Class 1: Rules of Engagement

February 10, 2012

CLASS SUMMARY:

After making the introductions and welcoming the new participants we suggested that you put a face to your avatars for the next class – personalise it by ‘Editing Appearances’ and/or buying clothes and accessories. Remember, as far as we are concerned you are your avatar! We will always refer to you by your Second Life name, so, if you are not happy with the name you have chosen change it now, before the next class. You will also need to complete your profile in SL. Right-click on your avatar to bring up a list from which you can select and then edit your profile. You don’t need to put in details of your real identity if you prefer not to.

The format of the class will be interactive discussion, supported by reading material provided in this blog prior to the class. You will need to have read the material in advance (or else next class will be longer to allow for catch-up). In addition, you will need to spend time in SL outside the normal class time to familiarise yourself with the environment and to complete set tasks and activities.

Each participant must set up a blog in your SL avatar’s name. This will form a core part of the work you do for assessment. You will be given topics on which to write about each week so that there is not a major piece of work to be done at the end of the module – so it is important to keep up with this. Your writing should adhere to normal academic standards and these will be introduced in the next class. The assessment criteria for the blog can be found here.

The professional online networking tool LinkedIN was introduced. A secure group exclusively for participants in this module will be used for discussions and for posting resources and links. Instructions for joining are given below. Check this regularly for updates and to contribute to the discussions. You will be assessed on the quality of your contribution to these discussions.

Each participant will be given L$300 seed money to get started – you must earn your own after that. (Don’t spend it all as you will need it for your project work.)

In the unlikely event that SL is down, you will receive a text to let you know what alternative arrangements are in place for class.

By signing up to this module you are committing to all of the above.

ACTIVITES FOR NEXT CLASS:

Complete the profile for your SL avatar.
Set up your blog using Blogger, WordPress or any other blog site that supports text. Complete the About Me section on your blog by writing about your expectations for this module – what you hope to get out of it, what you think you might contribute, etc.
Join LinkedIN using your SL avatar’s name. Then click here to join the module group.
Go to the Coffee & Pajamas Jazz Show at the Sunset Jazz Club on Laurel Arts Isle between 1800 and 2000 GMT on Sunday 12 February. Elfay Pinkdot is the DJ – you must say ‘hi’ to her and tell her you are from the DIT class. If you can’t get there you must explore three other places in SL. The first post to your blog should describe your experience at Coffee and Pajamas or the other place you visit.
Post a link to your blog on to LinkedIN discussion forum, review the blogs of your colleagues and comment.
Send an email to claudia.igbrude(at)dit(dot)ie with your SL name and your mobile phone number.
Reading: Night of the Living Tech, from the New York Times. Recently, Wired magazine proclaimed, “The Web Is Dead.” Yet evolution — not extinction — has always been the primary rule of media ecology, even if the rate of change is speeding up.

Posted in 2012 class summaries |

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