Learning in Virtualities on June 24
SDSU-DistanceEd-SL
Yesterday’s LAT published a piece about corporate America’s embrace of Second Life. New World Notes’ Wagner James Au, shared some of the back story. Great journalism, it was and what I love about the blogosphere.I added my 2 cents to his post, as I have been here and there, in the Metaverse- YouTube, Twitter,etc. I’m still refining it.
The LAT article is another tidbit to add to my box-o-examples of using SL in courses at SDSU. For now. Change is always afoot.
We’re just starting to go distance-ed at SDSU. Let’s get our footing in the 2D virtual realm first. Let’s get some experience under our belts with the tools we got already. And more importantly let’s start thinking anew about teaching and learning at a distance. It’s a different paradigm, model and set of theories.
It seems that the corporate world has allowed SL to become “official” meeting places for their globally distributed workforces. And why not. It’s outrageously cheap. It’s a new approach. What it offers (small and large scale social events at cool places with cool activities) are simulations of events. I could be mistaken, but I can’t imagine that IBM hosts Aspen ski weekends for it’s middle management in RL (real life). I could be wrong.
In any event, without making this more important than it is, three conditions come to mind and make this relevant to SDSU, 1) People cannot get together face to face, 2) People value (enjoyment, connection, etc) entering SL to meet with others. 3) It’s an alternative, not the only way of adding social connection to a distance learning endeavor.
100 virtual worlds for children under 18
There being called youth worlds and there’s lots of them either in existence or being developed. The current ones are not 3D is the same way Second Life, but they have that sense of being in…well…a world. For example, there are avatars, and maps and buildings, things to do and people to meet.
2008 - the year of virtual realities?
Scanning the Virtual Worlds News (RSS Feed to the right) and boy, are there some things happening. I like this post
So Many Stealth Virtual Worlds Companies I’ve Lost Count
Word in the Metaverse last year, was this year we’d see some action….looks like it. Hmmmm which of my SL avatars will be the first to flee and explore the great unknown.
Browser-based access to SL, open source & gender
A young British woman (yeh!) is developing AjaxLife, a web-based application for connecting to Second Life from within your web browser. She’s surveying us on what we’d like to see. Do the survey here. Great idea (the survey and the project). I’m cheering women on is this domain because it is overwhelmingly male in culture and practice. Read these gender reports from the EU and FLOSS (Free/libre open source software).
“Women are actively (if unconsciously) excluded rather than passively disinterested. The effect lies within F/LOSS cultural and social arrangements. The exclusion happens among people who often do not mean to appear, and who do not interpret their own actions, as hostile to women. The effect is an outcome of the importance given to the individual as the sole carrier of agency. ”
Democracy?
Disabled find Sanctuary in SL
Read more
I’m glad to see this blog post. In my SL social circles, I’m meeting ever more folks who are finding the life, living, comfort and pleasure in SL they cannot have in RL. They have illnesses or life situations that prevent them from doing so.
Lightweight SL Client coming in Feb
Now this is interesting and worth paying attention to !Hoo!
“The net effect on our residents will not be so much new features, but the performance of simulators when many scripts are being executed, should be much more predictable.
