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This snapshot is from one of the first places I visited with my group in Second Life. The picture is from Bay City- Docklands. I am the avatar on the right and Olga is the avatar on the left. Andrew would have been in the snapshot, but at the time I took it, he had teleported to find us a new location to explore. I chose to write about this location because it was really the first large open area that I had seen in Second Life, almost like a gateway to the potential of virtual worlds. Even though the world ran very slow on my computer, it was still very fascinating to see a “living world” on my computer screen complete with cities and people.
This snapshot is from one of the first places I visited with my group in Second Life. The picture is from Bay City- Docklands. I am the avatar on the right and Olga is the avatar on the left. Andrew would have been in the snapshot, but at the time I took it, he had teleported to find us a new location to explore. I chose to write about this location because it was really the first large open area that I had seen in Second Life, almost like a gateway to the potential of virtual worlds. Even though the world ran very slow on my computer, it was still very fascinating to see a “living world” on my computer screen complete with cities and people.
How can virtual worlds like Second Life enhance the teaching and learning experiences for students?
Virtual worlds are able to enhance teaching and learning experiences for students by providing them with an interactive arena that allows them to put classroom theory into practice. Reading textbooks and writing papers are all well and good for learning, but the ability to test what you have learned in a place where your actions will have reactions and instant feedback is an invaluable learning tool. Second Life also gives instructors the ability to reach out to students all over the real world, so learning can take place anywhere and anytime. However, the technology is somewhat limited in Second Life right now. For example, I only have a decent computer and when I tried out Second Life for the first time it nearly crashed my computer. The virtual world ran so slow and the controls were so unresponsive that it was practically impossible to use it. If Second Life is to expand the way that teachers and professors, the technology that powers it will need to become more powerful and easy to use. However, if Second Life does become a smoother experience in the future, the possibilities of how it can improve hands-on learning are immense.
What are the implications for the arts and society?
The implications for arts and society are immense within Second Life. Second Life provides everyday people, whether artistic or not, the tools and capacity to create art within the virtual world. This electronic world also gives people on opposite ends of the world that would normally never have the chance to meet and interact with each other just that. People from all over the world can share ideas and beliefs, as well as create works from all of the artistic disciplines. They can create architecture, paintings, photography, music, literature, and pretty much anything else one can think of. The potential of Second Life as an artistic medium and to bring society together is simply incredible.
How was your group meeting in world different, better or worse than the meeting in Blackboard Vista's chat groups that your instructors set up for this course?
The actual group meeting in Second Life was a bit more difficult than expected. This was mostly due to the complexity of the software compared to the ease of use that Wiggio.com provides. It is so much easier to set up a chat room and invite your whole group rather than figure out a whole new program. I think that because it was our first time using Second Life it may have been much more difficult to meet as a group. There was also a lot of server lag in Second Life on the night that we decided to meet so that increased the difficulty of the meeting. Socially thought I didn’t feel as if it was much different than meeting in a chat room. Granted we did have “human-like” avatars when we were conversing, it felt the same as if we were in a chat room. Wiggio.com just provides an easier and more user friendly experience and fulfills all the necessary things that our group needs. Second Life is much more in depth and provides a totally difference experience, but is a bit overkill for what our group needs.
How is the virtual society different than our real world society?
The creation of virtual world with virtual society is one of the many culture revolutions our society experienced. The virtual world actually became a rival to the real world. Virtual worlds try to mimic all the details of real life and are meant to replace the real life experience of being a member of a society. Almost without any differences the virtual world is trying to take over the real world offering a much better experience; you can live exactly as you desire, which is not always possible in real life. From one side virtual worlds allow the existence of interesting and creative society but from the other side this society is too perfect to be true. Everyone is beautiful and nice and if they are not each owner of a world can banish these people. It is not that easy living in a real society with real problems like misunderstandings, diversity, and discrimination. In the real society each one of us has to face real problems, which can be avoided by choice in the virtual world. As tempting as the virtual world can sounds it offers fake society, after all our real life still happening when we exit the virtual game.
