Path to Developing a Presence in Second Life

Serious SL Meetup in Boulder

2009-03-22T12:11:00.038-05:00

On March 19, 2009, I attended a Serious Second Life Meetup in Boulder in-world at the Alaskan Sandbox. This session was organized by Dr. Richard Hackthorn (RL) aka Hack Richards (SL), CEO of Bolder Technology Inc., and led by Eric Hackathorn (RL) aka Hackshaven Harford (SL), an electrical and computer engineer who works as a program manage at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Participants of Serious SL Meetup in Boulder ( photo taken March 19/09)

I found out about the meetup through the SLED listserv and joined the group through Meetup. In this session, Eric Hackathorn presented a curriculum for teaching, potential and new users of SL, some of the skills necessary to successfully participate in the 3D virtual world. The curriculum is organized into four topics including:

Training Prerequisties - hardware/network requirements, download client, SL registration
Basic Skills - movement, camera, exploration, communication, community, appearance
Advanced Skills - Inventory, gadgets, HUD, economics, gestures, land, abuse, OpenSim
Content Creation - building, texturing, scripting, particles, animations, vehicles, machinima

Eric Hackathorn developed the curriculum on a Moodle platform that is connected to SL through SLoodle and can be accesses at http://classroom.scilands.org/. SLoodle is a plugin that is added to Moodle in order to connect Moodle to the in-world activities of SL. I will provide some examples of how Eric Hackathorn makes this possible with the SciLands Classroom curriculum he has developed.

To teach the topic of movement in SL the student logs into the Moodle course to view the content. In the Moodle course the student will see the "Movement" topic with resources (text and video) including: Overview, Sitting, Mouse steering and Getting Fancy. To practice movement skills, the student will log into SL and go through a maze activity in-world.

In-word (SL) maze activity (photo retrieved from http://classroom.scilands.org/mod/assignment/view.php?id=113, March 19/09).

To practice camera controls, Eric Hackathorn included a topic in the Moodle course called "Camera Control." Again the student goes through resources, in the form of text and video, to learn about camera controls in SL. To practice camera skills the students complete an activity titled, "Schrodedinger's Box." In this activity students use their camera skills to look into a rezzed box. Once they are viewing what is inside the box, they are to take a picture and upload the image to the assignment location in Moodle.

Box to look into to see what is inside for the camera control activity (photo taken March 19/09)

From my perspective, this seems to be an effective way to teach new users skills in SL. It allows them to use the Moodle or LMS platform, which many are comfortable, to view the content and instructions and then go in-world to SL to practice what they have learned.

Designing Your Future Workshop

2009-03-12T23:40:00.010-05:00

On the evening of Thursday, March 12 at 9:00 P.M. I attended a workshop titled, Designing Your Future. This workshop was put on by TLE and instructed by Cathy Anderson-RL, who self declared herself as new to teaching in SL. The workshop was designed to help become familiar with tools necessary to better adjust to the future, make decisions and better understand how to become a futurist.

At this workshop I saw two new tools of interest to me. The first was a blue box sitting at the front of the room. As we came into the room, Cathy asked us to click on it to register our attendance.

Attendance Registration box (photo taken March 12/09)

The second tool Cathy used was called a "Bright Web Browser Screen." This tool allowed the group to view web pages in SL.

Bright Web Browser (photo taken March 12/09)

SLoodle Workshop

2009-03-03T19:06:00.008-06:00

On Monday, March 2, 2009, I attended a Social Presence in Virtual Worlds (SLrl) workshop on SLoodle. This workshop was hosted in-world by Josmas Flores at Insula Docta TCD (slurl http://tinyurl.com/ddnypn). The workshop took place in a wonderful auditorium as shown below.

Auditorium on Insula Docta TCD (photo taken March 2/09)

Sloodle (Simulation Linked Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) is a 3D online education system for SL that integrates with Moodle, an open-source CMS. The workshop presented some of the features of SLoodle including a Registration booth, Choice tool, Web-intercom and SLoodle HUD.

Since I am a Moodle user, I was very excited to see how the CMS interacted with SL. It must first be understood that we were in-world accessing the tools to interact with Moodle. To begin we had to register into the Moodle course by clicking on the SLoodle registration booth (left-booth shown in image below). This opened a new browser window to the registration page of the Moodle site it was connected to.

SLoodle Registration (left) and Enrolment (right) booths (photo taken March 2/09)

After completing the registration, through a confirmation email, I was able to enol into the course by clicking the enrolment booth (right-booth shown in image above). Viewable through my web-browser, this took me to the course located in Moodle. The purpose of registering and enroling from the in-world location was so that the connection could be made between SL and Moodle for the two to begin communicating.

Once registered and enroled into the Moodle course we were able to try some of the tools integrating the CMS with SL. The first one we looked at was the Choice tool which allows students to vote and see the results in either SL or Moodle. For example, we were asked to vote on what type of pizza we like with some participants voting in-world and others voting in the Moodle course. Participants were able to view the choice results from either the SL or Moodle environment.

The second tool we tried was the Web-intercom. A chat-room that brings a Moodle chat-room and SL chats together. When participants in SL text through local chat and Moodle participants text through the connected Moodle chat room, both groups can see the text chat.

The third tool we saw was the SLoodle HUD (Multi-function SLoodle Toolbar). This tool is described as enhancing the SL user-interface. When wearing the SLoodle HUD we were able to use a selection of classroom gestures, see a list of the Moodle user names from participating avatars or write entries directly into our Moodle blogs from SL.

One question individuals may have is...why do we want a virtual world, such as SL, to communicate with a CMS like Moodle? When we begin to look at some the items limiting access to SL we quickly see factors like high-end computer requirements and complicated interface emerge. By connecting SL with Moodle we allow lower-end computers and individuals who find the SL interface confusing to communicate with in-world participants through the Moodle environment.

Further Analysis of Parcel Data Collection

2009-03-01T14:47:00.019-06:00

The ECMM parcel will require tools to collect data that will be analyzed for both development and research purposes. Two of the tools I am considering to use in collecting statistics for the parcel are offered by Maya Realities and RabbitStats. The following information will describe each of the tools and provide details as to which proximity sensor was chosen for the ECMM parcel.

Maya Realities is a service company in SL, who began business in April 2007, focusing on analytics. For an Introduction to their services view the following slidecast.

Maya Realities Overview

View more presentations from Maya Realities. (tags: hackshaven hackathorn)

Maya Realities offers a basic proximity sensor, among other more advanced solutions, for $L1 that collects basic land parcel information including number of unique avatars visiting, total time spent on a land parcel, and average time spent per avatar. To purchase a proximity sensor or find out more about their services visit their in-world office at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Jingbo/67/35/30/

RabbitStats provides statistics on the following details of an SL property:

Identify and record names of visiting residents
Record length of time visitors spend on property
Record multiple visits
Stats provided through graphs and charts
Provides daily email listing property visitors
Premium account provides information to be downloaded as CSV file.

RabbitStats can be accessed from their in-world store located at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tehama/104/203/24?title=Rabbit%20Glen. Pricing is separated into three account types:

Basic - free
Premium - L$5 per collector per day
Non-Profit/Educational - free

After reviewing the information on each of the proximity sensors provided by both Maya Realities and RabbitStats, I was unsure as to which one to use. I therefore decided to try them both and come to a conclusion based on experience with both products. I will use the free options from both products to determine if one outperforms the other. Stay tuned for results...

Update... (March 8, 2009)
When looking for the proximity sensors from both Maya Realities and RabbitStats, I was only able to find the one from RabbitStats in-world. After looking around the Maya Realities in-world office, I was unable to locate any of the free versions of the sensor. I probably could have found out more information if I would have left a message at the Maya Realities' in-world office. The proximity sensor from RabbitStats was much easier to get in-world. I went to the SLURL for RabbitStats, mentioned above, and there was a free copy of the proximity sensor to take.

Free copy of RabbitStats proximity sensor (photo taken March 1, 2009)

The instructions, provided with the free version of the RabbitStats proximity sensor, made the setup process quite easy. Setup instructions direct you to the RabbitStats.com website to setup a new account. After the account is setup you enter in the code of your specific proximity sensor and it begins collecting data. The script of your specific sensor is placed into the contents folder of an object in the area in which you want to collect data. You can set the distance in which the proximity sensor collects data. You can then go to the domain name of your RabbitStats account to edit sensor setting, add more sensors, view data, and add more users to access the account. When the sensor is up and running it can be set to email reports to identified members.

Final Session - Evaluating a Presence in SL

2009-02-25T19:59:00.019-06:00

The final session of the in-world, non-credit course, "Setting up an Educational Presence in SL" focused on evaluating your presence in SL. We looked at ways to assess the success of efforts in creating an educational presence in SL. This session was led by Maxito Ricardo (SL) Tom Peters (RL) who we quickly realized is an expert in evaluation and proximity sensor data collection.

The session began at the open air auditorium on Info Island (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Info%20Island/116/126/33) with a discussion on how to evaluate an institution's presence-building efforts in-world. Maxito started the discussion by explaining that many educational institutions, "are testing the waters to see if SL is another good way to pursue their overall mission...teaching, research service, etc.". Currently Maxito perceives institutions to be constructing spaces in SL. These virtual spaces are being used to hold events such as classes, lectures, symposia, social events and handle resources (create, collect, organize and distribute). He believes institutions hope their students (avatars) feel like they are part of the campus environment by trying to "recreate that campus feel." One of the benefits of the SL build space, Maxito explained, "it's much easier and cheaper in SL to build and reconfigure the built space to meet changing needs."

It was expressed that there is something about 3D virtual spaces that are very attractive to humans, however it takes collective efforts and time to understand new technologies. An interesting example of this was the development of the U of S interstate highway system. It was originally sold to officials as an instrument of national security. Troops needed to be able to move quickly in the event of a Soviet invasion. The interstate was not foreseen to assist in changing the entire urban landscape, creating a southwest population drift and changing the way people eat. With these types of unknown outcomes, Maxito believes, "one of the august responsibilities of any institution becoming active in SL is that they almost need to think about everything, from soup to nuts." Therefore when beginning to assess institutional presence-building in SL it is important to understand the focus of the effort. Is it to explore new ways of teaching and learning? Alternative ways to deliver distributed and distance education? Can it be used to attract prospective students or connect with alumni?

When it comes to assessment there are many things, in SL, that could be evaluated including buildings, grounds, teaching and learning tools, services, events, etc.. Maxito expressed, "I think that assessment here could be more important and useful than assessment in the real world." This is partly due to the fact that it is easier to make changes in SL but also, he believes, "the power to improve is much deeper in SL than in the real world." The ability to have decision-making power and implement change is a strong motivator for many individuals in SL. In RL there may be many factors (laws, bureaucracy, cost, etc.) that prevent an individual from being able to quickly implement desired change to their enviroment. Maxito believes this to be an advantage in SL, "Lots of people can move buildings on this island, for instance. Not many people have the decision-making power, technology, etc. in the real world to do that."

Three distinctions, Maxito mentioned, from real world assessment that may be useful in SL are provided by the 3-U's:

Usability
Use
Usefulness

When we begin to look at the architecture in SL there are some wonderfully constructed objects. We see beautiful high-rise buidings, sky classrooms and underwater creations among other works of art. However, Maxito has used data, from proximity sensors, to research the use of space in SL and has generally found open air spaces and ground level floors of buildings receive the most traffic. Many of the unique spaces that are out of the way do not see much traffic. This may be something to consider when planning an SL build...if you want high traffic, build an open air space however, if you want private space where your group will not be interrupted, build it in an out of the way location.

Maxito identified further distinctions to be valid in SL between behaviour, attitudes and opinions. When evaluating behaviour we may look at where avatars go, what they do, what they touch and use. In evaluating attitudes and opinions we can begin to look into avatar's beliefs, what they are saying and how they may be feeling.

The group was presented with some evaluation methodologies currently being used in SL. Many of the methodologies used in RL to analyze and collect research data are currently being used in SL including surveys, focus groups and interviews.

Surveys in SL are a useful, convenient method to collect research data. However, as in RL, it is difficult to get individuals to complete surveys and in some instances the responses may be heavily weighted towards specific sub-groups . One of the benefits in creating surveys in SL is the creativity that can be designed into the survey. In a virtual world surveys can look much different than in RL. For example on Health InfoIsland, a survey was designed as a series of avatar-sized panels.

Focus groups and individual interviews can also be conducted in SL. Maxito believes these data collection methods work well because, "People tend to be very open and thoughtful here in SL."

A tool, in SL, that may be used to collect behvioural data on a parcel of land is a "proximity sensor." These tools allow 24/7 monitoring and analysis of raw traffic counts, avatar names, time spent in specific locations, objects touched, etc.. A couple of companies offering these products can be located at rabbitstats.com and www.mayarealities.com.

We teleported to Karuna, a grant funded island dedicated to AIDS awareness, to see some examples of proximity sensors. The sensors we saw were distributed around the island to assist in collecting data to evaluate their presence building efforts. Although the sensors are deployed around the island, the controls are placed in one location so the data can easily be harvested.

Proximity Sensor control cones (photo taken February 22/09)

The sensors used on Karuna Island are from Thomas Conover Products. Basic sensors are free of charge but ones more advanced can be purchased. Maxito explained that he finds these sensors easy to deploy, manage and harvest. Another aspect he found beneficial about these sensors is they can be set up so they don't cross parcel lines. If a sensor is placed near a location in a corner of a land parcel, it can be setup not to report on activity on the adjoining parcels. The reports produced for these specific sensors provided stats on number of avatars and how long they stayed on average.

Session 2 - Setting Up Educational Presence

2009-02-21T10:48:00.020-06:00

On February 8/09 I attended the second session of the workshop, Setting Up Educational Presence. The second session was led by Abbey Zenith.

The session began with a discussion in which one of the topics touched on prims. Abbey mentioned that prims may be what she described a "soft limit", where prim resources can be shared across parcels owned by the same group. This may be useful on the U of S property where parcels such as ECMM and Snellgrove Gallery can share the prim resources from the open area parcel.

We were then told how to check the prims on a parcel of land. This is done by right clicking an object > edit menu > general tab.

We learn't that prims on avatars do not count against the prims for a parcel of land...only the objects that are stationary count. Abbey mentioned that parcels do have avatar limits which are set for a sim...not a parcel. If you are on a parcel that shares space with other parcels on a sim, it is a good idea to let others know when you are planning a big event...anything over 15 people.

We then set out on a tour of ICT Library and the College of DuPage to see some examples of educational locations in SL.

The ICT Library, located on Info Island (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Info%20Island/50/199/33/?title=Info%20Island), is a great place to get free educational tools, scripts and examples of class projects. During my visit, to ICT Library, I saw a couple items that may be integrated into the ECMM design. The first was a message board, which allows avatars to leave messages on a board. This could be very useful in a socializing area for communication and advertising purposes.

Message Board - ICT Library (photo taken February 8/09)

The second tool was a Holodeck Rooms created by Biscuit Carroll and Loki Clifton. The notecard information below clearly explains the details of the Holodeck Rooms. The benefit of this tool is the flexibility it provides to a parcel with limited space. We could use it on the ECMM parcel to have one region serve as a multi-purpose area that can be transformed into the desired scene as required.

TO USE THIS ROOM:
Go in, and then click on the vertical panel in the center of the room (white with green frame). This will give you a menu of possible rooms. Choose one!

From the brochure...
"The Holodeck allows you to store Second Life scenes and rez them from a menu whenever you want. The old scene is cleared and the new one appears. Scenes can include any prim objects including furniture, pose balls and particle generators. "

There are 3 types of holodecks by Carroll & Clifton:

L$0.00: A demo only [free] that has 5 scenes.
L$500: "Simple Holodeck." Allows you to add scenes created by others (good for 512 parcels).
L$9,000: "Production Holodeck." Allows you to make your own scenes and possiby earn commissions (allows scenes up to 134m x 134m to be built/rezzed). There is a reseller program available (IM Biscuit Carroll or Loki Clifton, or join the Holodeck support group).

Holodeck Rooms - ICT Library (photo taken February 8/09)

The second stop on our tour, of educational locations, was the College of DuPage (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Eduisland%203/194/69/23). Pipsqueak Fiddlesticks, a Librarian and Professor at the large community college in Illinois, was our host. One of the areas we visited is based on a literal interpretation of the poem "Tintern Abbey" by Wordsworth.

An overview of the immersive poem space is provided by teleporting up to a transparent platform. Avatars can walk around, as if they were walking on air, to view the area below.

Transparent platform - College of DuPage (photo taken February 8/09)

Information about the poem is provided through self-directed, discovery learning. As you walk around you come across interactive objects, when clicked provide activities and sound clips.

Interactive activity delivering object - College of DuPage (photo taken February 8/09)

One of the most interesting areas, from my perspective, was the "Read and Listen" station. When you sit down on one of the cushions your avatar receives a book to make you feel like you are relaxing and reading (it actually does provide a relaxing environment). When you click on the green apple you are provided with a download of an audio file and notecard of Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey." When the audio file plays you listen to it and follow along on the note card.

Read and Listen station - College of DuPage (photo taken February 8/09)

Pipsqueak Fiddlesticks then took us to her sky classroom where she gathers with students. The sky classroom includes seating for avatars and separate screens that play slide presentations and videos.

Sky Classroom - College of DuPage (photo taken February 8/09)

During our visit to the College of DuPage we were introduced to an "Edu Rezzer." It operates much like a Holo Deck but appears to have some better functions. The Edu Rezzer is connected to an image database that allows you to create a variety of scenes. It requires very low prims...we were told it uses approximately 100 prims. When you walk away from the Edu Rezzer it de-rezzes and when you come back it remembers your last setting and re-rezzes. This would be very useful on a parcel with few prims available.

Edu Rezzer (open area scene) - College of DuPage (photo taken February 8/09)

Edu Rezzer (sitting area scene) - College of DuPage (photo taken February 8/09)

Pipsqueak Fiddlesticks designed and created the College of DuPage sim with one other person. Developing the space took two people approximately 80 hours. When asked about designing and planning...Pipsqueak believes that they planned too much, "we found that not planning much is better."

Participating in "Setting Up an Educational Presence in SL" Course

2009-02-01T20:44:00.011-06:00

Open air auditorium - Info Island (photo taken February 1/09)

I have enrolled and attended my first session of an in-world course titled, "Setting Up an Educational Presence in Second Life." This course is presented by the Illinois Alliance Library System and Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS).

The non-credit course consists of four sessions offered on Sundays, February 1, 8, 15 and 22 from 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. (4:00 - 6:00 P.M. SL time). The course is to cover objectives such as planning, needs assessment, goals, expectations, buying and renting land, where to find help, prefab vs. building, challenges, positives, teaching tools in SL such as Power point, class management, groups permissions, communication, and evaluating your presence once you have it set up. I haven't evaluated my presence in real life, let alone a second life. :-)

Instructors for this course are Lori Bell (Lorelei Junot-SL), Rhonda Trueman (Abbey Zenith-SL) and Tom Peters (Maxito Ricardo-SL). Each week is organized to cover the following:

Week One - Planning a presence in Second Life
Week Two - Setting up a presence in Second Life
Week Three - Managing a presence in Second Life
Week Four - Evaluating a presence in Second Life

When I first saw this course being offered, I was amused at the title, "Setting Up an Educational Presence in Second Life." Mainly because of the resemblance to the title of this blog, "Path to Developing a Presence in Second Life." Maybe there are some royalties here? :-)

For the first week session we gathered at the open air auditorium on Info Island http://slurl.com/secondlife/Info%20Island/116/126/33. Lori Bell ((Lorelei Junot-SL), who is the Director of Innovation for the Alliance Library System, led the first class session on planning a presence in Second Life.

The first session went very smoothly, voice (along with some text) was used for communication and worked quite flawless. Lori began the session with a short discussion on virtual worlds, identifying alternatives to SL. Resources including the Second Life Education Wiki (http://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Life_Education_Wiki) and Second Life Educators (SLED) listserv (https://lists.secondlife.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/educators) were identified as useful locations for information on SL.

We toured three locations in SL including Bradley University, Land of Lincoln and Bradburyville to view and learn about the design and setup of their space. At Bradley University we met Puglet Dancer, who teaches Second Life 101 and 201 and is the Director of the Library. The SIM is ran by a team of 1 IT/computer person, 4 Librarians and 1 student. Bradley University was created in 2006 through a grant to explore the possibilities of virtual worlds. Skyboxes, including viewers, are available to students that consist of 150 prims for them to develop building skills. The SIM is designed based on the campus colleges. Each college is represented by a kiosk including information on each college at the university. An interesting build on the campus is a Shinto Shrine. This shrine is used for religious studies and allows individuals to experience the shrine without seeing it in real life. The student centre includes games such as pool, air hockey and monopoly. Live concerts are held at the student centre with a dance floor on the rooftop. Puglet Dancer describes the learning curve of SL to be a huge obstacle in getting participation from faculty and staff. She also expressed that administration is concerned about people sitting in on classes without paying fees.

Land of Lincoln, the second location of our tour, is designed based on the topic of Abraham Lincoln. At this SIM we met Daisyblue Hefferman who is a Reference Librarian. The SIM or land was donated but the rest of the work was completed by volunteers. Some of the exhibits on the SIM include a plantation, slave quarters, army quarters, slavery interactive web tours, web-based resources and welcome centre including free outfits, events information and abiltiy to join the events group. Daisyblue Hefferman identified that preplanning a build is important and should include goals and objectives of the space.

The third location we visited was Bradburyville, a SIM designed and built based on books. This is a project funded by an arts grant and constructed by a team of four, working on individual builds. The build we looked at was a virtual reality book based on Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. This was an interactive book that you walked into to experience the events of the story.

Virtual Reality Book - Bradburyville (photo taken February 1/09)

Next week we will be looking at setting up a presence in SL.

University of KY Island - Public Policy

2009-01-18T20:43:00.002-06:00

The University of Kentucky created an inland in SL called University of KY Island. They have developed an Island Policy, I believe to be thorough and well written. The policy covers areas that address:

purpose in which island is used (education and research of SL)
contact information
tracking of avatars for research purposes
island rating
rules and regulations

I believe this to be a nice introduction to their space. Providing visitors with necessary information to better understanding the purpose, rules and regulations of the island.

898.3 Special Topics Course

2009-01-18T19:48:00.002-06:00

For this term, in my graduate studies at the U of S, I have been approved for a 898.3 Special Topics course titled, Exploring Pedagogicial Strategies for Multi-User Virutal Environments.

This course is designed to examine potential strategies for optimizing instruction within a Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE), specifically Second Life (SL). Areas of interest and investigation for this course include:

Strategies for designing virtual learning environments (VLEs) in the MUVE, Second Life.
General methods of pedagogy used within the MUVE, Second Life.
Specific instructional strategies and tools used in the MUVE, Second Life.

The course will be divided into three phases. The first phase will explore the three main areas of interest outlined above and will document instructional strategies currently being used in SL. The second phase will attempt to understand and interpret these findings (methods, strategies) through the lens of instructional theory and design methodology. The third phase will include applying what has been learned in the development of training sessions for the U of S faculty, staff and students in the use of SL.

Redesign of ECMM Space

2008-12-21T10:18:00.018-06:00

The U of S space in Second Life has been successfully subdivided into three parcels. The three parcels include space for the Snellgrove Gallery, ECMM, and general space for the U of S (shown in image below). The purpose of the subdivision is so each parcel can be controlled individually. Media streaming and building permissions are just some of the items that can now be controlled separately for each parcel.

Subdivision of U of S space on Teaching 6 (photo taken December 21/08)

The redesign of the ECMM parcel has begun with the addition of a river, bridge and safety fence (shown in image below). When entering the ECMM parcel from the general U of S parcel you will now walk across a stone bridge over a river. This river is built on the property line separating the ECMM parcel from the general U of S parcel. It would be great if we could come up with a name for the bridge and river!

River, bridge and fence separating ECMM and general U of S parcels (photo taken December 21/08)

For the redesign of the ECMM parcel, we are considering a more open atmosphere design. This means we may not see the resurrection of the ECMM building. However we may incorporate many of the spaces including meeting area, teaching and learning area and multimedia area into a more open area design.

To redesign this space we are are going to take more of a structured design approach. We will first complete a front end analysis of the space including a needs assessment, potential educational activities, and potential learners. The next stage of development will include a design strategy resulting in a blue print, identifying a design plan. We understand the needs of this space will change, however we are interested in coming up with a base or starting point flexible enough to be manipulated to meet a variety of needs.

Session 7: Promoting Interactivity

2008-09-10T15:21:00.009-05:00

The objectives for session 7 were to:

Identify builidng projects that support interactivity in learning.
Associate capabilities of interactivity builds with appropriate pedagogical objectives.

To begin the class Mali Young started a camp fire and asked us to change our environment to midnight. This was done to provide atmosphere and to set a mood, and it actually worked. Mali expressed that building and creating a mood helps to motivate learners. We were also told that including aspects of playfulness are important in motivating learners.

One of the basic, fun ways to incorporate interactivity in SL is to make a live survey. Questions can be asked through powerpoint slides or textures applied to a media screen or prim. Participants can have different colored cards that they wear to provide their answers. We participated in a live survey, and to begin a large media screen was rezzed to view the powerpoint survey questions. Each student then clicked a prim (box) to receive the colored cards used to identify their answers. Questions were then provided to us on the screen and we presented our answers by wearing colored cards. This type of activity is useful for live formative assessment and is known to build cohesiveness within a group.

Another useful tool designed for interactivity is a suggestion box, also known as a feedback box, hand-in box, or survey collector. These tools allow for information to be collected for purposes such as quizzes, surveys, homework or any other type of information needed to be collected. Surveys can also be done through web-based survey tools like Survey Monkey. To do this the survey URL giver is put into a prim with the URL of the survey. When the prim is clicked it provides an option to load the survey in an external web-browser.

Walk through tutorials are another way to incorporate interactivity. A great example of a walk through tutorial is The Particle Laboratory http://slurl.com/secondlife/Teal/180/70/21. It is designed to take you through a step by step process of adding particle textures to prims. ED Tech Island http://slurl.com/secondlife/EdTech/214/56/26 was originally setup to study social persistence in a SIM. Some of the Island's research focuses on how to promote or keep individuals on a SIM. Design methods such as creating pathways, putting information along pathways, creating community groups and sending out group notices have been used to control traffic on the SIM. A fantastic example of a walk through tutorial is Thursday' Fiction http://slurl.com/secondlife/Esperance/239/41/22/?title=Thursday%27s%20Fiction, based on a movie and book of the same title. It is still under construction but what has been created is an amazing experience, although disturbing at times.

Session 6: Student Projects 1- Providing Information

2008-08-23T12:00:00.005-05:00

The theme for session 6 was providing information to learners in SL. We began by discussing 5 common ways to provide information to learners in SL.

Slide shows
Textured prim with notecard
URL provider (to open web pages)
Books
Video

Mali Young had some interesting comments on the URL provider. She explained that we are now able to bring the 2D web (such as blogs) into the 3D web. This is a powerful concept because Second Life now becomes the "web plus" (Young, 2008).

We had some very interesting building projects in this session. The first was a URL provider that launched to a web page. This type of tool provides the ability for instruction to be provided to learners without having to leave SL. To make this project we first rezzed a cube and sized it to look like a screen. We then put the URL provider script into the object content folder of the cube. The script then needed to be modified by replacing the current URL with the one we wanted. After everything was setup, when we clicked on the screen it provided a URL and opened up a web page in a new window. The neat thing about this project is that any texture or object can launch the webpage. For example the object could look like a large screen with a texture of the webpage or the object could be a computer that you sit at and get the URL. People are being very creative when providing URLs in-world.

The next project was making a power point presentation. To do this we again rezzed a cube and turned it into a large screen. We then put a script that only allowed the owner to advance the slides. There is also another script that allows anyone to advance the slides. We then imported some slides and put them into the contents folder of the screen (cube). It is a good idea to number your slides because the script will put them in order according to the numbers.

We then looked at a product called a Thincbook. This is a book in SL that you can add your own content. I am not going to go into this in-depth because I believe that I discussed this item in a previous entry.

The project that I was most excited about was the Media screen. This is probably due to the fact that I have been wanting to try out media since the construction of the ECMM building. I have not been able to test media out on the U of S property due to permission issues that need to be rectified. So I was finally able to test it out...and all I can say is fun...fun...fun. As you can see in the image below, I created a media screen in my sky-saucer. I added some relaxing chairs so I can sit down and watch some Eagles music videos that I set to stream in from Youtube.

Jeff's newly created "Sky-saucer" with mutli-media screen (photo taken August 23/08)

The easiest way to learn how to make a media screen is to watch the following two videos by Torley Linden.

Construction Junction Session 5: Sky Building

2008-08-21T10:13:00.010-05:00

Session 5 of the Construction Junction workshop introduced us to Sky Building. This simply means to build objects that are positioned above your land in the sky. An example of this is a Sky Box which is some type of platform situated in the sky that can be used as extra space for building, classroom or meeting space.

Our first objective for this session was to discuss purposes for sky building. Some of the reasons for sky builds that came out of this discussion were privacy, increase building space, get away from griefers or people on the ground and allows for division of space (e.g. space divided into content areas/social areas/building areas).

Mali Young then explained to us that privacy in virtual environments like SL is an illusion and that there really is no privacy in SL. Even when communicating in SL there is no privacy unless talking to someone through instant messaging. One question that I have in the privacy issue is, can I not set my land to not allow visitors unless invited? I visited NAIT's (Northern Alberta Institue of Technology) location in SL and I was allowed into the visiting area but I was not allowed into their main campus location. I see this as being able to providing some level of privacy and control as to who can visit your property, if so desired.

The second objective of session 5 was to design and build in the sky. To build above 200 meters in the sky, avatars must wear what are called flight or Ninja feathers. Without these feathers avatars cannot fly higher than 200 meters, however with the feathers avatars can exceed this limit. We learned that most sky builds are between 250 meters and 750 meters. The reason for going above 250 meters is to get out of sight range of people on the ground.

We then completed our first building project for this session, a sky build. To build in the sky you must have a platform to work from. We simply rezzed a cube and sat on it. We then raised it into the sky to approximately 500 meters. At this point we rezzed another cube and stretched it into a platform to stand on. This was the platform from which we would be able to build. Mali then asked us to mark down our coordinates, of the platform, so we could use them for our next project...the teleport system.

We then moved into our final objective and building project for the session...creating a teleport system between two locations. It was explained to us that there are many teleport options and scripts. This includes ones that teleport between 2 locations, between 3 or more locations, across SIMS, etc. The one we used allowed us to teleport between 2 locations. To create it we put the teleport script into the contents folder of the first object or prim located on the lower level. We then modified the script on the lower level teleport with the coordinates of the upper level platform. We then teleported to the upper platform and added the teleport script to the contents folder. We then modified the script by adding the coordinates of the lower platform or prim. One problem that a few of us ran into was not having the proper coordinates for our platform. A couple of times I teleported to open air and fell to the ground. I finally entered the proper coordinates to my platform, into the teleport script, and everything worked fine.

Construction Junction participants working on teleport systems. (photo taken August 19/08)

Construction Junction Session 4: Integrating Scripst, Sounds and Animations into Your Builds

2008-08-14T21:58:00.027-05:00

Session 4 of the Construction Junction workshop, again presented some new educational tools and taught some interesting new skills. The tool that we were introduced to was the Speak-Easy HUD. I may have mentioned it previously but during this session Mali Young provided each of us with one of the HUDS and showed us how it works. Some of the skills that we were taught dealt with scripts, audio clips, animations, and building.

The Speak Easy is a tool that creates a heads up display (HUD) when you wear it. It's purpose is to read text from a notecard and display the text in public chat, as if you were typing it in. This is a huge time saver when you have text that needs to by provided to a group and you do not have time to type it out. Our instructor from the Construction Junction workshop, Mali Young uses this HUD when she is providing instructions on a specific task. I find it very useful because the directions are clearly displayed and a history is available if needed.

The fist project that we created in this session was a student greeter. This is a useful tool that greets and provides objects to visitors when clicked. We first created a cube and put a texture onto it (I used my picture as a texture). For the student greeter to play sounds and give objects we needed to insert scripts into the contents folder of the object. The two scripts were the Play Sound Once script and the Notecard Giver script. A few simple modifications were required for our items to work with these scripts in our student greeter. I then added a 10 second audio clip (.wav), that I recorded in Audacity, to the contents of the object. This allowed for the audio clip to play when the object is clicked (very cool). The final item added to the contents of the student greeter was a welcome notecard. When clicked, the student greeter now played the audio file and handed out a welcome notecard.

Student Greeter created by Jeff Kurka. (photo taken August 14/08)

The second project we made during session 4 was a Rock that played sounds. This object is useful when you want sounds like birds or water playing in the background. We first made a rock from a sculpty prim. This is one prim that is sculpted into a shape to represent an object. A rock texture was then added to the object. Five bird audio files (.wav) were then added to the object contents. To make the sounds play a script called Sound (Random-string of same names) was added to the object contents. Again some simple modifications of the script were required to play the audio files that were added.

Rock that plays bird sounds (photo taken Aug. 14/08).

The third project for this session was a scripted ice cream cone. To make this object we first created the cone and then created the ice cream. The two objects were then linked so animations could be added. Before the animations, we added a script called Animator to the object contents. We then added two animations, one called ice cream eat and one called ice cream hold.

Ice cream anyone?(photo taken Aug. 14/08)

Construction Junction Session 3: Building Supplies and Groups

2008-08-13T00:27:00.015-05:00

Our third session of the Construction Junction workshop showed me how little I know about building in SL. We began the session looking at a tool called a Prim Finder or Rezzer (shown below).

Mali Young, Jeff Kurka and other Construction Junction participants learning about a Prim Finder/Rezzer. (photo taken August 12/08).
A Prim FInder/Rezzer is a very useful tool that allows you to search through a variety of prim shapes and choose the one you would like to use. This is useful because you do not necessarily have to know how to create the shapes in order to build items out of the prim shapes the rezzer provides. Mali said that one can be purchased for approximately 250 Linden which comes out to about $1.00.

Our next agenda item was to play a game called primtionary, which is a SL game that helps to develop and refine your building skills. The host IM's an object to be created by one of the game participants. That participant tries to construct the object out of prims while other members try to guess what the object is supposed to be. Once someone guesses...they win 20 Lindens and then get their turn at building.

The Construction Junction group playing primtionary. (photo taken August 12/08).

In the past I have always struggled moving around objects in my inventory. As I am moving items from folder to folder, I have folders expanding and collapsing which make it difficult to put items exactly where you want them. Well Mali taught us a trick when working with inventory items. All you have to do is go into file>open new window and a second inventory window opens allowing you to drag and drop items much easier. Mali provided us with this tutorial by Torley Linden to view to help understand the process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z19DHCrQVIM

Another trick we were shown is how to use inventory filters to find items in our inventory. Take a look at the following Torley Linden video to help understand the process:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=XLpcjhbQRdc

Our building project for this session was a material dispenser. It is a very useful object that has a script allowing it to give out items. For example I can put notecards, landmarks or other objects into it and when someone clicks on the dispenser it will give out the items. Mail uses it to give out all our supplies for each session. I put the latest version of the ECMM t-shirt into the dispenser and I might use it to give out the t-shirt. Shown below is the updated version of the ECMM t-shirt.

Updated version of the ECMM t-shirt. (photo taken August 12/08).

Although this was a very informative and well organized session, I believe people are having difficulties understanding what chat to use. For example when I first arrived at the sky box we were using local voice chat. We were told to go over to group voice chat which worked fine. Many of the group members were initially using local text chat during primtionary but then the chat seemed to switch over to group text chat. This was confusing for some of us as we were trying to figure out what text chat we were to be using. Also when the speak easy HUD was used, the text chat transferred back to the local text chat. This was a little confusing for some as they did not know where to look for the instructions coming from the speak easy HUD. I understand certain chats need to be used for certain tools or in specific situations but it seems to be necessary to identify when chats are switched from local to group or vice versa.

Construction Junction: Session 2 Where Do I Build?

2008-08-09T15:30:00.007-05:00

When we met at the skybox on Prudentia island for the second session, it quickly became clear that SL was having technical issues. Some of the participants could not get into the grid, others were having difficulties talking or hearing the voice chat. Mali Young (our instructor) was impressive in the manner in which she handled these difficulties. She remained calm, cool and collective in dealing with the technical issues and you could tell she has had experience instructing in SL.

I see this being an issue when instructing groups in SL. Even though SL has recommended hardware to run the client and participate in the virtual environment, this does not mean everyone's computer system is running properly to provide an error free experience. How does an instructor handle the group when everyone has paid to participate and some are having technical issues and others are not? Should the instructor carry on or stop and try to deal with technical issues? As far as I can see either way can be a losing situation. However the instructor decides to handle these situations...I think it should be identified at the onset of the class so everyone understands what to expect and how it will be handled. I also believe some type of alternative system should be put in place for those having technical issues or not able to access SL during synchronous class time. This could be (as Mali has done) simply recording the session and posting it to a wiki. Whatever the process, it must be thought out and put in place because it will be a guarantee that technical issues will occur.

In session 2 we further discussed some building techniques and skills. We began creating our bags to hold our t-shirts. We worked with some of the tools like "hollow" to make the bag. We then began to work with textures to apply to the bag. The group then moved off the skybox, down to the land of Prudentia island where we were shown how to terraform land. We were also shown how to arrange trees and plants on our land. These are all very useful skills that do not seem that difficult but certainly take creativity and practice to get good.

Practicing terraforming and adding trees to land. (photo taken August 9/08).

Construction Junction: Session 1 Educational Design and Building

2008-08-08T17:33:00.009-05:00

The Construction Junction workshop's first session, titled Educational Design and Building provided an opportunity for everyone to introduce themselves. We went on a tour of various educational islands in SL to see different design techniques being used to develop virtual educational environments. At each location we discussed what we felt the designer's purpose was in the build or virutal space created.

Once we got back to the skybox, on Predentia island, we reviewed some of the basic building skills required for the activities in session 1. The activities for this session are the creation of a t-shirt and a bag for the t-shirt. Shown below is my first attemp at making a t-shirt for ECMM. I am not sure if this will be the final product but it is a start.

First design of ECMM t-shirt. (photo taken August 9/08).

Construction Junction Workshop - Self -Directed Learning

2008-08-08T00:15:00.014-05:00

After some time away from posting to my blog...I am back. I have been spending some time thinking about an updated design for the ECMM space on the U of S property in SL. One of the considerations is to include educational space designed for researching self -directed processes in non-formal learning environments. This design consideration has come up due to a SSHRC (Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada) research project titled Self-Directed Processes and Virtual Communities in Non-Formal Learning Environments. I am grateful to be a member of the team, as a research assistant, in this project being led by Richard Schwier, Dirk Morrison and Ben Daniel.

To learn more about theories, principles and skills in the designing of educational space in SL, I have enrolled in a workshop titled, Construction Junction - Educational Design and Building in Second Life. This is a four week workshop focusing on the design and building of educational environment in the 3D virtual world of Second Life.

Image retrieved August 8/08 from: http://constructionjunction.wikispaces.com

The design methods being used by this course are very creative. For example when I first signed up for the course I was sent an email telling me that I would be added to the Construction Junction group in SL. This would allow me to access the area on Prudentia Island in SL where the course would be held. The email also told me to go to Prudentia Island and choose a plot of land for myself where I would be allowed to build. When I teleported to Prudentia Island and turned on my property lines (view>property lines), I saw lines separating the land into plots. On each plot was a box (as shown in image below) that you could click to claim your plot of land to build on for the duration of the course.

Boxes for choosing land plot on Prudentia Island. (photo taken August 8/08).

The next post will discuss the Day 1 session titled Educational Design & Building.

Subdividing Parcels of Land

2008-04-24T09:08:00.010-05:00

I talked to Larry Pixel (Larry Johnson in RL) on Monday, April 21 regarding possible solutions to setting up permissions for different groups making use of the U of S property on teaching 6.

Larry Pixel, CEO of New Media Consortium (photo retrieved April 24/08 from: http://sl.nmc.org/author/larry/).

Larry suggested we subdivide the land into parcels to provide groups with increased access and permissions. Currently the U of S property on teaching 6 is deeded to a group called SLUG (Second Life User's Group). The officers of the SLUG group are the ones who control the overall management and permissions of the U of S property.

Subdividing parcels of land means that the large piece of land (e.g. U of S property on Teaching 6) is divided up into smaller parcels. The smaller parcel is then deeded to the group making use of the space (e.g. Snellgrove Gallery, ECMM, others).

The benefit of subdividing the land is that groups have control of their space. One of the main reasons groups require control of their space is to provide members with permissions to utilize tools and equipment owned by the group. Another reason (probably most important) is that each subdivided parcel receives its own media stream. Currently the U of S property is allowed one media stream but by subdividing into more parcels...each parcel can receive a media stream.

The negative aspect to subdividing into smaller parcels is that the prims of the larger parcel are divided amongst the smaller parcels. Therefore each smaller parcel will have a less prims allowed on the parcel. Larry recommended that we do not subdivide the U of S property into more than four parcels. Four parcels will still allow for a decent prim count on each parcel.

Rearranging Buildings on Teaching 6

2008-04-19T09:46:00.012-05:00

If you have recently been to the U of S property on Teaching 6 you will notice the Snelgrove Gallery 2 is now located on the spot where the previous ECMM building was located.

Snelgrove Gallery shown in new location. (photo taken April 19/08).

The soon to be reconstructed ECMM building will be located on the Northern tip of the U of S property on Teaching 6 (see image below).

New location of the ECMM building. (photo taken April 19/08).

SLUG (Second Life User's Group) will be meeting on Thursday, April 24 to discuss policies and permissions (among other things) for the U of S property on Teaching 6. Once some of these issues are dealt with we will begin reconstructing the ECMM building in its new location.

April Fools...I Wish!

2008-04-04T10:49:00.009-05:00

On Tuesday, April 1, 2008 Felix Stringer (Frank Bulk-RL) played an April fools joke on us in SL...or so we wished.

Currently the U of S property in SL allows anyone to build on the land. This means the entire property acts like one huge sandbox. This is very inviting for builders in SL to come to the U of S property and practice their building skills (not necessarily a bad thing). However, one of the problems we do run into is inventory items being left lying around the property.

Inventory items can be returned to their owners through a couple of methods. The first is for people with appropriate land permissions to send the items back to the owner. This may be a little tedious for certain individuals having to do this on a regular basis. The other method is for the land to be set to return items to owners after a specific amount of time. This is more than likely the best way to keep the land clean, however before this is done be sure items that are supposed to be on the land are set so they are not returned.

The problem we ran into on the U of S property is that various groups were building structures and organizing spaces. For example Educational Communications and Technology's ECMM building, Kev Juno's College building and Dependent Binder's Art Gallery. All these structures were deeded to their own groups and the property is ran under the SLUG (Second Life User's Group). When Felix Stringer decided to set the land to return all items to their owners after a specific amount of time...all items on the entire property were returned. This included all the structures and objects that were supposed to be on the property. This lead to pretty much the entire property being cleared.

U of S property cleared after inventory items returned back to owners. (photo taken April 3/08).

On April 1, when Felix told us that the land was cleared...we were hoping it was an April fool's joke. He assured us it wasn't and when we went onto the land we saw the inventory returned results. We may have learned how groups and deeds work in SL the hard way but as Slugger Sosa (Rick Schwier-RL) said to me, "But I guess this is a terrific example of life on the bleeding edge."

ECMM 802 Tour

2008-04-03T20:40:00.015-05:00

A tour in SL was held with Rick Schwier's ECMM 802 graduate class on Monday, March 31. We incorporated a few of the things we learned from the EC&I 831 tour.

For this tour we used a different tour HUD supplied to us from Eloise Pasteur. The setup for this tour HUD was much easier. To add locations to the tour you simply wear the "Tour Leader HUD" (shown below), go to the locations and click on the "Add" button to include the location.

Jeff Kurka wearing the Tour Leader HUD (photo taken March 31/08).

A very useful feature about Eloise's tour HUD is that it comes with a "Tour HUD Giver" (shown below) that allows participants to click on to receive the tour HUD. The HUD giver is designed to give out other objects along with the tour HUD if required. This is very useful if you need to provide participants with notecards or objects for the tour.

Green pyramid Tour Hud Giver (photo taken March 31/08).

The "Tour HUD" (shown below) that the participants receive from the "Tour HUD Giver" looks different than the "Tour Leader HUD".

Wearing Tour HUD (photo taken March 31/08).

Once the leader and participants are both wearing their HUDs, to teleport to the first location the leader clicks on the "TP" button. Each of the participants wearing the tour HUD receive a map of the next location and a teleport button. When the participant clicks on the teleport button they teleport to the next location in the tour.

Eloise's tour HUD worked very well on all the computer systems the participants were using. It moved everyone along nicely as a group to each location. If a participant got lost they either clicked the rope on their HUD to receive the last location or the "i" to IM the group leader their location. The group leader could then go and retrieve the participant.

One problem that did occur is that the HUD, on one occasion, TP us to the wrong location. Not sure why but when trying it again it TP to the proper location.

A recommendation (thanks Kev Juno) that we did try for this tour was using the "buddy system". I would use it again...it worked well. Each participant simply partners with a buddy and they help each other during the tour. This way if one gets lost the other can communicate with them and TP them to the proper location.

WebMon 2.5

2008-03-25T15:58:00.012-05:00

The WebMon 2.5 has been added to the 1st (middle) floor of the ECMM building.

Webmon 2.5 in the ECMM building (photo taken March 24/08).

The WebMon 2.5 tool is used in SL to launch web addresses. You simply load it with specific web addresses and it will launch those websites for the user. This is a very useful tool when you want users to view specific web pages from SL.

To see how the WebMon 2.5 tool works go to the ECMM building.
To learn more about the WebMon 2.5 go to the Buckley Barkley web page.

Slider 3.0

2008-03-25T14:07:00.009-05:00

I recently added the Slider 3.0 created by Bucky Barkley to the 1st floor (middle floor) of the ECMM building.

Slider 3.0 tool in ECMM building (photo taken March 24/08).

This tool is useful for viewing images and giving out items. To use it you simply click on the screen and forward and backward arrows with a green box between the arrows will appear. The arrows let you move forward and backward through the slides and the green box gives out items related to that specific slide. For example I can be viewing a slide of a location in SL and click the green box to receive the landmark.

Slider 3.0 gives out a number of items including:

Landmarks
Objects
Pictures or textures
Web pages

To see how the Slider 3.0 tool works go to the ECMM building.
To learn more about the Slider 3.0 go to the Buckley Barkley web page.

Build It and They Will Come

2008-03-14T09:24:00.030-05:00

As quoted from the movie Field of Dreams, "Build it and they will come" and wow...did they show up! Approximately 20 University of Regina students from Dr. Alec Couros' ECI 831 course participated in a tour of Second Life.

ECI 831 tour group from U of R. (Photo provided by Dr. Richard Schwier, March, 2008)

This was my first opportunity to organize and lead an official educational tour for a group in SL. Thanks to Dr. Alec Couros and the entire group for providing me this opportunity in which I learned a great deal. I certainly appreciated everyone's patience. I am also grateful to Kev Juno (Kevin Lowey-RL) and Slugger Sosa (Dr. Richard Schwier-RL) from the U of S for their assistance during the tour.

To start the tour participants gathered in the theater area of the ECMM building (shown above) to receive instructions and objects including a tour HUD, notecard and participant list. During the tour we visited five educational locations including:

Information Communications Technology (ICT) Library
Georgia State University
Discovery Educator Network (DEN)
Teacher Network Center
International Spaceflight Museum

The tour was organized on a Tour HUD (Heads Up Display) which is worn by each participant to provide details and a landmark for each tour location. When wearing the HUD, it is displayed in the SL viewer interface of each participant (shown below).

Tour HUD shown in upper-right of viewer interface (photo taken Mar. 12/08).

As in real life...Second Life includes strategies and methodologies for delivering instruction and managing groups. The problem is coming up with strategies, methodologies and proper group etiquette in a 3D digital world where much of this is still being discovered.

The first issue that we had to deal with was helping newbies understand movement and camera controls. Many people in a group like this are new to SL and therefore a plan should be put in place to support these individuals. We did not really have a plan in place but Kev Juno ended up being our support person, helping many of the newbies struggling with their avatars.

The second issue was communication. As a presenter, voice is very nice and easy to use. The problem I ran into was not everyone could hear voice. I therefore used voice but also had to text with those not able to hear voice. To solve this problem I would use voice but have a helper along to communicate through text with those unable to hear voice. If a helper is unavailable then I would use only text chat with the entire group so no one feels left out.

The third issue was handing out objects (HUD and notecards). I had the objects in my inventory and decided to hand the objects to each avatar. Bad idea!! This took a long time and created absolute mayhem. To solve this issue I would construct an object containing the items that needed to be handed out. This object could be scripted to hand out the items to avatars when touched. Using this method would allow for the object to be placed in a location where members of the group could touch it and receive necessary items.

The final issue I will mention is computer systems. For some reason people using certain types of Macs had problems with the tour HUD. luckily I had a backup plan for this and created notecards with the landmarks that could be handed out to these individuals.

Time and experience will provide us with best practices required to effectively use digital platforms like SL. Much like RL careful planning is necessary for creating successful events.

Collaboration May Be The Answer

2008-03-07T09:13:00.013-06:00

A meeting was held at the ECMM building in SL on Thursday, March 6/08 with members from the University of Regina and University of Saskatchewan.

In-world meeting between U of R and U of S members discussing the potential of SL (photo taken Mar. 6/08).

This meeting was to discuss the educational value of SL. The U of R is currently looking at SL to research the educational potential and possibility of developing a presence in-world. The meeting allowed members from the U of S to share their SL experiences, to date, with the U of R group.

The Educational Communications and Technology group from the U of S expressed an interest in collaborating with the U of R members. The ECMM building in SL, developed by Ed Comm & Tech from the U of S, could be used by both groups for research, education and capacity building purposes.

A collaborative effort would provide the small groups from both universities with the ability to:

develop an effective community of practice in SL
produce an environment full of activity and rich learning experiences
participate in a more cost effective approach to researching SL
increase interaction between institutional staff and students

Maybe I am dreaming or maybe even out of line...but oh well I will say it anyways. Just imagine a collaborative space where you can walk around a SIM and participate in classes from the U of S, U of R or even other Saskatchewan post-secondary institutions represented on the SIM.

Introduction to SL Resource Being Developed in Moodle

2008-03-02T16:15:00.013-06:00

A resource titled, Developing a Presence in the 3D Digital World - Second Life (log in as a guest user) has been where I have dedicating most of my recent time. This resource has been developed in Moodle as a tool to assist new users to understand and get into Second Life.

SL Moodle resource (image retrieved March 2/08 from: http://www.cumberlandcollege.sk.ca/abe/course/view.php?id=30)

I believe many of us are comfortable with the current web. For example we understand how to launch a web browser and maneuver throughout the web. This is why I believe a tool such as Developing a Presence in the 3D Digital World - Second Life created in the current 2D web, in which users are comfortable, is important. This allows for users to learn about the 3D Digital World in a familiar, comfortable setting and not be overwhelmed in the 3D environment. This resource gradually moves users from the current 2D web format to being fully integrated into the 3D digital platform of Second Life.

This resource currently has six sections, each section is broken down further into specific topics. The current section titles include:

Understanding Second Life
Creating your Avatar in Second Life
Second Life Performance Setup
Second Life User Interface
Communicating in Second Life
Moving and Getting Around in Second Life

Educational Tools from THiNC SL

2008-02-03T22:34:00.001-06:00

I have been looking in SL for a scripted book, when you touch the book the pages turn. I have finally found the scripted book (shown below) at THiNC SL.

THiNC Book 2.0 (image retrieved Feb.3/08 from: http://thincsl.com/category/products/)
The THiNC Book is an extremely versatile educational tool in SL. The book has full animations and sound including opening, turning pages and closing the book. The educational value is the ability to fully modify color, textures and size of the book. To add your own pages you select the book and edit, then go to the contents tab and add your textures. These textures will become the pages of the book. Once your book is made you can transfer it or leave it around for everyone to look at.

When searching for the THiNC Book, I found another useful tool that works in conjunction with the THiNC Book. The THiNC Printing Press (shown below) allows you to create exact replications of your THiNC Book for unlimited distribution.

THiNC Printing Press (image retrieved Feb.3/08 from: http://thincsl.com/category/products/)
The THiNC Printing Press allows the author of a THiNC Book to publish exact copies of their book with no modify but copy and transfer rights (if given by author).

The third item I found from THiNC SL is the THiNC BiG Display System (shown below).

THiNC BiG Display System (image retrieved Feb.3/08 from: http://thincsl.com/category/products/)
The display system is an educational tool that displays images on up to four separate screens at one time. The images are loaded into the system's inventory (contents folder). The images can then be controlled as to which screen displays each image. I see this tool very useful for independent or self directed learning.

If you would like to see any of this equipment in action, drop by the ECMM building on the U of S property in SL and I will be glad to show you.

Formal Presentation Area Created for ECMM Building

2008-01-29T22:53:00.000-06:00

A formal presentation area (shown below) has been created on the first floor of the ECMM building in SL.

Formal presentation area on first floor of SL-ECMM building (photo taken Jan. 29/08).

The presentation area consists of theater seating and a podium. The theater seats are scripted to lower and raise the sitting section of the seat when touched. The podium is scripted to provide the avatar who is speaking at the podium with movements as if they were speaking. The podium is also mic'd to extend the voice or text distance of the avatar speaking at the podium.

Another addition to the fist floor of the ECMM building is the espresso bar (shown below).

Espresso bar on first floor of SL-ECMM building (photo taken Jan. 29/08).

The espresso machine really works! If you click on the espresso machine...it will steam, and make espresso. Be sure to watch the gauge and listen to the sound of the espresso machine while it makes your espresso. Next touch the Demi Tasse (cup) and it will be put into your inventory. Go into your inventory and wear the Demi Tasse and your avatar will be sipping a hot cup of freshly brewed espresso...enjoy!

If espresso is not your thing you can get a glass of water on the third floor in the board room. Look around you will find it.

Office Space for SL-ECMM Structure

2008-01-29T22:28:00.001-06:00

If you teleport to the second floor of the ECMM building in SL you will find office space. The ECMM office space consists of desks (shown below) but these are not your ordinary desk.

Dr. Rick Schwier's new desk on the second floor of the SL-ECMM building (photo taken Jan. 29/08).

These desks include two computer monitors that can view both slides and video. Another nice feature of the desks is the Online Detector. This feature tracks the in-world presence of the avatar who owns the desk. If the avatar is in-world a display identifying the avatar is online will be hovering over the desk. If the avatar is online but not at their desk, a visitor can page the owner from the Online Detector connected to the desk. I see this useful if professors hold office hours in-world. Their students can see their online status and page them if needed.

Reception Kiosk for ECMM Building

2008-01-26T23:23:00.001-06:00

A reception kiosk (shown below) has been added to the ECMM building in SL.

ECMM reception kiosk (photo taken Jan. 26/08).

The reception kiosk has been added to serve some interactive purposes. When you walk towards the reception kiosk you will be welcomed to the ECMM building through an instant message. This message will then ask you if you would like a gift. At this point you will be able to accept or decline the gift. If accepted you will receive a notecard providing information about the ECMM building. You will also receive a landmark of the ECMM building in SL. All this is done through a greeter (shown below) that was recently picked up from Trinity Vanmoer Designs.

Gift Greeter designed by Trinity Vanmoer Designs (photo taken Jan. 26/08).

The Gift Greeter scans a set distance every certain number of seconds for new avatars. If a new avatar is found it will provide the avatar with the welcome message and gift. The Gift Greeter also serves another function for the ECMM building. It keeps a list of visiting avatars and provides a list of visiting avatars to it's owner. This will be very useful to keep track of visitors to the ECMM building in SL.

Another interactive tool you will find on the reception kiosk is the Business Card Giver (shown below).

Business Card Giver (photo taken Jan.26/08).

The Business Card Giver was purchased with the kiosk from 3D Office Solutions. When an avatar touches the Business Card Giver, a notecard is provided including whatever information is put on the notecard. In this case the notecard provides information on the Educational Communications and Technology administration, faculty and teaching staff.

The final interactive tool on the reception kiosk is a computer monitor (shown below).

Computer monitor on reception kiosk (photo taken Jan. 26/08).

The computer monitor on the reception desk is capable of showing slides or streaming video. It could be used in the future to stream an introduction video of Educational Communications and Technology.

If anyone has any suggestions or ideas as to what could be included in this or any other space of the ECMM building...please let us know. This is a collaborative effort and hopefully in the near future this space will be inhabited by many ECMM students for a variety of purposes.

Designing an Interactive Sign for ECMM

2008-01-26T08:42:00.000-06:00

When you walk up to the ECMM building in SL, you will notice a new sign (shown below) in front of the building.

Interactive sign in front of ECMM building (photo taken Jan. 26/08).

The display sign was purchased to provide information about ECMM. The sign has space for eight bits of information. Currently two panels are being used to provide interactive bits of information regarding ECMM. When the first panel is clicked it delivers a notecard (card providing information in SL) welcoming the visitor to ECMM and provides some background information. The second panel, when clicked, launches the ECMM webpage in an external browser.

This sign was not designed to be interactive but with help from Kev Juno (he provided me with the script) the sign panels were textured with PowerPoint slides and the script to either deliver a notecard or launch a webpage was added to the contents folder of the panels. Thanks again to Kev Juno for explaining where to put the script in order for it to work properly. This really was not that difficult, for a non-techie person like myself, once I was told how it works and given the script. The script has to be modified slightly to deliver a specific notecard or load a specific webpage but, once shown, is not difficult to do. If anyone is looking for the script or needs to be shown how to set it up, I would happily "pass it on" as Kev Juno has to me. There are six more panels to fill, so if anyone has any ideas as to what we should put on them, please let me know.

The University logo has been added to the sign in SL. I am not sure if this logo should be used at this time in SL. Does the University need to approve the use of the logo in SL or can we go ahead and use it?

Installing a FreeView Player in the ECMM Board Room

2008-01-21T22:05:00.000-06:00

I installed the FreeView free to copy, open-source Streaming Video viewer in the ECMM board room. This video viewer, developed by CrystalShard Foo, includes features such as media controls for video streaming, web-based movie listing, picture viewer and more. A FreeView SL help guide is available at: http://www.slguide.com/help/

ECMM boardroom including recent additions of table, chairs and FreeView streaming video viewer (photo taken Jan.21/08).

The FreeView video viewer was reasonably easy to setup. The first step was to rez it from my inventory into the boardroom. The size of the screen was good so I did not have to resize it but that option was available is needed. Next I edited the placement of the screen by rotating it so it would fit flat against the wall and positioned it against the wall at the appropriate height.

Once it was positioned properly on the wall I opened the notecard with setup instructions. The instructions were easy to follow but I did run into a couple of problems. First, I want to have members of the ECMM SL group (now created) able to use the FreeView video viewer at their convenience. To do this a ECMM group had to be created and the FreeView video viewer had to be deeded to the ECMM group. This will allow for members of this group to use the viewer but be sure you have the ECMM group profile selected on your avatar so the viewer identifies you as a group member and provides you with the media controls.

The second problem I ran into is that the ECMM group is not currently set with permissions on the U of S property in SL. Therefore the FreeView viewer will not work due to the fact that the ECMM group, which the Freeview viewer is now deeded, does not have permissions on the U of S property. Hopefully Frank Bulk will be able to sort this out for us and we will be streaming video soon.

A Dilemma - Construct or Purchase the ECMM Building

2008-01-20T13:50:00.000-06:00

A dilemma that took a long time to make a decision over was whether to construct or purchase the building for ECMM. At the beginning of this whole process, my thought was that most people constructed their own objects (buildings, furniture, etc.) for their spaces. This concerned me a little (ok alot) because of the detail in some of the wonderful structures in SL. For example the real life College Building (shown below) is being constructed by Kev Juno (Kevin Lowey-RL) on the U of S land in SL (anyone confused yet?).

Real Life College Building. Image retrieved on Jan. 20/08 from: http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/uofs_buildings/
The reproduction of the College Building (shown below) will take Kev Juno days if not months of detailed construction to reproduce in SL. Once complete it will be a wonderful reproduction of a real life building in SL. To attempt a task such as this, one would want to be sure they have advanced building skills.

Jeff Kurka with Kev Juno looking at the College Building Kev is reproducing in SL (Picture taken Jan. 20/08).
I do not have building skills like Kev Juno so I began to use my creative skills and problem solve a solution to this dilemma. As I researched buildings in SL, I quickly realized buildings and many other objects can be purchased for a very reasonable amount of Linden Dollars (SL's unit of trade). The smallest amount of Linden's I was able to purchase was 585L for $2.50 US.

I eventually went to Hydro Homes in SL to purchase the new office structure for ECMM. Purchasing a building was like purchasing anything else in SL. The item is put into your inventory and from there you can rez (make viewable from your inventory) it onto your land. Shown below is the new Building for ECMM. Come over and take a look at our new structure, we would be happy to give you a tour.

The new ECMM building on the U of S Campus in SL (Photo taken Jan. 20/08).

ECMM Officially Under Constrution

2008-01-20T12:46:00.001-06:00

What an exciting time in SL, the ECMM space on the U of S property is officially under construction.

ECMM Construction site (Picture taken Jan. 19/08).

The fist step in developing the space for ECMM is constructing the foundation in which the building will sit. I have decided to construct a cement foundation. To do this I created a bunch of cubes linked together and applied a concrete texture to the cubes. This was not a difficult process but you will have to know how to build a cube, size objects, copy objects, move objects, link objects and apply textures to objects.

Jeff Kurka constructing the cement foundation for the ECMM building (Picture taken Jan. 19/08).

Learning How to Build in SL

2008-01-20T10:13:00.001-06:00

As in RL (Real Life) to be able to construct objects in SL (Second Life), basic building skills are necessary. So to begin developing the space for ECMM, I will need to lean how to build objects and work with textures.

To learn how to build in SL, I suggest you go to the Ivory Tower Library of Primitives, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Natoma/204/70/25/. The Ivory Tower is a location in SL that consists of resources, where avatars go to learn how to build. Once arriving at the Ivory Tower you will move through stations, each providing a tutorial on a specific building topic. The tutorial instructions are provided on notecards that can be kept in your inventory for future reference.

Jeff Kurka learning how to build at the Ivory Tower Of Primitives (Picture taken Jan. 17/08).
The interface in SL provides highly flexible building tools, where learning basic building techniques is not that difficult. The interface allows you to create geometric primitives (prims) that can be manipulated. Basic prims such as cubes, triangles, spheres and cones can be positioned, sized, colored and textured to create objects.

Unless your techie skills are advanced (unlike mine), you may want to learn the basics of building first, practice second and then proceed with more advanced skills. Through this process I believe I was able to learn basic building techniques but by no means do I feel that I am an expert builder.

Landscaping in SL

2008-01-16T13:57:00.000-06:00

I would like to landscape some of the land around the ECMM structure. This is necessary to build up the land so I can design a walk-out basement towards the water.

You should know that if you have building permissions for a specific land location, this does not mean that you can terraform the land. The only person who can edit the land is the person holding the deed to the land. In order for others to have land editing privileges, the deed must be given to the group so that any officer in the group can terraform it. The following resource explains how to edit land: http://secondlife.com/app/help/land/landscaping.php

Look and Purpose of the ECMM Structure

2008-01-16T10:56:00.000-06:00

I have been in contact with Rick Schwier and we are beginning to discuss the ECMM structure for SL. His questions are what should we have as ECMM structures and the purposes to be served. These are great questions that should be taken into consideration in the design phase of the structure.

I would like to have input on both the design and purpose of the structure. It is important to understand that the design of the structure can be changed at any time. I am new at building and my skills are not developed so we may be limited to the look of the structure at this point. If there are skilled people out there that would like to assist...please come forward. Your knowledge and skill would be much appreciated.

The purpose of the space may be the most important aspect at this time. We need to know what people want to do in this space. We can then be sure to design the space according to the needs identified. Knowing the purpose is also important so necessary tools are made available in the space. For example a projection screen or white board may be required in the space for presentations.

Time is limited so comments regarding the structure and purpose are needed ASAP. Due to the time constraints of the course...I have to work fast if this is going to get done.

Jeff Kurka looking onto the location to the future home of ECMM. (Picture taken Jan. 16/08).

ECMM Request for SL Space Approved by U of S

2008-01-15T23:17:00.000-06:00

The request for SL space for ECMM on the U of S property has been approved. Frank Bulk from EMAP approved the request and said to go ahead and start building the structure for ECMM.

One thing to note is that in order to build on the U of S property you must be given building permissions. I am told by Frank Bulk that if you are a member of SLUG, you should automatically be given building permissions for the U of S property. I should therefore be setup and ready to begin construction.

Speaking of SLUG...a nice article in the January 2008 issue of Bridges (Vol.6, No.2) talked about SLUG and Second Life. Felix Stringer (Frank Bulk) and Meridelle Mauvaise (Stephanie Frost) look great in the article picture.

The ECMM Request for Space in SL

2008-01-14T20:48:00.001-06:00

Everything is beginning to fit into place. The U of S now has land in Second Life. Dr. Rick Schwier has approved an 805 independent study course where I will develop a home in SL for Educational Technology and Communication (ECMM) on the U of S property. The ECMM space will then hopefully encourage courses to be developed to make use of the space and begin research within this 3D immersive world.

The first step in getting some space for ECMM was to provide Frank Bulk (U of S TEL Program Manager) at the University Learning Centre with a request for space. The request for space (shown below) was put together and then passed on to Dr. Rick Schwier to approve. The request was then sent on to Frank Bulk to see if ECMM would be able to get some space on the U of S property.

Request for ECMM Space to Develop on U of S SL Property

Purpose:
The purpose of this request is to develop a space in Second Life dedicated to ECMM for:

conducting research and development within 3D immersive worlds
increasing awareness and understanding of educational potential
conducting distance education
conducting training workshops
conducting graduate level courses
increasing skills in using the interface, building, and instructing
creating a demo-lab and club house

Type of Structure:
In the early stages of designing, the vision of the ECMM structure is to include group meeting space and office space. As this space evolves it will surely be used for many exciting and innovative objectives.

Group meeting space in SL will provide many of the same uses as real life meeting space. Dedicated space will allow for a SLURL to be given to users in order to teleport directly to the ECMM location. The group meeting space will provide ECMM with space for groups to gather and collaborate in SL. Some uses of the group meeting space may include presentations, lectures, group meetings, workshops and conferences. This space will be mostly open space with seats, tables and educational tools and resources.

Office space for ECMM will provide space for members to use when working in SL. Office space will allow faculty to have allocated space for office hours to meet with students. This space will also be used to conduct research and development in a somewhat private environment. This space will be a little more private, possibly including enclosed rooms.

Size of Structure:
The space requested for ECMM should allow for both group meeting space and office space. The meeting space should be large enough to accommodate 15-20 avatars, seats, tables and presentation screens. The office space should be large enough to develop 4 or 5 offices large enough to hold 3 avatars and some office furniture.

Number of Students Served:
Student’s involvement with the ECMM structure will be at all stages. Students will first be involved with the design and development of the space. Students will then be involved in the research and development of educational uses for the space. Students will then make use of the space for education and training through distance education. It is unclear how many students this will include at this time. If SL continues to grow it may become a valuable platform for providing distance education for both ECMM and the University of Saskatchewan.

Resources Provided:
-limited building knowledge (this skill will increase with the construction of the ECMM space)
-limited knowledge and understanding of some educational resources used in SL
-general understanding of avatar movement, vision, inventory, and other basic functions of SL
-limited knowledge of integrating SL with a Moodle platform through Sloodle to provide access to CMS functions in-world

Resources Required:
-graphic support
-scripting support
-technical support
-building/design support
-live streaming from RL to SL support
-Sloodle support

The Beginning of the Journey

2008-01-13T20:39:00.001-06:00

The journey to developing space in Second Life (SL) began for me on April 11, 2007. This was the day that Dr. Dirk Morrison ( U of S), John Karmazyn (SIAST) and myself met for the first time to discuss the possibility of our three institutions (U of S, SIAST and Cumberland College) collectively purchasing land in SL to begin researching it's educational potential. Our intentions were good and we were all interested in the research but time moved on and nothing seemed to progress.

I continued a solo journey in Second Life, learning and experiencing what I could in-world but I was still an avatar without a home. It was not until Nov. 25/07 when I received an email from Dr. Dirk Morrison that hope for for a home once again seemed possible. The email forwarded from Kathy Schwarz identified the following,

"Second Life User Group with Frank Bulk - Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Event: Fall Workshops Monday , Oct. 1, 2007 Time: 3:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M. Location: Murray Building 50.1 Do you have an avatar and an interest in using Second Life in your teaching or research? You are welcome to attend the first meeting of the Second Life User Group for the University of Saskatchewan. We are in the process of acquiring space to establish our "in-world" presence, but intend to have monthly face-to-face meetings to share interests in this new frontier."

We met that day and a group called SLUG (Second Life User's Group) was formed. I can still remember, from the meeting, the words coming out of Frank Bulk's mouth indicating that the U of S was in the process of purchasing some land on an island called Teaching 6. Frank explained the deal for the land should be finalized any day.

The land deal was finalized and the U of S now leases a total of 16384 square meters in SL. The following image taken from the SLUG Wiki page describes the layout of the island.

Image retrieved January 13, 2008 from: https://wiki.usask.ca/slug/index.php/Main_Page

What's the Big Idea?

2008-01-11T16:30:00.000-06:00

As a newbie (person new to SL) I find it very time consuming to acquire knowledge and skills necessary to participate in Second Life (SL). Upon arrival to the 3D immersive world my avatar (Jeff Kurka) stumbled around as I tried to figure out how to control him to make it look as though he belonged. Or as one might express, "didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday."

Although time consuming, I am intrigued by the potential of Second Life. I believe this MMORPG (Massively Multi-player Online Role-Playing Game) has levels of interaction and collaboration unseen, to date, through other web-based tools or platforms. My in-world experiences have kept me coming back to try and figure out the educational possibilities of SL.

I do not want to use SL simply because it is the latest technology or cool to use. I want to see real value for members of the educational community. Through the last year spending time in SL going to conferences and learning how other educators are using it, I believe it to be the beginning of something exciting.

This excitement has built up to the point that I feel I want to help others experience the potential of this place. In order to make it easier for other educators and students to make use of this immersive world, I am going to create a resource that will assist in the necessary skill development. This blog will describe the journey taken to create this resource.