Out-genning the net generation: Second Life as a learning environment Vicki Cormie / Ishbel Hartmann St Andrews University Lyn Parker / Maggie Kohime Sheila Webber / Sheila Yoshikawa University of Sheffield March 2008 LILAC

Outline Introductions Session structure & goals Second Life: some basics Our joint teaching Inworld activity OR (if SL is playing up) more presentations…..

Introductions

Session structure & goals

Second Life: some basics

Our joint teaching

Inworld activity OR (if SL is playing up) more presentations…..

Introductions Maggie Ishbel Sheila Lyn Vicki

Structure for SL activity Divide into groups, according to amount of SL experience & preference 1 group being helped with the basics 1 discussion group Tour/ activity Goals for session vary depending on which group you are in: overall, to know more about SL and its possibilities/ constraints Base for activity will be Infolit iSchool

Divide into groups, according to amount of SL experience & preference

1 group being helped with the basics

1 discussion group

Tour/ activity

Goals for session vary depending on which group you are in: overall, to know more about SL and its possibilities/ constraints

Base for activity will be Infolit iSchool

Second Life

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. Communication through text chat, Voice and Instant Messaging

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.

Communication through text chat, Voice and Instant Messaging

Issues Need broadband and good computer with right graphics card Have to upgrade software often Learning curve in basics of movement & communication inworld Personal concerns about SL Technical constraints on numbers of avatars Firewalls, IT centres’ refusals to install SL

Need broadband and good computer with right graphics card

Have to upgrade software often

Learning curve in basics of movement & communication inworld

Personal concerns about SL

Technical constraints on numbers of avatars

Firewalls, IT centres’ refusals to install SL

Our work in SL

Inquiry in SL Compulsory activity (feeding into assignment) for 1 st year BSc Information Management students in (core) Information Literacy class (20 students) Aim to deepen engagement with subject & class & part of induction into research: in Semester 2 they undertake their own IM mini-projects Students undertaking critical incident interviews with SL residents (a time when they had an information need relating to a SL activity) in SL itself Students analysed transcripts in relation to models of RL information behaviour + audit interview technique for assessment (about 40% of a 20 credit module)

Compulsory activity (feeding into assignment) for 1 st year BSc Information Management students in (core) Information Literacy class (20 students)

Aim to deepen engagement with subject & class & part of induction into research: in Semester 2 they undertake their own IM mini-projects

Students undertaking critical incident interviews with SL residents (a time when they had an information need relating to a SL activity) in SL itself

Students analysed transcripts in relation to models of RL information behaviour + audit interview technique for assessment (about 40% of a 20 credit module)

No student had used virtual world before (nb SL main grid is 18+ only) Developing basic skills Developing interviewing skills in Real Life and SL Learning about information behaviour in RL and SL Sheila is module coordinator; Vicki & Lyn involved in inworld activities N.B. Also discussions and networking activities

No student had used virtual world before (nb SL main grid is 18+ only)

Developing basic skills

Developing interviewing skills in Real Life and SL

Learning about information behaviour in RL and SL

Sheila is module coordinator; Vicki & Lyn involved in inworld activities

N.B. Also discussions and networking activities

Infolit iSchool Successful bid to Centre for Inquiry based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences to fund island for a year Island delivered early October; started teaching that month Venues for discussion, reflection, chilling: aim to create a relaxing/ welcoming environment Some food/play areas “ Build” area left empty to allow practice/ exhibition/ experimentation Teaching, discussions

Successful bid to Centre for Inquiry based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences to fund island for a year

Island delivered early October; started teaching that month

Venues for discussion, reflection, chilling: aim to create a relaxing/ welcoming environment

Some food/play areas

“ Build” area left empty to allow practice/ exhibition/ experimentation

Teaching, discussions

Sheila Webber s.webber@shef.ac.uk http://information-literacy.blogspot.com/ http://adventuresofyoshikawa.blogspot.com/ Sheila Yoshikawa Vicki Cormie [email_address] Lyn Parker l.parker@shef.ac.uk

Sheila Webber

s.webber@shef.ac.uk

http://information-literacy.blogspot.com/

Facts and figures SL made up of Regions ( “mainland”) or islands, each 65,536 sqm 3,952 regions on Mainland (slmaps.com) + 12,000 islands 12million avatars (probably a lot less individual people): about 55,000 inworld simultaneously Currency is Linden dollars ( £1= c. L$450): 16,850,580 Linden exchanged in December; 28 Jan spent Spent US$1,436,000 341,791 customers spent money inworld in December 2007; 50,000 users had positive Linden flow in Dec http://secondlife.com/whatis/economy_stats.php

SL made up of Regions ( “mainland”) or islands, each 65,536 sqm

3,952 regions on Mainland (slmaps.com) + 12,000 islands

12million avatars (probably a lot less individual people): about 55,000 inworld simultaneously

Currency is Linden dollars ( £1= c. L$450): 16,850,580 Linden exchanged in December; 28 Jan spent Spent US$1,436,000

341,791 customers spent money inworld in December 2007; 50,000 users had positive Linden flow in Dec