The document discusses the use of virtual worlds like Second Life and OpenSimulator for education. It provides an overview of how these platforms have been used for higher education and K-12 classes, teaching subjects like computer programming, business management, and IT. Benefits mentioned include bridging communication gaps, overcoming anti-social media behaviors, and providing hands-on, experiential learning. Challenges include getting students out of passive roles and convincing organizations to accept virtual coursework. The document promotes getting involved in virtual world education and provides resources for setting up cybercampuses.

1. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
David W. Deeds
ISTE Conference
Games & Simulations
Special Interest Group
June 24, 2013

2. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Goals:
 Not Death by PowerPoint!
 Up to you re: hands-on participation
 Background info on Second Life,
OpenSimulator, what we’ve been doing
 Compare/contrast real/virtual games
 Plans for the future

3. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
 Using Immersive/Virtual Learning
Environments (ILE/VLE, aka 3D virtual
worlds) since 2006
 3 years higher ed, 4 K-12/international

4. Not Real Games, But Virtual!

5. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Second Life:
 Massively Multiplayer Online…Insert
Your Favorite Description
Here…Game?
 Introduced by Linden Labs in 2003
 Own currency and economy,
intellectual property rights
 Built-in 3D CAD and language/IDE
 Open to people 16 and up since 2010

6. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Peterson Schools Cybercampus:
Teaching 6
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Teaching%206
/237/211/25/

7. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Firestorm Viewer:
http://www.firestormviewer.org/download
s/
xxxx
Second Life:
http://www.secondlife.co
m

8. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Readymade Avatars:
Password: ilovesl2009
SLTeacherOne Aristocrat
SLTeacherTwo Bookmite
SLTeacherThree Netizen
SLTeacherFour Quintessa
SLTeacherFive Scribe
SLTeacherSix Turbo

9. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Woosong Virtual University
Cybercampus

10. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Second Life: Higher Ed

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Second Life: Higher Education
Classes (500+ students inworld):
Mine: Freshmen – Juniors: Computer
Programming, Business Management,
Internet Marketing, Project Management
(Uni: Regular Majors, College: Votech)
Others: Freshmen – Seniors: Wide
variety of English courses, including
Business English
(S/T in our college plus others, global)

12. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Second Life: Higher Education
What Were We Doing?
 Teaching without textbooks (some
e-books)
 Kids created/managed cybercampus,
put on shows, made and sold
real/virtual products
 Handled all management, pricing,
marketing
 Learned programming via LSL, also
CAD
 Active, learner-centric, English

13. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Second Life: Higher Education
What Worked?
 Bridged the communications gap –
digital natives knew what to do, even in
English
 Overcame ASMeB – Antisocial Social
Media Behavior – synchronous,
anonymous (FUN!)
 Hit the sweet spot re: programming
“payoff”

14. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Second Life: Higher Education
What Didn’t Work?
 Trying to recreate classroom
configuration or situation in virtual world
 Worrying about kids meeting SL weirdos
(socialization, experimentation worked
out)
 Assignments too open-ended (cohesive
structure/theme needed, goals)
 Mixing English with others subjects

15. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Second Life: K-12

16. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Second Life: K-12
Classes (50+ students inworld):
 Information Technology in a Global
Society – Three Strands: IT Systems,
Social and Ethical Significance,
Application to Specified Scenarios
 In Group 3, Individuals and Societies –
provides technical education regardless
 Diploma Program opportunity for kids
with low English skills, Special Needs

17. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Second Life: K-12
What Are We Doing?
 Students maintain cybercampus and
host students from other
schools/countries
 E-textbooks provide content for IT
lessons, ethical/moral and other
discussions
 Projects/products: website, t-shirts,
more

18. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Middle Years Art Show

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Podcasts and Concerts

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Latest Project: NAIS Challenge 20/20

21. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Second Life: K-12
What Has Worked?
 Hands-on, visual aspect of just about all
work (learning styles)
 Experiential opportunities, meeting
people
 Sense of freedom and openness (to a
degree!)
 Provides teachers with sources of
professional development (teacher and

22. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Second Life: K-12
What Hasn’t Worked?
 Convincing the IBO to abolish the
written examination (70-30
external/internal grade)
 Students too shy to train teachers
(students!) but there’s still hope to make
this a service
 Pretending it’s not FUN! (It is, just don’t
tell!)

23. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
If you’re interested in getting your own
Second Life cybercampus, contact
Carol Pfeifer of the New Media
Consortium:
carol@nmc.org

24. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
OpenSimulator: K-12

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OpenSimulator:
 Massively Multiplayer Online…Insert
Your Favorite Description
Here…Game?
 Introduced in 2007, not an SL clone!
 Own currency and economy,
intellectual property rights, etc.,
coming soon
 Built-in 3D CAD and language/IDE

26. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Imprudence Viewer:
http://wiki.kokuaviewer.org/wiki/Imprudence
:Downloads
Peterson Schools URL:
http://209.126.208.161:9020

27. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Readymade Avatars:
Password: iloveos2009
CP Student10
CP Student11
CP Student12
CP Student13
CP Student14
CP Student15

28. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
OpenSimulator: K-12
Classes (200+ students inworld)
 Middle Years Program (MYP)
Technology – Shift from Digital Literacy
made long ago;
Art, Music, Science, Humanities soon
 Primary Years Program (PYP)
Information Communications
Technology (ICT) - switch from Digital
Literacy to IB Design Cycle
th

29. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
OpenSimulator: K-12
What Are We Doing?
 Teaching Computer-Aided Design,
Project Management, Programming
 Teaching task-based lessons with other
tools
 Changing Technology to inquiry-/task-
based
 Using skeleton lesson plans, students
achieve according to their own abilities

30. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
OpenSimulator Project: Adobe Village

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OpenSimulator Project: Virtual City

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OpenSimulator: Hypergrid Scavenger Hunt

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OpenSimulator: K-12
What Has Worked?
 Simple Instructions/Skeleton Lesson
Plans
 Three C’s – Connect, Communicate,
Collaborate (and #4: Cooperate –
Project Management)
 IB Design Cycle: Investigate, Design,
Plan, Create and Evaluate (also
Attitudes!)

34. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
OpenSimulator: K-12
What Has Worked?
 Reciprocal guidance, “guide on the side”
 Changing viewer interface to student
primary language
 Constructivism, esp. Social
Constructivism
 Self-reliance, adapting to change skills
 Scratch and S4SL for programming
basics

35. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
OpenSimulator: K-12
What Hasn’t Worked?
 Assuming productivity the first week!
 Calling it a GAME! Use “immersive
learning environment” instead! Also, e-
/textbooks
 Overcoming, but still dealing with active
versus passive role (not Asia specific!)
 Trying to jump right into LSL (Scratch
first!)

36. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Latest Projects: MOSES

37. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
If you’re interested in getting your own
OpenSimulator cybercampus, contact
Snoopy Pfeffer of Dreamland
Metaverse:
snoopy.pfeffer@yahoo.com

38. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
“OpenSimulator: School Quick Start
Guide”
http://www.scribd.com/doc/57959626/Op
enSimulator-School-Quick-Start-Guide

39. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Follow my Scoop.it page:
http://www.scoop.it/t/3d-virtual-worlds-
educational-technology

40. Not Real Games, But Virtual!
Thank you for attending!
Questions/Comments?
ddeeds@peterson.mx
davidwdeeds@yahoo.com