Executive SummaryAutomated assessment is an emerging innovation in educational praxis, however its pedagogical potential is not fully utilised in Australia, particularly regarding automated essay grading. The rationale for this research is that the usage of automated assessment currently lags behind the capacity that the technology provides, thus restricting the pedagogical benefits for students, job satisfaction for staff, and quality assurance and financial benefits for universities. The exploration of the different perspectives of stakeholders regarding their needs and expectations of automated assessment shows the high-stake game of surviving and thriving. Inter alia, students value education as a means to gain employment, educators' value education as their means of employment, and universities value education as their means of existence. The various facets of this interplay are described, including the value of knowledge and learning (pedagogical considerations); society's system for measuring worth and exchanging value (economic considerations); sociotechnological evolution and emerging innovations in educational assessment, and the adoption and resistance thereof.We contribute to the field a national survey that investigated and reveals potential reasons for this sub-optimal utilisation by exploring the candid perceptions of Australian university students and teachers regarding automated assessment. Students and staff from Australian universities were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey. Two hundred and sixty five people completed the survey. The analysis utilised a mixedmethod approach, combining quantitative and qualitative research paradigms. We present a sub-set of the survey results; this sample's use of automated

3D Virtual Worlds are potent Digital Ecosystems because the 3D interface simulates real-world environments and the community of users creates a dynamic, real-to-life economy and in-world culture. Some Virtual Worlds such as Second Life empower users to generate in-world content through object building tools and programming languages; indeed the content in Second Life is entirely user-generated. This promotes a rich culture of innovation surrounding this emerging technology that continually develops the capabilities of the 3D Digital Ecosystem. The collaborative culture spans both the 3D in-world environment and 2D ecosystems: for example, Web 2.0 applications such as Wikis and blogs facilitate support, discussion, and documentation for user-generated innovations. Innovation in 3D Digital Ecosystems such as Second Life are applied to all domains of human endeavour that exist in the real-world, including recreation, socialisation, commerce, and education. This paper shares the authors' professional experience using Second Life in tertiary Information Systems/Science education. Case studies describe the specific applications. They are followed by discussion of the benefits of 3D Digital Ecosystems for education and suggestions for future research, development, and practice.

The increasing rate of technological development is changing how we interact socially, commercially, and politically, making this an exciting yet challenging time in which to live. As the pace of development is destabilising the status quo, it is increasingly important for individuals and organisations alike to adapt. Research, development, and commercialisation are important tools in facilitating innovation for organisations engaging in the modern knowledge/networked economy. As an emergent player in the networked economy, Digital Ecosystems have great potential for innovation. In particular 3D Virtual Worlds offer exciting opportunities for Information Systems research, development, and commercialisation. By their very structure, 3D Virtual Worlds such as Second Life provide a powerful context for innovation and collaboration: Second Life users are immersed in a 3D environment and empowered by a menu-based object-builder and a programming language; in-built text, voice, and body-language communication tools enrich communication, collaboration, and help provide a rich contextual presence. The community of users apply themselves to all realms of human endeavour, from recreational socialisation to systems development and entrepreneurial ventures. The current paper describes a university research commercialisation systems development project (of an Automated Essay Grading system called MarkIT), that utilises a 3D Digital Ecosystem for both promotion and implementation. Subsequently, this paper discusses the benefits, limitations, and suggestions for future innovation in research, development, and commercialisation of Information Systems incorporating 3D Virtual Worlds.Index Terms-3D Virtual Worlds; 3D Digital Ecosystems; Information systems research; research commercialisation and knowledge transfer.

Automated assessment technologies have been used in education for decades (e.g., computerised multiple choice tests). In contrast, Automated Essay Grading (AEG) technologies: have existed for decades; are 'good in theory' (e.g., as accurate as humans, temporally and financially efficient, and can enhance formative feedback), and yet; are ostensibly used comparatively infrequently in Australian universities. To empirically examine these experiential observations we conducted a national survey to explore the use of automated assessment in Australian universities and examine why adoption of AEG is limited. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected in an online survey from a sample of 265 staff and students from 5 Australian universities. The type of assessment used by the greatest proportion of respondents was essays/reports (82.6%), however very few respondents had used AEG (3.8%). Recommendations are made regarding methods to promote technology utilisation, including the use of innovative dissemination channels such as 3D Virtual Worlds.

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