implementing an interdependent group contingency designed to increase class participation, significantly higher individual and group mean participation frequencies would be observed as compared to baseline, as measured by the number of typed discussion-related comments that are made by students during each class. A multiple baseline design across three SL university courses was used to demonstrate the impact of the intervention on participation behaviors of 106 participants. Results indicated low overall intervention effectiveness, although some promising data for individual participants was obtained. Instructors endorsed positive perceptions of the intervention, including its perceived effectiveness and ease of use. Further investigation of the application of applied behavioral analysis techniques in virtual settings is warranted, and SL classrooms offer a multitude of opportunities to do so.