Christine CrawfordMichael Crawford

Instructional Design and Technology

What is a Virtual World - A virtual world is a computer-based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit, interact and create via avatars

International Space Flight Museum

What is Second Life?A 3-D virtual worldFree and available to everyoneCreated in 2003 by Linden LabOver 18 million residents

53% male, 47% female200 + countries250 + universitiesIn-world economy L$260 = US$1 (as of March ‘08)

Second Life is unique…Distributed simulation - Most virtual worlds are located

on one server and are limited in sizeSL is divided over a network of machines. Every time a

new machine is added to the network, hundreds of virtual acres are created.

Advanced compression – allows data to be compressed into thousands of objects per second into continuous streams to the resident’s machine

Collaborative, immersive, open-ended

Acronyms and expressionsSL = Second LifeRL = Real LifeIn-world = inside the virtual world of SLTP = teleportBling = objects that sparkle in-world (they can cause

lag)Prim = Primitive shape or object – Most basic shape

which can be further manipulated to build in-world

- a character that represents you in the virtual world

Can look just like you Or look nothing like you

Avatar

Avatars are customizable

Is Second Life a Game?Goals and objectives in games are dictated by the game

designers.

What you set out to accomplish, when and how you level up are all predetermined by the writers.

In SL, the players ARE the writers.

Trends toward Virtual Worlds In-coming students will have

already been introduced to the virtual worlds: Webkinz Disney Online Studios

Club Penguin Pirates of the Caribbean Online Fairies Pixie Hollow Cars

Teen Grid Disney plans to spend $5 million to

$10 million a piece to develop as many as 10 virtual worlds built around familiar Disney characters and franchises

Corporations like IBM, Cisco and SUN use SL to interview, train, and socialize their employees

Gartner Report 2007 Gartner Says 80 Percent of Active Internet Users (and Fortune 500 enterprises)Will Have A "Second Life" in the Virtual World by the End of 2011

eMarketerestimates that 24%

of the 34.3 million child and teen Internet users in the US will use virtual worlds on at least a monthly basis in 2007. By 2011, 53% of them will be going

virtual.

Networking/CollaborationDr. Bob Vernon, Chair, Indiana Univ, School of Social WorkDr. Lisa Dawley, Chair, Boise State Univ Educational TechSeveral professional instructional designersEmployee of Sun MicrosystemsGraduate library student from U of AChinese male living in Australia, using a female avatarBuilder of Northern Illinois University (Glidden)Member of SL Development board and shop ownerCEO and other important figures of NMCSeveral Harvard students

Second Life at UNDUND leased a small parcel of land from the New Media

ConsortiumT&L - Space created for Special Ed Law class group discussion

and collaboration IT– graphic design students interviewing residents in-world

(COP)Geography– Dissertation on sense of placeCommunications – grad student teaching undergrads in graphic

designCommunications – Master’s thesis on mentoringIDT – grad student writing grant proposal for the NRC

Sandboxes- Places to build

Role Play-Culturized Texturing

Business Ops

Places to visitDemonstrate ExperienceBerkmanAvilionSteam Forge

UND (t-shirt)Greenies

Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org

http://lindenlab.com/aboutwww.youtube.com

Special thanks to friends in-world for the help!