Preliminary Findings

The analyses are in their preliminary stages.

The descriptive results indicate that the majority of students (59%) felt that SL was beneficial to their learning and that they (64%) were satisfied in that they felt it was a useful experience. The majority of students (53%) felt engaged and that they were required to think critically. However, the survey results indicated an unusually high number of neutral responses from the students on several measures. Some students (47%) felt that using SL was fun, but 41% were neutral about their experience. Also, some students (47%) felt that the instructor should continue to use SL, while 41% felt neutral about the continued use.

After discussion with my colleagues, the neutral responses were extraordinarily high possible indicating that the items were confusing or students cannot process their experiences in SL since it is such a new technology beyond their realm of conceptualization.

This is a small sample of the items that were administered. I will continue to analyze the items using factor analysis removing or rewriting items that factor low. Also, I will re-administer the revised survey. In addition, I will be conducting follow-up interviews with the students who completed the survey in order to develop a reliable instrument.

The instrument is one of the first (if not the first) developed to evaluate students experiences in SL. Variables included in the survey include Media Richness, Social Presence, Engagement, Online Learning Community, Satisfaction, Learning, and Course Design. I first introduced the instrument at the National Communication Association Annual Convention in Chicago, IL in November, 2007. For more information on its development, please contact me.

Students Work Exhibit: Second Life Project

Below, you can visit the students' blogs. One blog was created for each group. It showcases the tasks that they developed. Remember, blogs are reversed archived, so their final posts will appear first. The scavenger hunt posts will appears last. You can also use the navigation on the side of the page to move around the blogs.





Fully Online Section
Group 1: http://wwwolivesthesecondlife.blogspot.com/
Group 2: http://thetechnos.blogspot.com/
Group 3: http://group3injas.blogspot.com/
Group 4: http://adayinthelifeofasecondlife.blogspot.com/

Hybrid/Blended Section
Group A: http://bloggercom370agroupaspring.blogspot.com/
Group B: http://com370groupb.blogspot.com/
Group C: http://synergizing-quakers.blogspot.com/
Group D: http://com370groupd.blogspot.com/

Second Life Learning Activity: A Virtual Lab Activity, Implementing Second Life in Organizations

This activity was developed with two purposes:

1.) Students are critically examining Second Life as a phenomena as a communication scholar. They define the media characteristics of Second Life and compare Second Life to other communication technologies to gain an understanding of the communication technology and its potential effectiveness in organizations.

2.) Students would participate in experiential learning in that they are developing a business plan for implementing Second Life into an organization while using Second Life. They experience the technology as a user as well as examine the potential for implementation into an organizational setting in order to meet communication needs.

The activity was a group project allowing students to use each other as a resource to overcome technology challenges and to create a peer network so they have someone to dialoque with as they strive to understand the characteristics and potential of Second Life.

Virtual Lab Activities Overview

Below are the learning objectives for the virtual lab activities that I include in my course:

• Demonstrate knowledge of basic course concepts and principles


• Apply theoretical constructs to communication technology phenomena


• Support the role of technology in communication processes


• Position yourself as a researcher and practitioner in analyzing human communication and technological processes


• Analyze mediated communicative behaviors in interpersonal, group, organizational, and societal contexts


• Develop skills and abilities needed to function as a member of a successful virtual team


• Provide recommendations to transform mediated communication processes substantiated by research

The purpose of virtual lab activities is to give you an opportunity for experiential learning. The activities that you are required to complete are done in a group. Working in a group is a substantial part of professional life and working as a virtual team gives one first hand experience of the impact of technology on human communication processes. Therefore, you will be learning how to develop an effective virtual team and be a contributing member of a virtual team. Beyond your learning to develop a successful virtual team, your group is responsible for completing several learning activities that are designed to provide you with opportunities to apply theoretical constructs about which you read, take on the role of researcher or consultant, analyze actual communication behavior in real-life settings and provide conclusions based on your research and information gathered.

Virtual Lab 2 Details

By April 13th:

Task 1: Review the Getting Started in Second Life documents in D2L.

Task 2: Create a blog for your group at Blogger.com. E-mail to me the name of your blogspot once created. Make sure that your group members have access or that one member is in charge for updating the blog.

You will be posting your work product on Blogger for me and your classmates to view. Here is an example of a student project about Second Life on Blogger:
http://nurs211f07.blogspot.com/

Task 3:

Complete the Second Life Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger Hunt Instructions:
1.) Create an Avatar (http://www.secondlife.com/)
2.) While on orientation island, change your appearance (or clothes).
3.) Updated your profile by adding your 2nd Life and 1st Life information (Edit, Profile)
4.) Send to me (Juice Gyoza) a friendship offer (Edit, Friends or Ctrl Shift F)
5.) Visit the UWM island at: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Arts%20and%20Letters/38/101/22
6.) Review the Rules.

Post the following information on your Blog.
1.) The name of your avatar(s)
2.) What you changed about your appearance and why
3.) A screen shot of your avatar(s) in Second Life on UWM’s sim (optional)
4.) Challenges in getting oriented to Second Life
5.) Your first impression of Second Life

By April 27th:

Task 4:

In 1-2 pages define media characteristics of Second Life (reference Modules 1 - 4). Compare the media characteristics of Second Life with at least one other Web 2.0 communication technology. Also, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of virtual worlds in comparison to the chosen Web 2.0 technology.

Task 5:

In 1-2 pages describe the implementation of Second Life by THREE (3) groups or organizations (e.g., CNN, IBM, Manpower, etc.) supported by our reading in Module 5. Optional: Include screen shots (images) of these organizations’ SL presence.

Post these work products to the blog no later than April 27th.

By May 11th:



Task 6:

Develop a plan for the implementation of virtual worlds (e.g., Second Life) into an organization (e.g., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) (referencing Module 5). 2+ pages

Why would an organization and its members select virtual worlds based on social information and objective media characteristics to meet its communication needs?

What are the structural and individual considerations in implementing virtual worlds into an organization?

Task 7:

In 1-2 pages, discuss societal implications of virtual worlds (referencing Module 6).

Post these work products to the blog no later than May 11th.


Note: All work should be considered scholarly writing and should include APA formatting and referencing guidelines when applicable.

Orienting My Students to Second Life: Second Life Scavenger Hunt

Before my students were going to complete their learning activity in Second Life, I had them complete a Second Life Scavenger Hunt. There are several reasons for this.

1.) This allowed them an opportunity to get familiar with the technology (navigating and communicating) prior to completing their activity.

2.) It allowed them to reflect on their orientation to the new communication technology providing: 1. information to me on student experiences in using Second Life, 2. an opportunity for them to share their experience with their classmates resulting in a peer networking based on common experiences, and 3. a chance to "vent" about their challenges.

3.) Since it was a communication technology course, the exploration of the new communication was experiential in nature giving them the user's perspective which is needed when planning and managing technological implementations within organizations.

Complete the Second Life Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger Hunt Instructions:
1.) Create an Avatar (http://www.secondlife.com/)
2.) While on orientation island, change your appearance (or clothes).
3.) Updated your profile by adding your 2nd Life and 1st Life information (Edit, Profile)
4.) Send to me (Juice Gyoza) a friendship offer (Edit, Friends or Ctrl Shift F)
5.) Visit the UWM island at: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Arts%20and%20Letters/38/101/22
6.) Review the Rules.

Post the following information on your Blog.
1.) The name of your avatar(s)
2.) What you changed about your appearance and why
3.) A screen shot of your avatar(s) in Second Life on UWM’s sim (optional)
4.) Challenges in getting oriented to Second Life
5.) Your first impression of Second Life

Orienting My Students to Second Life: Easy Instructions for SL

It is important to give your students *simple* instructions on SL. Do not overload them with the full manual. Start them off with the basics. Here is an example that was posted on the course site:

Getting Started in Second Life

Creating an Avatar

Go to http://www.secondlife.com. Click on the large button that says “Free Membership, Join Now.” You will be directed to a screen where you create an “avatar,” which will be your persona in Second Life. On this screen, you should choose your avatar’s name (you will have to select from a list of pre-selected names). Follow the steps to create your account and password. After you have created your account, you will be prompted to download the program.




Getting the Software

If you are on your personal PC or Mac, please note the following minimum basic requirements for running Second Life. After loading Second Life on your personal PC, click on "Start" and “Programs” or click on the Second Life shortcut on your desktop. If you are on your personal Mac, you can go directly to the “Second Life” icon in the “Applications” menu on a Mac. You must have a cable or DSL Internet connection to use Second Life from your personal PC or Mac.

PC Minimum System Requirements:

Internet Connection*: Cable or DSL (no dial-up)
Operating System: Windows XP
Computer Processor: 800MHz Pentium Ill or Athlon, or
better
Computer Memory: 512 MB or better
Video/Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 2, GeForce 4 MX or better, or ATI Radeon 8500, 9250 or better, Intel 945 chipset

Mac Minimum System Requirements:

Internet Connection*: Cable or DSL (no dial-up)
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.3.9 or better
Computer Processor: 1 GHz G4 or better
Computer Memory: 512MB or better
Video/Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce 2, GeForce 4mx, or better or ATI Radeon 8500, 9250, or better

More information on system requirements and recommended computer graphics cards can be located at: http://secondlife.com/corporate/sysreqs.php.

If you are downloading Second Life to your home computer or laptop, please be aware that Second Life must run on certain video/graphics cards and that many video/graphics cards will not support running the program.

If you do not have a personal computer with the capacity needed to load Second Life, you can access Second Life in one of the CCLs on campus. Second Life is available in the CCLs in the Union, Bolton, and Library on the Macs. If you are a PC user, but going to use a Mac on campus to access Second Life, look for a Mac with a Mighty Mouse (right and left click) for easy and familiar use. If you are working in a campus computer lab, then you will not need to download the program; you can go directly to the “Second Life” icon in the “Applications” menu on a Mac after creating your avatar at secondlife.com.

Orientation to Second Life

First Entry into Second Life

When you first run the program, you will be prompted to enter your avatar name and your password. As this will be the first time that you will enter Second Life, you will be taken to “Orientation Island.” In general, it is a really good idea to go all the way through the Orientation Island guide. The guide is simple and appears automatically on the left hand side of your screen.

There are four areas on the island to visit and develop the skills needed in Second Life:

Move – Help you learn basic movement and motor skills. It allows you to practice moving fluidly through Second Life and avoiding bumping into objects. You will also learn how to drive a vehicle and to fly.

Appearance – How to change your appearance and buy clothes.

Search - Gives you practice using the Search function in Second Life. Learning about this aspect of moving throughout Second Life will be very important if you want to find out about people, places and events at other campuses and regions.

Communicate – Provides you with practice in chatting and communicating with other avatars.

While it may be tempting to skip this step, going through Orientation Island will greatly accelerate your participation on the main land. Make sure to complete the tasks on orientation island to develop the needed skills to complete your course activities.

If you simply must get onto the main land immediately then there is a sign on Orientation Island right where you first came on. If you click on this sign it will let you go to the main land to an area called “Help Island.” Here you can pick up all sorts of free items. However, it is *strongly* recommended that you complete Orientation Island skills.

Getting to the UWM Sim

Once you have gone through Orientation Island, go to the UWM sim. To do this, you can click on your Map and type “Arts and Letters” into the search box. Choose the sim called “Arts and Letters Region.” Click on Teleport. Otherwise, you can follow this link:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Arts%20and%20Letters/38/101/22

Basics of Second Life

Getting Help
The Second Life Help menu at the top gives you pull down menus with instructions for various concepts and Second Life needs.

Navigating
There are several options available for controlling your avatar's movement. Using the Mouse: To walk or fly, right- (or apple-) click on your avatar, select go, and click on the directional arrows with your mouse.
Using the Keyboard: Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move forward (up arrow), back (down arrow), or right and left (right and left arrows, respectively).

To fly, press and hold Page Up (or press the "f" key). To hover, let go of Page Up; you can now use your arrow keys to fly around. To land, press and hold Page Down (or press "c").

There are spaces around the campus where you can "park" your avatar while you chat or look around. You can sit on almost anything in Second Life, including the ground, the edges of steps and walls, and most objects. To sit down, right- (or apple-) click on the desired spot and select "Sit Here."

To view an object, use the alt key and click on it. To zoom in and out, use the mouse. Adding the control keys allows you to orbit around your avatar, and adding control and shift allows you to pan from side to side.

Note: Moving takes some getting used to. Play around. Remember that if you fall or find yourself in water, you will have to fly out instead of jumping.

Chatting

Make sure your toolbar is on view at the bottom of the screen. Click the button that says “Chat.”
A button saying “History” will appear, next to a bar with a space to type. When you type, your avatar will appear to be typing on an invisible keyboard. When you are done chatting, click escape.

Changing View

Are you tired of looking at the back of your avatar? Want to see something from a different angle? Want to look at something without moving the avatar? Here are the basics.
The “View” button at the top allows you to select movement and camera controls to display on screen, and also gives tips and commands for some other actions. The Toolbar at the bottom of the screen can be taken on or off display from this menu. We suggest leaving the toolbar open, as you might need to use some of its features.

Inventory

Your avatar comes with a basic inventory, which includes clothing and body parts, objects you have acquired, gestures, note cards, and your library. Your library is where you can store things that you create and where items that are given to you will be located. You can access your Inventory by clicking the “Inventory” button on the bottom-right side of the toolbar, which then gives you a pop-up box with a basic directory and sub-directories for items.
If you’ve clicked on an object which can be added to your Inventory, there will also be a “Take” command.

Appearance

Right click or Alt+click on your avatar, and select the “Appearance” piece of the command pie. You get a box with a list of body parts (shape, skin, hair, and eyes) and a list of clothing items. When you click one of these buttons, you get another list to the right with boxes that show how you can modify all the components of that feature. For example, when you click eyes, you then get a sub menu that allows you to change the color and the lightness of your iris. You can change the shape of your eyes, the position on the face, and so on by clicking the “eyes” sub menu which appears after you’ve clicked “Shape.”

Finding things in Second Life

Click Edit on the menu, and select “Find” from the pull-down menu. You can look for a number of things, including places (including shops to buy new clothes, hair, skins, and so on), events, people, and classified ads. There are also numerous blogs, wikis and websites devoted to helping you discover new dimensions of this fascinating, ever evolving world.

Orienting My Students to Second Life: Using You Tube

Using You Tube Videos on SL to Orient Your Students

In the hybrid/blended section of the course, I took time in the f2f to show various You Tube Videos on Second Life. In the online section, I had students watch the videos as part of the oroientation to SL.

This seemed to get students interested in using Seoncd Life. Also, it helped them understand the dyanamics of Second Life.

I asked them to consider the following questions when reviewing the videos:

How can organizations effectively implement a new communication technology like Second Life? What are the individual, organizational, and social implications of this kind of implementation?

Here are a selection of videos that I used:

General Overviews of Second Life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxj8RTW4ev4&feature=related (Second Life - Get one!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b72CvvMuD6Q (Introduction to Second Life: Business Perspective)

Using Second Life in Organizations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ly4LIxzGZM (IBM and SL)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XXK96XO2K0 (CNN and SL)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsSmZAqL6tQ (Reuters and SL)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNjxucDI8bo (Manpower and SL, Virtual Work)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTQkzfz5osQ (Second Life Libraries)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9VZKTT6gZ8 (NMC Campus)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOFU9oUF2HA (Educational Uses of SL)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFuNFRie8wA&feature=related (Ohio University in SL)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovL4pZod_gw&feature=related (Second Life Apple Store)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YxJHcfe0UQ (Fatboy Slim in SL)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpbuW-s-oNI (Doing Business 2008 Report Gets a Second Life - World Bank)

Using Second Life in Human Communication and Technology

Second Life was implemented into two sections of the same course, Communication Technology, in both a fully online section of the course and a blended section of the course as 1.) the object of students’ research and 2.) the environment in which the students conducted their research. Faculty needs, student support, and evaluation of effectiveness will be addressed.

This implementation is part of a larger grant project at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Here is some background:

Virtual worlds, such as Second Life, have the potential to engage and motivate students by providing an alternative platform for learning where they can construct knowledge through observation, discourse, construction, and interaction. Virtual worlds are noted for their ability to engage students through their 3D environments. They also provide a stage for students to share their work products through an immersive, synchronous medium.

Second Life is a platform that students and faculty access through a software download. The software provides access to a virtual space through a network where people can connect with other people. The virtual platform consists of virtual places, islands and sims, where students congregate, share, communicate, and perform.

These islands and sims can have virtual locations, such as classrooms, meeting rooms, lecture halls, auditoriums, amphitheaters, galleries, exhibit halls, theaters, labs, medical facilities, and outdoor spots. Students enter the world as avatars, or digital representations of themselves, which are customizable to represent the students own identity.

The potential for transforming learning from a didactic process utilizing a lean medium into a stimulating, thought-provoking, and media rich setting is great. Second Life can engage the attention of students, make them active participants in their learning, and provide them the opportunity to enhance not only their cognitive skills, but also the behavioral and affective abilities, for real world learning in a virtual world. Further, students can use Second Life as a place to share their constructed projects with others in their class, on campus, or in the community.

The Second Life project involves faculty from various disciplines, including Anthropology, Architecture, Communication, English, Film, and Continuing Education, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is designed to learn how instructors can use Second Life, a virtual world, in their course in order to actively engage students and facilitate student learning. Faculty members will redesign their courses in order to integrate learning activities that use Second Life.

The impact of these activities on teaching and learning will be assessed and "best practices" will be distilled and shared with the other faculty on the UW-Milwaukee campus and across the University of Wisconsin System through a web repository.

Visit: http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/LTC/sl.html for more information on the grant project.