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Virtual Worlds: Hype or Virtual Worlds: Hype or Reality?Reality?

Jane Chandler (RL) / Lane Erde (SL)Jane Chandler (RL) / Lane Erde (SL)Emma Duke-Williams (RL) / Emmadw Emma Duke-Williams (RL) / Emmadw

Rickenbacker (SL)Rickenbacker (SL)

School of Computing &School of Computing & The ExPERT Centre CETLThe ExPERT Centre CETL

Work also supported by a grant from the HEA-ICS Subject Work also supported by a grant from the HEA-ICS Subject CentreCentre

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Virtual Worlds

What is a virtual world?What is a virtual world?

Dipity TimelineDipity Timeline

First 100 years (from 1787)

Dipity TimelineDipity Timeline

(Last 25 years)

What is a Virtual World?What is a Virtual World?

Computer based?

• Rich, graphical, 3-D environment

• Real people represented by avatars

• Content may be user created

• Various combinations of Chat, IM and voice communication

• May have audio and video streaming

• May have links out to the web

What is an avatar?What is an avatar?

http://www.answers.com/http://www.answers.com/

1. The incarnation of a Hindu deity

2. An embodiment, as of a quality or concept; an archetype: the very avatar of cunning

3. A temporary manifestation or aspect of a continuing entity

http://www.answers.com/http://www.answers.com/

1. The incarnation of a Hindu deity

2. An embodiment, as of a quality or concept; an archetype: the very avatar of cunning

3. A temporary manifestation or aspect of a continuing entity

A representation of a

person who is physically

absentA representation of a

person who is physically

absent

““I, Avatar” *I, Avatar” *

• “An avatar is an interactive social representation of a user”

• “A character in a game … in which you can affect, choose or change the plot”

• “A social creature dancing on the border between fact and fiction”

• A role we inhabit* Mark Meadows, 2008

How often do the people How often do the people you interact with see every you interact with see every

aspect of you and your aspect of you and your life?life?

A Virtual World: Second LifeA Virtual World: Second Life®®

• Not a game – no rules, no prizes, no winner, no objective

• User created/defined content

• You chose what you look like

• You chose what you do

Activities in Second LifeActivities in Second Life• Business• Meetings• Social / Entertainment• Content Creation: art, software, • Simulations: places, events, buildings,

risky/expensive experiences• Classes: lectures, tutorials, ‘treasure hunts’• Libraries and Museums

Lion Gate Building, University of Portsmouth

Lion Gate Building, University of Portsmouth

Portland Building, University of Portsmouth

Portland Building, University of Portsmouth

Portland Building, University of Portsmouth

NOAA

NOAA

Virtual Morocco

NOAA

Virtual Morocco

Virtual Darfur

Photo via Flickr from danceinthesky

Linden Gallery of Resident Art

Harvard Law School

Harvard Law School

University of Portsmouth

Harvard Law School

University of Portsmouth

Universityof Plymouth

Harvard Law School

University of Portsmouth

Universityof Plymouth

Genome

Genome

Iowa State University:Blooms Taxonomy

Students’ thoughts on Students’ thoughts on learning in a virtual world …learning in a virtual world …

Best thing about Second Life?

“Interactivity to explore, relative

freedom of expression and overall thoroughly

enjoyable.”

“Different from the norm...”

Worst thing about SecondLife?

“Found myself spending most of the time trying to

accomplish basic tasks, rather than complete the coursework assignment.”

“Playability was not very good in

comparison to other computer games.”

When should/shouldn’t we use SL?

“I don’t believe it should be used at all, puts

experienced users at a massive disadvantage to nonexperienced users.”

“Online meetings in SL was a

bonus.”

Other comments.

“I thought SL was even more irritating

to use than flash within Edcom.”

“Definitely a positive part of

the course.”

Second Life and other platformsSecond Life and other platforms

ResourcesResources

Video ClipsVideo Clips• Education in Second Life: Explore the Possibilities

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMGR9q43dag&feature=related

• Educational Uses of Second Life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOFU9oUF2HA&feature=related

• Introduction to Second Life http://www.virtualworldsvideo.com/video/Introduction-to-Second-Life-2

• Watch the World(s) http://youtube.com/watch?v=LxVDVggLqsA

• How to make a gift box... happy holidays! - SL TuTORial http://youtube.com/watch?v=876wwYv6Tf0

• NMC in Second Life® http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9VZKTT6gZ8

BooksBooks• Creating Your World: The Official Guide to Advanced

Content Creation for Second Life by Aimee Weber, Kimberly RuferBach & Richard Platel (2007) John Wiley & Sons ISBN-13: 978-0470171141

• I, Avatar: The Culture and Consequences of Having a Second Life by Mark Stephen Meadows (2008) New Riders ISBN-13: 978-0321533395

• 101 Uses for Second Life in the College Classroom by Megan S. Conklin: http://facstaff.elon.edu/mconklin/pubs/glshandout.pdf

Websites – Getting GoingWebsites – Getting Going

• http://secondlife.com/• Joining SL:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddpfmbxr_683gt5h2&hl=en

• Joining via NMC: http://sl.nmc.org/join/• Second Life ToolKits Project:

http://userweb.port.ac.uk/~chandler/HEA-ICS/• Enterprise 3.D Living and Working in Virtual Worlds

http://www.slideshare.net/rooreynolds/enterprise-3d-living-and-working-in-virtual-worlds/

Education WebsitesEducation Websites• Edumuve.com: http://edumuve.com/tour/• Eduserv Foundation: http://www.eduserv.org.uk/foundation/sl.aspx• RezEd: The Hub for Learning and Virtual Worlds

http://www.rezed.org/• The SaLamander Project:

http://www.eduisland.net/salamanderwiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

• SimTeach: Information and Community for Educators using M.U.V.E.'s: http://www.simteach.com/

• Second Life in Education: http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/educationaluses

• Silversprite’s Slideshow of UK HE & FE in SL®

http://www.flickr.com/photos/silversprite/sets/72157603982005324/show/

BlogsBlogs

• Wagner James Au’s New World Notes http://nwn.blogs.com/

• Metanomics http://metanomics.net/• NMC Campus Observer http://sl.nmc.org/• Second Life Research

http://secondliferesearch.blogspot.com/• Intellagirl’s Ubernoggin

http://www.ubernoggin.com/• SLED Blog http://www.sl-educationblog.org/• Roo Reynold’s and Ian Hughes’s eightbar

http://eightbar.co.uk/

Mailing ListsMailing Lists

• SLED – SL Educators https://lists.secondlife.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/educators

• Slrl – Second Life Research http://list.academ-x.com/listinfo.cgi/slrl-academ-x.com