Presenter: Lindy McKeown, University of Southern Queensland, Australia
With the support of a Queensland Government Smart State PhD Grant, Australian Lindy McKeown has created an innovative online professional development space on the virtual island of Terra incognita in the MUVE Second Life. This island was developed to support Action Learning online. This strategy uses a cyclic process of explore, plan, act and reflect around a workplace project that embeds the doing in with the learning. By using Participatory Design Based Research, this learning space has been created with the input of experienced Action Learning facilitators, gamers, 3D world users, online learning specialists and the program participants. Action Learning has been identified as an effective professional learning strategy adopted by many professional associations and educational organisations for adult learning that leads to changed practice. Taking this successful strategy online in 3D has the potential to support reflective practice and distance learning by creating greater social presence and supporting critical thinking. Lindy will share the experiences of conducting Action Learning programs in Second Life.
Lindy McKeown has been developing local, national and international online learning communities for professional development and curriculum projects for schools across the world since 1994 and using computers in education since 1980. Lindy has worked with educational organisations across Australia, the UK, the USA and New Zealand to integrate technology into professional learning and school education. Some of the projects Lindy developed include:
Oz-TeacherNet
The British Council Montage
JCQTA Action Learning Leadership Project
Lindy specialises in the application of online technologies for professional learning and uses Action Learning extensively in both face-to-face and online settings. She is currently completing a Ph.D. at the University of Southern Queensland where she is conducting research into the design of purpose-built 3D online virtual environments for professional development using Action Learning. In Second Life as Decka Mah, Lindy conducts her Action Learning Programs on her island, Terra Incognita Lindy is also working part time as the Digital Strategy Project Officer managing the Second Life assets for the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and conducting professional development about teaching in Second Life for USQ staff as well as teachers and academics across the world.
In recognition of the value of this research to the wider adult learning community, Lindy is the recipient of a Queensland Government ‘Growing the Smart State’ PhD Grant. In acknowledgment of her extensive work with educators, Lindy is the 2006 recipient of the national and international ‘Outstanding Leader in the use of IT in Education’ awards from the Australian Council for Computers in Education (ACCE) and the International Society for Technology in Education.(ISTE) and the 2005 award from Queensland Society for Information Technology (QSITE).