Second life is a 3-D immersive platform in which users represent themselves as avatars that can build the 3-D spaces in which they interact.

Roughly 500,000-1,000,000 active users.

35-45,000 users in-world at any given time.

300 universities conducting classes or research.

Japanese universities conducting classes in SL?

100`s of companies conducting business & research.

Group of about 250 universities and organizations dedicated to the exploration and use of new media and new technologies.

http://sl.nmc.org/2006/06/12/seriously-engaging-movie/

Brain-computer interface for controlling Second Life avatars Neurophilosophy 10.12.07Second Life: A Virtual Universe for Real Engineering Design News 10.12.07Virtual world allows for educational opportunities The Wildcat Online 10.10.07Free the Avatars New York Times 10.10.07More Internet users getting a virtual life San Francisco Chronicle 10.08.07Real Hope in a Virtual World Washington Post 10.06.07

Second Life on CSI: NY NYTimes Video 10.04.07

Law & OrderOctober 2007

The OfficeOctober 2007

Paradigm shift in the way we communicate, interact, consume, create, and learn.

The industrial age has been characterized by a centralized model of mass production in which

consumers are passive receptacles of finished goods.

In the information age, the means of producing and distributing information, culture, entertainment,

education, and learning are at the fingertips of most people in the developed world.

Elite

Masses

Finished goods

Finished goods

Elite

Sharing

Creating

Producing & Consuming = Prosumer?

Collaboration

Playing an active role

Tools that enable and promote:

Immersion in the target languageDavid Wood – November, 2007 JALT Journal

Create their own learning experiences

Collaboration (co-creation)

Safe experimentation

Authentic interaction

Highly motivational- Fun & Utilize past learning

Simulate real life classes – virtual NOVA

Authentic interactions

Co-creation of learning experiences

Safe experimentation

Role play

Extension of current practices

Leverages immersive platform

http://kt.flexiblelearning.net.au/tkt2007/edition-15

http://www.thejournal.com/articles/21380

ENSAT (École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Toulouse)

Weekly Teachers` Meeting

Students were divided into teams of about 7 and tasked with creating a new society within Second Life that combined aspects of the various cultures in their teams.

Specifically, students were asked to:•Introduce themselves (& their culture)•Decide on 10 team rules for interaction•Design a team flag•Create a representation of their new society using SL`s building tools.

Students were setup with:•Yahoo e-mail accounts•Wiki– worlduniversityexchange.wikispaces.com•Second Life avatars (anonymous names)

Wiki

•Backbone of the exchange•Asynchronous communications•Coordination

Successes

Impediments to success

Extensive asynchronous communication through the wiki.Synchronous communication through SL was difficult to time,

but very exciting and motivating whenever it occurred.When in-world, students truly felt immersed in an English environment and only used English even with each other.

Students were very relaxed when communicating through their avatars and could “experiment” with language use.

Created their own learning experiences.Were able to utilize their English education by engaging in AUTHENTIC interactions to accomplish tasks and for fun.

Highly ENGAGED

Steven Moinester

Elmo WilderFace to Face

•Can be intimidating

•Shy•Lack confidence

•Easily embarrassed by mistakes

•Difficult to experiment•Typically don`t approach

strangers

Avatar Interaction

•Relaxed•Not shy

•Bold•Not easily embarrassed by

mistakes•Easily experiment

•Start conversations with strangers any time

•Therapy

[2007/10/13 7:11] Ashley WorldUE: I can not meet my team mate but I can talk with foreign people! it is nice experiment for me[2007/10/13 7:13] Ashley WorldUE: Surely! I'm not good English so I can not talk with you in class but in chat I can speak to you casually :o)

TechnologicalHardware and connection issues

Steep technological learning curve

OtherScheduling synchronous communications

Not accustomed to open-ended assignments

Coordinating and setting norms

Second Life is an excellent platform for promoting authentic interactions, safe

experimentation, and engagement in the learning process.

But…to fully realize the potential of this platform within a university exchange

program the classes should be conducted synchronously to ensure sufficient

interaction.

Synchronously coordinated university exchange classes.

Using SL and other collaborative communication tools to substitute simulated communications with authentic interactions

whenever possible.

Assignments based classes.

Thank you!