Using Google

Earth and

Second Life

for education

Virtual Worlds: Second Life and Google

Earth

Rome, London, California…even the Moon. Locations that are physically

impossible to travel to from a classroom in New Jersey are no longer

inaccessible to students thanks to technology and the Internet. In the

past, students were only able to see pictures or videos of places that

they have never been. Now, however, through advancements in

technology, vast interactive worlds have been developed through which

teachers and students can explore all over the world – and beyond. In a

matter of minutes, students can go from examining a 3D scale layout of

Big Ben and the Parliament in London, to exploring craters on the moon.

Two different services that both offer the virtual world experience are

Google Earth and Second Life. While these are not the only options

available, they are two of the larger, more developed, and more popular

programs currently available – and while they are both free, the

programs are vastly different in their approach and resources.

Additionally, both programs have some areas where they either excel or

are lacking. This is to be expected, however, since technology is ever

evolving and rarely perfect. The goal then, as an educator, is to locate

and utilize the best tool for the job. There will never be one perfect one

size fits all solution.

This booklet will take you through both Second Life and Google Earth,

discussing the pros and cons of each site, and looking at 20 different

examples/reviews of places you can visit in either program. These

reviews will provide a beginning foundation of how you, as an educator,

might use either of these programs in your classroom.

Second Life is a true “virtual world” that is accessed online. Similar to a 3D

game, users take control of an avatar (or digital character representing

themselves which they create) and explore generated and created content.

Users travel to various islands which are owned by corporations, schools, or

even individuals to experience a wide range of different content and activities.

The game is more than just scenery; there are interactive scavenger hunts,

guided tours, games, interactions, and a lot of other content. Users can truly

become immersed in the world as they wander and explore the various islands.

Another aspect of Second Life is the interaction among other users – the game

is in a category that is referred to as “Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing

Game”, or MMORPG, where users can talk to each other, travel with each

other, and explore the virtual world together. This is a benefit for those who

interact with people they know, but can provide for unsuitable experiences

when interacting with strangers.

Below are some pros and cons of Second Life:

Pros

Immersive environment

Ability to visit some real places recreated in Second Life

Ability to visit locations inaccessible in the real world

Chat feature – ability to hold an online interactive class

Cons

Open world. There is a LOT of inappropriate content for minors

that is easily accessible

Not all ‘real world’ locations are replicated – sometimes hard to

find what you are looking for

Chat feature – random strangers can interact with your students

Runs choppy on older computers

Google Earth, while not technically a fully interactive online virtual world (there

is no avatar, no direct online interaction with other users, no chat feature),

rivals the worlds created in Second Life in many areas.

Where Google Earth excels, is that many cities have been authentically

recreated in scale 3D models. A user simply has to type an address in to be

taken to another part of the world where they can zoom in and out, explore

satellite images, explore user uploaded photos, get directions, and more.

Google Earth can be very appealing for a classroom setting because of its

safety. Whereas Second Life has a lot of interaction between members, there

is no filtering content, and there is inappropriate content, Google Earth is

essentially an interactive 3D map that can be explored safely and efficiently.

One additional user generated feature that Google Earth has, however, are

user uploaded photos of specific areas that people have visited. This adds a

very unique and personal touch to the otherwise very technical maps.

Pros

Safe – no inappropriate content

Easy to navigate

3D models of most large cities, satellite photos of all other areas

Ability to ‘travel’ via directions

User uploaded photos

Cons

No chat feature

Not as interactive

No ‘fantasy’ locations

Can freeze from time to time on older machines

International Space Flight Museum

Link

The International Space Flight Museum is pretty interesting in a few different

aspects. I enjoyed

being able to fly

around the area and

get a close look at

the different

rockets from

various countries

and time periods.

There were also

tours that

visitors could

take through the museum. Because of the interactive features, this location is

definitely worth a second visit, and is also something interesting for students to

visit as well.

Kennedy Space Center

While not an exact comparison to the International Space Flight Museum found

in Second Life (since that is a unique location to only Second Life), visiting the

Kennedy Space Center in

Google Earth does have

some unique benefits.

Students curious about

the former space

program could visit the

Kennedy Space Center

and examine the area,

photos, and the shuttle

launch zones. What may

be eye opening for some

of them is the distance the shuttles used to have to take to get from the space

center to the launch pads. While perhaps not as exciting as some of the

information at Second Life's International Space Flight Museum, the Kennedy

Space Center makes for an intriguing first hand 'real' experience.

ARCHI21

Link

ARCHI21 was an interesting

area, and definitely one worth

checking out more than once.

The island was set up with

various architectural 'marvels',

some of which are physically

impossible, improbable, or

impractical - but all of which

together in one location makes

them extremely invaluable.

This would be a useful island for

not only architectural students,

but art students as well - or even just

those who are just curious about buildings and shapes.

Sydney Opera House

Google Earth has its own

share of archetectural

masterpieces - take, for

example, the Sydney

Opera House. Like many

of the Google Earth sites,

the opera house is easier

to locate than many sites

in Second Life. One simply

has to type in the location

and they are brought to it,

as opposed to having to

take the time to search for an appropriate area. Like other Google Earth

locations, a visitor cannot enter the location, however, users can get a good

feel for the area based on pictures provided by other users.

Virtual London

Link

Virtual London was somewhat of a disappointment. The area was fairly small,

and only some of the more prominent landmarks (such as Big Ben, but not

Parliament) were present. The little bit of content that was there was

developed well, however, it was not entirely accurate. I do not think it would

be necessary to visit the

area again, especially

when there are other,

more accurate tools

that can be used to get

a virtual view of the

surrounding area.

London

Visiting London in Google Earth was a much more complete and valuable

experience than visiting it in Second Life. While the visitor cannot go inside any

of the buildings (like you can in Second Life), there is not much of a need. The

city is complete and an individual can spend a lot of time exploring the streets

of London, which would be

useful in many different

situations. Perhaps a

history teacher wants to

show the students the

Parliament buildings that

Guy Faux attempted to

destroy – he or she would

be able to virtually visit

the area quickly and

easily.

Globe Theater

Link

Another area in London, though

located on a different island in

Second Life, is Shakespeare’s

globe. Rather than just a visual

replication of the globe, however,

this theater actually has a

schedule of events in which other

members of the community

recreate Shakespeare’s plays.

Unfortunately, viewing these plays

require “Linden Dollars”.

Individuals can enter the globe and look around

while there is not a play being performed, and the accuracy of the scale

is pretty good. In general, though, the resource would be most useful to

individuals who had access to “Linden Dollars”.

Globe Theater

The Globe Theater displayed in

Google Earth is fairly different

than the Globe theater visited

in Second Life. Google Earth

would be a useful tool to show

students where the Globe is

located in modern day

England. Unfortunately,

there is no internal view of

the globe, but the exterior

is composed fairly well.

The benefit of Google

Earth over Second Life

would be the ease of use and the

additional pictures available for users to click.

Additionally, the area is "safer" than Second Life, since one does not have to

worry about any inappropriate actions or content.

Planetarium

Link

Interactive areas like this planetarium are where Second Life shines. While the

real life recreations in Second

Life are limited in their use,

accessing areas that cannot

otherwise be visited gives an

individual a chance to view

something truly unique. This

particular planetarium has

models of the planets and

moons, and links to outside

information related to them.

This location would be a

valuable resource for all types

of individuals looking to learn

more about the planets.

Moon

While Google Earth may not have content

on as many different planets as some of the

Second Life planetariums, there is a decent

amount of places an individual can visit on

both the moon and Mars. After visiting

both, I would have to say that while Google

Earth may lack the quantity of content, it

more than makes up with quality. Complete

with panoramas, markers, and notations

from the various moon landings, Google

Earth offers a wealth of information that is

worth checking out. Additionally, the moon through Google Earth could be

easily viewed by all age ranges without fear of inappropriate content.

IBM Learning Commons

Link

The IBM Learning Commons is an

example of what can truly be

created in Second Life with the

appropriate time and financial

commitment. The Learning

Commons has full-fledged lecture

halls, amphitheaters, presentations,

business expos, and information -

greater than any of the university

pages that were visited.

Unfortunately at the time of visit,

nothing was happening at the commons. This seems

to be somewhat par for the course with a lot of the areas on Second Life

currently. I think that this would be an area worth visiting again, if there was

something happening. As it stands now, however, there is not much to do

other than look at the well-designed architecture.

Lake Mohawk, NJ

While Second Life contains areas

that are either not accessible to

visitors (or places that do not exist

in real life), Google Earth contains

areas that exist in real life but do

not exist in Second Life. This

particular location is that of my

house. While not important to

anyone other than myself, it

makes a valuable point. A

visitor can visit ANY area on Earth through Google

Earth. While not all locations contain 3D models, they are all at least

accessible via a satellite view.

Ohio State University Reproductive Organs Tour

Link

Ohio State University put together an

interesting and informative island

covering a microscopic level of both

male and female reproductive organs.

The tour, as shown in the picture,

guides you through the reproductive

organs, and visually displays and

describes the processes. Visitors need

not move, the tour itself is completely

automated. This island is one of the aspects of

Second Life that makes it really stand out - through this island an individual is

able to witness, virtually first hand, something that cannot otherwise be

experienced. The university's site would be a great resource for students or

educators in a sex education course.

Blarney Castle – Scale Replica

Link

The Blarney Castle is a full scale replica that

was constructed by a user on one of their

private islands. While not part of a "virtual

Ireland", the Blarney Castle is an

interesting visit. For me particularly, I

never knew that the castle was so small -

so in that, it was perhaps a worthwhile

visit. Individuals can go into the castle itself,

which includes an interactive Blarney Stone. I do

not know, however, if there would be any need for me to visit the location a

second time.

UC Davis Virtual Hallucinations

Link

UC Davis put together an interactive

room on their island to try to shed light

onto mental illnesses with hallucinations.

Before attempting the interaction, you

are given a warning that some individuals

find the content disturbing - afterwards,

you download a file and walk through a

house. During this time, certain things

move that shouldn’t, notations describe

certain hallucinations, and an audio track repeats and whispers that you are

worthless, nothing, and you should kill yourself. It is extremely creepy and

disturbing, but also eye opening. While I would not recommend it for

everyone, this is definitely an interesting and informative visit for those that

could handle it. It is important to note, however, that if you do not remove the

badge required for the interaction, the audio hallucinations will continue even

after you leave the island.

Genome Island

Link

I will be honest by starting this review by

stating I have little to no knowledge

about genomes. That aside, this island in

Second Life was pretty unique. Again,

this was one of the areas that stood out

on the site because it displayed

something that Google Earth could not:

interactivity and the physical display of

something that an individual would not be

able to visualize in real life. Particularly, the pictured genome was a molecule

displayed of Lysozyme. Visitors could click on buttons to change the status of

the molecule to "Charged", and see how the molecule changed. This would be

worth visiting for students learning about molecules and genomes.

Eiffel Tower, France

One of my biggest complaints and

concerns about visiting the Eiffel Tower in

Second Life was the inappropriate content

that was visible almost immediately

entering the area. Granted, the content

was there as a list of rules that were not

allowed in the area, it still was written in

a way that would prohibit a class from

entering. Visiting the Eiffel Tower in Google Earth, on the other hand, is

completely different. While a visitor might not be able to climb a flight of

stairs, they are still able to get a sense of the scale of the tower - which is

recreated fairly accurately. Teachers would be able to use this location without

worry, which is something that cannot be said about Second Life.

Epcot; Disney World

While some locations in Google Earth are not that accurate (or rather not that

detailed), it is amazing the extent to which others are detailed. The attached

picture is for the Epcot theme part in Disney World - specifically the World

Showcase. What could be useful about using this particular location in a

classroom is that while the buildings and structures are replicas of actual

foreign architecture, they are created with fairly strong accuracy. Therefore, a

teacher could access this site in his or

her classroom, and quickly scroll

through various "countries" showing

his or her students different types of

architecture from multiple countries

in an extremely time effective

manner.

Assisi, Italy

Assisi in Google Earth is like London in

Second Life - disappointing. Assisi was

one of the most beautiful and unique

places I have visited in my life; the tight

winding roads, the hills, the medieval

buildings. Google Earth does not capture

any of these things since none of the

buildings are actually 3D (though you do get a slight feel for the hills). This is a

prime example that while Google Earth does have some amazing features, not

everything that you find on it will be worthwhile. Even still, with the

disappointing 3D models, you still have the opportunity to view people's

photos of Assisi, so it is not completely worthless.

Interlaken, Switzerland

Even though Interlaken does not have 3D models of the buildings, the scale of

the neighboring mountains (one of the most stunning views from the city itself)

are still worthwhile. If cropped correctly, the image from Google Earth could

easily be mistaken for a tourist photo. An interesting use for this location

would be to compare the image of the mountain with images of other

mountains in other countries - useful for a geography class.