Valerie Hill Dr. Kaye Bray TWU Prelude “Starry Night”

Prelude “Starry Night”

Virtual Worlds in Education & Libraries TCEA Convention February 2009 Valerie Hill, LISD Librarian, TWU Doctoral Student [email_address] Dr. Kaye Bray, TWU [email_address]

Habbo Hotel Ty Girlz Webkinz Gaia Online Second Life Virtual Worlds

Habbo Hotel

Ty Girlz

Webkinz

Gaia Online

Second Life

Opened in 2000 “ Hangout for Teens” (for ages 13-18) Social networking website w/customizable avatar Guest rooms can be created & limited to specific users Used by youth organizations to educate about Internet safety, drug education, etc. Credits, bought w/$, are used to buy virtual furniture, etc. http://www.habbo.com/ Habbo Hotel

Opened in 2000

“ Hangout for Teens” (for ages 13-18)

Social networking website w/customizable avatar

Guest rooms can be created & limited to specific users

Used by youth organizations to educate about Internet safety, drug education, etc.

Credits, bought w/$, are used to buy virtual furniture, etc.

http://www.habbo.com/

Opened April 29, 2005 Special code on stuffed animal label that allows access For ages 10-15 KinzCash earned by answering knowledge questions, playing games, etc. KinzChat –users cannot type, but can choose phrases from list KinzChat Plus –words are restricted, must have parental permission http://www.webkinz.com/ Webkinz

Opened April 29, 2005

Special code on stuffed animal label that allows access

For ages 10-15

KinzCash earned by answering knowledge questions, playing games, etc.

KinzChat –users cannot type, but can choose phrases from list

KinzChat Plus –words are restricted, must have parental permission

http://www.webkinz.com/

Opened February 18, 2003 Create customizable avatar & virtual homes For ages 13-18 Gaia Gold earned by playing fames or posting to forums –can also be bought at Target http://www.gaiaonline.com/ Gaia Online

Opened February 18, 2003

Create customizable avatar & virtual homes

For ages 13-18

Gaia Gold earned by playing fames or posting to forums –can also be bought at Target

http://www.gaiaonline.com/

Opened April 13, 2007 It’s a Girlz World! For ages 10-15 Special code on girl doll label that allows access Avatars, games, chat room, & virtual economy http://www.tygirlz.com/ Ty Girlz

Opened April 13, 2007

It’s a Girlz World!

For ages 10-15

Special code on girl doll label that allows access

Avatars, games, chat room, & virtual economy

http://www.tygirlz.com/

Virtual World Launched in 2003, popular in 2006 Downloadable client program –Second Life Viewer Motional avatars (residents) Local chat & global IM Residents create most content of world Building & selling virtual objects Linden Dollar exchangeable for currencies http://www.secondlife.com/ Second Life

Virtual World

Launched in 2003, popular in 2006

Downloadable client program –Second Life Viewer

Motional avatars (residents)

Local chat & global IM

Residents create most content of world

Building & selling virtual objects

Linden Dollar exchangeable for currencies

http://www.secondlife.com/

Why Second Life? ALA Island Alliance Virtual Library Educational Opportunities

ALA Island

Alliance Virtual Library

Educational Opportunities

American Library Association in SL Librarians share Ideas through blogs. Jenny Levine’s Blog The Shifted Librarian

Alliance Virtual Library Reference Desk Exhibits and Events Libraries Book Discussions Global Collaboration

Reference Desk

Exhibits and Events

Libraries

Book Discussions

Global Collaboration

Reference Desk Goal of offering reference help 24/7 from around the globe.

Exhibits and Events Virtual “Starry Night” “ The Bookbinder’s Ball”

Book Discussions The Reader’s Garden

Global Collaboration California Library Association’s first event in SL on Talis.

Educational Opportunities Virtual Classrooms Conferences and Workshops Immersive Learning Environments Research Symposiums

Virtual Classrooms

Conferences and Workshops

Immersive Learning Environments

Research Symposiums

Virtual Classrooms Synchronous learning without distance as a barrier.

Conferences and Workshops March 8, 2008 Virtual Worlds: Libraries, Education & Museums Conference

Immersive Learning Environments Land of Lincoln TCEA and the Virtual Alamo on ISTE

Research Symposiums TWU Virtual Research Symposium April 2008

A New Mode of Communication: 3D Interactive Tools Building tools Scripting tools Digital resources Holodecks Pic here

Building tools

Scripting tools

Digital resources

Holodecks

Research for the Libraries and Schools of Tomorrow Valibrarian Research Talis Cybrary Island Valibrarian’s Blog

Valibrarian Research

Talis Cybrary Island

Second Life Partnership build begins in Spring 2008 on ISTE Island Shots of the building project on Animoto Join SL Group: Texas Computer Education Assoc

Main grid for 18 & over Teen Second Life developed 2005 For ages 13-17 New identity/age measures proposed http://teen.secondlife.com/ Teen Second Life

Main grid for 18 & over

Teen Second Life developed 2005

For ages 13-17

New identity/age measures proposed

http://teen.secondlife.com/

http://www.myepets.com/ http://www.hasbro.com/littlestpetshop/ http://www.bratz.com/ http://www.shiningstars.com/ Other Virtual Worlds

http://www.myepets.com/

http://www.hasbro.com/littlestpetshop/

http://www.bratz.com/

http://www.shiningstars.com/

Educational Virtual World

TappedIn.org- Online Virtual Community

SitePal - http://www.sitepal.com/ Voki - http://www.voki.com/ - Create a character, make it talk, take it anywhere –free, but includes ads And More Avatars…

SitePal - http://www.sitepal.com/

Voki - http://www.voki.com/ - Create a character, make it talk, take it anywhere –free, but includes ads

http://www.signingavatar.com/products/cddescript.html SigningAvatar™ software uses computer-generated, three dimensional (3D) characters called "avatars,” to communicate in sign language with facial expressions Signing Avatar

http://www.signingavatar.com/products/cddescript.html

SigningAvatar™ software uses computer-generated, three dimensional (3D) characters called "avatars,” to communicate in sign language with facial expressions

Tools for Sharing Online Slideshare.net Blogs, Wikis, Nings Animoto Flickr YouTube, Bliptv & TeacherTube Getting started

Slideshare.net

Blogs, Wikis, Nings

Animoto

Flickr

YouTube, Bliptv & TeacherTube

Getting started

Virtual Worlds: Synchronous Participants can create individual characters with unique identities Participants can interact Not bounded by physical laws Information can be manipulated in ways that are not normally possible in the real world Real-time voice communication is possible Limitations: Learning curve; expense Virtual Worlds – Pros and Cons

Virtual Worlds:

Synchronous

Participants can create individual characters with unique identities

Participants can interact

Not bounded by physical laws

Information can be manipulated in ways that are not normally possible in the real world

Real-time voice communication is possible

Limitations: Learning curve; expense

References Bell, L., Pope, K. and Peters, T. (2007) . Get a [Second] life! Computers in Libraries , 27(1), pp. 10-15. Bell, L. (2007). A Report on the First Year of Operation of the Alliance Library 2.0 Second Life Library Project also known as Alliance Archipelago Island. Bell, L., Pope, K. and Peters, T. (2008). The Universal Library in a Virtual Universe. Searcher , Vol. 16 No. 5, pp. 26-61. Erdman, J. (2007). Reference in a 3D World: Preliminary Observations on Library Outreach in “Second Life” The Reference Librarian, Vol. 47 No. 2, pp. 29-39. Ferry, K., Gelfand, J., Peterman, D. and Tomren, H. (2008). Virtual Reality and Establishing a Presence in Second Life: New Forms of Grey Literature? University of California at Irvine Conference on Grey Literature, pp.113-118. Floyd, J., Frank, I., De la Pena McCook, K., and Smith, A. (2007). Second Life for Librarians. Florida Libraries , Spring , pp. 4-7. Gee, J.P. (2003). What Video Games have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Godfrey, K. and Dinberg, D. (2007). Brave New World or 500 Librarians Can’t be Wrong! Felicitr, Vol. 4, pp. 214-215. Canada Library Association. Grassian, E. (2007). “Stumbling, Bumbling, Telelporting, and Flying…a Librarian Avatar in Second Life: a mixed media presentation” http://virtualbridges.net/node/22 (accessed 13 September 2008). Howard, John. (2008). “Stepping into Virtual Worlds” http://www.steppingintohistory.org (accessed July 21, 2008) Levine, J. (2006, April 12). “Second Library”, The Shifted Librarian . http://www.theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2006/04/12.html#000383 (accessed 13 September 2008) Miller, P. (2007). What Happens When We Mash the Library? Ariadne (Online) Vol. 50 No. 1. Spencer, B. (2008). Librarians in Second Life. Mississippi Libraries, Vol. 72 No. 1, pp. 14-16. Stephenson, N. (1992). Snow Crash . New York: Doubleday.