An Introduction to Second Life for the University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and School of Social Work.

1. Introduction to Second Life
Inter-Professional Education Day
College of Nursing/School of Social Work
University of Texas at Arlington
September 13, 2013
Sarah Jones, UT Arlington Libraries

2. Introduction to Second Life
Who am I?
 Sarah Jones, Web Librarian in Digital Creation, UT Arlington Libraries
(sjones@uta.edu)
 Coordinator and Support for Second Life at UT Arlington since Sept. 2009

3. What is Second Life?
Online, 3D, real-time interactive environment
You are represented as an avatar
All other avatars you encounter are real people typing at their computers
somewhere in the world
The environments you visit were created by other real people, just like
yourselves
It’s not a “game” although we can create environments and scenarios for
gaming, simulation, and role-playing
Secondlife.com

4. UT Arlington in Second Life

5. Why Should You Care?
 3D, real-time, shared experience
designed to visually, aurally, and
“physically” support the purpose
and goals of the activity
 Global access to speakers,
discussion groups, networking
with colleagues
 Online platform eliminating travel
and attendant time and cost

6. Conference Room

7. Activities?
 Meetings, discussions, presentations, Birds of a Feather gatherings
 UT Arlington College of Nursing Genomics Journal Club
 Discussions with targeted groups – Virtual Ability Island community members
 Training – Idaho Bioterrorism Awareness and Preparedness Program
 Patient/client and caregiver support
 Department of Veteran Affairs – military amputee support
 Alzheimer’s caregiver support
 ShockProof and Dreams – Stroke/TIA, Asperger/autism, pregnancy & infant loss,
BrainTalk.org communities

8. More Activities - Simulations
 Simulations
 UT Medical School Emergency
Department – hands-on simulation
for emergency medical teams
 Virtual Hallucinations (UC Davis) –
demonstration of the experience of
hallucinations of patients with
schizophrenia – video
 Valdosta State University –
simulated social service agency for
students to practice counseling,
interviewing, and client evaluation
skills (A Second Life for Practice?,
2012)

9. More Activities – Patient/Client Education
 HealthInfo Island – created with
librarians to offer health and
wellness information
 T2 Virtual PTSD Experience – an
immersive, interactive learning
experience designed to educate
visitors about combat-related
post-traumatic stress disorder

10. More Activities – Research
 Clinical Simulations in the
Physical and Virtual Worlds
 Comparing the simulation
experience in the physical UTA
Smart Hospital and a re-creation of
a Smart Hospital room in Second
Life
 University of Oregon – studying
the physical and psychological
effects of the use of virtual
environments for people
diagnosed with Parkinson’s
disease (info)

11. Places to relax

12. Benefits
No travel $$ or time
Sense of Self, Sense of Place, Sense of Presence
 Embodiment - as you adjust to seeing yourself as an avatar, you start to feel
embodied in that avatar .. not scary! You find that what you experience as an
avatar becomes part of your entire personal experience (same mind! just one
body made of molecules, with the other made of pixels) – visualization/guided
imagery, mirror therapy for amputees
 Co-presence – the other people/avatars share your experience: visually,
aurally, mentally (through the conversations you share)
 As a result, you “feel” that you are all together, even though physically you are
distant.
 More engaging than a videoconference, webinar, or Skype meeting

13. Places to think

14. What do you need?
Technology
 Fast internet connection (DSL or cable)
 Computer system requirements: http://secondlife.com/support/system-
requirements/
 Not sure? Contact me for help: sjones@uta.edu
Time and patience with yourself
 Can take a while to adjust to “seeing” in a 3D, computer screen, environment
 Can be an adjustment to “being” an avatar
BUT – you do not need to be a gamer or techie nerd
Mostly, what’s helpful is to have a flexible imagination

15. What do you need? (cont.)
Create your avatar at the Second Life website (http://join.secondlife.com)
 Walk-through of this process: http://www.uta.edu/secondlife/getstarted/
Teleport your avatar to the UTACON island in Second Life
 Detailed instructions - http://www.uta.edu/secondlife/resources/ipe.html
Coming up next:
 Uses of Second Life at UT Arlington – the UTA College of Nursing
 A show-and-tell demonstration of the process of creating your avatar and
entering Second Life

16. Questions?

17. Thank you!
Sarah Jones - sjones@uta.edu
University of Texas Arlington Libraries, Digital Creation Department
www.uta.edu/secondlife
In SL: Razitra Artizar (Raz)
This presentation: www.slideshare.net/razitra