Virtual Learning: Education in the 21 st Century Jessica Pater GTRI

Who are you? Who am I? What are your expectations of this workshop? What are our expectations of this workshop?

Objectives Introductions Define the 21 st Century learner Define Virtual worlds and their functionalities Understand the breadth and depth of virtual worlds Second Life Getting ready for Saturday

Learn the Truth about the MatrixLife Goes On As Is Let’s Get Started! This is why it is so important to understand the context of how youth are using the internet.

What defines a 21 st Century Learner?

MMORPGs Game set in a Fantasy Virtual World Direct interaction/communicatio n What else is there???

What is a Virtual World? A virtual world is a computer-based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars. These avatars are usually depicted as textual, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional graphical representations, although other forms are possible. Some, but not all, virtual worlds allow for multiple users (Wikipedia) an extension of our real world that exists only online. i.e. the Cyber World (OsiXs)

Virtual Worlds/Virtual Lives Within the next four years, approximately 54% of kids under the age of 13 will be in a virtual world Geared towards kids, tweens, teens, and adults

VWs geared for tween market Club Penguin Webkinz Whyville Mokitown Virtual Magic Kingdom Disney’s Toontown

VWs and MMORGPs geared for preteen market Teen Second Life Habbo Hotel The manor There TowerChat Playdo Vzones The Sims Online Runescape

VWs and MMORGPs geared to older teens/early adulthood markets Second Life World of Warcraft The Palace Active Worlds VP Chat Halo Everquest Worlds.com Age of Conan Tabula Rasa Lord of the Rings Online

Virtual Worlds Evolution of – Social Networks – Gaming – Simulations Evolution of Web 2.0 to Web 3.0????

Living a Second Life…

6Q

Second Life Linden Labs is where it all began…. – Responsible for the money (more about that later) – SL development – SL “law enforcement” or law makers – Unique business model

User Statistics Total Population – 12,289,613 (February 23, 2008) – 14,977,032 (September 2, 2008) 1.44 Million logged in within last 60 days 72,805 logged 3:25 today

Economy 2006 GDP = $64 million 2007 GDP = $580 million (estimated) – More than 21 Countries HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?? L$ Linden Dollar – Rates fluctuately slightly based on supply and demand – $250 L - $1.00 – Total Money Supply: $22,531,821.65

LindeX

Logged Time Between July & September of 2007, over 27 million hours were logged “in world” Since November 2006, Second Life has seen a 104% increase of traffic

Communication Tools Verbally (text and/or voice chat) or Non-verbally (visual appearance, proxemics, gestures) In private (instant messages/IM) or In public (places or group IM)

Tools for Travel

Tools for creating and shaping the world

So what can we do with this platform??

Business

Education

Politics

Machinama the use of real-time three-dimensional (3-D) graphics rendering engines, often from video games, to create computer-generated imagery (CGI) for animated films.

Acknowledgement NASA: Alja Sulcic Peggy Sheehy Linden Labs