Second Life: A 3D Multi-User Virtual World

Second Life: A 3D Multi-User Virtual World Simon Bignell [email_address] www.derby.ac.uk

About Second life
Second Life is a widely acclaimed online 3D ‘virtual world’ with hundreds of thousands of users; built and owned by its residents.
Second Life is used as a platform for business and entertainment and has game-like qualities but is not a ‘game’ in itself.
Since 2003, it has grown explosively and now is inhabited by millions of people from around the globe.

Statistics
Total accounts: 9,296,032 (as at 5/9/07)
Logged in during the last 60 days 1,553,348 (as at 5/9/07)
Avg. approx 40,000
43% female
Avg. Age 32
Key points
Market leader
Currency exchange system
530L$ = £1 approx
Streaming media
Continual development
Voice chatting!
Education discounts
Off Shoot ‘Teen Second Life’
About Second life

USA
Harvard University
MIT
University of Texas
Francisco State
New York University
Vassar College
Trinity University
University of Buffalo
+ many more
UK
Derby University
Oxford University
Nottingham University
Staffordshire University
Leicestershire University
Paisley University
Education UK Island

What Can You Do in SL?
Self -- Your identity
Social networks
Exploration
Build
Texture
Animate
Script
Class projects
Avatar
Meet, chat, share
Visit, tour, study
Creation tools
Customise the look
Movement, gesture
Adds behaviours
Classes, office hours
Applied learning

The future lecture theatre? Educational advantages: Creativity, Space, Interactivity, Collaboration, Activity, Tools and Fun!

Diverse Learning Modes Mental Health – Simulation of Schizophrenia Real time live conference with streaming video Education delivery options range from self-paced simulations (left) to streaming video into a virtual classroom or conference (right).

Conferencing in Virtual Environments
Effective
Global
Cheap
Easy
Fun
Innovative
Quick
Media friendly
Streamed
Live

Highly customisable avatars

Education UK Island
http://www.sleducationuk.net
It's an island about education, focussed on the UK educational community.
The space is available to everyone, but the key focus is for UK educationalists from all sectors to participate in the development of the island as a learning environment,
as a play and practice area for educators and as a collaborative space for sharing experiences of learning and teaching in Second Life.

Limitless scope for individualised workplaces

Second Life Educational Community
SLED very active community worldwide.
UK Open University (Schome community).
SLOODLE (Moodle Integration).
Second Life Campus.
EducationUK.
UK is good at using these methods and has a growing community.

WebCT, Blackboard, Moodle
Good news – content management, stable.
Bad news – poor interactivity.
Tutor centred not student centred.
Administration not education.
Second Life
Good news – interactivity (immersive).
Bad news – poor content management, stability.
Student centred not tutor centred.
Education not Administration (after the learning curve).
SL offers a distance education (& communication) platform unmatched by others but it is not perfected (yet).
VLEs ‘Virtual’ ‘Learning’ ‘Environments’

What Second Life is good for
Cheap and easy to use 3D simulation with physics and powerful scripting.
Fast prototyping, with simple and effective modelling and programming tools.
Problems can be demonstrated in a controlled environment.
Internet integration (very Web 2.0).
Strong educational support networks

Is this the future of education? THE “METAVERSE” A VISION OF THE FUTURE ? Slide courtesy of Paul Hollins

The Last Slide
Second Life is already:
a valuable blended learning platform
a very immersive communication tool.
Try it out for yourself.
Milton Broome’s Blog: http://milton-broome.blogspot.com Simon Bignell – Lecturer in Psychology University of Derby [email_address]

http://mediapsykologia.wikispaces.com	84
http://previewpsych.org	55
http://milton-broome.blogspot.com	20
http://www.slideshare.net	9
http://www.miltonbroome.com	4
http://thegridlive.com	4
https://mediapsykologia.wikispaces.com	2
http://www.geocities.com	1
http://www.milton-broome.blogspot.com	1
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Second Life: A 3D Multi-User Virtual World

by Simon Bignell

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