Discovering your Second Life

 

Murdoch University Library (Library Training Room 1.015)

 

INTRODUCTION

Why learn about online virtual worlds?

• The Horizon  Report 2007 identifies virtual worlds as one of six major trends in emerging technology that will impact on higher education. This is a publication of the New Media  Consortium and EDUCAUSE  learning initiative
• Gartner Inc., which bills itself as the "world's leading information and technology research company, claimed on 24th April 2007 that "by the end of 2011, 80 percent of active Internet users (and Fortune 500 enterprises) will have a “second life,” but not necessarily in Second Life

What is Second Life?

A 3D online virtual world imagined, created and owned by its residents.

Why Second Life?

• It's there now and free
• It has first mover status
• It's a possible prototype for future web environments
• Several educational institutions are conducting classes in Second Life, including
  • RMIT
  • AFTRS
  • University of Southern Queensland
  • Harvard
  • Stanford

What are we not doing?

• Like the internet in general, in Second Life educational sites sit alongside porn, gambling and people out to make a fast buck. We're not hanging out there. It's not work. Don't do it here.
• We're not advising you to spend work time in Second Life doing non-work things. It's not work. Don't do it here.
• We're not advising you to spend work time in Second Life doing work things to the exclusion of other work.

What is work related activity in Second Life?

Second Life is a chance to learn a new literacy and try out new ways of using technology. These things are work related:

• learning how to get around Second Life - walk, fly, teleport, walk
• learning to do things with objects - take, give, but, sell, create, touch, move, edit
• interacting with other people - IMing, chatting, viewing profiles, searching, joining groups
• doing things with your avatar - changing appearance, editing, animating
• exploring Second Life - attending events, exploring locations

WORKSHOP OUTLINES

Session 1 - Creating your avatar

By the end of the session, participants will:

1. Understand some educational uses of Second Life
2. Know where to find further information about education , libraries and Second Life
3. Have visited the Second Life web page
4. Know how to check technical specifications for running second life
5. Have selected a Second Life name
6. Have logged into Second Life using their Second Life name
7. Have visited Orientation Island in Second Life
8. Have learned how to "friend" another avatar
9. Have accepted an inventory offer from another avatar
10. Have completed four very basic orientation tutorials in how to:
    1. Move
    2. Search
    3. Communicate
    4. Appearance
11. Know how to teleport to Second Life mainland.

Session 2 - Doing more with your avatar

By the end of the session, participants will:

1. Learn how to use a SLURL on a web page to get somewhere in Second Life

2. Read a notecard

3. Add a friend, Instant message them and Teleport them

4. Practise flying

5. Have forced a webpage into their browser from within Second Life

6. Have received an item from an object

7.Know how to wear an item of clothing

8. Understand how to animate their avatar

9. Have visited at least one educational site within Second Life

FURTHER RESOURCES

Further Australian resources about onine virtual worlds

• You only live twice: ABC Four Corners documentary, broadcast 19 March 2007
• SLOz : Australia's Second Life News Source

Further resources about education and online virtual worlds

• Second Life in Education a detailed and comprehensive Australian based site authored by Jo Kay and Sean Fitzgerald
• Australian universities in Second Life - the good, the bad, and the restricted: a review of the three Australian Educational Institutions in Second Life

Further resources about libraries and online virtual worlds

• Flying Librarians of Oz:What’s all the fuss about Second Life and what’s it got to do with libraries?: slides from a public talk at the National Library of Australia, February 14th 2007
• Ten very good reasons why your librarians should be in Second Life  Librarians Matter, 30 April 2007
• Six very bad reasons to have a library branch in Second Life Librarians Matter, 1 May 2007
• Infoisland.org: Second Life Libraries blog
• Virtual.librariesinteract.info: Blog central for Australian Libraries in Other Worlds