Second Life Revisited – are we ready to provide classroom support?

I attended an AIMA event this week about Second Life. The presentation, How Virtual Worlds are Impacting Interactive Marketing , featured an all-star panel with reps from major companies. Below are some highlights. Also, some thoughts about the role of the librarian within the virtual world.

InterContinental Hotels Group - Del Ross

• Real world hotel corporation that offers virtual rooms in Second Life. Just as you might have a business meeting in the real world, they can also provide space for virtual meetings.
• Right now it is free, but planning to charge in the future. 100 – 500 Linden dollars, which is a little less than 1 dollar real money.
• They provide rentable space that offers privacy, security, suitable space, and support (audio, video, PPT, etc)
• Online Room Reservation form and tons of other info.
• If you don't own land in SL, no place to meet, conduct business—they are trying to fit that need—their slogan is “the place to meet”
• Informal space, convention space, lounge, executive board room – space can be configured depending upon the need.
• SL showcases their “real” world value—virtual space mirrors the physical spaces that they make available to customers. They are in the business of “business environments” regardless of the location.

Weather Channel - Paul Greenberg

• Major theme of weather channel is to show how weather connects to your life—more than just the science, but also the psychology of how weather has an impact on us.
• Wanted to build a Second Life space that supports TV programming
• Stay. Play. Watch.
  (stay = community areas for shared experiences)
  (play = do stuff, interact)
  (watch = video programming)
• Hurricane environment – witness & experience what a storm is like, virtually
• Sports activities= surfing, biking, skiing – all with variable weather conditions
• Has improved the impression/perception of the Weather Channel
• The numbers are low, compared with TV/Radio/Print/Web—however SL provides an engagement experience that is more valuable and memorable

Turner - Rhonda Lowry

• Rethink spam = Socialization, Participation, and Motivation (SPaM)
• The “real” CNN has iReport, basically citizen reports. They started a Second Life iReport program—basically correspontants reporting on the news that happens in SL. CNN provides them with tools and training (one hour weekly training sessions in-world about taking photos, shooting video, interviewing, writing copy, etc) teach them how to be reporters—they report about SL, CNN provides them with a sense of legitimacy / authenticity -- in return, CNN gets to expand reputation as THE news provider. More info here.  

Kaneva - Chris Klaus

• Kaneva is a virtual world similar to Second Life, however they emphasize being yourself (as opposed to dragons or super models)
• Emerging trend is watching TV online in a virtual world with your friends. They have experimented with the show 10 items or less by having cast join fans in the virtual environment to interact, ask questions, and hang out.
• Also stream behind-the-scenes at tv sets / awards show. Screen Actors Guild Awards had extra cameras, could watch crew setup and take down set—and talk with others online while watching.
• Interior designers can work with clients –use virtual space to model rooms—see what colors and furniture will look life before purchasing.

Coca-Cola - Mike Donnelly

• Before Coke got involved they went to the “leaders” of Second Life—the major blogs, the virtual citizens with power and popular land, etc and talked with them about how Coke might fit in. When entering a new territory or using a new technology, need to listen and learn, don't think you know what they want—ask advice, council, and even permission.
• They didn't want to buy and build up an island. Lots of companies did that and are stuck with empty islands—Coke rented land, but ultimately try to embedded themselves within community (people wear coke clothing)
• Virtual Thirst contest – winner – objective was to design virtual coke machine—however not necessary a literal vending machine—but some type of experience that captures the essence of Coke. Design and build the vending machine of the future (not necessarily about bottles of soda though)
• Once Coke decided that they wanted to participate in Second Life—discovered that the brand already existed—people has used the logo
• Wanted to build on the idea of “quenching” thirst = knowledge, experience, entertainment, communication, inspiration

Second Life, Classroom Instruction, and the Role of the Library

Fittingly enough, I received an email the evening of this event from a Georgia Tech faculty member. He is an English instructor wanting to include a SL component to his course. This includes several in-world meetings along with virtual space and support for his students to develop a small project.

What's the role of the library here? I mean, if a professor asks for face-to-face classroom support we provide that. If they ask for web support via WebCT or via an online service like Horizon Wimba, we'd most likely provide that too. But what about Second Life? How many of us are ready to offer services there?

I feel that librarians can benefit from a basic understanding of virtual worlds for cases just like this… and this example is going to become more common. Imagine the possibility of say a physics class in which you have a lecture, a lab, and a virtual world homework assignment (3 distinct components.) Maybe an aerospace class conducts experiments in zero gravity. Maybe a class of civil engineers and a class of architects have to work together on building a structure, just like in the real world.

SL has a lot of info for educators . Are you ready to help them? If the classroom and the curriculum are heading into a virtual environment, shouldn't libraries follow? Or even better, shouldn't they lead the way? The idea of setting up a virtual reference desk and waiting around for patrons is preposterous, but collaborating with faculty and creating engagement experiences is the future of education.

Some of my other SL posts:

Augmented Reality – the Georgia Tech model

Second Thoughts – the Woodbury Model

Comments

[Taran Rampersad (Nobody Fugazi)]

I don't see a future for the hotel industry. Simple camera panning destroys the illusion of privacy, for example - and why on earth would someone rent a room in a virtual hotel? Is their avatar tired? Its a novelty. I should start selling pet rocks.

Weather Channel: Useful, but very limited by the interface between Second Life and the internet. Mono's implementation into the backend *may* help with that, but I'm not holding my breath. I think OpenSim could learn by these limitations.

Turner: Anyone who says 'rethink Spam' should probably be orbited. And what they are doing is only trying to capitalize on what people already do on their own. They are things called 'weblogs'.

Kaneva: I'm not a big fan of television, so I will say that they may be onto something - but what they are on to doesn't seem very productive.

Coca Cola: Their experience shows. But will my avatar wander around drinking Coke? No... I drink Coke, but not because of advertising. I prefer water, though, it has become more exotic these days. :-)

The library has a role. I did do something that might be of interest, and I did toss it at a few people at different levels on Info Island. A rather simple concept easily built upon. They're both free. If you don't have a slexchange account, let me know and I'll send them to you manually.

http://www.slexchange.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&ItemID=233995
http://www.slexchange.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&ItemID=255215

[Ilene Frank]

About librarians helping out instructors in Real Life when it comes to Second Life... Two of us librarians were invited to talk about Second Life to Engineering graduate students taking a 3D imaging class. We did two sessions: One session provided an intro to Second Life and then second session was hands-on. At least two students will be doing their major class project in Second Life. Did we talk about the library at all? Nope! However the students and their professor know we're librarians. I think that they'll consider contacting us in-world or in Real Life if they have an information need. Also... for us librarians it's just plain fun to get out of the Library and do something different!