The 'treasure hunt' tasks during this course have been a useful tool for exploring the environment and potentials of SL. Having a goal to accomplish, which encourages research skills, problem-solving, in-world knowledge and creativity, alongside the added element of competition against fellow students (and a Linden cash prize!), contribute to making a 'treasure hunt' challenge intrinsically motivating, in Malone's words (for me anyway). The student discussions that develop during each week are testament to the engaging quality of these tasks. I also appreciated the open-ended non-specific nature of some weeks' tasks - encouraging the students to act creatively, bringing about a diverse range of possible 'answers'.
News task
This was relatively straightforward, with 'hunters' discovering RL news sources such as Reuters, and SL specific news sources. The RL news outlets signify yet another digital means of accessing media information. With the increasing popularity of RSS feeds, podcasts and online news videos, SL offers an alternative way of distributing and consuming information. Whether SL based news sources will become as popular as other web-based suppliers remains to be seen.
Ivory Tower of Primitives
I had until this week been almost completely unaware of the accessibility of building applications within SL. I could appreciate that people were making all kinds of inanimate and animate objects, but thought that this required special expertise, far removed from my relative inexperience. However the Ivory Tower tutorials show just how easy building in SL can be (tho more complex creations of course take time and experience). This feature of SL, that it's inhabitants can really contribute to its overall design, is both appealing and valuable. A participant doesn't have to be a 'designer' to make something that serves a useful purpose. Hence SL environments (provided you pay for it) can be crafted to meet a range of educational needs, whether it's a simple class space, a museum, or even a presentation suite complete with video screen - without its creator being particularly well qualified. This versatility and 'maleability' of the SL environment is surely one of its greatest benefits, allowing it to be created by its inhabitants, thus increasing a greater sense of ownership. As Barry Brown and Marek Bell write with reference to a game called *There*, a precursor to SL, ' games occupy our attention for longer than many of the traditional office applications studied... . It is not only that games are an interesting new application of collaborative systems, but that in looking at games [we have] the opportunity to consider new purposes for the systems we design, and new social benefits that they can produce.' The ability to constuct the digital environment makes it a much more powerful tool for representing the needs of a digital generation. [From ''There' as a collaborative environment', Proceedings of the 2004 ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work]
Buy and Sell task
This week's task offered a good insight into the economic system within SL. My research for interesting artefacts led me too 'The Yak Shack', an area provided by Save the Children, which offers yaks for sale, the proceeds of which go to impoverished families in Tibet. What someone is going to do with a digital representation of a yak, I don't know (tho apparently they are customisable, and can be entered into livestock competitions), but it is certainly and innovative way of raising money (albeit Linden dollars). People are obviously prepared to pay to enhance their image (with clothes and hairstyles) and their surroundings (buying plots of land) and this has created an entire micro-economy. I have yet to be persuaded to part with any RL money yet, but I suppose that if it enabled the creation of a learning zone that had practical applications, a fraction of the cost of a RL setting, it would certainly be money well spent.
Join a Group task
Joined the Pacman appreciation club. Couldn't resist having the title 'Pacman' hovering above my head.
Showing posts with label Second Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Second Life. Show all posts
Monday, 26 February 2007
Bonus level - Having a Second Life
From a personal point of view I find the topics of Second Life, virtual/fantasy worlds and avatars one of the most fascinating that we have touched on so far in this course - yet haven't really covered any of this in this blog so far. There are many features that interest me about Second Life, which probably require an entire semester to cover but hopefully I can at least lay down a few ideas about why I think SL is such a valuable, exciting and perhaps dangerous medium, not just for educators, but also for anyone who communicates with others online.
My initial impression of in-world 'talk' is that there is undoubtedly a significant shift in dynamics when three dimensional graphics are involved, as opposed to a simple SMS system. A 'person' can move around, approach people, fly, and visit things much like we do with our physical bodies. This is a quantum leap from a simple text discussion, like we experience in most online communication, and adds a far more intuitive (tho by no means perfect) dimension to communication. Studies have shown that a significant amount of f2f communication is non-verbal, ie we are very sensitive to body language, and will form assumptions, both consciously and unconsciously, by interpreting how other people occupy physical space. While communication in SL is not nearly as complex as in 'first life' (FL), and text is still the norm, it does appear to be somewhat richer than say email, SMS or other text-based networking sites. Avatars can make fairly complex gestures and actions which add a physical context to any written words - like taking the 'smileys' a great leap forward. Avatars can also make basic sounds, and as audio capabilities increase to the point that people are able to chat via microphones, the depth of communication is likely to increase (though I am not entirely sure how managable it might be having a number of people speaking at the same time - perhaps similar to a FL situation). However, as it stands now, having a 3D virtual space to occupy appears to make communication easier and more engaging than most other online means.[I would be interested to know whether people find it more engaging using SL than live video link-up?]
My next impression is that SL and other virtual worlds invite a whole host of interesting questions in terms of psychology of users, the economics and sociology of the virtual society and the anthropology of virtual cultures. Do these worlds simply offer mindless escapism, or can it be a mentally and emotionally rewarding experience? How is identity constructed? Is there a point where becoming immersed in a virtual world becomes psychologically and socially unsettling for people? And can it lead to deeper self-knowledge and learning? As a starting point, it might be worth considering plain fact that these virtual worlds are instinctively appealing to literally millions of users. Why is this so? In his article Living Digitally: Embodiment in Virtual Worlds (in The Social Life of Avatars, Schroeder ed. 2002), Taylor provides some interesting case studies on this subject, writing that 'some users have even come to identify their avatar as "more them" than their corporeal body'. This I find slightly unsettling, though as one avid SL fan blogged, 'our corporeal body is merely an avatar too. We are simply a vessel of meat and water that carries our tenuous consciousness from place to place'. It seems that existence as an avatar certainly enables people to express themselves, perhaps even in ways they cannot with their corporeal body. As Meg put it, one of Taylors subjects, "I usually change my av [avatar] to suit my moods, or to experiment with others' reactions to different appearances, or to see how different looks affect my own action s and comfort levels". Another subject wrote that her avatar 'absolves (herself) of some of the responsibilitiy of "acting human"'. Many users claim such similar experiences of liberation. One even goes so far as to say, ' "I see being an avatar as sort of a long-term self-exploration and even self-reconfiguration" '.
Gee (2003) relates a similar experience of self-understanding through fantasy game playing, writing that 'a good role-playing video game makes me think new thoughts about what I value and what I do not'. Developing an avatar or in-game alter-ego requires an assessment and recognition of values in out-of-game experience, whether or not the in-game character upholds these values. In Gee's view, participants 'must come to see this virtual identity as their own project in the making, an identity they take on that entails a certain trajectory through time defined by their own values, desires, choices, goals, and actions. This is what creates ownership.' He calls this the 'Self-Knowledge Principle', suggesting that in taking on and playing with identities, making choices that determine the history of a character, and taking risks where real-world consequences are lowered (Erickson's psychosocial moratorium), then 'learners learn not only about the domain but about themselves and their current and potential capacities'. It seems that in spite of limitations of movement, actions and auditory speech, people find that being in a virtual world offers significant freedom of expression and opportunity for in-game and out-of-game self development and identity creation.
Another interesting feature is that life as an avatar can be particularly helpful for people who can struggle to communicate and socialise effectively in f2f settings. There was an interesting study done in Nottingham with people with ASDs (Autism Spectrum Disorders), who found it easier to cope with communication in a virtual avatar-based world, for the following reasons: [1] The user has active control over their participation in the VE; [2] Interaction can take place without face-to-face communication which many people with autism find particularly confusing; [3] The social complexity of the situation and the non-verbal and verbal features of communication can be directly controlled and manipulated; and [4] Interaction takes place within an environment that is safe from potentially negative real world consequences. The research showed that the VE significantly helped people with ASDs in learning social skills, and provides an interesting example of how the unique features of a VE can be exploited for learning. (See www.virart.nott.ac.uk/asi for more info)
While I've only touched on some of the reasons why SL might be engaging for users, when you couple this potential with an increased facilitation of communication, it is clear that SL and other virtual worlds will provide online educators with an extremely valuable medium for teaching. The challenge over the coming years is how to manage and design effective courses, while continuing to explorie the many avenues of teaching and learning that might arise. Watching the NMC's (New Media Consortium) vision of what a virtual campus might look like is like watching a science fiction film. Only this future is likely to be months from now, as opposed to years.
My initial impression of in-world 'talk' is that there is undoubtedly a significant shift in dynamics when three dimensional graphics are involved, as opposed to a simple SMS system. A 'person' can move around, approach people, fly, and visit things much like we do with our physical bodies. This is a quantum leap from a simple text discussion, like we experience in most online communication, and adds a far more intuitive (tho by no means perfect) dimension to communication. Studies have shown that a significant amount of f2f communication is non-verbal, ie we are very sensitive to body language, and will form assumptions, both consciously and unconsciously, by interpreting how other people occupy physical space. While communication in SL is not nearly as complex as in 'first life' (FL), and text is still the norm, it does appear to be somewhat richer than say email, SMS or other text-based networking sites. Avatars can make fairly complex gestures and actions which add a physical context to any written words - like taking the 'smileys' a great leap forward. Avatars can also make basic sounds, and as audio capabilities increase to the point that people are able to chat via microphones, the depth of communication is likely to increase (though I am not entirely sure how managable it might be having a number of people speaking at the same time - perhaps similar to a FL situation). However, as it stands now, having a 3D virtual space to occupy appears to make communication easier and more engaging than most other online means.[I would be interested to know whether people find it more engaging using SL than live video link-up?]
My next impression is that SL and other virtual worlds invite a whole host of interesting questions in terms of psychology of users, the economics and sociology of the virtual society and the anthropology of virtual cultures. Do these worlds simply offer mindless escapism, or can it be a mentally and emotionally rewarding experience? How is identity constructed? Is there a point where becoming immersed in a virtual world becomes psychologically and socially unsettling for people? And can it lead to deeper self-knowledge and learning? As a starting point, it might be worth considering plain fact that these virtual worlds are instinctively appealing to literally millions of users. Why is this so? In his article Living Digitally: Embodiment in Virtual Worlds (in The Social Life of Avatars, Schroeder ed. 2002), Taylor provides some interesting case studies on this subject, writing that 'some users have even come to identify their avatar as "more them" than their corporeal body'. This I find slightly unsettling, though as one avid SL fan blogged, 'our corporeal body is merely an avatar too. We are simply a vessel of meat and water that carries our tenuous consciousness from place to place'. It seems that existence as an avatar certainly enables people to express themselves, perhaps even in ways they cannot with their corporeal body. As Meg put it, one of Taylors subjects, "I usually change my av [avatar] to suit my moods, or to experiment with others' reactions to different appearances, or to see how different looks affect my own action s and comfort levels". Another subject wrote that her avatar 'absolves (herself) of some of the responsibilitiy of "acting human"'. Many users claim such similar experiences of liberation. One even goes so far as to say, ' "I see being an avatar as sort of a long-term self-exploration and even self-reconfiguration" '.
Gee (2003) relates a similar experience of self-understanding through fantasy game playing, writing that 'a good role-playing video game makes me think new thoughts about what I value and what I do not'. Developing an avatar or in-game alter-ego requires an assessment and recognition of values in out-of-game experience, whether or not the in-game character upholds these values. In Gee's view, participants 'must come to see this virtual identity as their own project in the making, an identity they take on that entails a certain trajectory through time defined by their own values, desires, choices, goals, and actions. This is what creates ownership.' He calls this the 'Self-Knowledge Principle', suggesting that in taking on and playing with identities, making choices that determine the history of a character, and taking risks where real-world consequences are lowered (Erickson's psychosocial moratorium), then 'learners learn not only about the domain but about themselves and their current and potential capacities'. It seems that in spite of limitations of movement, actions and auditory speech, people find that being in a virtual world offers significant freedom of expression and opportunity for in-game and out-of-game self development and identity creation.
Another interesting feature is that life as an avatar can be particularly helpful for people who can struggle to communicate and socialise effectively in f2f settings. There was an interesting study done in Nottingham with people with ASDs (Autism Spectrum Disorders), who found it easier to cope with communication in a virtual avatar-based world, for the following reasons: [1] The user has active control over their participation in the VE; [2] Interaction can take place without face-to-face communication which many people with autism find particularly confusing; [3] The social complexity of the situation and the non-verbal and verbal features of communication can be directly controlled and manipulated; and [4] Interaction takes place within an environment that is safe from potentially negative real world consequences. The research showed that the VE significantly helped people with ASDs in learning social skills, and provides an interesting example of how the unique features of a VE can be exploited for learning. (See www.virart.nott.ac.uk/asi for more info)
While I've only touched on some of the reasons why SL might be engaging for users, when you couple this potential with an increased facilitation of communication, it is clear that SL and other virtual worlds will provide online educators with an extremely valuable medium for teaching. The challenge over the coming years is how to manage and design effective courses, while continuing to explorie the many avenues of teaching and learning that might arise. Watching the NMC's (New Media Consortium) vision of what a virtual campus might look like is like watching a science fiction film. Only this future is likely to be months from now, as opposed to years.
Saturday, 18 November 2006
Second Life and the Avatar Generation
From a personal point of view I find the topics of Second Life, virtual worlds and avatars one of the most fascinating that we have touched on so far in this course - yet I have remained completely tongue-tied until now. In all honesty, I've been feeling that it's an area so large in scope that I have really just not known where to start. There are many features that interest me about Second Life, which probably require an entire semester to cover (see next term) but hopefully I can at least lay down a few ideas about why I think SL is such a valuable, exciting and perhaps dangerous medium, not just for educators, but also for anyone who communicates with others online. [Please bear in mind this is after only actually being properly 'in-world' once - the rest of my understanding comes from the SL website and viewing video footage - somewhat frustratingly. A new computer has been ordered!]
My initial impression of in-world 'talk' is that there is undoubtedly a significant shift in dynamics when three dimensions are involved, as opposed to a simple SMS system. A 'person' can move around, approach people, fly, and visit things much like we do with our physical bodies. This is a quantum leap from a simple text discussion, like we experienced in the early weeks of this course, and adds a far more intuitive (tho by no means perfect) dimension to communication. Studies have shown that a significant amount of f2f communication is non-verbal, ie we are very sensitive to body language, and will form assumptions, both consciously and unconsciously, by interpreting how other people occupy physical space. While communication in SL is not nearly as complex as in 'first life' (FL), and text is still the norm, it does appear to be somewhat richer than say email, SMS or other text-based networking sites. Avatars can make fairly complex gestures and actions which add a physical context to any written words - like taking the 'smileys' a great leap forward. Avatars can also make basic sounds, and as audio capabilities increase to the point that people are able to chat via microphones, the depth of communication is likely to increase (though I am not entirely sure how managable it might be having a number of people speaking at the same time). However, as it stands now, having a 3D virtual space to occupy appears to make communication easier and more engaging than most other online means. [I would be interested to know whether people find it more engaging using SL than live video link-up?]
My next impression is that SL and other virtual worlds invite a whole host of interesting questions in terms of psychology of users, the economics and sociology of the virtual society and the anthropology of virtual cultures. Do these worlds simply offer mindless escapism, or can it be a mentally and emotionally rewarding experience? How is identity constructed? Is there a point where becoming imersed in a virtual world becomes psychologically and socially unsettling for people? And can it lead to deeper self-knowledge and learning? These questions may take another semester to answer, but as a starting point, it might be worth considering why these virtual worlds can be so instinctively appealing to many users. Why is this so?
Taylor provides some interesting case studies on this subject, writing that 'some users have even come to identify their avatar as "more them" than their corporeal body'. This I find slightly unsettling, though as one avid SL fan blogged, 'our corporeal body is merely an avatar too. We are simply a vessel of meat and water that carries our tenuous consciousness from place to place'. It seems that existence as an avatar certainly enables people to express themselves, perhaps even in ways they cannot with their corporeal body. As Meg put it, one of Taylors subjects, "I usually change my av [avatar] to suit my moods, or to experiment with others' reactions to different appearances, or to see how different looks affect my own action s and comfort levels". Another subject wrote that her avatar 'absolves (herself) of some of the responsibilitiy of "acting human"'. Many users claim such similar experiences of liberation. One even goes so far as to say, ' "I see being an avatar as sort of a long-term self-exploration and even self-reconfiguration" '. It seems that in spite of limitations of movement, actions and auditory speech, people find that virtual world life offers significant freedom of expression.
Another interesting feature is that life as an avatar can be particularly helpful for people who can struggle to communicate and socialise effectively in f2f settings. There was an interesting study done in Nottingham with people with ASDs (Autism Spectrum Disorders), who found it easier to cope with communication in a virtual avatar-based world, for the following reasons:
*The user has active control over their participation in the VE *Interaction can take place without face-to-face communication which many people with autism find particularly confusing *The social complexity of the situation and the non-verbal and verbal features of communication can be directly controlled and manipulated *Interaction takes place within an environment that is safe from potentially negative real world consequences
The research showed that the VE significantly helped people with ASDs in learning social skills, and provides an interesting example of how the unique features of a VE can be exploited for learning. (See www.virart.nott.ac.uk/asi for more info)
While I've only touched on some of the reasons why SL might be engaging for users, when you couple this potential with an increased facilitation of communication, it is clear that SL and other virtual worlds will provide online educators with an extremely valuable medium for teaching. The challenge over the coming years is how to manage and design effective courses, while continuing to explorie the many avenues of teaching and learning that might arise. Watching the NMC's (New Media Consortium) vision of what a virtual campus might look like is like watching a science fiction film. Only this future is likely to be months, as opposed to years, from now.
My initial impression of in-world 'talk' is that there is undoubtedly a significant shift in dynamics when three dimensions are involved, as opposed to a simple SMS system. A 'person' can move around, approach people, fly, and visit things much like we do with our physical bodies. This is a quantum leap from a simple text discussion, like we experienced in the early weeks of this course, and adds a far more intuitive (tho by no means perfect) dimension to communication. Studies have shown that a significant amount of f2f communication is non-verbal, ie we are very sensitive to body language, and will form assumptions, both consciously and unconsciously, by interpreting how other people occupy physical space. While communication in SL is not nearly as complex as in 'first life' (FL), and text is still the norm, it does appear to be somewhat richer than say email, SMS or other text-based networking sites. Avatars can make fairly complex gestures and actions which add a physical context to any written words - like taking the 'smileys' a great leap forward. Avatars can also make basic sounds, and as audio capabilities increase to the point that people are able to chat via microphones, the depth of communication is likely to increase (though I am not entirely sure how managable it might be having a number of people speaking at the same time). However, as it stands now, having a 3D virtual space to occupy appears to make communication easier and more engaging than most other online means. [I would be interested to know whether people find it more engaging using SL than live video link-up?]
My next impression is that SL and other virtual worlds invite a whole host of interesting questions in terms of psychology of users, the economics and sociology of the virtual society and the anthropology of virtual cultures. Do these worlds simply offer mindless escapism, or can it be a mentally and emotionally rewarding experience? How is identity constructed? Is there a point where becoming imersed in a virtual world becomes psychologically and socially unsettling for people? And can it lead to deeper self-knowledge and learning? These questions may take another semester to answer, but as a starting point, it might be worth considering why these virtual worlds can be so instinctively appealing to many users. Why is this so?
Taylor provides some interesting case studies on this subject, writing that 'some users have even come to identify their avatar as "more them" than their corporeal body'. This I find slightly unsettling, though as one avid SL fan blogged, 'our corporeal body is merely an avatar too. We are simply a vessel of meat and water that carries our tenuous consciousness from place to place'. It seems that existence as an avatar certainly enables people to express themselves, perhaps even in ways they cannot with their corporeal body. As Meg put it, one of Taylors subjects, "I usually change my av [avatar] to suit my moods, or to experiment with others' reactions to different appearances, or to see how different looks affect my own action s and comfort levels". Another subject wrote that her avatar 'absolves (herself) of some of the responsibilitiy of "acting human"'. Many users claim such similar experiences of liberation. One even goes so far as to say, ' "I see being an avatar as sort of a long-term self-exploration and even self-reconfiguration" '. It seems that in spite of limitations of movement, actions and auditory speech, people find that virtual world life offers significant freedom of expression.
Another interesting feature is that life as an avatar can be particularly helpful for people who can struggle to communicate and socialise effectively in f2f settings. There was an interesting study done in Nottingham with people with ASDs (Autism Spectrum Disorders), who found it easier to cope with communication in a virtual avatar-based world, for the following reasons:
*The user has active control over their participation in the VE *Interaction can take place without face-to-face communication which many people with autism find particularly confusing *The social complexity of the situation and the non-verbal and verbal features of communication can be directly controlled and manipulated *Interaction takes place within an environment that is safe from potentially negative real world consequences
The research showed that the VE significantly helped people with ASDs in learning social skills, and provides an interesting example of how the unique features of a VE can be exploited for learning. (See www.virart.nott.ac.uk/asi for more info)
While I've only touched on some of the reasons why SL might be engaging for users, when you couple this potential with an increased facilitation of communication, it is clear that SL and other virtual worlds will provide online educators with an extremely valuable medium for teaching. The challenge over the coming years is how to manage and design effective courses, while continuing to explorie the many avenues of teaching and learning that might arise. Watching the NMC's (New Media Consortium) vision of what a virtual campus might look like is like watching a science fiction film. Only this future is likely to be months, as opposed to years, from now.
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