Emergent Technology
COEHS on Second Life
It is official, the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) has leased a plot of land from New Media Consortium on the popular virtual world Second Life.
Becoming a tenant of New Media Consortium’s Second Life sim will foster research and development in teaching with technology in both education and human services fields by providing faculty and students with a reliable location for virtual research, collaboration, development, and experimentation.
At the outset our sim will be used by faculty interested in experimenting with Second Life and the use of virtual worlds and simulation in teaching and learning. Faculty will use the area to practice building objects, scripting, carry out role-playing scenarios with students, host virtual meetings, courses, and events, collaborate and collaborate with other educator’s from various institutions who share similar interests. The Faculty Innovators program, a 24-month faculty professional development program will also use the sim in face-to-face hands-on workshops on using the basic elements of Second Life, modifying avatars, building and modifying objects, and collaborating in a virtual world. Finally, the sim will provide a virtual presence where current and prospective students can learn more about our college’s programs, news, events, services, and accomplishments.
As a faculty member of our college you have the opportunity to log on to our sim and explore the opportunities available to you. To visit our sim, set up a free account with Second Life at: http://www.secondlife.com, and then visit our in-world location at: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Teaching%205/204/116/37 , not the previous address is what is known as a SLURL, you will have to have the Second Life application downloaded and installed on your computer, and you will need to have an avatar to visit. We are currently in the design and building phases of our virtual land but we intend to have a meeting place for faculty and students, a library of Second Life Resources, and an exhibition hall for starters. Faculty in our college will also be able to schedule a large amphitheater, meeting room, and classroom for in-world events.
We are asking for anyone interested in assisting with the design and development of our land through the provision of thoughts and ideas to contact Dawn Sweet.
If you would like to get started in Second Life or just learn what you can do with it in your field contact Dawn Sweet by phone at: (309) 298-3076, or via email at DR-Sweet@wiu.edu, or by searching for Dasie Sands “in-world”.
Stay tuned for further updates, tutorials and materials discussing the use of Second Life in education.