My name is Kim Duclos and I’m an Instructional Technology graduate student at George Mason University. I’m fascinated by emerging technologies such as Web 2.0, Mobile 2.0, Tagging, Social Software (blogs, wikis, etc.), Podcasting, and Virtual Worlds and want to explore what they have to offer in an educational and instructional context. Also, visit my blog on general instructional design topics at http://edspace.edublogs.org/.
In Second Life, I am Madame Kumaki.
What is Second Life?
According to the Second Life In Education wiki (http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/educationaluses), the unique qualities of a 3D virtual worlds can provide opportunities for rich sensory immersive experiences, authentic contexts and activities for experiential learning, simulation and role-play, modelling of complex scenarios, a platform for data visualisation and opportunities for collaboration and co-creation that can not be easily experienced using other platforms.
Second Life is completely user-generated 3D environment that comes with relatively easy-to-use building and scripting tools that anyone can learn. This makes it an ideal platform for engaging students in creating their own learning activities, experiences and environments, and not just be passive consumers of learning.
PLE Goals
- Learn and perform basic functionality within Second Life
- setting up the software and learning what functionality is available
- building an avatar and customizing it
- completing NMC Orientation Island to become familiar with interface, functionality, interactivity, and practice movement of my avatar
- searching for locations and transporting, particularly educational islands
- interacting with other avatars within the virtual environment such as attending events and chat
- creating simple objects within the virtual environment
- Participate in Second Life educational groups and in-world spaces (New Media Consortium, for instance by attending events, conferences, demonstrations, meetings, etc.)
- Explore ways Second Life is being used in education and training
- Reflect on Second Life as an educational tool
- Create a place for an extensive collection of Second Life Resources
