Christine CrawfordInstructional Design and Technology

What is a Virtual World - A virtual world is a computer-based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit, interact and create via avatars

International Space Flight Museum

What is Second Life?A 3-D virtual worldFree and available to everyoneCreated in 2003 by Linden LabOver 18 million residents

53% male, 47% female200 + countries250 + universitiesIn-world economy L$260 = US$1 (as of March ‘08)

Second Life™ is unique…Distributed simulation - Most virtual worlds are located

on one server and are limited in sizeSL is divided over a network of machines. Every time a

new machine is added to the network, hundreds of virtual acres are created.

Advanced compression – allows data to be compressed into thousands of objects per second into continuous streams to the resident’s machine

Collaborative, immersive, open-ended

Acronyms and expressionsSL = Second LifeRL = Real LifeIn-world = inside the virtual world of SLTP = teleportBling = objects that sparkle in-world (they can cause

lag)Prim = Primitive shape or object – Most basic shape

which can be further manipulated to build in-world

Second Life™ at UNDUND leased a small parcel of land from the New Media

ConsortiumT&L - Space created for Special Ed Law class group discussion and

collaboration IT– graphic design students interviewing residents in-world (COP)Geography– Dissertation on sense of placeCommunications – grad student teaching undergrads in graphic

designCommunications – Master’s thesis on mentoringIDT – grad student writing grant proposal for the NRC

- a character that represents you in the virtual world

Can look just like you Or look nothing like you

Avatar

Avatars are customizable

Is Second Life a Game?Goals and objectives in games are dictated by the game

designers.

What you set out to accomplish, when and how you level up are all predetermined by the writers.

In SL, the players ARE the writers.

Trends toward Virtual Worlds In-coming students will have

already been introduced to the virtual worlds: Webkinz Disney Online Studios

Club Penguin Pirates of the Caribbean Online Fairies Pixie Hollow Cars

Teen Grid Disney plans to spend $5 million to

$10 million a piece to develop as many as 10 virtual worlds built around familiar Disney characters and franchises

Corporations like IBM, Cisco and SUN use SL to interview, train, and socialize their employees

Networking/CollaborationDr. Bob Vernon, Chair, Indiana Univ, School of Social WorkDr. Lisa Dawley, Chair, Boise State Univ Educational TechSeveral professional instructional designersEmployee of Sun MicrosystemsGraduate library student from U of AChinese male living in Australia, using a female avatarBuilder of Northern Illinois University (Glidden)Member of SL Development board and shop ownerCEO and other important figures of NMCSeveral Harvard students

Gartner Report 2007 Gartner Says 80 Percent of Active Internet Users (and Fortune 500 enterprises)Will Have A "Second Life" in the Virtual World by the End of 2011

eMarketerestimates that 24%

of the 34.3 million child and teen Internet users in the US will use virtual worlds on at least a monthly basis in 2007. By 2011, 53% of them will be going virtual.

Networking/CollaborationDr. Bob Vernon, Chair, Indiana Univ, School of Social WorkDr. Lisa Dawley, Chair, Boise State Univ Educational TechSeveral professional instructional designersEmployee of Sun MicrosystemsGraduate library student from U of AChinese male living in Australia, using a female avatarBuilder of Northern Illinois University (Glidden)Member of SL Development board and shop ownerCEO and other important figures of NMCSeveral Harvard students

Bloom’s Revised TaxonomyA committee of colleges, led by Benjamin Bloom, identified three domains of educational activities: •Cognitive: mental skills (Knowledge) •Affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas (Attitude) •Psychomotor: manual or physical skills (Skills)

Dante’s InfernoThe Divine Comedy written by Dante Alighieri 1321Central epic poem of Italian literature and one of the greatest works

of world literature (wikipedia)Dante’s vision of the Christian afterlife influenced by medieval

world-view and Dante’s own biases. The afterlife is comprised of the Inferno which contains nine circles

of hell, Purgatory and Paradise Dante the character is thought to be at a point in life where he is

suicidal and on the verge of choosing eternal damnation because of the death of his true love, Beatrice

Beatrice, dead, calls upon Virgil, a Latin poet who was believed to have predicted the rise of Christianity and symbolizes “Reason” was a perfect guide for suicidal Dante

"Abandon hope all ye who enter here"

Dante’s Inferno (cont’d)Virtual Tour (http://web.eku.edu/flash/inferno/)Modern day Inferno, “Linden Hills” by Gloria Naylor (

http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=12032)"Abandon hope all ye who enter here“

Who is Beatrice? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrice_Portinari)Who is Virgil? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cultural_references_in_The_Divine_Comedy#V)

John Miller, Tacoma CCCentralia Classroom (A&P)http://slurl.com/secondlife/Centralia%20College/170/150/29

NESIM Vidhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjLDe-ca-sw

EducationEdTech Island, Center for Virtual EducationISTE

ScienceNOAAUK Future Focus (solar system)NASA Colab

Info Island Founded in 2006 – houses many library collections in the form of in-world books and

web links Bell Library Towers. This library contains many subject area resources, such as:

Literature, History, Government Documents, Geography and more! Talis Sci Fi & Fantasy - This structure is the home of the Sci Fi & Fantasy Group,

containing many great exhibits. The group holds monthly book discussions. Mystery Manor an area for exhibits and book discussions within the mystery genre. Peace Park is a combination park and religious resource center. Genealogy Research Center provides links to locations on the web for family history

research. The group does quarterly exhibits and holds discussions and seminars. Internet Communications and Technology Library and its demo area. ICT, another

original partner provides scripts, information and tools for educators in Second Life. VWLA - Virtual World Library Association works to support librarians in virtual worlds. Library's Art Space - Art exhibits that showcase SL artists and their works.

When should we use SL?•Do not use technology merely for the sake of using technology.

•“Intelligent integration of learning technologies.” (Van Eck, 2006)

•Alignment – make sure the objectives, content and strategies are in alignment with one another. (ie physics) (Bloom’s Taxonomy)

•We should NOT use SL when other media works as well or better for instruction.

•“Focus on the strengths of the medium”immersionengagementauthenticity

Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org

http://lindenlab.com/aboutwww.youtube.com

http://social.chass.ncsu.edu/slatta/hi216/learning/bloom.htm

Van Eck, R. (2006). Digital game-based learning: its not just the digital natives who are restless. Educause Review

March/April. pp. 17-30.

Special thanks to friends in-world for the help!