This document provides an orientation to Second Life for nursing students in a clinical foundations course. It introduces Second Life, explains how the UT Arlington College of Nursing uses it for simulations and meetings, and outlines the steps students need to take to set up an account, log in, and complete an assignment involving a medication administration simulation on the UTACON island. It emphasizes that no travel is required and discusses benefits like global access and a shared 3D experience.

1. Second Life Orientation:
What is SL and why should you care?
N3632 Clinical Nursing Foundations AP-BSN
UT Arlington College of Nursing
February 3, 2013
Sarah Jones, UT Arlington Library

2. Second Life Orientation
 Who am I?
 Sarah Jones, Librarian in Digital Library Services at UT Arlington
 Second Life support for the UTA College of Nursing
 How did I get here?
 September 2009 - UT Arlington entered Second Life
 Dr. Joy Don Baker in the UTA College of Nursing - the first on campus to
incorporate Second Life in learning activities
 UTACON uses SL for online training simulations, conferences, and meetings

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 “video game”
 Secondlife.com

4. UT Arlington in Second Life

5. Why Should You Care?
 Travel time and cost
 If you had to travel to this
orientation session, would you be
attending right now?
 Global access to speakers,
discussion groups, networking
with colleagues
 3D, real-time, shared experience
designed to visually, aurally, and
“physically” support the purpose
and goals of the activity

6. Conference Room

7. Activities?
 Meetings, discussions, presentations, Birds of a Feather gatherings
 UT Arlington College of Nursing Genomics Journal Club &
Continuing Nursing Education
 Discussions with targeted groups – Virtual Ability Island community members
 Training – Health and safety education, virtual rehab environment
 Patient 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
 Univ of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
College of Nursing –
discussions, office hours, roleplay of crisis situation response

9. More Activities - Simulations
 The Testis Tour (Ohio State
University) – an “up-close and
personal” multi-sensory tour of the
male reproductive system – video
 Virtual Birthing Unit (Second Life
Education New Zealand project) –
hands-on simulation for midwifery
and other birth team students

10. More Activities – Patient 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
(Dept. of Defense National Center
for Telehealth & Technology)

11. More Activities – Research
 UT Arlington Smart Hospital –
Clinical Simulations in the Physical and Virtual Worlds
 Collaborating with a researcher at
Coventry University in the UK
 Comparing the simulation
experience in the physical Smart
Hospital and a re-creation of a
Smart Hospital room in Second
Life
 Phase I – pediatric exam
simulation
 Phase II – medication
administration simulation (your
assignment)

12. Benefits
 No travel $$ or time
 Co-presence: 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 relax

14. What do you need for the assignment?
 Information web page for N3632 for Second Life:
http://www.uta.edu/secondlife/resources/nurs3632.html
 Tech Check!
 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 – Allow an hour to create your Second Life account/avatar. Allow
another hour to complete the orientation steps. Allow about ½ hour to do
the meds administration simulation. It may take you less time!

15. Places to think

16. Assignment Steps: Part One
1. Tech check -
http://www.uta.edu/secondlife/getstarted/techcheck.html
2. Create your avatar - http://www.uta.edu/secondlife/getstarted/
1. Create your avatar at the Second Life website –
http://join.secondlife.com/
2. Download and install Second Life viewer software
3. Login to Second Life using the SOFTWARE (not website) with your
SL name and password (NOT NetID)
1. Look for the Second Life icon on your computer desktop – and
use that to open the software to log in.

17. Assignment Steps: Part One (cont.)
When you first log in – What to expect:
1. Can’t see your avatar? Don’t worry! It’s normal for the first
login.
2. Are you in a crowded area? Are people acting strangely or
inappropriately? Again, don’t worry! Ignore them! And go
immediately to the UTACON island. Here’s how (see next
slide)

18. Assignment Steps: Part One (cont.)
Here’s how to teleport to the UTACON island:
1. Stay logged in to Second Life
2. Switch to your web browser and go to the resource page for your
class: http://www.uta.edu/secondlife/resources/nurs3632.html
3. Click the link called “Teleport to UTACON island in Second Life”
4. You will see a web page with a map image with the UTACON
island marked. Click the “teleport now” button.
1. In Chrome: if you see a popup, click “Launch this location”
2. In Firefox: if you see a popup, highlight Second Life (it should
already be highlighted) and click OK
3. In IE: if nothing happens when you click, use Firefox or
Chrome instead
5. Switch back to your Second Life window. You will see a “Places
Profile” for UTA. Click the Teleport button at the bottom.
6. Your avatar will be teleported to the UTACON island.

19. Assignment Steps: Part Two
At the UTACON island:
1. There are tutorial stations to teach you the basics you will
need for the assignment. You can preview those – see
“Tutorials for NURS 3632” on the class resource web page
(http://www.uta.edu/secondlife/resources/nurs3632.html)
1. How to walk
2. How to chat
3. How to see things better
4. Clicking on things to interact with them

20. Assignment Steps: Part Two (cont.)
At the UTACON island:
2. REQUIRED!!! …. Attendance, show you were here!
1. Step One: CLICK THE SIGN labeled “N3632-REQUIRED
ATTENDANCE … Show you were here!”
2. Step Two: SEND EMAIL to Ms. Washington – in the email give
your Second Life name AND your real life name.

21. Assignment Steps: Part Three
Follow the arrows to walk to the Medication Administration
Simulation
1. Follow the instructions to complete the simulation
And that completes your SL activity.
BUT there are OTHER WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS for this! Ms.
Washington will provide this information!

22. Second Life Demonstration
I will provide you with a link to a video that shows you the process of
creating your avatar, logging in to Second Life, and doing activities
at the UTACON island.
I’ll post the link in the Blackboard Announcement board and also in
the Facebook group.

23. Getting Help!
Do not hesitate to ask for help!
Contact me:
• Email: sjones@uta.edu
• Post to the class Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/173591786114635/
Troubleshooting tips on the N3632 resource web page:
http://www.uta.edu/secondlife/resources/nurs3632.html

24. Questions?

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