Help for School Project

[SweetCupcake999]

Hello everyone.

The reason as to why I am making this post is because at school we have been assigned to do a project about SecondLife, where we can choose to focus on one specific topic. 
I have chosen to go with education. Like how it works to get an education at a university or college, how the "classes" work, things of that nature. Basically, how it works. 

Since we just started this project today and I have only heard of SL before, but have never played it until today, where I was only in for a brief period, and I didn`t know what I was doing, like at all. So, I have no idea how all of this works.

I would really appreciate if you could write about your experiences with taking an education in Second Life, so that I could potentially use it in my project.

Thank you in advance.

[MirandaBowers]

[Scylla Rhiadra]

Hi Sweet,

You don't really tell us enough about what sort of information you want, nor the kind of project this is, for us to be very helpful. Is this a university course? College? High school?

In any case, there are probably only a few educators here to respond knowledgeably, and probably even fewer virtual students.

I have some suggestions, however.

1) There is a subforum here for "Education." You can try posting there, although I don't think it's likely to be very helpful. I'd suggest you be more specific about the nature of your project if you want input. You can find it here:

https://community.secondlife.com/forums/forum/316-second-life-education/

2) If you go the SL Destination Guide, which is a (far from complete and not very accurate) list of places to visit in SL, you'll find a subcategory for "Education" in-world. I think there are over 50 places to visit. You might visit some, and see also if you can find someone to contact at one of these places.

https://secondlife.com/destinations/learning

There is an educators ListServ as well, called SLED (SL educators), but it's mostly for academics.

Consider visiting Caledon Oxbridge in-world or Virtual Ability: both are places you should find both educators and help. Use in-world search to find these.

Good luck!

(And tell your teacher or prof or whoever that they should really be giving you more guidance than they evidently are. SL is confusing enough for people who are just here to enjoy themselves: it must be hell for an uninitiated student!)

 

[Rolig Loon]

Scylla is quite right, @SweetCupcake999.  You're not likely to get much constructive feedback from a question that says little more than "Please tell me anything you know about education in SL."  I'm afraid we see far too many students who were sent here blindly by some teacher to write a term paper about "pick your vague topic here".  It's hardly your fault, but I predict that you will get a lot of snippy comments instead of much that you can use.  Take Scylla's advice, though.  She has given you some good places to start.

Before you get much farther along, I suggest putting more focus into your question -- maybe after you have spent a few days exploring to see what you have just jumped into.  You will notice, for example, that there aren't many places that look like classrooms here.  Why not?  You might find a huge number of places that give you a feel for different cultures and historical periods.  What sorts of cultures/periods are well represented?  Which ones are way underrepresented? How many are designed to help you learn something?  You'll find quite a few libraries here (use Search).  How are they serving educational purposes?  What resources do they offer?  Keep your eyes open and start a notebook of questions that will help you discover a real topic instead of the open-ended one your teacher handed you.  (I sure hope this paper isn't due next Friday.)

One important bit of advice: I know you are here to write an interesting paper about SL.  Please remember that this is not a rat maze or a zoo. Everyone here is a real person.  Many of us are older than you and almost all have been here a lot longer than you.  Chances are pretty good, then, that you'll be the naive newbie in the crowd.  It's a good role.  We've all been there. Don't be too nervous or defensive about it, but try not to act too much like the new kid on the block either.  Be a good anthropologist.  Try to fit in, watch, and listen so it isn't obvious that you are trying to write a report on how the monkeys behave here.

[Chic Aeon]

3 hours ago, SweetCupcake999 said:

Like how it works to get an education at a university or college, how the "classes" work, things of that nature. Basically, how it works. 

Along with all the advice of others so far (who knows what folks may say afterwards)    you should know that while there WERE at one time colleges using Second Life for credit classes, to my knowledge that is not happening much now. So there aren't tons of places and people that you can interview. And while there still MAY be some colleges with a presence here they are likely closed sims available only to enrolled students. 

 

As a college educator for many years I am wondering what on earth your instructor was up to with that assignment; maybe talking it over with them would be helpful.   You could of course switch your focus to something besides education and that would probably make it easier.  Fashion, Retailing, RolePlay, Sports --- lots of other possibilities.   

 

Google is also your friend and you should know that IF you are in college (even high school).  It took me less than two minutes to find this page -- which may be helpful (scroll down).

http://go.secondlife.com/landing/education/

Edited January 28, 2019 by Chic Aeon

[iamyourneighbour]

Oh boy. 

A lot of the universities and colleges here are for adult role-playing and not education purposes. The Sims owned by IRL universities are usually for promotional purpose. There is one to west of Jeojeot.

But if you want to see classes in action join Builder's Brewery where they run periodic classes in SL to teach people about creating in world. 

 

[Selene Gregoire]

Nope. Sorry. Never heard of any school specifically assigning Second Life as a project.

But just in case it is on the up and up, here's a couple of good starting points:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Second_Life

http://go.secondlife.com/landing/education/

https://secondlife.com/destinations/learning

This one hasn't been updated in a year but still useful: http://guides.ucf.edu/tandt/SLEducation

[Sasy Scarborough]

4 hours ago, SweetCupcake999 said:

Hello everyone.

The reason as to why I am making this post is because at school we have been assigned to do a project about SecondLife, where we can choose to focus on one specific topic. 
I have chosen to go with education. Like how it works to get an education at a university or college, how the "classes" work, things of that nature. Basically, how it works. 

Since we just started this project today and I have only heard of SL before, but have never played it until today, where I was only in for a brief period, and I didn`t know what I was doing, like at all. So, I have no idea how all of this works.

I would really appreciate if you could write about your experiences with taking an education in Second Life, so that I could potentially use it in my project.

Thank you in advance.

As mentioned there are some universities that have used Second Life for Education etc, but as far as I know you can only access them as a student, as in private locked down from any other residents. What you may have to do if this is the area you want to research is to find out who still has campuses here, if they are still actively teaching and contact them in RL and seek out the ability to be invited as a guest as I can imagine they would want to help a student with such a project. 

I really hope that your 'school' is not High School, because while you can enter Second Life as a 16 year old, it is a very in your face environment and with no proper direction your teacher really did just dump you all in it. Also if it is a class project I would suggest grouping up with others, so that you are not going it alone. 

[Chic Aeon]

1 hour ago, iamyourneighbour said:

Oh boy. 

A lot of the universities and colleges here are for adult role-playing and not education purposes. The Sims owned by IRL universities are usually for promotional purpose. There is one to west of Jeojeot.

But if you want to see classes in action join Builder's Brewery where they run periodic classes in SL to teach people about creating in world. 

 

From here original post it sounds like she wants to know about RL college classes for credit: "Like how it works to get an education at a university or college, how the "classes" work, things of that nature. Basically, how it works."

[Scylla Rhiadra]

19 minutes ago, Selene Gregoire said:

Nope. Sorry. Never heard of any school specifically assigning Second Life as a project.

Well, I can't speak to this particular project, but I've certainly known of schools assigning SL as projects. In fact, I've met with students who were enrolled in entire courses that were devoted to SL. I used to get invited to skating parties for one such group regularly (and I knew the prof IRL, so can attest to the legitimacy of it all).

Mind you, this was all some years ago. I'm honestly a bit surprised this sort of thing is still happening, tbh.

[Sasy Scarborough]

8 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Mind you, this was all some years ago. I'm honestly a bit surprised this sort of thing is still happening, tbh.

WOW I feel old now, I just realised that from reading that line, I was all about to say ' Second Life is always going to be 'new' to some people ' then I realised that in OUR time here so far, there are teachers that have not only graduated university to become teachers but have graduated high school as well 😮 so while they may be only a year or two teaching it makes sense that for them this might be innovative as an idea to send their students here.... 

[Selene Gregoire]

28 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Well, I can't speak to this particular project, but I've certainly known of schools assigning SL as projects. In fact, I've met with students who were enrolled in entire courses that were devoted to SL. I used to get invited to skating parties for one such group regularly (and I knew the prof IRL, so can attest to the legitimacy of it all).

Mind you, this was all some years ago. I'm honestly a bit surprised this sort of thing is still happening, tbh.

What ever on earth for? I mean, psychology I can understand as SL presents a very unique and unusual set of circumstances but I can't see how SL would relate to any other subjects except maybe computer sciences and other such tech.

What am I missing?

[Bree Giffen]

I have come across some University sims in SL recently but I don't know if they are active. They were empty at the time but we all know how sims can sit idle and then be filled to max because of a scheduled event. The OP needs to search in world for these sims and investigate if these places are still running.

Even if none are active, a good report could still be made on what was available in the past and why they are no longer here.

Edited January 29, 2019 by Bree Giffen

[Rolig Loon]

20 minutes ago, Selene Gregoire said:

What ever on earth for? I mean, psychology I can understand as SL presents a very unique and unusual set of circumstances but I can't see how SL would relate to any other subjects except maybe computer sciences and other such tech.

What am I missing?

I worked with the Community Virtual Library for many years.  We used to have a regular stream of library students from San Jose State, the U of Hawaii, and a couple of New Jersey schools.   Oh and the U of Illinois.  They were usually taking classes in virtual libraries and on-line information resources.  Mostly grad students working on a MLIS.

Edit:   SJSU and Stanford still have regions in SL, last time I looked.

Edited January 29, 2019 by Rolig Loon

[Scylla Rhiadra]

24 minutes ago, Selene Gregoire said:

What ever on earth for? I mean, psychology I can understand as SL presents a very unique and unusual set of circumstances but I can't see how SL would relate to any other subjects except maybe computer sciences and other such tech.

What am I missing?

Well, anthropology is an obvious one: you'll know Tom Boellstorff's Coming of Age in Second Life. Also economics, marketing, and related disciplines: I've run across more than a few students who were modeling virtual world economies as both a manageable way of approaching the laws of economics generally, but also the specifics of virtual economics.

The students I knew best were mostly library and information studies students: this was back in the day when virtual worlds were going to be the "3D web."

ETA: Rolig beat me to it!!

I've also known of history and literature students who were brought in-world to experience immersive historical environments, but I don't think those were full courses. Oh, also digital humanities students, although DH started neglecting SL some time ago.

Edited January 29, 2019 by Scylla Rhiadra

[Selene Gregoire]

12 minutes ago, Rolig Loon said:

I worked with the Community Virtual Library for many years.  We used to have a regular stream of library students from San Jose State, the U of Hawaii, and a couple of New Jersey schools.   Oh and the U of Illinois.  They were usually taking classes in virtual libraries and on-line information resources.  Mostly grad students working on a MLIS.

Edit:   SJSU and Stanford still have regions in SL, last time I looked.

MLIS? 

I do believe I have bitten off more than I can chew with my question. 

[Sasy Scarborough]

Wasn't there some studies done on home schooling or online courses if conducted in a 3d environment the students were performing better ? If so I can imagine that to be true, even if everything is on the pc, having an avatar in world sitting in a classroom with the avatars of the other students doing the course could help with focus and not feeling so alone while doing something of that nature. 

[Rolig Loon]

2 minutes ago, Selene Gregoire said:

MLIS? 

Master of Library and Information Science.  The professional degree in the field.

Edited January 29, 2019 by Rolig Loon

[Selene Gregoire]

11 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Well, anthropology is an obvious one: you'll know Tom Boellstorff's Coming of Age in Second Life.

Nope. Never heard of it.

Quote

Also economics, marketing, and related disciplines: I've run across more than a few students who were modeling virtual world economies as both a manageable way of approaching the laws of economics generally, but also the specifics of virtual economics.

Holay... that's.... scary.

Quote

The students I knew best were mostly library and information studies students: this was back in the day when virtual worlds were going to be the "3D web."

ETA: Rolig beat me to it!!

I've also known of history and literature students who were brought in-world to experience immersive historical environments, but I don't think those were full courses. Oh, also digital humanities students, although DH started neglecting SL some time ago.

Ok. I get the history and lit environments. Sort of. Never heard of digital humanities. 

No wonder the world has gone to hell-in-a-handbasket.

[Selene Gregoire]

4 minutes ago, Rolig Loon said:

Master of Library and Information Science.  The professional degree in the field.

I think I'm just gonna stick with old fashioned libraries and library books. 

[Scylla Rhiadra]

4 minutes ago, Selene Gregoire said:

Nope. Never heard of it.

Oh, sorry. It was/is probably the best known study of SL (not that there are too many of those). Heck, it was even reissued in paperback! It's pretty good, actually. 2008, so it's a bit dated now, but it's surprising also how much of it still rings true.

7 minutes ago, Selene Gregoire said:

Holay... that's.... scary.

I find economics scary generally, so, yeah.

8 minutes ago, Selene Gregoire said:

I get the history and lit environments.

One sim that was pretty popular was the reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Another that i recall, and that I had somewhat mixed feelings about, was a reconstruction of the Western Front in the Great War put together by Oxford University: it focused on the British poets of that war. (Somewhere I have a pic of me wearing a nurse's outfit there!)

10 minutes ago, Selene Gregoire said:

Never heard of digital humanities.

Neither have most other people. I wouldn't worry about it.

[Selene Gregoire]

3 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

One sim that was pretty popular was the reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Another that i recall, and that I had somewhat mixed feelings about, was a reconstruction of the Western Front in the Great War put together by Oxford University: it focused on the British poets of that war. (Somewhere I have a pic of me wearing a nurse's outfit there!)

I never did get to go see the Globe. I got to see a few images of it but that's all. I missed out on the reconstruction too. 

[Scylla Rhiadra]

2 minutes ago, Selene Gregoire said:

I never did get to go see the Globe. I got to see a few images of it but that's all. I missed out on the reconstruction too. 

One thing I found kind of bizarre about it is that they did theatrical productions there that had these HUGELY elaborate sets, way more appropriate to a production of, say, Cats or Le Miz, than to an actual Elizabethan stage.

What's the point of reproducing, down to a pretty minute detail, the specifics of an Elizabethan theatre, if you're just going to ignore that detail and produce your plays like you were doing a Broadway blockbuster???

[Selene Gregoire]

5 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

One thing I found kind of bizarre about it is that they did theatrical productions there that had these HUGELY elaborate sets, way more appropriate to a production of, say, Cats or Le Miz, than to an actual Elizabethan stage.

What's the point of reproducing, down to a pretty minute detail, the specifics of an Elizabethan theatre, if you're just going to ignore that detail and produce your plays like you were doing a Broadway blockbuster???

Might have something to do with the fact there is a Globe Theatre in operation today and they do more than just put on Shakespearean plays?

http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on

[Zinnia Zauber]

SweetCupcakes, you are more than welcome to contact me. I am a college professor who has been teaching in Second Life for over 10 years. Please send me a message inworld or drop me a notecard. Happy to help!

You can see some of my work with my students at https://www.slideshare.net/renneemikohttps://www.slideshare.net/renneemiko

Edited January 29, 2019 by Zinnia Zauber