Out-genning the net generation: Second Life as a learning environment. Webber
Download as PPT, PDF0 likes233 views
This document provides an overview of using Second Life as a learning environment. It discusses how a university used Second Life to have students conduct interviews about information needs within Second Life to deepen their engagement with an information literacy class. Students gained experience with virtual world skills and interviewing. The university created an island in Second Life called Infolit iSchool to serve as a space for teaching, discussion, and student experimentation related to the class. Brief statistics are also provided about Second Life's user base and economy.
Out-genning the net generation: Second Life as a learning environment. Webber
- 1. Out-genning the net generation: Second Life as a learning environment Vicki Cormie / Ishbel Hartmann St Andrews University Lyn Parker / Maggie Kohime Sheila Webber / Sheila Yoshikawa University of Sheffield March 2008 LILAC
- 2. Outline • Introductions • Session structure & goals • Second Life: some basics • Our joint teaching • Inworld activity OR (if SL is playing up) more presentations…..
- 4. 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
- 5. Second Life
- 6. 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
- 7. 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
- 8. Our work in SL
- 9. 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)
- 10. • 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
- 11. 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
- 12. Sheila Webber s.webber@shef.ac.uk http://information-literacy.blogspot.com/ http://adventuresofyoshikawa.blogspot.com/ Sheila Yoshikawa Vicki Cormie Vicki.cormie@st-andrews.ac.uk Lyn Parker l.a.parker@shef.ac.uk
- 13. 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 Dec http://secondlife.com/whatis/economy_stats.php