Blog for pgtaylor

Working on plans for the Second Life VCU Art Education island or space. Still researching what option would be the most advantageous--leaning toward the island, though as I want to make sure we have enough space to grow and share.

MEDIA REVIEW, submitted to Studies in Art Education

SecondLife.com

Second Life is the free fully user-created virtual world on the World Wide Web where the method of building or making is the method of living (Rosedale & Ondrejka, 2006). Avatars (graphic representations of people) populate this online, 3-D rendered environment. In Second Life, you (as your avatar) can teleport, fly, live in a house, go to clubs, take classes, make and view art, or just "hang out" in a virtual space on a computer screen. Second Life spans more than 42,000 acres in real-world scale. From press conferences and convention plenary sessions (Arrington, 2006; NYLC, 2006) to political speeches (Mistral, 2006), and live musical performances (Campbell, 2007), to film debuts (Meyers, 2007), Second Life (SL) is a second home to over 2 million "residents," who collaboratively create, purchase, and comment upon its content.

The research and education implications of this and other virtual worlds are indeed staggering and problematic. At this time, 61 universities teach classes in SL. 400 educators and researchers actively trade information on a key mailing list. There are 4.9 million square meters of not-for-profit held virtual land with 75+ islands. (Linden Research, Inc., 2007 and Wong, 2006). SL residents range in age and maturity level. Assumed names and custom-tailored physical appearances that can be changed at any time, take the idea of reinventing ourselves to another level entirely.

When I first encountered SL, I believed it to be the epitome of what some are calling Web 2.0 or a cyber world that is constructed, changed, and managed by its users. I quickly discovered, however that in order to construct my world, I needed to spend and/or make money to own and maintain virtual land. I also learned that a great deal of time is needed to “play around” in this virtual world. As fun as that is and can be, time is rarely on my side. I approach SL as I do almost all technology, through a search-and-click way of working. I also discovered that in order to truly make things happen I needed a mouse that could right and left-click. There are many helpful web pages, blogs, wikis, and regions both in and outside of SL. In addition, there are SL volunteers that staff a number of areas and will answer questions.

Aside from the fun or game-like qualities that entice people who enjoy interactive computer technology, what is it that draws educators and art educators specifically to the virtual world of Second Life? A popular weblog Secondthoughts.com (Profkey Neva, 2007) featured a portion of a quote from Anglo-American poet Wystan Hugh Auden (1907-1973) that stated “"Every human being is interested in two kinds of worlds: the Primary, everyday world which he [sic] knows through his [sic] senses, and a Secondary world or worlds which he [sic] not only can create in his [sic] imagination, but which he [sic] cannot stop himself [sic] creating" (Auden in Profkey Neva, 2007, para. 1). This quote appears to represent exciting implications for Second Life in art education as it illustrates both a fundamental goal of our field—the cultivation of inventiveness and imagination, and one of the basic philosophies behind Second Life-—the ability to create our own world(s). A closer look at this quote and its context revealed that Auden wrote this to describe the difference between fiction and fairy tale in an “Afterword” to George MacDonald’s modern fairy tale The Golden Key. The quote continued:

A person incapable of imagining another world than that given him [sic] by his [sic] senses would be sub-human, and a person who identifies his [sic] imaginary world with the world of sensory fact has become insane. Stories about the Primary world may be called Feigned Histories; stories about a Secondary world, myths or fairy tales. A story about the Primary world, that is to say, may be fiction—the characters in it and the events may have been “made up” by the writer—but the story must affect the reader in the same way that an historical narrative does: the reader must be able to say to himself [sic], “Yes, I have met people like that, and that is how, I know from experience, such people talk and act.” …A Secondary world may be full of extraordinary beings…and extraordinary events… but, like the Primary world, it must, if it is to carry conviction, seem to be a world governed by laws, not by pure chance. Its creator, like the inventor of a game, is at liberty to decide what the laws shall be, but, once he [sic] has decided, his [sic] story must obey them.…History, actual or feigned, demands that the reader be at one and the same time inside the story, sharing in the feelings and events narrated, and outside it, checking these against his own experiences. A fairy tale… on the other hand, demands of the reader total surrender; so long as he [sic] is in its world, there must for him [sic] be no other. (Auden, 1967, pp. 81-4).

I believe the significance of his quote to this writing and other SL discussions lies in our analyses of the actual and the virtual, not as truth or myth, nor of biography or fiction and fairy tale, but of the real world consequences and implications of virtual world constructions. In other words, how does our and our students’ participation in Second Life affect, alter, change, enhance or detract from real world teaching and learning in and through the arts?

Many educators grapple with such issues daily in Second Life’s education community (Linden Research, 2007). Some SL research projects I discovered include the psychology of avatars, the embodiment of the educator in the virtual world, teaching roles, and instructional strategies. One specifically interesting topic comes from Pete Border (2007) on a Second Life educators’ discussion board:

I think education in Second Life needs to not just duplicate what’s available in RL, but go beyond it. Sure, you must be able to hold a virtual class like a RL one (and you can do that, it's not hard), but SL has capabilities beyond RL and we should be using them. Making a building just like the one you have on campus is a good place to start, but SL can go much, much farther than that. Streaming video of someone lecturing into the SL lecture hall is certainly doable, and rather technically impressive, but how effective is it? Will it hold people's interest after the gee-whiz has worn off? Lectures don't work very well in real-life, and they probably won't be any better in a virtual world. So what can Second Life do that's better then Real Life? (para. 1).

Border (2007) goes on to discuss the liberating aspects of SL identity formation and reformation through avatar constructions. In SL, you can change genders instantly. You can be small, tall or anything in the middle. You can be black, white, or any other color. You can be human, animal, or virtually anything and walk around with a different appearance and personae every day, every minute or every second. You can talk, walk, run and fly. You can exchange ideas, snap pictures, send postcards, drive, sail, dance, or just sit on a park bench, roof top, or cloud. You can make the sun rise and set. To me, the most empowering aspect of SL that is different from RL is building things. Unlike in RL, there are no building costs or size limitations in SL. Granted, earlier in this review I mentioned that owning property is important for constructing my world. That is not to say that you cannot build without owning property. In fact, there are many sandboxes in numerous locations that allow free building. However, when displaying the objects that you build, you need to own a site, pay an exhibition fee, or be granted permission from a landowner. You can, however, keep anything that you build in your own inventory and show, wear, or use any objects that you build most any place. Unlike RL classrooms, office spaces, and/or museums in Second Life are open virtually twenty-four hours a day. Avatars representing people all over the world, speaking differing languages, and representing multiple cultures and values are there and available for contact and collaboration.

SL scripting is a fairly simple computer code that you can attach to objects that you build. This code enables objects to do a variety of things such as fly, wave, house notes, video, audio, or be connected to an offsite database. Avatars can collaborate when building as well as allow others to modify, copy, or purchase built objects.

I write this review as a simple introduction and invitation fully aware that by the time of this RL publication, my presence and yours in Second Life probably will be entirely different that what I describe here. For example, I (as avatar Brooke Hyacinth) will be engaged with students and colleagues on an art education virtual island in the fall 2007. I invite you, the reader to join us as we engage in the most exciting and liberating aspects of the Second Life experience— the limitless possibilities that seem to change daily through real and virtual interaction.

References
Arrington, M. (2006). Dell to make announcement in Second Life. TechCrunch.
Retrieved April 22, 2007 from http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/11/13/dell-to-make-announcement-in-second-life/
Auden, W. H. (1967). Afterword. In G. MacDonald, The Golden Key, pp. 81-4.
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Border, P. (2007). What can you do better in SL than RL? Second Life Educators
Discussion. Retrieved April 22, 2007 from
http://www.simteach.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6
Campbell, V. (2007). On the bleeding edge of performance: Second Life musicians.
Retrieved April 8, 2007 from http://campbell.vertesi.com/blog/on_the_bleeding_
edge_of_performance_second_life_musicians
Linden Research, Inc. (2007). Community: Education. Retrieved April 22, 2007
from http://secondlife.com/education
Meyers, M. (2007). Sundance holds screening in 'Second Life' for first time. C/Net
News.com. Retrieved April 8, 2007 from http://news.com.com/Sundance+holds+
screening+in+Second+Life+for+first+time/2100-1026_3-6153064.html
Mistral, P. (2006). Ex-governor Mark Warner reveals SL actions figures’ identity. The
Second Life Herald. Retrieved April 7, 2007 from
http://www.secondlifeherald.com/slh/2006/08/exgovernor_mark.html
NYLC (National Youth Leadership Council). (2006). The 18th Annual National
Service-Learning Conference Enters Second Life. NYLC. Retrieved April 22,
2007 from http://www.nylc.org/happening_newsarticle.cfm?oid=5497
Profkey Neva. (2007). Secondthoughts.com. Retrieved April 22, 2007 from
http://secondthoughts.typepad.com/
Rosedale, P. & Ondrejka, C. (2006). Glimpse Inside a Metaverse: The Virtual World of
Second Life. Retrieved December 15, 2006 from
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5182759758975402950
Wong, G. (2006). Educators explore “second life” online. CNN.com. Retrieved
December 27, 2006 from
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/11/13/second.life.university/index.html