The Team Project presentations were hosted by Çağ University in the auditorium. John received slide shows from each team and set them up on the platform in advance. There was full attendance from each team and they presented in the following order:
No technical problems arose and each presentation went off smoothly and efficiently. John complimented the participants on their submissions and thanked them for their attendance throughout the semester. He also thanked the Çağ students who had come along to class along with their supervisors and teahers and all the guest speakers.
Sitearm Madonna and Acuppa Tae introduced the concept of thinking about identity with intention, a way of thinking that allows us to deliberately develop our approach to presenting ourselves purposefully. The content of the class emerged from a talk we gave jointly at the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education (VWBPE) conference earlier this year.
Sitearm Madonna talks about identity as avatar. Photo Barbara Collazo
Second Life, through the use of avatars, allows for the opprtunity to choose an identity and so opens the door to considering identity not just in a virtual world but also in the natural world.
Avatar – Identity with Intent, presentation by Sitearm Madonna and Acuppa Tae. Recording courtesy of Sitearm Madonna.
Following the formal talk we demonstrated how easy it is to change the physical appearance of our avatars. Sitearm and Tae explained how to save your current avatar using the ‘My Outfits’ before changing your avatar either by editing your existing one or selecting a completely different avatar from the menu bar. You can also change your appearance by dressing your avatar in the wide range of clothing available freely, or to be paid for in stores, across Second Life or through the web at the Second Life Marketplace. We discussed how the simple act of changing your avatar affects how you feel about yourself immediately. Those of us who have been resident in Second Life for many years shared how attached we have become to our avatars and how strong the identification can be after such a long association. This is particulary noticable in those who attempt to fashion avatars that mirror their natural world appearance.
Demonstrating how easy it is to change the avatar’s appearance. Recording courtesy of Sitearm Madonna.
To close, Sitearm spoke about the many personality tests and team role identifiers that are used both by employers, teams and individuals to identify traits, stengths and weaknesses. Two of the most commonly used systems are the Belbin Team Inventory and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. He introduced a more recent addition, Principles You, that uses a cartographic in an attempt to explore the complex nature of personality archetypes and how they connect. This all comes with the warning that such tools are relatively crude and should not be taken as giving definitive descriptions however, they can be helpful in exploring our personalities and building effective teams.
Sitearm Madonna introduces the Principles You Archetype Archipelago. Recording courtesy of Sitearm Madonna
For example, Sitearm and Tae completed the free test offered by Principles You which yielded the following results:
Sitearm: Artisan; strategist, planner in CREATORS and ARCHITECTS
Tae: Inspirer; impresario, entertainer in ADVOCATES and ENTHUSIASTS
On the map Sitearm and Tae connect through the CREATIVE and LEADERSHIP islands.
You can visit the Principles You website to see the ‘archetypes archipelago’ and see how this approach offers a flexible approach to teambuilding.
Virtual Environments: Is one life enough? 