A View from Second Life’s Trenches Are you a Pioneer or a Settler? NMC Summer Conference Cynthia Calongne Colorado Technical University June 8, 2007

Second Life Philip Rosedale, Philip Linden in SL Founder and CEO of Linden Labs Every day - 120,000 people log into SL They spend 4 hours at a time in world The average user - 15 hours per week

Philip Rosedale, Philip Linden in SL

Founder and CEO of Linden Labs

Every day - 120,000 people log into SL

They spend 4 hours at a time in world

The average user - 15 hours per week

Blending Real and Virtual Meetings

Growth in Second Life June 2007 over 7 million accounts March 2007 -- over 250 Universities and 2500 educators on SLED Gartner projects 80% of Internet users will be in Second Life by 2011

June 2007 over 7 million accounts

March 2007 -- over 250 Universities and 2500 educators on SLED

Gartner projects 80% of Internet users will be in Second Life by 2011

Exploring New Frontiers

Second Life Statistics 120 square miles >2x San Francisco 10% of users stick with SL, similar to blogs 40k simultaneous logins, >6500 servers The user-to-user economy is >US $15 million/mo - land, clothes, jewelry furniture

120 square miles >2x San Francisco

10% of users stick with SL, similar to blogs

40k simultaneous logins, >6500 servers

The user-to-user economy is >US $15 million/mo - land, clothes, jewelry furniture

A Lush Landscape

Pioneers and Settlers Pioneer -- discovery and innovation Explorer -- takes risks, tries new techniques Innovator -- seeks to define new methods Mitigates risk while trying new methods Settler -- successful operations Colonizes and maintains steady progress Stabilizing influence, assessment, analysis Manages risk using proven methods

Pioneer -- discovery and innovation

Explorer -- takes risks, tries new techniques

Innovator -- seeks to define new methods

Mitigates risk while trying new methods

Settler -- successful operations

Colonizes and maintains steady progress

Stabilizing influence, assessment, analysis

Manages risk using proven methods

Settlers or Pioneers?

Teaching Approaches Traditional Lecture Sage on the stage Learners are passive Student presentations Individual or panel Q&A sessions Activities Labs & Procedurals Socratic discussion Instructor-guided content Student-driven content Case Studies Immersive roleplay Concepts & objectives Applied Learning Projects and portfolios

Traditional Lecture

Sage on the stage

Learners are passive

Student presentations

Individual or panel

Q&A sessions

Activities

Labs & Procedurals

Socratic discussion

Instructor-guided content Student-driven content

Case Studies

Immersive roleplay

Concepts & objectives

Applied Learning

Projects and portfolios

NMC Teachers’ Buzz Meetings

Settler and Pioneer Styles Lecture Seated, raising hands Speaker control Orderly, easy to read Focused discussion Models RL behavior Some ideas are lost Some participants get bored Open Discourse Guided exploration Everyone contributes Great for brainstorming Cognitive Burden Constrains our ability to think, reason & respond Distracting Includes off-topic notes

Lecture

Seated, raising hands

Speaker control

Orderly, easy to read

Focused discussion

Models RL behavior

Some ideas are lost

Some participants get bored

Open Discourse

Guided exploration

Everyone contributes

Great for brainstorming

Cognitive Burden

Constrains our ability to think, reason & respond

Distracting

Includes off-topic notes

CS 672 - 1st Day in SL

GlobalKids in Second Life

GlobalKids -- Take a Stand

English Composition in SL

Writing Assignments in SL

Virtual Classrooms

Slides and Streaming Video

Virtual and Real Campus

Teaching Activities in SL Create your identity Teach and mentor Social networks Class projects Roleplay Learning games Blended reality Exploration Build Avatar Classes, office hours Share ideas, meet Applied learning Immersive learning Interactivities Real-virtual meetings Visit, tour, study Create and customize

Create your identity

Teach and mentor

Social networks

Class projects

Roleplay

Learning games

Blended reality

Exploration

Build

Avatar

Classes, office hours

Share ideas, meet

Applied learning

Immersive learning

Interactivities

Real-virtual meetings

Visit, tour, study

Create and customize

Teaching at NIU in Second Life

Ramapo in Second Life Ramapo in New York Suffern Middle School Classes & SL groups Language Arts Geometry Entrepreneurs Robotics History 400 8th Graders Peggy Sheehy Gus Woodward Second Life activities “ Of Mice and Men” Geo gallery Business sales Design and scripting Ellis Island Inventions

Ramapo in New York

Suffern Middle School

Classes & SL groups

Language Arts

Geometry

Entrepreneurs

Robotics

History

400 8th Graders

Peggy Sheehy

Gus Woodward

Second Life activities

“ Of Mice and Men”

Geo gallery

Business sales

Design and scripting

Ellis Island

Inventions

Virtual World Class Rules

Imaginative Instruction

Ramapo’s Creative Spaces

Studying Immigration

Teens in the Courtroom

Modeling Geometric Problems

Student Conference Center

Biographies and Resumes

Coca Cola, Sony, Linden Labs

Literature at Ramapo Photos courtesy of Peggy Sheehy of Ramapo

Facilitated Team Discussions Photos courtesy of Peggy Sheehy of Ramapo, Suffern Middle School in NY

Bridging Universities University of Queensboro University of Calif, Davis Survey Instrument in SL Voices and Perception

Mathematics Comes to Life Seifert Surface’s Research on Mathematics

Modeling the Problem

Inside the Model -- New Frontiers

Second Life CTU Classes Virtual Office Hours Underwater offices CS 672 - 11 students Merry go round Radar system Tree that grows Water park and star Basketball CS 641 - 17 students 13 Projects Amusement Park Island requirements CS 382 - 12 students Game maze with traps, treasure, gadgets, and capture the flag

Virtual Office Hours

Underwater offices

CS 672 - 11 students

Merry go round

Radar system

Tree that grows

Water park and star

Basketball

CS 641 - 17 students

13 Projects

Amusement Park

Island requirements

CS 382 - 12 students

Game maze with traps, treasure, gadgets, and capture the flag

Virtual Office Hours

Students Explore Without Fear

Challenging Safe Practices

Projects Grow Between Classes

Analogous Problems

Defining and Measuring Quality

Exams focus on applied and activity-based learning methods

Exam Feedback

Crossing Boundaries DART Dementasia Aerial Rapid Transit

Managing Innovation & Change

Modeling Behavioral Changes

Emergent Behavior Bridging CS 641 with CS 382 Software Design

Team Project - 12 Students

Enthusiastic Maze Game Design “ I survived the Maze Game” shirts Traps and Scoreboard

Course Assessments Course objectives Competency evaluation Valid use of Second Life Measurements Critical Analysis and Synthesis Learner Independence Projects and Activities Successfully achieved the learning outcomes Rubrics and grades Better understanding of requirements, concepts and design issues Student-driven design

Course objectives

Competency evaluation

Valid use of Second Life

Measurements

Critical Analysis and Synthesis

Learner Independence

Projects and Activities

Successfully achieved the learning outcomes

Rubrics and grades

Better understanding of requirements, concepts and design issues

Student-driven design

Legitimacy in the Academy

Assessing Education in SL

Next Steps Collaboration and community Extracurricular events Cultural venues Discovery Career development Learning extends beyond the classroom Student services and blended reality events Music, dance, art Exploration and games New tools and technology Business and industry

Collaboration and community

Extracurricular events

Cultural venues

Discovery

Career development

Learning extends beyond the classroom

Student services and blended reality events

Music, dance, art

Exploration and games

New tools and technology

Business and industry

Art that Comes Alive

Testing the Boundaries Activities that map to learning outcomes Student-driven participation Quests and interactivity Immersive learning environments Temporary learning spaces -- contextual environments Educational games, immersive activities Planning, design and development Foster self-discovery History, literature, clinicals, & procedures Ephemeral - rendered and removed quickly

Activities that map to learning outcomes

Student-driven participation

Quests and interactivity

Immersive learning environments

Temporary learning spaces -- contextual environments

Educational games, immersive activities

Planning, design and development

Foster self-discovery

History, literature, clinicals, & procedures

Ephemeral - rendered and removed quickly

Settlers Build for Success Assessment Learning - grades Course - refinement Degree - quality Course Design Standards Proven methods Accreditation Stability Planned growth Do you seek growth and new frontiers? Are you focused on maintaining a successful program?

Assessment

Learning - grades

Course - refinement

Degree - quality

Course Design

Standards

Proven methods

Accreditation

Stability

Planned growth

Do you seek growth and new frontiers?

Are you focused on maintaining a successful program?

Blending Pioneers and Settlers

A View from Second Life’s Trenches Are you a Pioneer or a Settler? Lyr Lobo in Second Life Ryl Redgrave on the Teen Grid at Ramapo [email_address] For more information, contact