1. ISEVW 2009 Customizing Virtual Worlds for Education Doug Holton [email_address] ( Dug Digitalin Second Life)

2. Welcome

I am very honored to participate in this symposium.

3. I would like to talk about opportunities for software developers to customize virtual worlds for better integration with education and schools. 4. In particular, using OpenSim and Project Wonderland 5. Using vs. Modifying Technologies

Upon seeing a new technology like blogs, wikis, Twitter, Youtube, Second Life...one of the first questions teachers may ask is:

How can I use it in my classroom?

6. Later the question becomes: 7. How can Imodifyorcustomizeitfor my classroom? 8. Focus of This Talk

The first question about using these technologies in education already has many answers and examples.There are long lists of their uses in the classroom.

9. This talk will focus on the second question.How can we modify virtual worlds for even better integration with education and schooling? 10. Other Educational Customizations

This second question has already been addressed for other technologies:

Social Technology Educational Versions Blogs Edublogs, Moodle Wikis Wikispaces, PBWorks, Moodle Twitter Edmodo Youtube TeacherTube 11. Modifying Virtual Worlds

What are some modifications to virtual worlds that would facilitate their use in educational contexts? I'll discuss 7. 3 that have been done, and 4 that could be done

12. From analyzing the other educational versions of social technologies, the first and foremost modification teachers want is:a private/protected space for the teachers and students to use . 13. Protected Spaces

wikispaces allows private wikis, edmodo allows private messaging, moodle allows private blogs and wikis, teachertube filters educational videos...

14. This of course is already possible with virtual worlds.In particular when using hosted servers for virtual world platforms such as OpenSim and Project Wonderland. 15. Project Wonderland https://wonderland.dev.java.net/ 16. Project Wonderland 17. iSocial http://isocial.rnet.missouri.edu/ 18. iSocial 19. OpenSim

Summary of Various Educators using OpenSim:

20. http://www.l4l.co.uk/?p=592 21. ReactionGrid, hosting for educators 22. http://reactiongrid.com/ 23. ScienceSim, sponsored by Intel 24. http://www.sciencesim.com/wiki/doku.php 25. Integration with LMS

A second common modification request is integrating the technology with existing learning management systems.

26. Moodle for example incorporated blogs & wikis. 27. This has already been done in the case of virtual worlds with Sloodle, which integrates Second Life / OpenSim with Moodle: 28. http://www.sloodle.org/moodle/ 29. Sloodle 30. Project Wonderland & LMS?

Open Question:

31. Could Project Wonderland (a java-based virtual world) be integrated with Moodle or else a Java-based learning management system like Sakai or others? 32. http://www.manageability.org/blog/stuff/open-source-learning-management-systems 33. Modifications to Server

A third type of modification is allowing programmers to create custom simulations and alter the underlying physics and other properties of the virtual world.

34. This is also already being done with open source virtual world platforms such as OpenSim & Project Wonderland 35. ScienceSim

http://www.sciencesim.com/wiki/doku.php

36. Solar System Model 37. Mt. St. Helens 38. Yellowstone National Park 39. iCAIR's States of Matter 40. Fern Seed by Aaron Duffy at USU 41. http://fernseed.wordpress.com/ 42. Fern Seed 43. Fern Seed 44. Modifications Outside the Box

Here are 4 other ideas for modifications that have not yet been implemented:

Integrated library of objects and behaviors

45. Easier development language 46. Support for alternative interfaces, haptics 47. Virtual world platform for cell phones and netbooks 48. Scribblenauts (Nintendo DS) http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/06/scribblenauts/ 49. Kodu for Xbox 360 & PC 50. Scratch for Second Life

http://web.mit.edu/~eric_r/Public/S4SL/

51. See also the SketchLife plugin for Second Life http://vrshed.com/sketchlife/index.html 52. HyperBasic

A programming language in development (targeted for summer 2010)

53. Designed with teachers, students and other non-programmers in mind 54. Large built-in standard library of functions and objects and units (3 meters + 2 km) 55. Can compile to the Java and Android platforms, meaning it can be used for applets, applications, Project Wonderland, and cell phones (Android) 56. HyperBasic Math Example 2 rabbits + 3 turtles = ? 57. HyperBasic Units Example 2 m/s + 3 m/s = ? tell rabbit1 to move 2 meters in 1 second tell rabbit2 to move 3 meters in 1 second tell rabbit3 to move 5 meters in 2 secondsX tell rabbit3 to move 5 meters in 1 second tell rabbit3 to move 2 meters in 0.4 seconds say rabbit3's velocity 58. HyperBasic Units Example

Other scientific calculator-like examples:

59. 3 liters + 2 pints = ? 60. Uses JScience libraryhttp://jscience.org/api/javax/units/SI.html 61. Syntax has 2 modes, both case-insensitive

Basic-like mode: rabbit1.move(3m,1s)

62. Hypercard-like (or Applescript-like) mode: tell rabbit1 to... rabbit1's name 63. Android Platform

by Googlehttp://www.android.com/

64. Runs on Cell Phones and Netbooks 65. JOYity 66. Alternative Interfaces

Haptics, Mixed Reality...

67. Wiimote with Virtual Worlds 68. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBkL2zNMyO4 69. Mixed Reality Table 70. http://campustechnology.com/articles/2009/08/01/innovators-immersive.aspx 71. Summary of VW Modifications

Protected Space for Teachers & Students (OpenSim, Project Wonderland)

72. Integration with LMS (i.e., Sloodle) 73. Modifying Underlying Server and Physics (ScienceSim, Fern Seed) 74. Integrated Object Library (Scribblenauts) 75. Beginner-friendly Development Language (i.e., Scratch, HyperBasic...) 76. Running on netbooks and cell phones (i.e., Android) 77. Alternative Interfaces, Haptics 78. Thank You

Thank you very much! Doug Holton