Avatars, Education and Ethics in the Sciences

"Avatar" is a term familiar not only to some movie-goers, but also to progressive professors like West Chester University's Joan Woolfrey.

Woolfrey has won a grant from the National Science Foundation to bring ethics to the fore in certain sciences, and she says the virtual world of "Second Life" is the perfect place to practice. And yes, she has an avatar.

"The hands-on and exciting nature of virtual worlds is uniquely suited to maximizing the effectiveness of ethics education," says Woolfrey, a philosophy professor whose research interests include ethical theory and bioethics. She says the virtual world - a hands-on environment - can "increase the ethical engagement of students and faculty and, by using modules that emphasize the ambiguity of the ethical context, help to free participants of the inevitable bias that comes with the awareness of being studied."

Second Life is one of the most popular virtual worlds for educators, with hundreds of universities worldwide connecting, sharing ideas and resources, and conducting online meetings and even an annual conference. The free software was released in 2003; basic accounts are free and available for use in any location with Internet access. Schools can purchase private "land" where teachers and students can explore in a safe environment. In fact, WCU's College of Education is in the process of "renting" a small piece of virtual land for pilot projects and to introduce students and faculty to virtual worlds.

"The use of virtual worlds in the classroom is fast becoming an innovative and exciting way to experience learning," says the College of Education's Larysa Nadolny, one of Woolfrey's co-investigators. Nadolny cites such projects as environmental education, global collaborations, 3-D modeling, STEM projects and more.

Joining Woolfrey and Nadolny are fellow WCU faculty investigators Carolyn Sealfon (physics), Seth Kahn (English) and Matthew Pierlott (philosophy), who exemplify the interdisciplinary nature of this project.

This spring, they are researching WCU science professors' exposure to ethics training while building interest in summer workshops, the nature of which will depend on the participants' research interests and fields of study.

Cheyney University science faculty are also involved, notes Woolfrey. "They are offering their expertise and experiences on how the sciences view ethics and what ethical problems arise in their fields. Cheyney will play a leading role in piloting the ethics training modules in their advanced science classes."

The value of the three-year NSF grant, entitled "Applying Virtual Worlds to Ethics Education in Science," is $299,383.