Sims to Teen Second Life Transition of the SimSavvy Girls to Tech Savvy Isle Barbara Z. Johnson (Barbara SimSavvy) Elizabeth King (E_Lizzy SimSavvy)

Tech Savvy Girls Project 4 teen-aged girls Mission: increased IT fluency Method: informal out of school program - videogame & virtual world object creation and modification First year: the Sims series

4 teen-aged girls

Mission: increased IT fluency

Method: informal out of school program - videogame & virtual world object creation and modification

First year: the Sims series

Our Goals 21st Century Skills - the FITness standards Foundation for lifetime learning of IT concepts and skills IT fluency as more than computer programming Informal mastery of technology that matters in their lives Interest-based learning Sensitivity to socio-cultural situations of the participants

21st Century Skills - the FITness standards

Foundation for lifetime learning of IT concepts and skills

IT fluency as more than computer programming

Informal mastery of technology that matters in their lives

Interest-based learning

Sensitivity to socio-cultural situations of the participants

Limits of The Sims Limited types of items and activities Cannot change or add to what items do Player avatars cannot be together Limited types of businesses to play Limited spheres of the avatars Despite the extensive online Sims community, lack of direct synchronous interaction with other people

Limited types of items and activities

Cannot change or add to what items do

Player avatars cannot be together

Limited types of businesses to play

Limited spheres of the avatars

Despite the extensive online Sims community, lack of direct synchronous interaction with other people

Transition to Teen Second Life Building and experimenting phase on a closed island Arranged to allow the girls off the island to explore and get ideas Theme: the 60’s Projects: a holiday party and presentation at GLS

Building and experimenting phase on a closed island

Arranged to allow the girls off the island to explore and get ideas

Theme: the 60’s

Projects: a holiday party and presentation at GLS

Approach 1: Sims Redux Arrangement of existing items (library or resident created) Modification of existing items (library or resident created) Same themes - domestic, retail businesses selling similar items, romance Often LESS willing to break physical constraints in their builds in TSL than in the Sims Limited in-world social engagement

Arrangement of existing items (library or resident created)

Modification of existing items (library or resident created)

Same themes - domestic, retail businesses selling similar items, romance

Often LESS willing to break physical constraints in their builds in TSL than in the Sims

Limited in-world social engagement

Early Sims Development

Similar Items in TSL

Approach 2: New Tools; Same Themes Created objects from prims and textures (often user created) Modification of scripts Themes: domestic, retail, romance Some teens found greater social contact and gained significant social capital Creating objects with physical analogs

Created objects from prims and textures (often user created)

Modification of scripts

Themes: domestic, retail, romance

Some teens found greater social contact and gained significant social capital

Creating objects with physical analogs

Finer Control Over Creations (TSL)

Scripts and Particle System (TSL)

Approach 3: New Tools and Expanded Horizons Created objects from prims and textures (often user created) Modification of scripts New themes: historical recreation Creation of things without physical analogs or with a twist on reality Floating hamburger Underwater houses Drive in movie theater for a classroom

Created objects from prims and textures (often user created)

Modification of scripts

New themes: historical recreation

Creation of things without physical analogs or with a twist on reality

Floating hamburger

Underwater houses

Drive in movie theater for a classroom

Pushing the Envelope in The Sims

Expanding Reality in TSL

How Did They Learn? Experimentation & reverse engineering Peers within the research group Asking others in public areas Do not tend to: Check online help Ask for official help Read guides Search online text

Experimentation & reverse engineering

Peers within the research group

Asking others in public areas

Do not tend to:

Check online help

Ask for official help

Read guides

Search online text

Results of the Transition Many learning patterns carried over between Sims and TSL Prior learning both helped and hindered building in TSL Starting over with a new tool can become a barrier for experts in prior systems Greater flexibility can be both freeing and frustrating

Many learning patterns carried over between Sims and TSL

Prior learning both helped and hindered building in TSL

Starting over with a new tool can become a barrier for experts in prior systems

Greater flexibility can be both freeing and frustrating

What Did We Learn? Technology access outside of program impacts success of individuals – higher quality internet access and computers at home correlated to greater experimentation on Tech Savvy Isle Exposure to multiple tools enabled meta-learning about a class of tools, such as operating systems, file structures, file types, word processors Problems may be learning opportunities if students can be scaffolded to success Project/problem-based learning requires new learning skills

Technology access outside of program impacts success of individuals – higher quality internet access and computers at home correlated to greater experimentation on Tech Savvy Isle

Exposure to multiple tools enabled meta-learning about a class of tools, such as operating systems, file structures, file types, word processors

Problems may be learning opportunities if students can be scaffolded to success

Project/problem-based learning requires new learning skills

TSL as IT Learning Venue Need to manage overwhelming potential of open projects Need to address the non-game quality of TSL Make use of the scripting tools Encourages greater attention to the social aspect of technology Intellectual property TSL community norms Online safety

Need to manage overwhelming potential of open projects

Need to address the non-game quality of TSL

Make use of the scripting tools

Encourages greater attention to the social aspect of technology

Intellectual property

TSL community norms

Online safety

Pros and Cons of World Access Increased social capital Businesses Co-presence of group’s avatars Ability to learn from others Residents encourage us to provide educational content Inappropriate content Griefing Spam on the island Parental concerns Comparison of quality of builds

Increased social capital

Businesses

Co-presence of group’s avatars

Ability to learn from others

Residents encourage us to provide educational content

Inappropriate content

Griefing

Spam on the island

Parental concerns

Comparison of quality of builds

There and back Again … 3/4 did not stick with TSL and returned to the Sims Wanted to “really master” The Sims Unfinished projects in The Sims Concerns about the quality of their creations vs. those of more experienced builders in TSL Had not made significant connections to other TSL residents

3/4 did not stick with TSL and returned to the Sims

Wanted to “really master” The Sims

Unfinished projects in The Sims

Concerns about the quality of their creations vs. those of more experienced builders in TSL

Had not made significant connections to other TSL residents