Second Life Seminar

Dean L. Zellerdzeller@cs.kent.eduDr. Paul S. Wang (advisor)Department of Computer ScienceKent State University

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Outline

• Demonstrate usefulness of Second Life in:– Computer Science– Education– Nurse training simulation

• Motivation

• Current research projects

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Virtual World Interface• Gaming industry virtual worlds

– World of Warcraft

– Call of Duty

– Matrix Online

• Virtual worlds could be the next interface change for the WWW.

• It will benefit the educational community to explore virtual worlds as an educational medium.

• “Old school” web pages could become passé .

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About Second Life• Based on an idea within Show Crash, by Neal

Stephenson (1992).

• 13,000,000 unique accounts.

• Business conducted through Linden Dollars (US$1 L$300).

• Instant messaging and item sharing.

• Virtual meetings and classrooms.

• SL is not a game.

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Second Life encourages…

• Creativity and imagination• Collaboration (in real time)• Experimentation• Social networking• Immersive learning environment• Development of spatial cognitive skills• Event driven programming

• Negative aspects:– User interface problems– Addiction/escape from reality

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Popular Culture References• Daily Show, with Jon Stewart. Segment on Avatar Heroes.• ANIMA, by Dalian Hansen. First work of fiction based in SL• The Last Testament, by Sam Bourne. SL plays part in story.• Second Life song, by Sheldon Tarsha.• British comedian Jimmy Carr performed a virtual show in SL on

February 3, 2007.• SL girls rated #95 on Maxim’s Top 100 Hottest Females of 2007.• Law and Order: Special Victims Unit episode parodies SL in

episode “Avatar”.• CSI NY episode: used SL to locate suspect in episode “Down the

Rabbit Hole” on October 24, 2007.• The Office episode: Dwight Shrute creates a virtual world within

SL, called Second Second Life in episode “Local Ad” on October 25, 2007.

• Beyond the Void, a rock group touring the SL grid.• The Darkest Evening of the Year, by Dean Koontz, one of the

antagonists is a private detective who lives vicariously through his SL avatar (released November 27, 2007).

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Current SL research projects• Second Life workshop and curriculum

– KSU Research Center for Educational Technology (RCET)

– Expand workshop into semester-long special topics class

• Mathematics education manipulatives – Web-based Mathematics Education team (WME),

Department of Computer Science– 3DLogo programming interface

• Nurse training simulation – KSU College of Nursing (COL)– Welcome center– Training facility

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Mathematics Manipulatives (WME)

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Nurse Training Simulation (COL)• Movie from Tacoma Community College (John Miller RN) http://www.

metaversejournal.com/2008/05/11/nursing-education-in-second-life/

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FundingThis research is Sponsored by the Research Center for Educational Technology (RCET), the Web-based Mathematics Education (WME) team, and the College of Nursing (COL) at Kent State University.

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Questions?

• Please contact me at dzeller@cs.kent.edu

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Appendix

• Second Life stats

• Competitors

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SL: Monthly User Hours

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SL: Concurrent Users

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SL: Productive Businesses

PMLF: Positive Monthly Linden Flow

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SL: Size of world

• Currently at a billion square meters, or approximately 400 square miles (20mi20mi)

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Google’s Lively

• Released 07-09-08

• Web-based

• Cartoony-feeling

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Qwaq Forums• Focused on professional

collaboration rather than entertainment

• People can work on documents within forum.