Many of us by now have heard of the simulation, Second Life, an online virtual world, created by its users who can interact with one another by creating a digital avatar. This simulation has created a cult like following but in addition continues to grow as an open source model for businesses to conduct meetings, for non-profit organizations to raise funds and meet new clients and even in some research circles, second life represents a world for autistic and other individuals affected with cognitive social disorders.
http://secondlife.com/
One article from Wired Magazine in the March 2008 edition, discusses the affect of autism on one's environment and that non-verbal communication represents a form of communication with an individual and the surrounding environment. The article examines Amanda Biggs whose Youtube popularity rose when she played a clip of herself making awkward gestures with her hands and touching objects in her room. However, a voice activated software, DynaVox, synthesizes written language to voice application, as Amanda types words at 120 a minute, lets people know her thoughts and disposition. One of her favorite hangouts rests with the sim world of Second Life where she speaks to her fellow "autie and aspie friends". (Wired, 2008, p156).
Hard to imagine that second life now represents a world of not just entertainment but practical application to redefining business models, organizational methods and procedures as well as research areas of study and worlds where those who cannot interact face to face yet find solace and comfort in a digital medium. Simulations such as second life may be applied to classroom education for teachers to simulate exercises or for students to learn history by creating a virtual setting of a reality to conceive the notion of early American Revolution. The possibilities remain endless for this simulation to serve the public in the means of science, business, education and public health as a platform that encompasses any individual who chooses to engage in this online world. The article in Wired analyzes the research aspect of second life and the website itself demonstrates various options to create avatars and what world to exist or explore. Maybe we as a group can make our own avatars or check it out for yourself and enjoy all that second life offers to reality and digital enhancement.
Wired Magazine.(2008, March). Wired, 2008, pp154-158.
4 comments:
Hi Ben,
I found this very interesting especially to hear that businesses and non-profits are using second life as a training tool. I have not explored Second Life yet but I have heard the buzz about it.
Most school districts are blocking the site on their networks but perhaps if the benefits were showcased and the environment was protected and moderated from outsiders in a certain sector, teachers would be able to use it in their classrooms.
How do you see it being used to teach and for what content areas? From what I have read, I only see the social aspect of it.
:) Garnette
Hi Ben,
I agree with you that simulation has become a very popular tool in many fields, not only in educational contexts.
However, everything has its drawbacks. I found the following quote that is interesting to me:
" However, this last example is pertinent to one drawback of simulations, in that they
can rarely simulate every nuance of a realworld situation, and therefore (especially in critical industries) cannot totally replace real-world training. In the nuclear
industry, it would be worrying if workers had no experience of a real nuclear reactor, and only simulated experience, before dealing with a crisis involving one."
" One promising area
for the use of simulation is science, but many products with apparent potential for this subject are inaccurate or simplistic and therefore not widely used (McFarlane
and Sakellariou 2002). It remains difficult to predict how widespread simulation games will become in education at school level, but until simulations can reliably recreate real world contexts using explicit models that reflect those being taught, widespread adoption remains unlikely."
Haha, I really enjoyed our discussion on different issues of simulationa and games. I like to look at different perspectives of one issue. Thanks for sharing your ideas :)
Best, Jiao
Hi,
I am sorry that I forgot to post the reference of the cited work in my previous comments.
Kirriemuir, J. & McFarlane, C. A. (2004). Literature review in games and learning. Futurelab Series.
Hey Ben,
Thanks for bringing the topic about Second Life. I took Second Life as a game for a long time until Dr.Ferdig pointed out it is a virtual learning environment. I have a Second Life account and visited Second Life before. Yes, it is amazing people earn money there and business is invovled in Second Life. I think it is the most attractive for those who roam in Second Life for adults. I also had a middle school kid played Teen Second Life. Compared to the adult version, the world for teen is not so intriguing. The kid cannot find a clear goal there except wandering.
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