A Second Life for the University: Immersive Reality in Teaching
Second Life is a virtual world, a vast 3-D digital continent teeming with people, entertainment, experiences, and interesting, often unique opportunities. Established in 2001 by Philip Rosedale, now CEO of Linden Labs, Second Life is built and even owned by its residents.
Janet Temos, OIT’s Director of the Education Technologies Center, introduced Second Life and unveiled Princeton University’s island at the April 4 Lunch ‘n Learn seminar.
Since opening to the public in 2003, SL has grown explosively. It is inhabited today by more than 5 million people worldwide. Unlike other multiplayer “games,” Linden Labs provides a meaningful social network, real estate, and even a stable currency. Approximately 1 million US dollars change hands daily in the popular marketplace. The current exchange rate is 1 US dollar = 276 Lindens.
Residents can create and then retain the rights to digital creations that, they can buy, sell and trade with others. Basic membership in SL is free; a premium membership (necessary to own land) costs $10 a month.
The Princeton University island in Second Life is a place for members of the University community to experiment with the potential uses of Second Life for education. Some of the buildings on Princeton University island are replicas of real life buildings adapted to fit the Second Life environment including Chancellor Green Library, Nassau Hall, and Alexander Hall.
Princeton’s island includes a conference area, a museum of the arts, a performance hall, and an information center. There are several places designed for teaching and learning. A wilderness and activity area and a science museum are planned for the future.
Princeton’s island is part of a larger SL continent dedicated to higher education. The New Media Consortium (NMC) owns the central core of the island, and provides many benefits to neighboring universities, colleges, and libraries.
To get started you can register at the Second Life website and click on the “Join Now” button. Membership is completely free. During the registration, you will be given the chance to choose a name for your avatar, your virtual alter-ego within Second Life. With the free membership, you can install the SL software on your computer. The software is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms. There are two second life grids, one for young people and one for adults. Adults who want to enter the young person’s grid to teach must first pass a background check.
A 45 minute film about Second Life provides a well-balanced view of the world, including some recent legal issues. (Note: this video contains mature content). More information about Princeton’s island in Second Life is available here. For further information, Temos recommended “Second Life: The Official Guide” (Lindon Lab: 2007).
Comments
Thats very interesting, I’m always interested by how people interact in the real world vs online world. I was reading earlier this month about real life similarities between virtual worlds and the real world. The article I was reading was very interesting as it was talking about an epidemic that broke out in World Of Warcraft, and how it mirror real world epidemics. Check out http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=41819. Cheers.
Posted by: Scenic British Columbia | September 12, 2007 5:13 PM