Virtual Education:
Getting ready to teach
in
Second Life
How to start teaching basics
With an eye to Health related topics
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

Second Life: an alternative reality, not a game
Second Health NHS
• Second Life is a 3D platform created by its inhabitants. It is a
free environment and to start you need just to download a
client, install it and create an account on the SecondLife.com
website.
• It is not a game: you don’t have to reach a goal or accumulate
any points, it is not based on levels but it is an “interactive
environment where you are able to choose what to do, what
to create, whom to talk to.
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

Second Life and Education: why?
• Second Life is a flexible platform for general education purposes
o E-learning
o Cooperative work
o Team Training
o Simulation
• Pro
o Get in touch with people, communities, colleagues,
Inworld and Outworld:
SLEdu List counts over 5k subscribers
o Anyone can create what he needs or find it inworld
o It is open 7/24
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

Second Life and Education: why?
• Reduce Costs
• Easy access to general public
• Zero risk (no real people to hurt)
• Team can train together from different locations
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

Steps in Second Life
Learn how Learn how
to move to type and
and fly interact.
Learn how Learn
to set interface
preferences basics and
submenus buttons
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

Steps in Second Life
Learn how to Learn avatar
voice chat customization
Learn how to
make a Learn how to
snapshot and customize
add it to profile
profile
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

Steps in Second Life
Learn how Learn how
to use aids to build
and tools
Learn what is a
script and how
to reset it or
make it run
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

Second Life and Education: how
Learn how to
use aids and
tools
Newbie avatar Teacher Avatar
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

Second Life and Education: how
Platform + Edu
Information
Transfer to
Student avatar
Newbie Avatar
Teacher Avatar
Dual Learning path
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

Dualism: learn interface/build then learn how to teach
Interface/building (teacher in the
middle) class Pain: new approaches -
Building example exploded on slideshow presentation
the side as building guide
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

Second Life and Education: tools
Teacher Avatar
Class or
environment tools
Immersive
Classes Environment
teaching settings
Boards & Holoclasses to
Notecards readers change class Land options to
Scripted
for frontal class settings in seconds stream video and Group features Quiz Menus Trivia
objects/hud
approach or accordingly to audio
conferences subject
Multiple choices
Chat conferences Notice alerts
paths
Team training
performances
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

Second Life and Madicine Education:
why?
Some but not all features:
Second Life as a 3D Informational Space
• Scientific and Educational Meetings
Instructors day
• Prevention Campaigns
AMI primary prevention
• Information on new procedures/technical info on new devices
Libraries as an information source for
• Healthcare professionals
• General public
Medicine Tasks on Virtual Patients: Reduced fear of making mistakes but no skills
acquired in some features that need real contact (learn effective CPR).
Emergency training team simulations
Anatomy 3D models
Physiologic processes simulation
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

3D visualization of protein generation
stages in a ribosome
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

Awareness panel: the importance of BLS-CPR
procedures in case of a cardiac arrest at home (NIH)
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

Genome 3D Cell visualization
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

3D Anatomy Models
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

Medicine Education and Second Life:
Limits
• Technical limits
No on patient acquired skills
valuation possible
No physical contact with patient
Difficulty in interacting perfectly
with an object (CPR dummy in SL)
At the moment it’s not possible
to give certification to courses on
specific subjects such as CPR –
Basic Life Support for the reasons
said above
• Behavioral limits
All users will feel comfortable in
using Second Life as educational
environment?
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

IRC Italian Resuscitation Council on SL
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008

IRC Italian Resuscitation Council on SL
IRC and its activities: news for professionals and general public
interested in learning CPR
Connections to the web site to feed the latest news
Publication resources panels
National availability of scheduled RL courses panel (will be a Google
Calendar feed)
IRC land available for:
communications, exchange ideas about educational/training
After training feedbacks
Conferences/lessons given by anesthesia/resuscitation professionals
Creating 3D models using new technologies for life support and trauma
scenarios environment (home, road, work)
Presentation of the new Italian language cell phone CPR support video
(visible in land)
Future aims: Operatory Room procedures simulations
Biancaluce Robbiani - Jan 2008