A Presentation for the AECT 2007 Conference, by Sabine K. Lawless-Reljic

San Diego State University-University of San Diego, CA

WHAT IS SECOND LIFE?

•Launched in 2003 by Linden Lab, San Francisco•Inspired by Neal Stephenson’s “Snow Crash”•3D interactive user-created world•Web-based platform•Over 10 million avatars (as of 10-24-2007)•Text and voice capability

This short video provides an overview of the New Media Consortium’s virtual campus in SL.

Learn more about Second Life at http://simteach.com

SECOND LIFE TRAFFIC ANALYSISsource: http://mayarealities.com

CITYSCAPE OPPORTUNITIES Egypt (Promised Land 74,61,23) Esperanto (Domo, Embu 6,175,28) Germany (Preussen 144,109,21) Italy (San Francesco Assisi 245,104,69) Morocco (Casablanca 135, 87,27) Poland (Second Krakow 212,4121) Russia (Moscow Island 133,189,21) France (Paris 1900 12,171,16)

RESOURCES•Bibliothèque Française (Riviera 109,179,27)•Istituto Italiano di Cultura (Eup 132,151,57)•Info Island International 28,178,70

GROUPS•Coopération Française•Aide Francophone•Webheads

EXAMPLES OF IN-WORLD LANGUAGE TRAINING•Avatar Languages (Hope Islands CTR 101,202,22)•ArabicLearn (Wetheral 35,85,170)•goFluent (Education Island 107, 193, 29)•LanguageLab (Language Lab 128,128,128)•English as a Second Language (Matamata 168,54,97)

ACTIVITIES IN SECOND LIFE•Working in virtual classrooms & other amazing learning spaces•Taking part in simulations, roleplays, movie screening, discussions, observations•Interpreting, analyzing, discovering, evaluating, & problem solving

Festival of European Languages

San Francisco Assisi

Moscow Island

INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATIONS• Espacio Psicoanalitico de Barcelona (Freudiana 10,10,20)• UC Davis Virtual Hallucinations (Sedig 27,45,22)• Svika, Copenhagen, Young Adults/Special Needs (Valkyrie 137,173,69)

Website:http://www.globalkids.orgContact:Info@globalkids.orgSource of comic page:http://www.holymeatballs.org/pdfs/campgk2006/GK’s Best Practices:http://www.holymeatballs.org/pdfs/BestPractices.pdf

Credited to and permission from GK, 10-24-2007

AVATARS & SOCIAL PRESENCE

•Co-presence (Isolation/ Inclusion, mutual awareness)•Psychological involvement (expectations, empathy, mutual understanding)•Behavioral engagement (control, attention, assistance, dependence)•Social realism (interactivity, connection)•Realism (locality, permanence)•Transportation•Immersion

(Ref. the Networked Minds Theory)

MEETING AND COMMUNICATINGText, Audio, Video, and Avatar

•Text-based chat tools and the voice option• Additional communication bandwidth•Non-verbal cues and activities: gestures and animations•Visual attention, Person perception, Interpersonal trust

ARTIFACTS INFLUENCING THE FEELING OF PRESENCE

•Internet Ecology (SLCN.TV Metanomics) •The Blabber•Sloog.org, Search UI•Ustream.tv, Veodia •SLiPod

KEY ISSUES IN IMPLEMENTING SL

Sanity•Be Zen•Have a backup plan•Build your network

Efficiency•Groups (charter, contact, public vs. private, name)

•Locations (sandboxes, auditoriums, art galleries, living/office space)

•Landmarks•Links to Websites•Notecards and Greetings•Teacher & Students’ roles

Campus PresenceLand names and descriptions, Mainland vs. Islands, Logos, Footpath, Campus Map with Teleport System

Dave Pollard’s caveats

References to http://homepages.uc.edu/secondlife/docs/SLCC_posterpresentation_collins_jennings_2007_pdf

SL SAFETY

1-Be prepared•Code of conduct•Search before teleport•Panoramic view•(name option)

2-Act•Landmarks•Quit/Log off•Report

Examples of institutional use policies for SL (*)

•Duke University•MIT Private Island•Schome Project (UK)•IBM Virtual Worlds Guidelines

(*) http://homepages.uc.edu/secondlife/index.php/Site/ResourcesForEducators

RESOURCES

• Get Started in SL http://sl.nmc.org/join/• SL Stats http://secondlife.com/whatis/economy_stats.php• List of Foreign Communities http://educedge.wikispaces.com• Educators in SL Survey http://www.nmc.org/news/nmc/sl-

educator-survey

Sabine Lawless-Reljicsabine@reljic.com

Willow ShenlinCPCC Campus 116,246,33

Fin