Title slide LYICT Conference 7th-12th July, Kuala Lumpur Dr Steven Warburton, King’s College London http://www.liquidlearning.org controlling Second Life: six barriers to innovation in MUVE-based learning and teaching

LYICT Conference 7th-12th July, Kuala Lumpur

Dr Steven Warburton, King’s College London http://www.liquidlearning.org

the uniqueness of SL what is Second Life? a unique configuration of freedom , creativity , interactivity , identity construction and tangible economy

From the moment you enter the World you'll discover a vast digital continent, teeming with people , entertainment, experiences and opportunity. Once you've explored a bit, perhaps you'll find a perfect parcel of land to build your house or business. You'll also be surrounded by the Creations of your fellow Residents. Because Residents retain intellectual property rights in their digital creations, they can buy, sell and trade with other Residents. The Marketplace currently supports millions of US dollars in monthly transactions . This commerce is handled with the inworld unit of trade, the Linden™ dollar, which can be converted to US dollars at several thriving online Linden dollar exchanges. From ‘What is Second Life’ Official Linden site http://secondlife.com/whatis

From the moment you enter the World you'll discover a vast digital continent, teeming with people , entertainment, experiences and opportunity. Once you've explored a bit, perhaps you'll find a perfect parcel of land to build your house or business.

You'll also be surrounded by the Creations of your fellow Residents. Because Residents retain intellectual property rights in their digital creations, they can buy, sell and trade with other Residents.

The Marketplace currently supports millions of US dollars in monthly transactions . This commerce is handled with the inworld unit of trade, the Linden™ dollar, which can be converted to US dollars at several thriving online Linden dollar exchanges.

the counterpoint: utopian virtualism “ The hype around digital virtuality over the past decade has been more about myth and less about cyberspace. […] Symptoms of virtualism include exaggerated expectations of anything described as ‘virtual’, and unrealistic expectations that digital technologies will solve social problems”. Shields, R. (2003) The virtual. Routledge, London.

“ The hype around digital virtuality over the past decade has been more about myth and less about cyberspace. […] Symptoms of virtualism include exaggerated expectations of anything described as ‘virtual’, and unrealistic expectations that digital technologies will solve social problems”.

where can we find innovation in MUVE-based teaching? where can we find creativity in MUVE-based teaching?

six barriers to innovation

1. the technical barrier machine related client side: bandwidth, hardware, firewalls server side: downtime, lag human related managing the client interface developing basic in-world competences such as navigation, creating objects and manipulating ones avatar developing a 3D visual grammar standards related the lack of open standards makes it difficult to integrate other technologies different users will experience in-world activities or events differently

machine related

client side: bandwidth, hardware, firewalls

server side: downtime, lag

human related

managing the client interface

developing basic in-world competences such as navigation, creating objects and manipulating ones avatar

developing a 3D visual grammar

standards related

the lack of open standards makes it difficult to integrate other technologies

2. the identity barrier the fluidity and playfulness inherent in Second Life identity construction can be disconcerting and confusing building social relations can be problematic and fraught when identities are never fixed freedom brings with it accountability and managing [digital] reputation becomes an issue of concern

the fluidity and playfulness inherent in Second Life identity construction can be disconcerting and confusing

building social relations can be problematic and fraught when identities are never fixed

freedom brings with it accountability and managing [digital] reputation becomes an issue of concern

3. the culture barrier Second Life can be an isolating experience - communities are hard to find and can be demanding to participate in Second Life has its own set of codes, norms and etiquette and reading these is not straightforward Second Life can feel destabilising: outside of the ‘safety zone’ - a place of no limits, no boundaries, no restrictions on behaviour

Second Life can be an isolating experience - communities are hard to find and can be demanding to participate in

Second Life has its own set of codes, norms and etiquette and reading these is not straightforward

Second Life can feel destabilising: outside of the ‘safety zone’ - a place of no limits, no boundaries, no restrictions on behaviour

4. the collaboration barrier collaboration often needs to be scaffolded - it is not a natural skill, rather one that we need to develop building trust and authenticity are critical factors for successful cooperative activities enabling effective dialog requires considered use of the available in-world communication tools minimal in-world social networking tools mean that external social services such as Flickr are often needed enrich the interrelations between avatars

collaboration often needs to be scaffolded - it is not a natural skill, rather one that we need to develop

building trust and authenticity are critical factors for successful cooperative activities

enabling effective dialog requires considered use of the available in-world communication tools

minimal in-world social networking tools mean that external social services such as Flickr are often needed enrich the interrelations between avatars

5 . the time barrier simple things can take a long time: designing, validating and running teaching activities requires time and dedication issues such as IPR, permissions and access all impact on design and implementation practice, practice, practice

simple things can take a long time: designing, validating and running teaching activities requires time and dedication

issues such as IPR, permissions and access all impact on design and implementation

practice, practice, practice

6. the economic barrier yes Second Life is free for a basic account, but anything beyond simply being in-world costs money: buying land to create teaching spaces uploading images and textures purchasing useful in-world tools employing building and scripting expertise the lack of open standards locks our investment (both time and economic) inside a single non-transferable setting

yes Second Life is free for a basic account, but

anything beyond simply being in-world costs money:

buying land to create teaching spaces

uploading images and textures

purchasing useful in-world tools

employing building and scripting expertise

the lack of open standards locks our investment (both time and economic) inside a single non-transferable setting

seduced by the virtual: the reality of releasing innovation it is a mistake to be seduced by real-world parallels and assume learning and teaching can be readily transferred to a 3D virtual space we need to address: how to best manage identity digital and cultural literacy what we mean by collaborative skills the specific affordances MUVEs such as the link between immersion, emotion and empathy how best exploit the space the grounds for particular technological tool choices - appreciate the situated and contextual nature of teaching and learning activities

it is a mistake to be seduced by real-world parallels and assume learning and teaching can be readily transferred to a 3D virtual space

we need to address:

how to best manage identity

digital and cultural literacy

what we mean by collaborative skills

the specific affordances MUVEs such as the link between immersion, emotion and empathy

how best exploit the space

the grounds for particular technological tool choices - appreciate the situated and contextual nature of teaching and learning activities

Liquid Learning ( www. liquidlearning .org ) - personal research blog MUVEnation ( www. muvenation .org ) - EU funded, 2 years LLL3D ( www.lll3d.org ) - EU funded, 2 years OpenHabitat ( www. openhabitat .org ) – JISC funded, 15 months these projects aim to: examine good practices for teaching in MUVEs; investigate what works and what does not; discover different learning contexts; develop and test specific learning scenarios where to find out more Dr Steven Warburton School of Law King's College London

Liquid Learning ( www. liquidlearning .org ) - personal research blog

MUVEnation ( www. muvenation .org ) - EU funded, 2 years

LLL3D ( www.lll3d.org ) - EU funded, 2 years

OpenHabitat ( www. openhabitat .org ) – JISC funded, 15 months

these projects aim to:

examine good practices for teaching in MUVEs; investigate what works and what does not; discover different learning contexts; develop and test specific learning scenarios