Bardo: Die and Do Over
This is a presentation from the Project Based Exploration Stream at the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference.
7 am Saturday March 13
Animoto http://animoto.com/play/IMkXhkCtOg5utYoQKEI5Ig
Die and Do Over: Teaching the Liminal State Using Second Life
Bardo Thodol is a Second Life role-playing game based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead.The simulation is based on a liminal state between life and death. At this time, only a virtual world allows for the visualization and representation asked of the person going through this state. A virtual environment can create this experience for the students and allow them to interact, problem solve and reflect in ways not possible from watching a video. Participants will play, reflect and discuss the experience and how to use immersive environments educationally.
Purpose of the demonstration
This role-play game is actually a problem solving learning environment. Faculty and instructional designers can see how this game allows the learner to interact, problem solve and reflect. Problem solving in authentic contexts outside of virtual worlds is usually reserved for business classes not philosophy, religious studies and humanities classes. At the end of the simulation, the participant can reflect on their own strategy.
Description of the activity in which participants will engage
Participants will go through the stages of this simulation as the person passing through death to rebirth. At the end of the simulation which lasts 15 – 20 minutes, there will be an abbreviated discussion of the Tibetan Book of Dead and the session will end with a discussion of student engagement, immersion and projects NPIRL (Not Possible in Real Life).
Intended Audience
While this simulation was originally developed for an Eastern Religions class, it has been used for humanities, sociology and English composition courses. The intended audience is educators from diverse content areas. The educators who developed this are starting to storyboard another simulation for the Egyptian Book of the Dead and are always looking for collaborators. To optimize this experience, the demonstration will be limited to 15 participants who will need to RSVP prior to the session. Please RSVP to que.jinn@yahoo.com
Indicate how your work illustrates best practices
Every semester, students express great confusion, and at times frustration over Eastern religions’ teachings on reincarnation. Online and on campus students have difficulty visualizing and conceptualizing the apparently contradictory principles underlying this basic Eastern concept. The Buddhist and Hindu tenets of reincarnation and the soul perplex students whose background is in the Abrahaminic religions and secular Western culture. This simulation is a teaching resource for instructors who are facilitating learning of a difficult concept. It also has been a tool to enhance student learning of cultural and religious diversity.
Presenters
Michigan Paule, LeeDale Shepherd, Kavon Zenovka and Abacus Capalini
