Out-genning the net generation: Second Life
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Transcript of Out-genning the net generation: Second Life
Out-genning the net generation: Second Life as a learning environment
Vicki Cormie / Ishbel Hartmann St Andrews University
Lyn Parker / Maggie KohimeSheila Webber /Sheila Yoshikawa University of Sheffield
March 2008LILAC
Outline• Introductions• Session structure & goals• Second Life: some basics• Our joint teaching• Inworld activity OR (if SL is
playing up) more presentations…..
Introductions
MaggieIshbel
Sheila
Lyn
Vicki
Structure for SL activity• Divide into groups, according to amount of SL
experience & preference– 1 group being helped with the basics– 1 discussion group– Tour/ activity
• Goals for session vary depending on which group you are in: overall, to know more about SL and its possibilities/ constraints
• Base for activity will be Infolit iSchool
Second Life
Second Life
• 3-D Online Digital world, owned by Linden Labs• Most things created by SL residents: SL fashion
designers, architects, bakers, animal makers ….• Avatars- 3D representation of yourself – free to
signup and can live on freebies, but need Linden dollars if want to own land, buy clothes etc.
• Communication through text chat, Voice and Instant Messaging
Issues• Need broadband and good computer with
right graphics card• Have to upgrade software often• Learning curve in basics of movement &
communication inworld• Personal concerns about SL• Technical constraints on numbers of
avatars• Firewalls, IT centres’ refusals to install SL
Our work in SL
Inquiry in SL
• Compulsory activity (feeding into assignment) for 1st year BSc Information Management students in (core) Information Literacy class (20 students)
• Aim to deepen engagement with subject & class & part of induction into research: in Semester 2 they undertake their own IM mini-projects
• Students undertaking critical incident interviews with SL residents (a time when they had an information need relating to a SL activity) in SL itself
• Students analysed transcripts in relation to models of RL information behaviour + audit interview technique for assessment (about 40% of a 20 credit module)
• No student had used virtual world before (nb SL main grid is 18+ only)
• Developing basic skills• Developing interviewing skills in Real Life and
SL• Learning about information behaviour in RL
and SL• Sheila is module coordinator; Vicki & Lyn
involved in inworld activities• N.B. Also discussions and networking activities
Infolit iSchool
• Successful bid to Centre for Inquiry based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences to fund island for a year
• Island delivered early October; started teaching that month• Venues for discussion, reflection, chilling: aim to create a
relaxing/ welcoming environment• Some food/play areas• “Build” area left empty
to allow practice/ exhibition/ experimentation
• Teaching, discussions
Sheila Webber
[email protected] http://information-literacy.blogspot.com/
http://adventuresofyoshikawa.blogspot.com/
Sheila Yoshikawa
Vicki Cormie
Lyn Parker
Facts and figures• SL made up of Regions ( “mainland”) or islands, each
65,536 sqm• 3,952 regions on Mainland (slmaps.com) + 12,000 islands• 12million avatars (probably a lot less individual people):
about 55,000 inworld simultaneously • Currency is Linden dollars ( £1= c. L$450): 16,850,580
Linden exchanged in December; 28 Jan spent Spent US$1,436,000
• 341,791 customers spent money inworld in December 2007; 50,000 users had positive Linden flow in Dechttp://secondlife.com/whatis/economy_stats.php