Virtual Worlds in Education from Dungeon to Second Life Daniel Livingstone

Welcome to Adventure!! Would you like instructions? >no You are standing at the end of a road before a small brick building. Around you is a forest. A small stream flows out of the building and down a gully. In the distance there is a tall gleaming white tower. >

Welcome to Adventure!! Would you like

instructions?

>no

You are standing at the end of a road

before a small brick building.

Around you is a forest. A small

stream flows out of the building and

down a gully. In the distance there is

a tall gleaming white tower.

>

Elizabethan tearoom. This cosy, Tudor room is where all adventures start. Its exposed oak beams and soft, velvet-covered furnishings provide it with the ideal atmosphere in which to relax before venturing out into that strange, timeless realm. A sense of decency and decorum prevails, and a feeling of kinship with those who, like you, seek their destiny in The Land. There are exits in all directions, each of which leads into a wisping, magical mist of obvious teleportative properties... >

Elizabethan tearoom.

This cosy, Tudor room is where all adventures start. Its exposed oak beams and soft, velvet-covered furnishings provide it with the ideal atmosphere in which to relax before venturing out into that strange, timeless realm. A sense of decency and decorum prevails, and a feeling of kinship with those who, like you, seek their destiny in The Land. There are exits in all directions, each of which leads into a wisping, magical mist of obvious teleportative properties...

>

MUDs and MOOs Multi-user text based adventure games Many variants… MUD, MUCK, MUSH, TinyMUD, MOO MOO (MUD Object Oriented) allowed players to modify the game by adding rooms, monsters, items, etc. (after gaining Wizard status) Object-oriented programming while in-game If you could code… steep learning curve LambdaMoo and MUD can still be played today

Multi-user text based adventure games

Many variants… MUD, MUCK, MUSH, TinyMUD, MOO

MOO (MUD Object Oriented) allowed players to modify the game by adding rooms, monsters, items, etc. (after gaining Wizard status)

Object-oriented programming while in-game

If you could code… steep learning curve

LambdaMoo and MUD can still be played today

MOOs in Education MOOs allowed users/admins to change content Enabled creation of text-based educational virtual worlds Literature, computer science, social forums, language learning, …. Not known if any are still running!

MOOs allowed users/admins to change content

Enabled creation of text-based educational virtual worlds

Literature, computer science, social forums, language learning, ….

Not known if any are still running!

MMORPGs, MMOGs and MUVEs Massively-multiplayer online gaming in 3D virtual worlds now a significant industry. World of Warcraft alone has over 9 million subscribers world-wide Has perhaps 1/3 – ½ of all MMOG subscriptions?

Massively-multiplayer online gaming in 3D virtual worlds now a significant industry.

World of Warcraft alone has over 9 million subscribers world-wide

Has perhaps 1/3 – ½ of all MMOG subscriptions?

Ultima Online

Runescape

World of Warcraft

WoW in Action

How to make items, the MMOG way Have pattern (mould) Have skill level X (e.g. Smithing Lvl 60) Have ingredients (e.g. 20 wolf-pelts) Have tools required (e.g. access to anvil, hammer…) Then… click a mouse button

Have pattern (mould)

Have skill level X (e.g. Smithing Lvl 60)

Have ingredients (e.g. 20 wolf-pelts)

Have tools required (e.g. access to anvil, hammer…)

Then… click a mouse button

How to make real money the MMOG way Players can trade items in games Can trade accounts People started selling items and characters for real money Virtual assets = real money Generally discouraged by developers – with exceptions Gold Farming

Players can trade items in games

Can trade accounts

People started selling items and characters for real money

Virtual assets = real money

Generally discouraged by developers – with exceptions

Gold Farming

Not just fantasy… City of Heroes (and Villains!) Star Wars Galaxies Eve Online Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates APB

City of Heroes (and Villains!)

Star Wars Galaxies

Eve Online

Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates

APB

Learning in Games Team building & management Corporations and guilds Numeracy and Literacy Despite visual emphasis, a lot of information is communicated in text A lot of number crunching Are these skills transferable? Informal learning in games

Team building & management

Corporations and guilds

Numeracy and Literacy

Despite visual emphasis, a lot of information is communicated in text

A lot of number crunching

Are these skills transferable?

Informal learning in games

MUVEs A range of 3D virtual worlds are more ‘general purpose’ Not games per se Active Worlds There Second Life / Teen Second Life

A range of 3D virtual worlds are more ‘general purpose’

Not games per se

Active Worlds

There

Second Life / Teen Second Life

Some numbers

Second Life Any - and every - user is able to create content Buildings, Furniture, Scenery With scripts – pets, vehicles, guns Avatar clothing, skins, custom avatars A user-created world With IP rights and freely convertible in-world currency (L$) Social platform: Engaging with other ‘residents’ is the core experience

Any - and every - user is able to create content

Buildings, Furniture, Scenery

With scripts – pets, vehicles, guns

Avatar clothing, skins, custom avatars

A user-created world

With IP rights and freely convertible in-world currency (L$)

Social platform: Engaging with other ‘residents’ is the core experience

Seriously Engaging

Make items the SL Way

Web Interoperability Scripts running inside SL can communicate with the internet Email XML-RPC (must be initiated externally) HTTP Request (incl. GET/POST) Streaming audio/video

Scripts running inside SL can communicate with the internet

Email

XML-RPC (must be initiated externally)

HTTP Request (incl. GET/POST)

Streaming audio/video

Resident Run Businesses Many residents enjoy SL for the ability to create their own content Many choose to sell their creations To cover their in-world expenses To supplement RL income Or even as their primary real-life income SLExchange & OnRez: eCommerce web sites for Second Life

Many residents enjoy SL for the ability to create their own content

Many choose to sell their creations

To cover their in-world expenses

To supplement RL income

Or even as their primary real-life income

SLExchange & OnRez: eCommerce web sites for Second Life

Real Life Businesses Increasing number of real-life businesses creating presences in SL IBM, Dell, ABN AMRO, Sun, Amazon, O’Reilly, Wired, C|Net, BBH, Vodaphone, BBC, Adidas, Nissan, Sony Ericsson, Fox Movies, …

Increasing number of real-life businesses creating presences in SL

IBM, Dell, ABN AMRO, Sun, Amazon, O’Reilly, Wired, C|Net, BBH, Vodaphone, BBC, Adidas, Nissan, Sony Ericsson, Fox Movies, …

What’s in it for business? Sales and direct income? Marketing? Market size? Degree of contact? Engaging with audience A business tool? Virtual meetings

Sales and direct income?

Marketing?

Market size? Degree of contact?

Engaging with audience

A business tool?

Virtual meetings

Resident Run Education Programmes Academy of Second Life New Citizens Inc. Resident run enterprises which teach a wide range of SL skills From navigation and ‘user’ skills to advanced content creations Initially encouraged by payments from Linden Lab Now some classes supported by commercial sponsors (e.g. L-Word)

Academy of Second Life

New Citizens Inc.

Resident run enterprises which teach a wide range of SL skills

From navigation and ‘user’ skills to advanced content creations

Initially encouraged by payments from Linden Lab

Now some classes supported by commercial sponsors (e.g. L-Word)

The International Spaceflight Museum

Real Life Educational Programmes Mainly tertiary level Quite limited RL-Education activity on TSL Digital cultures, ethics, law in the internet age, rhetoric, game-development, programming, AI, business, collaborative virtual environments…

Mainly tertiary level

Quite limited RL-Education activity on TSL

Digital cultures, ethics, law in the internet age, rhetoric, game-development, programming, AI, business, collaborative virtual environments…

Virtual Morocco Johnson & Wales - Identify social issues Develop business solutions Work with official Morocco tourist bodies

Johnson & Wales

- Identify social issues

Develop business solutions

Work with official Morocco tourist bodies

Education Applications Simulation Collaboration Business projects with ‘real’ customers Role-play Facilitating discussion Machinima Constructionist projects

Simulation

Collaboration

Business projects with ‘real’ customers

Role-play

Facilitating discussion

Machinima

Constructionist projects

Sloodle Project to bridge SL & the Open Source Moodle VLE to provide additional support for learning (and for learning management) to SL Funded and supported by Eduserv

Project to bridge SL & the Open Source Moodle VLE to provide additional support for learning (and for learning management) to SL

Funded and supported by Eduserv

Chat: Web-Intercom

UI Integration

PrimDrop – Digital Dropbox Gathering assignments Version control Feedback Permissions Returning submissions Supporting reflection http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=VUUnnLm-AG4

Gathering assignments

Version control

Feedback

Permissions

Returning submissions

Supporting reflection

http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=VUUnnLm-AG4

Getting Started Create a free account www.secondlife.com Download client Windows, Mac, Linux Explore Orientation Island Basic skills Explore Help Island More skills practice, some free items to get you started

Create a free account

www.secondlife.com

Download client

Windows, Mac, Linux

Explore Orientation Island

Basic skills

Explore Help Island

More skills practice, some free items to get you started

Then what? The next bit is the hard part… You get dumped onto the ‘mainland’ where you’ll meet a random collection of mostly equally new (and confused) residents What do you do now? Some people randomly explore a bit, fail to find anything interesting then log off never to return

The next bit is the hard part…

You get dumped onto the ‘mainland’ where you’ll meet a random collection of mostly equally new (and confused) residents

What do you do now?

Some people randomly explore a bit, fail to find anything interesting then log off never to return

I hate Second Life! There is no inherent goal… Take time to explore and see a variety of places Talk to a variety of people Ask what they find interesting in SL; ask if they can help you find stuff that interests you If at first you hate SL – you aren’t alone! But exploration and time might reveal depths you can’t see at first

There is no inherent goal…

Take time to explore and see a variety of places

Talk to a variety of people

Ask what they find interesting in SL; ask if they can help you find stuff that interests you

If at first you hate SL – you aren’t alone!

But exploration and time might reveal depths you can’t see at first

What Happened When I taught with SL… Virtual world too open-ended, lacks obvious goals, rich social & technical environment Students need support and direction Get familiar with Second Life before inflicting it on your students! You will need to support them during their orientation…

Virtual world too open-ended, lacks obvious goals, rich social & technical environment

Students need support and direction

Get familiar with Second Life before inflicting it on your students! You will need to support them during their orientation…

UWS Virtual Worlds Learning Community I would benefit from more virtual worlds activity at UWS I think UWS might benefit too! Would you? Propose a UWS learning community Share experience; practical support; shared development of resources; meet on-line, ‘in-world’ and on campus (various) I hope you’ll want to join me in this!

I would benefit from more virtual worlds activity at UWS

I think UWS might benefit too!

Would you?

Propose a UWS learning community

Share experience; practical support; shared development of resources; meet on-line, ‘in-world’ and on campus (various)

I hope you’ll want to join me in this!