According
to (Hartley, Ludlow, & Duff, 2015) “virtual reality is
a computer simulation of the real world in which users engage in actions and/or
interact with others in life-like environments…” (p. 21). According to (Cooke-Plagwitz,
2009) (as cited in Hartley, Ludlow, & Duff, 2015, p. 21) “SL contains the most critical components for
successful virtual learning: an immersive environment for situated learning, an
avatar that allows active learning, and text and speech interactions with other
learners to enable socially constructed learning”.
Pros of VR
The
pros to using the technology in Second life includes the following: it engages
you visually and simulates reality, it provides “How To” instructions on how to
use the different features, it offers the opportunity to interact and engage
with other users in different environments or destinations and the option to
share content. According to Rahim (2013) “Second Life provides ample
teaching and learning opportunities for learner-centered teaching and learning.
It allows the flexibility for students to learn to create 3D objects on their
own, supports virtual commerce, communication and interaction in an innovative
3D environment” (p. 2).
Cons of VR
The cons associated with using Second life is
that I found it difficult to navigate the site while using a laptop, it was a
little easier to navigate using a desktop. Despite learning how to control the
avatar, I still found it confusing as to how I was going to use the site to
create a learning environment. The tutorial videos did not peak my interest to
want to use the site. I did not find it very helpful. Also I found the site to
be slow in uploading or sharing to screencast. Other cons or challenges associated
with the site may include resistance to the technology, especially by those who
have no experience working with virtual worlds, logistic issues related to
transitions between activities (Hartley, Ludlow, & Duff,
2015, p. 23) .
References
Hartley, M. D., Ludlow, B. L., & Duff, M. C.
(2015). Second life®: A 3D virtual immersive environment for teacher
preparation courses in a distance education program. Rural Special Education
Quarterly, 34(3), 21-25.
Rahim, N. F. (2013). Collaboration and knowledge sharing
using 3D virtual world on second life. Education for information, 30(1),
1-40. doi:10.3233/EFI-130928
Hi Cheryl,
ReplyDeleteI think you did a great job in demonstrating how to use the Avatar in Second Life (SL). You were able to give a clear and detailed instructions. Second Life is a virtual world that is most suitable for educational use because users do not have to pay to gain access and easily downloaded on a personal computer, has several public spaces and can be open on multiple platforms (Hartley, Ludlow, & Duff, 2015). Studies have demonstrated that SL has been effectively utilized in graduate studies for teaching and learning. SL has a potential for use as a strategy that can be utilized in instructor preparation courses in special education most specifically for online education (Hartley et al., 2015).
Reference
Hartley, M. D., Ludlow, B. L., & Duff, M. C. (2015). Second life: A 3D virtual immersive environment for teacher preparation courses in a distance education program. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 34(3), 21-25.
Cheryl,
ReplyDeleteI feel you did a fantastic job in demonstrating how to use the controls for your Avatar in Second Life. Your instructions were simple and to the point. It was easy to see how others could use the virtual world platform for educational purposes. The University of Kansas has their own medical school island within the world were simulations are run to help the students to interact and learn (Antonacci, 2009). I was surprised to learn that Second Life had been around since 2004 and that it was considered to be one its second life down to just 1 million users from its hay day of over 7 million active users. I enjoyed your presentation keep up the good work.
Duane Murphy
Antonacci,D.(2009). Virtual World Learning Spaces. Retrieved
from: http://er.educause.edu/articles/2009/3/virtual-world-learning-spaces-developing-a-second-life-operating-room-simulation