Virtual Environments: Is one life enough?

The Deep Dive is a series of short podcasts exploring the undergraduate university module “Virtual Environments: Is one life enough”. The class, developed by the Second Life academic Acuppa Tae (John O’Connor) in 2009, has been offered continuously since then by Technological University Dublin in Ireland; and is delivered entirely online in this virtual world. Each episode concentrates on a different theme from the module and considers how it is taught and the impact for students.

New episodes weekly from Wednesday 23 July 2025.

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Season 1

Episode 1: Teaching in a virtual world

This first episode of The Deep Dive podcast gives an overview of the award-winning university module offered at Technological University Dublin since 2009. “Virtual Environments: Is one life enough?” introduces undergrads to the art of working collaboratively online. All classes are taken in the virtual world Second Life so that participants are immersed in practice from the begining as they explore topics ranging from the development of online communities and relationships to virtual identities.

Episode 2: Virtual Identities

The second episode of The Deep Dive podcast explores virtual identities and the philosophical nature of self. The guest speakers on the module share the nature of their avatar’s identities while exploring how identification with online presence can influence real life personalities in the ‘natural world’.

Episode 3: Online communities and relationships

The third episode of The Deep Dive podcast looks at a community in Second Life known as Virtual Ability Island. Developed by former academic Gentle Heron for people with diabilities, their families, carers and friends, VAI has become an essential, and very real, place for its members.

Episode 4: Walking away…?

The fourth episode reflects on the class based aound Ursula K Le Guin’s short story ‘The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas’. The discussion follows the lecturers’ breakdown of the text and the reaction from students.

Episode 5: VWEC Student Challenge

The fifth episode of The Deep Dive podcast takes a look at how the professors and students took on the Virtual Worlds Education Consortium Student Challenge. Each Project Team had Irish, Turkish and Romanian students working together, mentored by a professor who supported them.

Episode 6: Team Work and Collaboration

The sixth episode of The Deep Dive podcast looks back on how team building and collaboration has been taught over the years. Guest speaker Sitearm Madonna has taken the class since 2011 and developed a unique approach to teaching in a virtual world.

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New episodes weekly from Wednesday 23 July 2025.