Virtual Worlds: Second Life Dr. Laura Nicosia Assistant Professor English Department AJ Kelton Director CHSS Technology Services Unit College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Montclair State University

What do you already know about Second Life? Second Life? Why talk about Second Life?

What is Second Life? Started in 2003 “ Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents.” A flexible space for learning and exploration An opportunity for people to interact in a way that conveys a sense of presence lacking in other media. Generalized rather than contextual, applicable to almost any discipline.

Started in 2003

“ Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents.”

A flexible space for learning and exploration

An opportunity for people to interact in a way that conveys a sense of presence lacking in other media.

Generalized rather than contextual, applicable to almost any discipline.

What is Second Life? Second life is NOT a game - there are no rules or a fixed goal-oriented purpose. 15-20K sign ups daily - over 10.5 million total 25 - 50K residents on at one time over $1 million spent daily (real US dollars) Well over 200 educational institutions Over 250 “sims” dedicated to education

Second life is NOT a game - there are no rules or a fixed goal-oriented purpose.

15-20K sign ups daily - over 10.5 million total

25 - 50K residents on at one time

over $1 million spent daily (real US dollars)

Well over 200 educational institutions

Over 250 “sims” dedicated to education

What is Behind Second Life a scaleable co-located grid of servers running Linux Real-time 3D streaming at DSL/Cable modem (or higher) Rigid body physics simulation, streaming positional audio (distance and direction) Persistent desktop access - everything resides on the grid Cross-platform portability Infinite avatar customization - no two avatars alike Uploadable textures, audio, Quicktime video can play in-world. International Language Support - chat and communicate in local languages, inc. Asian character sets. European keyboards supported.

a scaleable co-located grid of servers running Linux

Real-time 3D streaming at DSL/Cable modem (or higher)

Rigid body physics simulation, streaming positional audio (distance and direction)

Persistent desktop access - everything resides on the grid

Cross-platform portability

Infinite avatar customization - no two avatars alike

Uploadable textures, audio, Quicktime video can play in-world.

International Language Support - chat and communicate in local languages, inc. Asian character sets. European keyboards supported.

Technical Requirements Highest speed connection (no dial up) Best Graphics Card (specific) Windows 2000 / Mac OS X 10.3.9 800MHz Pentium III / 1 GHz G4 512 MB RAM

Highest speed connection (no dial up)

Best Graphics Card (specific)

Windows 2000 / Mac OS X 10.3.9

800MHz Pentium III / 1 GHz G4

512 MB RAM

A Universe of Virtual Worlds Second Life Active World There SL Teen Grid Whyville Toontown Sims Online Virtual Earth Home Metaverse Protosphere Muse Coke Studios Sora City Dreamville TowerChat Traveler Habbo Hotel The Manor Mokitown Cybertown Virtual Ibiza Voodoo Chat Playdo Worlds.com Moove The Palace

A Universe of Virtual Worlds 22 virtual world platforms listing over 11.8 million users, and that only includes numbers from 7 of the 22 18 virtual worlds for Teens and Tweens listing over 52.3 million users from 12 of the 18 15 virtual worlds for kids listing over 16.7 million users from 9 of the 15 Do the math: 55 virtual platforms w/ 80.8 million users

22 virtual world platforms listing over 11.8 million users, and that only includes numbers from 7 of the 22

18 virtual worlds for Teens and Tweens listing over 52.3 million users from 12 of the 18

15 virtual worlds for kids listing over 16.7 million users from 9 of the 15

Do the math: 55 virtual platforms w/ 80.8 million users

Show me the money “ We don't see any slowing in the market adoption of virtual worlds technologies and expect investment in the space to continue. In fact the market is growing significantly, with the rate of adoption of virtual worlds increasing as the technology matures and has more to offer both consumers and enterprise customers.” Christopher Sherman Executive Director of Virtual Worlds Management

“ We don't see any slowing in the market adoption of virtual worlds technologies and expect investment in the space to continue. In fact the market is growing significantly, with the rate of adoption of virtual worlds increasing as the technology matures and has more to offer both consumers and enterprise customers.”

Christopher Sherman

Executive Director of Virtual Worlds Management

Pedagogical Validity for Teaching with Second Life

Pedagogical Validity for Teaching with Second Life

First, we recognize… There is significant media hype focused on the “darker sides” of the in-world experience - violence, sex, drugs and rock & roll The label of “gaming” poses an image problem for SL insofar as its potential uses in secondary and/or higher education Without proper directions, goals and objectives, SL is as aimless and as pedagogically bereft of meaning as any other poorly designed or poorly deployed classroom lesson

There is significant media hype focused on the “darker sides” of the in-world experience - violence, sex, drugs and rock & roll

The label of “gaming” poses an image problem for SL insofar as its potential uses in secondary and/or higher education

Without proper directions, goals and objectives, SL is as aimless and as pedagogically bereft of meaning as any other poorly designed or poorly deployed classroom lesson

However, with constructivist pedagogies Comprehension soars when millennials engage with their avatars and co-journey through the learning environment’s unfolding episodes and processes (Dede) Learning communities are fostered Collaborative knowledge-building develops and cognitive capital is distributed among groups and individuals

Comprehension soars when millennials engage with their avatars and co-journey through the learning environment’s unfolding episodes and processes (Dede)

Learning communities are fostered

Collaborative knowledge-building develops and cognitive capital is distributed among groups and individuals

Meet Students in “Interesting” Places

Immersion yields enhanced motivation Hands-on, constructivist practices pose challenges and peak curiosity MMUVEs reach learners who do not succeed in conventional classroom settings, as well as “traditional” learners The use of MMUVEs allow for delivery of sophisticated content in context and application http://muve.gse.harvard.edu/rivercityproject/ Dede’s research on MMUVEs shows

Immersion yields enhanced motivation

Hands-on, constructivist practices pose challenges and peak curiosity

MMUVEs reach learners who do not succeed in conventional classroom settings, as well as “traditional” learners

The use of MMUVEs allow for delivery of sophisticated content in context and application

http://muve.gse.harvard.edu/rivercityproject/

Second Life permits the use of unconventional educational settings and hands-on experiences that would be difficult/impossible in Real Life. Such as…

Dante’s Inferno and Linden Hills

Second Life provides Guided Inquiry, where experience is central to learning Scaffolding of in-world prior experiences through seeking, sieving and synthesizing experiences Decentralization of the class, where knowledge is created across a community rather than delivered from an individual

Guided Inquiry, where experience is central to learning

Scaffolding of in-world prior experiences through seeking, sieving and synthesizing experiences

Decentralization of the class, where knowledge is created across a community rather than delivered from an individual

In the process, we… Share and exchange resources, cultural knowledge, stories and experiences Engage in social exploration using a multiplicity of perspectives and points of view Apply critical thinking and problem-solving in context and in process Unlearn assumptions about communities and the “Other”

Share and exchange resources, cultural knowledge, stories and experiences

Engage in social exploration using a multiplicity of perspectives and points of view

Apply critical thinking and problem-solving in context and in process

Unlearn assumptions about communities and the “Other”

Exposure to the “Other”

But, how do we teach content and skill sets using Second Life

Second Life: Cybergogy and Cyberpraxis

Pedagogical considerations: Asynchronous participation and deep reflection at each user’s pace Synchronous virtual exchanges to heighten immersion and foster interactions A combination of mediated, situated learning-environments (teacher established challenges) and free, evolving situated learning environments (to experience virtual exploration)

Asynchronous participation and deep reflection at each user’s pace

Synchronous virtual exchanges to heighten immersion and foster interactions

A combination of mediated, situated learning-environments (teacher established challenges) and free, evolving situated learning environments (to experience virtual exploration)

If you build it, they will come

Construct 3-D Sites

Autonomous Learning

Students visit the always available site

They enter the learning space

Explore and orient themselves

Encounter your assigned tasks

An effective virtual learning environment (VLE) may: Supplement face-to-face interaction Be used in combination with other multi-media (e.g. videoconferences embedded within the SL platform or concomitant with SL) Be an adjunct to Blackboard or another more linear, asynchronous interactions with discussion groups and blogs

Supplement face-to-face interaction

Be used in combination with other multi-media (e.g. videoconferences embedded within the SL platform or concomitant with SL)

Be an adjunct to Blackboard or another more linear, asynchronous interactions with discussion groups and blogs

Hold Meetings In-world

Ultimately, We Must Make the environment part of the learning experience—not an end unto itself Enable metacognitive reflection on the SL experience Construct feedback loops and self-renewing frameworks to inform our praxis Investigate the pedagogical successes and failures of using Second life for our classes and disciplines

Make the environment part of the learning experience—not an end unto itself

Enable metacognitive reflection on the SL experience

Construct feedback loops and self-renewing frameworks to inform our praxis

Investigate the pedagogical successes and failures of using Second life for our classes and disciplines

Now that we have the site, content and tasks: Who owns the material?

Who owns the material?

Copyright vs. Creative Commons Intellectual Property Issues:

Intellectual Property Issues:

Valid for 70 yrs past the death of the creator Grants permissions that are “all-or-nothing” (Public Domain or Creator Ownership) Copyright

Valid for 70 yrs past the death of the creator

Grants permissions that are “all-or-nothing” (Public Domain or Creator Ownership)

Creative Commons Licensing (CC): Offers the option for full permission to modify, copy, and use (with attribution) Allows creators to reserve some rights Permits varying levels of public use: May specify “No derivatives” May restrict “commercial” uses May require “Share-Alike” uses

Offers the option for full permission to modify, copy, and use (with attribution)

Allows creators to reserve some rights

Permits varying levels of public use:

May specify “No derivatives”

May restrict “commercial” uses

May require “Share-Alike” uses

Institutions of Higher Ed such as: MIT uses OpenCourseWare for all graduate and undergraduate courses (Non-Commercial, NoDeriv, Share-Alike permissions) Rice University uses Connexions (Full attributions only)

MIT uses OpenCourseWare for all graduate and undergraduate courses (Non-Commercial, NoDeriv, Share-Alike permissions)

Rice University uses Connexions (Full attributions only)

How do I use CC? Go the website: http://www.creativecommons.org Answer a few questions The site indicates appropriate license for your needs Site provides HTML code to add to the online work page Code includes logo that links to CC page for use instructions

Go the website: http://www.creativecommons.org

Answer a few questions

The site indicates appropriate license for your needs

Site provides HTML code to add to the online work page

Code includes logo that links to CC page for use instructions

There are nagging questions…

Question 1: What is acceptable attribution?

What is acceptable attribution?

Question 2: What is the definition of “commercial” use?

What is the definition of “commercial” use?

Question 3: Must attribution accompany the image immediately?

Must attribution accompany the image immediately?

Question 4: If I use Share-alike item, must my entire project be Share-alike as well?

If I use Share-alike item, must my entire project be Share-alike as well?

How will these rules be enforced? Question 5:

Question 5:

For discipline-specific uses of SL in the class: “ 101 Uses for Second Life in the College Classroom” Dr. Megan S. Conklin—Elon University http://trumpy.cs.elon.edu/metaverse

“ 101 Uses for Second Life

in the College Classroom”

Dr. Megan S. Conklin—Elon University http://trumpy.cs.elon.edu/metaverse

The CHSS Pilot Project

Recreate What Exists

Walk into a story

Always “On” Content

Traditional Spaces

Create Something New

Engage Your Students

Challenges

Genome Island

The Second Louvre

NOAA

Business

Spaceport Alpha and Delta

Renaissance Island

San Francesco Assisi

InfoIsland

Princeton

The Sistine Chapel Vassar Vassar

Vassar Island

The Lost Gardens of Apollo

Abbott’s Aerodrome

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