Creating Authentic and Engaging Community-Oriented Learning Spaces: Using Second Life in Higher Education Classrooms Sarah “Intellagirl” Robbins UNC-CH March 26, 2007 www.intellagirl.com [email_address]

We all have multiple identities. What identities do you have?

Relationships : mother, daughter, son, brother, second cousin once removed etc Professions : student, waitress, teacher, ninja Activity : football player, painter, wombat breeder Personality : class clown, shy, sulking reject Style : jock, pretty girl, Emo (aka sulking reject)

Relationships : mother, daughter, son, brother, second cousin once removed etc

Professions : student, waitress, teacher, ninja

Activity : football player, painter, wombat breeder

Personality : class clown, shy, sulking reject

Style : jock, pretty girl, Emo (aka sulking reject)

Online spaces have their own identities.

Personal website Relationship Profession Activity Personality Style

My Space Relationship Profession Activity Personality Style

Facebook Relationship Profession Activity Personality Style

LinkedIn: Professional Networking Relationship Profession Activity Personality Style

Del.icio.us: Social Bookmarking Relationship Profession Activity Personality Style

Skype or other VOIP or IM Client Relationship Profession Activity Personality Style

Photo or Media Sharing Relationship Profession Activity Personality Style

Avatars Relationship Profession Activity Personality Style

Gee’s Three Identities Virtual: One’s identity as a virtual character Gee, James Paul. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy . New York: Palgrave. 2003. Real: The identity of the user behind the character Projective: The real as the virtual. The US we put in a character

Virtual: One’s identity as a virtual character

Real: The identity of the user behind the character

Projective: The real as the virtual. The US we put in a character

What are the identities expressed in a learning space?

Relationship? Profession? Activity? Personality? Style? Real? Virtual? Projected?

Relationship? Profession? Activity? Personality? Style? Real? Virtual? Projected?

Relationship? Profession? Activity? Personality? Style? Real? Virtual? Projected?

Relationship? Profession? Activity? Personality? Style? Real? Virtual? Projected?

Relationship? Profession? Activity? Personality? Style? Real? Virtual? Projected?

Relationship? Profession? Activity? Personality? Style? Real? Virtual? Projected?

Relationship? Profession? Activity? Personality? Style? Real? Virtual? Projected?

Relationship? Profession? Activity? Personality? Style? Real? Virtual? Projected?

Relationship? Profession? Activity? Personality? Style? Real? Virtual? Projected?

Relationship? Profession? Activity? Personality? Style? Real? Virtual? Projected?

Relationship? Profession? Activity? Personality? Style? Real? Virtual? Projected?

Relationship? Profession? Activity? Personality? Style? Real? Virtual? Projected?

Relationship? Profession? Activity? Personality? Style? Real? Virtual? Projected?

Relationship? Profession? Activity? Personality? Style? Real? Virtual? Projected?

Selfe and Selfe (1994) Interfaces express a set of dominant identities and relations within a given social context. A limited set of options for self-representation , expression , and interaction , shapes the kinds of identity and modes of communication that are possible.

Selfe and Selfe (1994)

Interfaces express a set of dominant identities and relations within a given social context.

A limited set of options for self-representation , expression , and interaction , shapes the kinds of identity and modes of communication that are possible.

In Second Life , WE create the interface . What politics , social constraints , and potential identities are we building in to our learning spaces?

To learn authentically, we must be allowed to be our real selves.

To be engaged, we must work toward a virtual , ideal, identity.

To form community, we must share our projected potentials.