Virtual World Second Life Introduced to JMC Students

Students from the school of lol菠菜网正规平台 and Mass 通信 were given the opportunity to explore the three-dimensional virtual world of Second Life (SL) this month.

Immersive storytelling is a new addition to JMC, with the first Virtual Worlds course being offered this semester by Professor 蒂娜Korani. Her students attended a three-hour introductory workshop hosted by Professor Phyllis West and Instructional Designer Bethany Winslow who are long-time Second Life users.

While this was JMC’s first time interacting with Second Life, San José State’s School of Information (iSchool) has been involved in the program for over a decade. 他们的 involvement was established in the Master of Archives and Records administration program 从那里开始成长.

Today Second Life hosts nearly 一个 million active users. 在第一次登录时 time, you are assigned a 3D avatar to act as your in-world representation. 它可以 be your splitting image, or maybe you wish to experiment with your self-expression by presenting differently in SL. During the workshop, JMC students made their own characters and became familiar with the movements and interface. 这个小组能够 to meet up in-world thanks to Professor West, who created a digital environment for 他们一起探索.

Second Life encourages global connectivity by providing a platform for diverse communities 走到一起. People you may not normally cross paths with are suddenly within reach, no matter their distances or abilities. Concerts, press conferences, sporting events, and even Burning Man are hosted for users to get social. 虚拟世界程序 like Second Life are becoming critical in promoting and maintaining global communication 在数字时代. In-world communication is becoming an increasingly common platform for sharing ideas and creating solutions for issues across the world.

I love being able to create wonderful gathering spaces and activities for in-world events, because in order to build a community of practice you have to hang out together. Most of the educators and librarians I network with are from all over the world. If it weren't for the virtual environment, we'd never otherwise have the opportunity to meet and learn from each other.

-贝瑟妮·温斯洛

And though there is a large communication aspect, this program is far more than just 闲聊. Anything you hope to create, do, or become is possible in this realm — even 飞行和瞬间移动. You can accomplish anything in Second Life that you can do in real life, but the program takes it a step further by giving you the freedom to pursue what may not be immediately feasible in the real world.

For more information about Second Life, visit the Virtual Center for Records and Archives 政府 blog. Additionally, consider registering for these completely virtual, free conferences 来:

• OpenSimulator Community Conference: 2019年12月14日至15日
• 13th Virtual Worlds Best Practices in 教育 (VWBPE) Conference: 2020年3月26日至28日