Social Networking and Second Life

							   Virtual worlds
      Andrew Rothery
Head of E-Learning Innovation
   University of Worcester
             UK
                 Programme
•   Demo - the Second Life environment
•   Presentation - virtual worlds in education
•   What might a EUNIS group achieve?
•   Discussion
•   Any volunteers? Would you like to play an
    active part in the work of this group?
        The virtual classroom
• Classroom – a place where the teacher, the
  students and the learning resources interact
• Virtual classroom – a classroom where teacher
  and students from anywhere can be together,
  and the resources a dynamic part of the world
• It’s “real” – the class can be inside a volcano,
  running with tigers, up in the clouds, down
  amongst the molecules, or just sitting
  somewhere working together
Ohio State University Second Life Campus
    Eduserv survey of UK HE/FE
    developments in Second Life
• Published July 2007
• Setting up groups, mainly discussion
• A presence for courses, departments, or
  institutions
• Thinking of doing golf course design
• Exhibitions and displays e.g. Fashion, Art
• Teaching Environment
• Lists over 40 colleges, unis, departments getting
  started
                  Web 2.0 ish        Social networking:
              Can upload material •Can link to friends
            Pics, videos, sound, etc   •Can manage




  Goodbye to the desktop
                                               Can create material:
   Is this a new interface
                                              pics, 3D art, buildings
for working with computers?
                                             Can create environments




                                       Can integrate
                3D virtual world        with real life
            Meeting place
Learn4life
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Learn4Life/183/13
  9/26
      Creative writing festival
• Orb – Virtual Reality Creative Writing
  Magazine
  – (English Subject Centre + Internal UH Project)
  – Promo Video
  – Video of launch

  – From Steve Bennet, Hertfordshire University
         More SL Locations
EduServ Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Eduserv%20Islan
  d/153/33/32

University of Edinburgh
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vue/115/153/
             Virtual World
It is a place for interaction
   Talking, discussing, working together with
   a strong sense of presence compared with
   text-based forums
It is a world
   Teaching and learning resources, things to
   see and do, to build, to experience
  EUNIS ELTF Working Group
• Create a network for those interested in
  investigating the potential of virtual worlds
• Use Second Life to create an online
  meeting place for EUNIS members to get
  together for discussion on any topic
• What is our aim in each case?
• What task(s) can be undertaken and
  completed by June 2008?
       Andrew Rothery
  Head of E-Learning Innovation
Information and Learning Services
      University of Worcester
 a.rothery@worc.ac.uk