second life for networking and training

Second Life for Networking & Training

Social Networking and Professional Boundaries WorkshopTexas Nursing Association District 3

April 16, 2011Sarah Jones, UT Arlington Library

Second Life for Networking & Training

Who am I?Sarah Jones, Librarian in Digital Library Services at UT ArlingtonUT Arlington Campus Lead for Second Life

How did I get here?September 2009, UT Arlington entered Second LifeDr. Joy Don Baker in the UTA College of Nursing the first on campus to

incorporate Second Life in learning activities

What is Second Life?

Online, 3D, real-time interactive environment You are represented as an avatar

All other avatars you encounter are real people typing at their computers somewhere in the world

The environments you visit were created by other real people, just like yourselves

It’s not a “game”Secondlife.com

UT Arlington in Second Life

Why Should You Care?

Travel and attendant time and cost Did you make a special trip here

this morning for this workshop?

Global access to speakers, discussion groups, networking with colleagues

3D, real-time, shared experience designed to visually, aurally, and “physically” support the purpose and goals of the activity

Conference Room

Activities?

Meetings, discussions, presentations, Birds of a Feather gatherings UT Arlington College of Nursing Genomics Journal Club

Discussions with targeted groups – Virtual Ability Island community members

Training – Idaho Bioterrorism Awareness and Preparedness Program

Patient and caregiver support Department of Veteran Affairs – military amputee support Alzheimer’s caregiver support ShockProof and Dreams – Stroke/TIA, Asperger/autism, pregnancy & infant loss,

BrainTalk.org communities

More Activities - Simulations

Simulations UT Medical School Emergency

Department – hands-on simulation for emergency medical teams

Virtual Hallucinations (UC Davis) – demonstration of the experience of hallucinations of patients with schizophrenia – video

Vanderbilt University – teaching faculty how to manage clinical simulations with their nursing students

More Activities - Simulations

The Testis Tour (Ohio State University) – an “up-close and personal” multi-sensory tour of the male reproductive system – video

Virtual Birthing Unit (Second Life Education New Zealand project) – hands-on simulation for midwifery and other birth team students

More Activities – Patient Education

HealthInfo Island – created with librarians to offer health and wellness information

T2 Virtual PTSD Experience – an immersive, interactive learning experience designed to educate visitors about combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder

More Activities – Research

UT Arlington Smart Hospital – Clinical Simulations in the Physical and Virtual Worlds Collaborating with a researcher at

Coventry University in the UK Comparing the simulation

experience in the physical Smart Hospital and a re-creation of a Smart Hospital room in Second Life

Pros?

Opportunity for participating in activities, such as abovePlus: Sense of Self, Sense of Place, Sense of Presence

Embodiment - as you adjust to seeing yourself as an avatar, you start to feel embodied in that avatar .. not scary! but rather you find that what you experience as an avatar becomes part of your entire personal experience (same mind! just one body is made of molecules, and the other is made of pixels) – dancing, floating in water, mirror therapy for amputees

Co-presence – the other people/avatars share your experience: visually, aurally, mentally (through the conversations you share) As a result, you “feel” that you are all together, even though physically you are

distant. More engaging than a videoconference, webcast, or Skype meeting

Places to relax

Cons?

TechnologyNeed a fairly modern computer with good graphics card for the best

experience (but notice my small laptop from 2007)Need DSL or cable internet (wireless can be ok; satellite internet is too slow)

“Culture shock”Can take a while to adjust to “seeing” in a 3D, computer screen, environmentCan be an adjustment to “being” an avatar

BUT – you do not need to be a gamer or techie nerdMostly, what’s helpful is to have a flexible imagination to feel at home in

a virtual environment

Places to think

Wanna see?

Live tour/demonstration (gulp! Technology willing!) UTA Smart Hospital room -

http://slurl.com/secondlife/UTArlington%20III/198/190/24 UT Medical School emergency department -

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ao%20Palapala/198/61/25 The Testis Tour - http://slurl.com/secondlife/OSU%20Medicine/74/93/302  - (about

10 minutes) Virtual Birthing Unit (Second Life Education New Zealand) -

http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2010/04/educational-virtual-birthing-unit-in-second-life-and-facebook-tips-for-midwives - http://slurl.com/secondlife/Kowhai/82/213/35

Other places to visit: http://secondlife.com/destinations/learning

Questions?

Thank you!

Sarah Jones - sjones@uta.edu

University of Texas Arlington, Digital Library Services

www.uta.edu/secondlife

In SL: Razitra Artizar (Raz)

This presentation: www.slideshare.net/razitra