Second Life as a platform for collaboration and teaching

Second Life as a platform for
collaboration and teaching

BIT Research Centre
Teemu Surakka
teemu.surakka@tkk.fi
+358 50 381 9787

Presentation held at ECT Forum 09, 23.9.2009 in Helsinki Fair Centre.

Agenda

Background – Vinco project
What kind of Virtual Environments (VEs) we are looking into
Why we chose Second Life
Initial results of the project
Experiences
New trends

Project participants

Research Manager Researcher Professor
Anu Sivunen Marko Hakonen Matti Vartiainen

Researcher Researcher
Teemu Surakka Sami Ahma-aho

Vinco Project

The research project studies how collaboration and
communication in global distributed teams and in fully virtual
environments can enhance business and innovation.
Virtual environments are 3D environments, where users can
change flexibly their avatars = Second Life in this project.
Dynamics of communication and innovative, value-adding
collaboration in fully virtual settings beyond computer game
research are yet not extensively studied.
This study explores the interfaces between virtual and
traditional environments and investigates virtual worlds as
centers for collaboration and business.

What are virtual worlds?

One definition: A synchronous, persistent network of people, represented
by avatar, facilitated by computers. -- Mark Bell

Qwaq Forums -> Teleplace 3.0

Teleplace (formerly Qwaq)
Source: http://www.teleplace.com/

OpenSim based Virtual Worlds

realXtend - Beneath The Waves
By: Ludocraft
Source:
http://www.ludocraft.com/images.html

OpenSim screenshot
By: Sean Dague
Source:
http://opensimulator.org/wiki/Media

CryEngine2 based Virtual Worlds

Preview Cry Engine Screenshots
By: Mindark
Source:
http://www.mindark.com/press/image-
gallery/

Blue Mars screenshots
By: Avatar Reality
Source: http://www.avatar-
reality.com/newsroom/gallery.html

What is Second Life?

Source: “Virtual World, Real Change”
by John Lester (Pathfinder Linden)
Community and Education Manager
Linden Lab. Presentation in “Games
for Change” conference June 28, 2006.

A world where anyone can create anything.
A world full of real people.
A world of high emotional bandwidth.
A world shared.

Vinco Project – initial results

Collaboration: Four basic notions of the current VE research
1. Scholars tend to assume that real-life behavioral norms of group work
apply also in VEs.
How about uniqueness of the new environment?
2. There is a lack of considering VEs as potential platform for distributed
work teams.
Search for potential gains for distributed teams.
3. The scope on groups in current research has a strong focus on micro-
level phenomena, like personal distance.
Why not study also, for instance leadership or trust.
4. There is a lack of covering (meta)theories of group processes.
More emphasis on theoretical integration.

Business: Three reasons to do business research in VE
1. The social and economic patterns of human interactions seem to
translate to VEs [Castronova 2005]
2. Possibility to research many aspects of business that are difficult or
impossible in real life settings
3. Diverse and growing economy

Experiences – professional use

Professional use is currently:
Meetings – for example therapeutic sessions for
people suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome
Learning and Training – for example StatoilHydro’s
safety training environment
Collaborative Work – focus on reducing travel costs,
hopefully not just Powerpoint
Operational Applications – Data visualization and
simulation

Experiences – professional use, cont.

Companies are concerned / interested about:

Multiple platforms / interoperability
Connections to HRM / KM solutions
Low entry barrier for employees
Confidentiality
Robust communication

Source: “Strangers In A Strange Land:
IBM’s Exploration of Virtual Worlds”
by Craig Becker & Jessica Qin / IBM.
Presentation in “New Ventures
and Leadership in Virtual Worlds”
conference 2.4.2009.

Experiences – professional use, cont.

Source: “Overview of Virtual Worlds” by Eilif Trondsen / SRIC-BI.
Presentation in Tekes seminar on Virtual Spaces and Places for Work and Learning 19.1.2009

Second Life -> 2.0

Synchronous in-world web browsing
Document sharing
A new enterprise portal
Avatar phone numbers
A new viewer
Mesh imports

Experiences from educational uses – different cultures
and role-play

Experiences from educational uses – language teaching

Experiences from educational uses – historical
reenactment and immersion

Experiences from educational uses – stigmergy

Source: “Virtual Worlds in Online Education: Are You Ready to Teach in Second Life?” by Cynthia
Calongne / Colorado Technical University. Presentation in TELECOOP 2007 April 11-13, 2007

Experiences from educational uses – interactive builds


Experiences from educational uses – active community


Experiences from educational uses – different
viewpoints

Experiences from educational uses – performing arts

Experiences from educational uses – economy

Second Life economy
Source: https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/features/blog/2009/08/12/the-second-life-economy-
second-quarter-2009-in-detail

Experiences from educational uses

Educators are currently concerned about:

Not knowing what we don’t know
Bandwidth / firewalls
Costs
Learning Curve
Adults and teens

Source: “Make ‘em a deal!: Making
Explicit Learning Bargains with Students
Learning in Virtual Worlds” by Sarah
“Intellagirl” Robbins, Ball State University.
Presentation in “Oppiminen eri
maailmoissa” seminar 6.7.2009.

New trends

@ Work
Prototyping and experimentation – for example
branding in hotel rooms
Team building and socialization – especially in
distributed work
Focus groups
Talent discovery and recruiting – for example TMP
Worldwide, Manpower
@ Education
Virtual Business Exercise

Virtual Business Exercise – try your skills as a virtual
entrepreneur and compete with your peers – for free!

Do you have a business idea that you want to test in virtual world?
Or do you just want to know what Second Life is really about?

For more information: http://www.vincoproject.net/virtualbusiness/

Final Plans Funeral Home

Final resting place for your avatars that have moved to the next life.
Final Plans Funeral Home offers their clientele a place for remembrance and if needed
the funeral procedures for the avatar that is passing on.

More information

Public sources used in this presentation:
http://www.fredcavazza.net/
Qwaq: http://www.qwaq.com/products/qwaq_forums.php
RealXtend: http://www.ludocraft.com/images.html
OpenSim: http://opensimulator.org/wiki/Media
Entropia Universe: http://www.mindark.com/press/image-gallery/
Blue Mars: http://www.avatar-reality.com/newsroom/gallery.html
Second Life: http://secondlife.com/ ja
https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/features/blog/2009/08/12/the-second-life-
economy--second-quarter-2009-in-detail
“Virtual World, Real Change” by John Lester: http://zero.hastypastry.net/pathfinder/
“Strangers In A Strange Land: IBM’s Exploration of Virtual Worlds” by Craig Becker:
http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/virtual-worlds-conference/keynotes.asp
“Overview of Virtual Worlds” by Eilif Trondsen:
http://www.videonet.fi/tekes/20090119/2/
“Virtual Worlds in Online Education: Are You Ready to Teach in Second Life?” by
Cynthia Calongne: http://www.slideworld.org/viewslides.aspx/Conference-Materials-
ppt-115577
“Make ‘em a deal!: Making Explicit Learning Bargains with Students Learning in
Virtual Worlds” by Sarah “Intellagirl” Robbins: http://toisessamaailmassa.fi/ohjelma/

http://www.vmwork.net/vinco/

Second Life as a platform for collaboration and teaching

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