Collaborative and Experiential Learning in the UserCreated World of Second Life

1
Collaborative and Experiential Learningin the
User-Created World of Second Life
John Lester (Pathfinder Linden)Community and
Education Manager, Linden Labpathfinder_at_lindenlab
.com
Games Learning SocietyMadison,
WisconsinJune 15, 2006
2
What is Second Life?

• Best fictional analogs are Stephensons Metaverse
  from Snow Crash
• or Vinges Otherverse from True Names.

3
Speaking of Vernor Vinge

• To the Internet-based cognitive tools that are
  changing our lives Wikipedia, Google, eBay, and
  the others of their kind, now and in the future.

4
Building in 3D using geometric primitives
5
Breathing Life into Objects with Scripting
Any object can be given physical behavior,
interactivity, and can communicate with the
world (e.g., email, HTTPRequest, XML-RPC)
6
Property Rights

• In Second Life, residents own their creations
• Residents retain their Intellectual Property
  rights to their creations
• Residents may buy and sell L for US
• Residents may license their creations back into
  the real world

7
Live Video shared in a Community Space
8
Live Music shared in a Community Space
9
Emotional Bandwidth
( ) P
10
Emotional Bandwidth
Use real-world social cues and proxemics,
animations and sounds, and create a completely
unique visual identity
11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
(No Transcript)
14
(No Transcript)
15
What happens when you give everyone powerful
tools to shape their world?

• A Waking Dream made Realand Shared with Real
  People

16
Collaborative and Experiential Learning
Real Life Educators in Second Life
17
Campus Second Life

• Cultural Computing Program at the Siebel Center
  for Computer Science, University of Illinois
  Art in Virtual Worlds
• School of Architecture, Montana State
  University, Bozeman Digital Collaboration in
  Architecture
• Southern New Hampshire University
  Introduction to International Business
• Department of Instructional Design and
  Technology, The Teachers College, Emporia State
  University, Emporia, Kansas Foundations of
  Instructional Technology
• University of Colorado at Denver (CU Online) -
  "Urban Planning in the Gaming World"
• Graduate School of Education and Psychology,
  Pepperdine University, Malibu, California
  Human Computer Interface
• School of Architecture, The University of Texas
  at Austin - "Designing Digital Communities"
• Whittier College, California - "Introduction to
  Sociological Perspectives on Education"
• University of Southern California - "Multiplayer
  Game Design"
• Institute of Rural Health, Idaho State
  Universiwty, Pocatello "Exploring healthcare
  applications in MMORPEs using the SecondLife
  platform"
• Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning,
  Colorado Mountain College - "Education's Second
  Life"

18
Collaborative and Experiential Learning
Learning to build in Real Life
19
Collaborative and Experiential Learning
Watch an Eclipse
Learn Astronomy
20
Collaborative and Experiential Learning
Recreating Culture and Cultural Immersion
21
Academic conferences extended into a Virtual
Community Space
The Berkman Center at Harvard University
22
Academic conferences extended into a Virtual
Community Space
23
The 4 Powerful Themes supporting Real Education

• A world where anyone can create anything.
• A world full of real people.
• A world of high emotional bandwidth.
• A world shared.

24
And never forget that Digital Natives shall
inherit the Earth
25
Now lets hear from educators doing the real
workSlides and SL Education links
www.pathfinderlinden.com