MUVEing Forward With Second Life

with Second Life: Introduction and Implementation Strategy Chris Duke / Topher Zwiers San Jacinto College Houston, Texas

What is Second Life? http://blip.tv/file/262909/ 1:23

Mutiple User Virtual Environment vs Massive Multiplayer Online Game

Social Environment

Create a salient, virtual physical identity Images from NMC Virtual Worlds: http://virtualworlds.nmc.org/about/

New Media Consortium’s Orientation Island

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqbuMi5N97c

Interact with the World, Create, Build http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7bXu2ozXo0&eurl

Interact with Others, Communicate

What can Education do with Second Life?

Music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFCpsxb6m8s

History

Health Sciences

Literature: Globe Theater Picture

Science: Spaceport Alpha Picture

Science: Genome Island

Should Education Institutions Engage SL?

Second Life is growing at an astronomical rate – but numbers have been questioned.

The number of businesses engaging Second Life – but many have left.

Businesses created in and through Second Life – but numbers and profits have been questioned.

There’s too much activity in SL that jeopardizes educational activity.

The viability of the grid and the technology have been questioned.

MUVE Technology will not go away . . .

Interoperability Being Pursued

Open Source

Sampling of Educators Believe it’s going to stick

Second Life Engaging Education

Education Engaging Second Life

Capabilities

Let’s Buy an Island!

First Step

It should not be a matter of keeping pace with technology. The key is to keep a pace with technology.

Why Engage Second Life Institutionally?

June 2007 Survey. Engagement of Second Life by Educational Institutions , unpublished.

57 total respondents

36 responses to all questions

19 currently teaching/learning in Second Life

Using Institutionally Affiliated Locations? Of 19 respondents actively using Second Life for teaching & learning

Institutionally Funded? Of 19 respondents actively using Second Life for teaching & learning

IT Support? Of 36 respondents actively using Second Life for teaching & learning

Considering Policy Implications? Of 36 respondents actively using Second Life for teaching & learning

Collaborative, Strategic Efforts? Of 36 respondents actively using Second Life for teaching & learning

Considering Quality Issues? Of 36 respondents actively using Second Life for teaching & learning

How to Engage Institutionally?

Define a pilot project: goals, activities, outcomes.

SUNY Monroe Community College’s presentation

Identify specific concepts – investigate specific applications as a community.

Address the issues mentioned earlier, particularly quality and issues of scale but also finance issues, security, accountability and disaster recovery.

Provide and develop support services; engage those responsible for or capable of facilitating the use of technology

How to Engage Institutionally?

Use the RIPPLES model to estimate an appropriate level of engagement.

Resources, Infrastructure, People, Policies, Learning, Evaluation, Support

Surry, D. W., Ensminger, D. C., & Haab, M. (2005). A model for integrating instructional technology into higher education (Electronic Version). British Journal of Educational Technology , 36 (2), 327-329.

Buy, Rent, Scavenge?

Phase 1. Scavenge

Engage institutionally

Basic accounts free.

Find/use public locations.

Participate in community.

Collect items & tools.

Learn building skills.

Identify possibilities.

Phase 2. Rent Space & Buy Items http://virtualworlds.nmc.org/docs/services.pdf

Step 3. Buy Space Pricing based on SecondLife.com pricing for island/region and current auction rate for square meter. 50% discount for education. Size Virtual Meters SqM Purchase Monthly Full Sim 256 x 256 65536 $ 1,675 $ 195 Half Sim 128 x 256 32768 $ 819 $ 125 Quarter Sim 128 x 128 16384 $ 410 $ 75 1/8 Region 128 x 64 8192 $ 205 $ 40 1/16 Region 64 x 64 4096 $ 102 $ 25 1/32 Region 64 x 32 2048 $ 51 $ 15 1/64 Region 32 x 32 1024 $ 26 $ 8 1/128 Region 32 x 16 512 $ 13 $ 5

How & What to Build?