“DAZ 3D, a company based in Draper, UT, that makes software and models for creating 3-D art, recently announced the MogBox, a program that would allow users to design a high-resolution 3-D character and transport it as an avatar to multiple virtual worlds. MogBox is designed to maintain the same look and feel for the character from one location to another, while adjusting for the graphics capabilities and styles of different virtual worlds.”

Web Link

It is also nicely laid out in categories including: * Distance and Flexible Education * Presentations, Panels and Discussions * Training and Skills Development * Self-paced Tutorials * Displays and Exhibits * Immersive Exhibits * Roleplays and Simulations * Data Visualisations and Simulations * Libraries, Art Galleries and Museums * Historical Re-creations and Re-enactments, Living and Immersive Archeology * Computer Programming * Artificial Intelligence Projects * Artificial Life Projects * Multimedia and Games Design * Art and Music Projects * Literature, Composition and Creative Writing * Theatre and Performance Art * Photostories and Photo Scenarios * Machinima * Treasure Hunts and Quests * Virtual Tourism, Cultural Immersion and Cultural Exchange * Language Teaching and Practice, and Language Immersion * Social Science and Anthropological Research * Awareness/Consciousness Raising and Fund Raising * Support and Opportunities for People with Disabilities * Politics, Governance, Civics and Legal Practice * Business, Commerce, Financial Practice and Modelling * Real Estate Practice * Product Design, Prototyping, User-testing and Market Research * Interior Design * Architectural Design and Modelling * Urban Planning and Design * Further Resources

You can spend a long time on this site – I have already!

Interestingly the site is also a wiki (albeit protected)

View site

On the whole it has a similar look and feel to that of Second Life which indicates to me at least a consensus of design and possibly cross platform linking?

Anyway the video highlights a number of interesting features such as 3d windows which link to other virtual areas within the system.
Also the live video avatars look interesting. Essentially you can send live video stream to the system and this appears within a small window located on top of your avatar. Good for seeing people’s faces and their reactions. There’s a couple of nice scenes in which you can view slides underneath the water (complete with fishes) and a reference to just in time teaching in terms of rapid development of objects, (it’s not terribly clear on this point and I would have liked a bit more context – although I’m probably just being thick).

I would be interested to know from other Second Life punters as to whether Second Life has these features or they are being planned for implementation.

Or will the LRC be on the move…?

So I’ve decided to list them here in case anyone wants to have a scan through them. This is breaking my own blogging cardinal rule in which I always read the articles before linking to them but like I said there’s no time at the moment. They’re a mixed bunch mainly news articles. However they tend to be direct and to the point and their interviewees may offer contacts for potential collaboration. Enjoy.

You Only Live Twice: Making the Most of Second Life in Education Web Link

Is Second Life the right tool for Further and Higher Education? – Information World Review Web Link

Surfing Second Life – Lindsay Oishi, Technology & Learning Web Link

In Second Life, There’s No Fallout – Andy Guess, Inside Higher Ed Web Link

Second Life’s virtual conference rooms might be more useful if they didn’t resemble their real-world counterparts – Erica Naone, Technology Review Web Link

Colleges Bring Learning to a Virtual World – Katie Stuhldreher, The Philadelphia Inquirer Web Link

Drexel opens Second Life campus – Nancy Lan, the Triangle Web Link

Second Life: Do You Need One? – Patricia Deubel, THE Journal Web Link

Review: Voice In Second Life Gets Two Thumbs Up – Mitch Wagner, InformationWeek Web Link

Second Life worth second look: Virtual world will change interactions, lecturer says – Weiwen Ji, Daily Texan Web Link

Second Life Education Workshop at the Second Life Community – Daniel Livingstone eLearn Magazine Web Link

Money Trouble in Second Life Web Link

SL Instructional Videos On YouTube Web Link

Second Life Brand Map (we’re on there!) Web Link

IBM expands virtual world presence – the Age (Australia) Web Link

Colleges Bring Learning to a Virtual World – Katie Stuhldreher, The Philadelphia Inquirer Web Link

I Was a Second Life B-School Student – Francesca Di Meglio, Business Week Web Link

How Second Life Changes Customer Service – Jo Best, BusinessWeek Web Link

These are are very brief reports, could be useful for collaborators.

British Library plans Second Life branch Web Link

Second Life to Be Linked to Web Web Link

A New Competitor to Second Life Web Link

Colleges Are Building in Second Life, but Is Anyone Visiting? Web Link

Anthropologist: Deep Bonds Forged in Second Life Web Link

Second Life Video Made in Italy Stirs Controversy Web Link

Wii and Second Life Replace Real Worker Training Web Link

A Library Makes Its Debut, in Second Life Web Link

Second Lifers May Soon Get a New Way to Talk Web Link

An Avatar at Ball State Explains ‘Second Life’ to Dummies Web Link

A Second Life Whodunit Web Link

A Virtual Campus Tour in Second Life Web Link

A Second Life Machinima by Robbie Dringo.

“Ever looked at your favorite painting and wished you could wander inside, to look at it from different perspectives? Spend a single day in one of mine, from early sunrise on a new day, to dusk when lights come on in cosy homes; through a peaceful night, till morning.”.

Shot on location in Second Life with some post-production. Information on how this created can be found here.

Worth playing with the headphones on.

Report link

Stephen’s blog post

Here’s the video. It’s not a full on spoof but a plug for one of their events. I wonder, after the recent launch of Sloodle (Moodle and Second Life interfacing), when BlackBoard will be looking into this.

Also this example in which an advert billboard ‘listens in’ on the text conversation between Second Life users and displays content according to keywords.

In terms of look, feel and experience there will be some differences between the 2 systems : “The Entropia Universe features a traditional 3D virtual-world environment but has more of a gaming-feel than virtual worlds such as Second Life, as it is set in a “distant sci-fi future”. Ri Pierce-Grove, analyst at Datamonitor, told silicon.com: “Entropia’s initial impression is of an interesting hybrid, with gaming elements integrated more strongly into its social experience.”".

I wonder is this is a move towards MMOLES* where interactions occur between avatars as per Second Life but with the addition of the system allowing goals to be set?

* Massively Multilearner Online Learning Environments

More here and here.

If you want to gen up on virtual worlds and their possible applications to learning this article is good starting point.

Second Life of course gets a mention together with some examples. IBM for instance use it for mentoring and orientating new employees. IBM have more than one island and am currently having a look at some). Also here’s some screenshots of the GreaterIBMbloc party. Interesting – they have main presentations with break out areas.

Another example is Cisco Systems. They have training island with classrooms, areas for students to mingle, and a teleportation system. “Learners move around the large virtual campus, by sitting on a teleporter and magically appearing at a desired location. ”I haven’t looked at this yet though, here’s the link if someone would like to volunteer…

Another example I’d like to check but haven’t the time is the VITAL Laboratory at Ohio University, (National Science Foundation). “These online learning environments are filled with avatars roaming around the classroom conducting virtual experiments and applying real world principles to online objects.”

The article goes on to define the variety of virtual worlds in terms of 3 categories:

*Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG)
Obviously game based with levels and tasks. Interaction comes through working together with other users to achieve goals. The most famous MMORPG is World of Warcraft. “MMORPGs are used to teach concepts related to the real world through examples. It is possible to completely corner a market in an MMORPG and then observe the repercussions where that is not possible in real life. One can also observe interactions between and among players to understand teamwork, group goals, and other social interactions. However, the fantasy aspects of most MMORPGs make it difficult to apply the use of these games within a work setting.”

* Metaverses (Second Life is one of these)
Metaverse as a term represents the possible future of the internet (“The term has come to represent the idea of an online 3D world inhabited by avatars controlled by their real-life counterparts.”).

“A metaverse is similar to an MMORPG but with some vital differences. First, in a metaverse, players are not playing a defined role such as a hunter or mage, they are playing a character they have created. In addition, the metaverse typically does not have specific goals or objectives created by the metaverse itself. Players can create their own goals or objectives, but they are not an inherent part of the world. Finally, the environment of a metaverse typically allows the player to create his or her own digital items, such as houses and clothes, using a scripting language or by dragging and dropping items.” There are more details including the role of avatars.

In addition to Second Life other metaverses also get a mention including: Actvie Worlds, (see the YouTube video trailer) and There.

* Massively Multilearner Online Learning Environments (MMOLE).
As the title suggest specifically created for e-learning. “The MMOLE is a genre of a computer generated learning environment in which large numbers of learners interact with each other in a virtual 3D world with the specific goal of learning. The learning can occur formally through a class-like environment or through a scripted scenario (like a role play). In that way it is like a MMORPG since it has specific goals. However, learning also can occur informally through chats and discussions among learners in a fashion similar to a metaverse. So, the MMOLE is a combination of a metaverse and a MMORPG designed for learning.”.

Interestingly they come with student and instructor modes: “The instructor mode allows someone to facilitate a learning event and manage the interactions within the environment. This prevents everyone from chatting at once, and it provides a formal environment in which to learn.” I can see the value but not sure whether ‘formal environment’ is counter to the philosophy of the MMOLE.

A MMOLE example is provided. ProtoSphere developed by ProtonMedia is apparently capable of tracking learner outcomes on specific events. Not only that it has a profiling system which matches learners to each other based on their interests and knowledge.

Of course the above is only a summary. Further reading of the article is recommended. Web Link