Augmenting the MERLOT Tradition with Multi-User Virtual Environments:

A Guided Tour

The MERLOT International Conference, New Orleans, October 9, 2007

By Sabine Lawless-Reljic, real life hostDr. Brock Allen, Second Life host

San Diego State University, CA

Agenda

• Seriously Engaging… (in-world + slide 3)• …And Seriously Researched (slides 4 &5)• MUVEs: What and Why (slides 6, 7, 8)• Meet instructional designer and instructor,

Cathy Arreguin (in-world)• “Challenging traditional concepts”, Dr. Allen (in-

world)• Q&A (in-world)• Resources (slides 9, 10, 11)

New Media Consortium

“NMC Campus: Seriously Engaging”

Science 27 July 2007:Vol. 317. no. 5837, pp. 472 –

476

The Scientific Research Potential of Virtual Worlds, by

William Sims Bainbridge

Social scientists and computer scientists meet at the

intersection of virtual worlds. These virtual worlds, such as

Second Life and World of Warcraft, provide new resources and approaches for research in political science, sociology, and

economics.

***

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/vol317/issue5837/cover.dtl

Technology Review (MIT), July/August 2007: Current issue

Second Earth, by Wade Roush

The World Wide Web will soon be absorbed into the World Wide Sim: an environment

combining elements of Second Life and Google

Earth.

***

http://www.technologyreview.com/

Multi-User Virtual Environments

• Genres*Action *Puzzle *Educational *Fighting/combat *Sports *Racing *Role-play/adventure *Flight *Shoot’em *Platform games *Business *Board *Word *General entertainment *Fantasy violence *Human

violence *Non-violent sports *Sports violence *Simulation games

• TypesSocial environment Second Life, There, Another Worlds,

Kaneva

Role-Playing Games World of Warcraft , EverQuest, Neverwinter Nights, The Realm

Fantasy DotSoul Cyberspace, Entropia Universe

The World Wide Web• Web 1.0:

– static documents– Print-centric 20th century library

• Web 2.0: (action through the web)– social internet (interactive, customized, social, and media intensive)– Multilayered media databases, software programs running inside web

browsers, high-volume community forums, social search tools

• Web 3.0: (virtual environment and interaction through objects and people)– web of data and object-like constructs with which users engage

directly through object manipulation interfaces and metaphors– Web-browsing with 3D experience

Information Objects list

Sharing objects: http://www.technogogy.org.uk/passing_notes.html

Q&A by the lake

Friday, August 17th, 10:00 a.m. PSTSDSU EdTech Virtual Building, upstairs classroom

San Diego Second Life Pioneers, Meadowbrook 218, 84, 23

Follow-up Meeting

Contact Information

Sabine Lawless-Reljic(SL: Willow Shenlin) sabine@reljic.com

Consulting: Cathy Arreguin (SL: Mari Asturias), cathy_arreguin@mac.com

Dr. Brock Allen (SL: Doxbrox Allen)

brock.allen@sdsu.edu

Suggested locationsLocation Second Life URL (slurl address)

NMC Campus NMC Campus 150, 226, 43

San Diego State University, pICTsl Farm Meadowbrook 200, 203, 22

San Diego Second Life Pioneers Meadowbrook 218, 84, 23

Alliance Second Life Main Library Info Island 107, 146, 33

Social simulation research lab library Hyperborea 218, 84, 23

International Spaceflight Museum Spaceport Alpha 47, 82, 24

NOAA’s island Meteroa 145, 131, 28

UC Davis Virtual Hallucinations Sedig 26, 45, 21

EdTech Island EdTech 108, 134, 25

Ivory Tower Library of Primitive Natoma 209, 164, 27

EduIsland I, II, III Eduisland 128, 123, 23