Socialisation for learning at a distance in a 3-D multi-user virtual environment Palitha Edirisingha, Ming Nie, Mark Pluciennik and Ruth Young Palitha Edirisingha is a lecturer in e-learning and Ming Nie is a research associate in e-learning, both at the Beyond Distance Research Alliance, University of Leicester. Mark Pluciennik is a senior lecturer in Archaeology and director of distance learning (Archaeology), and Ruth Young is a lecturer in Archaeol- ogy, both at the University of Leicester. Address for correspondence: Dr. Palitha Edirisingha, Beyond Distance Research Alliance, Room 1808, Attenborough Tower, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK. Email: pe27@le.ac.uk Abstract This paper reports findings of a pilot study that examined the pedagogical potential of Second Life (SL), a popular three-dimensional multi-user virtual environment (3-D MUVE) developed by the Linden Lab. The study is part of a 1-year research and development project titled ‘Modelling of Secondlife Envi- ronments’ (http://www.le.ac.uk/moose) funded by the UK Joint Information Systems Committee. The research question addressed in this paper is: how can learning activities that facilitate social presence and foster socialisation among distance learners for collaborative learning be developed in SL, a 3-D MUVE? The study was carried out at the University of Leicester (UoL) within an under- graduate module on Archaeological Theory, where two tutors and four stu- dents took part in four learning activities designed to take place in SL within the UoL Media Zoo island. The learning activities and training in SL were based on Salmon’s five-stage model of online learning. Students’ engagement in SL was studied through interviews, observations and records of chat logs. The data analysis offers four key findings in relation to the nature and pattern of in-world ‘socialisation’ and its impact on real-world network building; the pattern of in-world ‘socialisation’ stage in Salmon’s 5-stage model; perspec- tives on students’ progress in-world through the first stage of the model— ‘access and motivation’—and perspectives on their entry into, and progress through, the second stage of the model—‘socialisation’—and the role of iden- tity presented through avatars in the process of socialisation. The paper offers implications for research and practice in the light of these findings. Introduction The academic community shows strong interest in the use of three-dimensional multi- user virtual environments (3-D MUVEs) for education (Eduserve Symposium, 2007; British Journal of Educational Technology Vol 40 No 3 2009 458–479 doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2009.00962.x © 2009 Becta. Journal compilation © 2009 Becta. Published by Blackwell Publishing, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA.