This was presented at the 2009 CoFHE conference, Queen Margaret University,
Edinburgh, 19 June 2009. Additional notes have been added for this version.
Information literacy in
Second Life
Sheila Webber,
Vicki Cormie,
Denny Colledge,
CoFHE 2009

Sheila Yoshikawa This shows Vicki, Denny and Sheila meeting
Sheffield University up with Marshall & Lyn to discuss a joint
s.webber@sheffield.ac.uk presentation earlier this year
Sheila
Yoshikawa.
Ishbel
Hartmann and
Lulu Quinnell
are Sheila,
Maggie Vicki and
Kohime Denny’s SL
Lyn names
Parker
Ishbel Lulu
Hartmann Quinnell
St Andrews Pancha Enzyme
University Marshall Dozier Edinburgh
Vicki.cormie@st- University
andrews.ac.uk Denny.Colledge
@ed.ac.uk
Pictures in slides 1-15 copyright Sheila Webber

Second Life
• 3-D Online Digital world, owned by Linden Labs
• Most things created by SL residents: SL fashion
designers, architects, bakers, animal makers ….
• Avatars- 3D representation of yourself – free to signup
and can live on freebies, but need Linden dollars if want
to own land, buy clothes etc.
• Need to download SL browser & have good connection &
graphics card
• Communication through text chat, Voice and Instant
Messaging
• 40-80,000 people online simultaneously
• http://www.secondlife.com/

The next slide has snapshots of SL, showing examples of
networking, collaborating and Continuous Professional
Development. Clockwise from top right:
1. Focus group discussing librarians in SL;
2. One of Sheila’s students about to interview a Canadian student for
an assignment
3. Vicki being the “inworld” leader for a “crossover” event. She and
Marshall Dozier were at the SCONUL conference in real life, people
there were asking questions of the people (inc. Sheila) who were in SL
4. All 3 of us watched a stream of the Oxford “Libraries of the future”
conference, discussing the issues amongst ourselves in SL
5. Sheila is a member of the Educators Coop, a community of
educators (mostly American)
6. Sheila, Vicki and Marshall discuss plans for the class with Sheila’s
students, taking place next day

Collaboration, networking, CPD
Sheila Webber, 2008

Virtual Hajj
Education
• Only 18+ on main grid: separate Teen grid
• 90% UK universities with some presence
• Many disciplines: English, Psychology,
Chemistry, Biology etc. etc.
• Role play, simulations “In Further Education
colleges the picure is more
• Discussion, communication sparse ...” Kirriemuir (2009)
• Problem solving, inquiry

Supporting “real life” IL in SL
• Raising awareness of RL tools (catalogue, databases etc.) &
library service
• Teaching people about IL, using SL objects, chat, PowerPoint etc
• Answering IL-related questions (on the “reference desk”)
• Using SL for quests and activities: learners solving information
problems using web resources and SL
• Using SL to provoke discussion & reflection about what information
and IL mean
• Working in partnership with librarians, academics, educational
developers & technologists “The library has
developed the island
Solent Life 2. This is a
library skills island …”
Emery, in Kirriemuir
(2009)

IL models & tools in SL
• Complete models – more holistic understanding &
examples
• Tools/quizzes/information related to specific aspects
of IL
• Tools etc. related to specific library resources
What approaches to teaching & learning are implied?
How could the models and tools be used?
What aspects of IL are covered most?

Model of the SCONUL 7 Pillars of Information Literacy, using
the problem “Should we panic about bird flu?” for examples
for each pillar – some of the content is student work. Model
built by Sheila Webber/Yoshikawa

Showing how
information is
embedded through
notecards which pop
out when you click ,
and through web links
(click the object to be
offered a web link)

This is being adapted and developed into a build focusing on
problems/questions about H1 N1 (Swine flu) see the section on the
http://infolitischool.pbworks.com/ site if you are interested in this project
This will be used to discuss the whole process of solving an information
problem, as a focus for an information quest related to H1N1, for
activities focusing on one particular pillar etc.

The library garden at the
University of Nottingham
includes numerous
embedded notecards which
explains parts of the research
process

Knowhow
island
Example of activities on Knowhow
Purple OR orange Island e.g. To help understand
Boolean logic, to improve
evaluation skills

Vicki gave examples of how St Andrews
University is using Second Life. She has
been working with the Management
school and Computing Science, and has
also developed a library space to
showcase St Andrews’ special
collections.
They were moving islands at the time
of the presentation, so there are no
pictures relating to this, here.

Links to websites, articles, tutorials, videos, and places in Second
Life: http://delicious.com/LILACSL (Topics: Education in SL and
Libraries/Librarians in SL: all the other links will be found there)
Adventures of Yoshikawa (Sheila’ SL blog):
http://adventuresofyoshikawa.blogspot.com/
Information Literacy Weblog: http://information-literacy.blogspot.com/
Infolit iSchool (Sheffield University island) wiki:
http://infolitischool.pbworks.com/
Infolit iSchool: http://slurl.com/secondlife/infolit%20ischool/113/189/22/
Vue: http://slurl.com/secondlife/vue%20south/227/249/25/
Kirriemuir, J. (2009) The Spring 2009 snapshot of virtual world use.
Virtualworldwatch. http://www.scribd.com/doc/12459921/The-Spring-2009-
Snapshot-of-Virtual-World-Use-in-UK-Higher-and-Further-Education

Getting a (Second) Life
Denny Colledge
(Lulu Quinnell)

Why am I in SL?
What is happening
at the University
of Edinburgh?

Why am I in SL?
Tutors on the MSc in E-learning, including Denny

Holyrood Park, part of Edinburgh University’s archipeligo, Vue

Pancha Enzyme and Lulu Quinnell

The end of semester party!
People in virtual communities do just about everything people do in
real life, but we leave our bodies behind.” (Rheingold 1994)

This is the prototype for the “IS (Information Services) Cream” van to
support SL learners with information services on the SL beach ...

Virtual Campus for
the University of Edinburgh
http://vue.ed.ac.uk/
Vue Balloon Tour

Denny Colledge
Denny.Colledge@ed.ac.uk
(Lulu Quinnell)