Virtual Environments: Is one life enough?

The semester got off to a good start with the first class. Everyone found their way into Second Life (SL) and the DIT campus. It was a big surprise to find you all already seated with voice activated when I arrived at 8.30 pm. Well done – I think that is a first! One or two participants had a little difficulty logging into SL or making voice work but hopefully you can iron that out between yourselves in time for next week’s class. Don’t worry, it always takes a little time to settle in.

We got some basic housekeeping done firstly. John ensured he had all participant’s Real Life (RL) names matched to your avatar’s names. Everyone added each other to their ‘friends’ lists so that when you log on to SL you can see who else from our class is already here. It also allows you to send private instant messages (IM) to each other, even when you are in different locations in SL – very useful if you cannot find the DIT campus or get lost somewhere in SL. Everyone was added to the DIT Module group too. You should remember to activate this group when joining the class on Wednesdays: think of it as your virtual student card. It gives you special privileges in virtual DIT (more on that in later classes) and facilitates closed group conversations.

We also agreed to set up a closed FaceBook group to facilitate conversations outside of class. John will use it to notify you all when the class summary is available and we can use it for making arrangements around class, notifying each other if we can’t make it any week etc. Thanks to Bartek for getting this done so rapidly – it is already up and running!

Thanks to Bartek for setting up our FaceBook page with such alacrity and Stephen for providing the pic.

John explained that class time will be discursive and interactive during the semester. Reading material will be set in advance to inform the discussion so please ensure you make time to review it, starting with the link below to be read before next week’s class! Please engage in the class discussion, either by voice or text chat: the more you do so the more you will learn. You will also need to spend some time in SL between classes to complete tasks and activities. Specific activities will be set for the first few classes to get you started.

Each of you will need to create a blog in your avatar’s name. You will be expected to post to it at least once per week for the duration of the semester. Once again, you will be give specific topics for the first few weeks to get you started. If you keep this habit and post weekly you will avoid the burden of having to write a complete paper at the end of the module. John also explained that you will divided into groups next week to work on a project which will be presented at the final class of the semester. You are encouraged to read through the pages listed in the right hand column of this website to get full details of the project, see examples of previous student blogs and get an idea of what to expect in the rest of the course.

THINGS TO DO BEFORE THE NEXT CLASS:

1. Explore: SL with some colleagues from the class. Visit at least 3 different locations. Find them in search or ask other residents for recommendations, or simply select places at random.
2. Set up your blog: using blogger, wordpress, tumblr or any other blog site. Complete the ‘About Me’ page (read some of those pages on other blogs first) and remember it is different from the first post on your blog. Write from the perspective of your avatar: the persona you will be using to explore in this module. Send a link to your blog to John by email or post it in the FaceBook group.
3. Write the first post: to your blog reviewing the locations you visited. Describe the places and include photos, if you can. Explain what you liked and disliked about the locations and describe any interaction you might have had.
4. Visit the following: Dolce Merda, Brain Pickings, Illustration Friday, Chris Brogan. Think about how you would identify these blog authors…what impression do you get of the person behind the blog?
5. Read: How to Write a Blog People Want to Read by Susan Gunelius in Lifewire, 20 March 2017.