VIRTUAL WORLDS Second Life Nelba Quintana Jennifer Verschoor Kip Yellowjacket

What are virtual worlds ? A virtual world is a computer based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars (a computer representation of a user ).

A virtual world is a computer based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars (a computer representation of a user ).

The most Popular: Second Life

A bit of information... It was opened to the public in 2003 It has grown explovsively It is entirely built and owned by its residents. Requirements: download the program for free , certain hardware and connection conditions.

It was opened to the public in 2003

It has grown explovsively

It is entirely built and owned by its residents.

Requirements: download the program for free , certain hardware and connection conditions.

AVATARS People = Avatars

How to start in SL? Probably the best thing to do is explore Second Life, visit existing areas set aside for educational projects and talk to other educators e.g: ISTE island http://edumuve.com/tour/iste-island/

Probably the best thing to do is explore Second Life, visit existing areas set aside for educational projects and talk to other educators

e.g: ISTE island

http://edumuve.com/tour/iste-island/

The importance of being an Avatar Choosing the appearance of one’s avatar as an educator is not so simple. We must take into consideration this question: What is an appropriate professional avatar appearance for education ?

Choosing the appearance of one’s avatar as an educator is not so simple.

We must take into consideration this question:

What is an appropriate professional avatar appearance for education ?

What is a appropriate professional avatar appearance for education? “ A lot depends on the nature of the course . I would say that extremes in whatever direction should be avoided both by teachers and students. As a free-lance language teacher working in-company as well as doing private tutoring, I often tend to look formal.” How can the ability to alter avatar appearance be used as a teaching tool? “ Being able to change the avatar’s appearance is a wonderful “tool” for role-play activities to make avatars feel and look more real and thus help to find into one’s role. “ Prof. Nergiz Kern ( Daffodil Fargiz in SL)

“ A lot depends on the nature of the course . I would say that extremes in whatever direction should be avoided both by teachers and students. As a free-lance language teacher working in-company as well as doing private tutoring, I often tend to look formal.”

“ Being able to change the avatar’s appearance is a wonderful “tool” for role-play activities to make avatars feel and look more real and thus help to find into one’s role. “ Prof. Nergiz Kern ( Daffodil Fargiz in SL)

MOVEMENTS Teachers and students need to be familiar with avatars’ movements: walking, turning, stopping, flying, landing, sitting, jumping, teleporting.

Teachers and students need to be familiar with avatars’ movements: walking, turning, stopping, flying, landing, sitting, jumping, teleporting.

Need some guidance? http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Video_Tutorials http://npirl.blogspot.com/2007/12/what-every-second-life-newbie-should.html http://www.sltutorials.net/ http://dennisintro2sl.pbwiki.com/ http://slurl.wikispaces.com/tips

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Video_Tutorials

http://npirl.blogspot.com/2007/12/what-every-second-life-newbie-should.html

http://www.sltutorials.net/

http://dennisintro2sl.pbwiki.com/

http://slurl.wikispaces.com/tips

Educational Uses of Second Life “ Second Life is completely user-generated 3D environment that comes with relatively easy-to-use building and scripting tools that anyone can learn. This makes it an ideal platform for engaging students in creating their own learning activities, experiences and environments, and not just be passive consumers of learning.” Jo Kay (jokay)

“ Second Life is completely user-generated 3D environment that comes with relatively easy-to-use building and scripting tools that anyone can learn. This makes it an ideal platform for engaging students in creating their own learning activities, experiences and environments, and not just be passive consumers of learning.”

Jo Kay (jokay)

Why is SL so innovative? Provides ideal environments in which to work because objects and people may react as in real life. Allows the combination of real-life classes and inside SL. Offers the possibility of combining different types of media .

Provides ideal environments in which to work because objects and people may react as in real life.

Allows the combination of real-life classes and inside SL.

Offers the possibility of combining different types of media .

Teaching “How to buy clothes” in Ciudad Bonita-Language Lab Sim

Teaching “The Alphabet” Calisto’s sim

Camito sim where you can learn how to dance tango Ciudad Bonita looks like a Spanish city

Kip Yellowjacket’s sim

UADE (Argentinian University of Business) sim

Reflections of an expert Synchronous teaching Teachers need to create materials- new challenge Interaction between Avatars Available educational tools (projectors,givers, games,etc.) Prof. Dafne Gonzales (Alias Daf Smirnov in SL)

Synchronous teaching

Teachers need to create materials- new challenge

Interaction between Avatars

Available educational tools (projectors,givers, games,etc.)

Prof. Dafne Gonzales (Alias Daf Smirnov in SL)