Agent Street: An Environment for Exploring Agent-Based Models in Second Life

Urban models can be seen on a continuum between iconic and symbolic. Generally speaking, iconic models are physical versions of the real world at some scaled down representation, while symbolic models represent the system in terms of the way they function replacing the physical or material system by some logical and/or mathematical formulae. Traditionally iconic and symbolic models were distinct classes of model but due to the rise of digital computing the distinction between the two is becoming blurred, with symbolic models being embedded into iconic models. However, such models tend to be single user. This paper demonstrates how 3D symbolic models in the form of agent-based simulations can be embedded into iconic models using the multi-user virtual world of Second Life. Furthermore, the paper demonstrates Second Life\'s potential for social science simulation. To demonstrate this, we first introduce Second Life and provide two exemplar models; Conway\'s Game of Life, and Schelling\'s Segregation Model which highlight how symbolic models can be viewed in an iconic environment. We then present a simple pedestrian evacuation model which merges the iconic and symbolic together and extends the model to directly incorporate avatars and agents in the same environment illustrating how \'real\' participants can influence simulation outcomes. Such examples demonstrate the potential for creating highly visual, immersive, interactive agent-based models for social scientists in multi-user real time virtual worlds. The paper concludes with some final comments on problems with representing models in current virtual worlds and future avenues of research.Agent-Based Modelling, Pedestrian Evacuation, Segregation, Virtual Worlds, Second Life

Exploring second life as a learning environment for computer programming

Computer programming can be challenging for beginners because of the need to understand abstract programming concepts. In this paper, we study the use of the Second Life (SL) virtual world for learning computer programming concepts. We conduct an empirical study for learning computer programming in SL by addressing affordances of SL for experiential problem-based learning pedagogies. We present preliminary findings, the promises and the limitations of Second Life as an environment for learning computer programming

Exploring the Potential of the Web-Based Virtual World of Second Life to Improve Substance Abuse Treatment Outcomes

Provides an overview of Second Life, an Internet-based virtual world, and summarizes discussions among addiction recovery experts about integrating virtual reality into behavioral treatment as a way to teach patients new responses to real environments

The 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes and organisational learning at the University of Canterbury: does practice make perfect?

In September 2010 and again in February 2011, the city of Christchurch was rocked by earthquakes of magnitude 7.1 and 6.3 respectively. The second earthquake was shallow and caused extensive damage and loss of life, destroying most of the Central Business District. This paper focuses on recovery management at the University of Canterbury, exploring the extent to which the senior management team learned lessons from the September event which informed the way that the recovery was managed after the February earthquake. It examines the counter-intuitive possibility that successfully dealing with a prior, lesser event, may not necessarily better equip managers to deal with a subsequent, more extreme event

The Virtual Beat: Journalistic Perspectives on Reporting Second Life, a Massive Online World

The purpose of this paper is to provide background, descriptions, and scholarly basis for exploring the journalism of Second Life, a massive online world. At present, there has been little scholarly attention paid to Second Life journalism, whether examining virtual publications that exclusively report Second Life, or traditional publications that have reported on Second Life from a completely external perspective. As a result, the literature on this topic is scattered and severely lacking. This review will synthesize existing knowledge and perspectives concerning Second Life journalism, describe unique conventions of the virtual reporting process, and provide profiles of three virtual Second Life news publications: The Second Life Herald, The Metaverse Messenger and SL-Newspaper.com. Ultimately, this review finds that it is worth questioning the correlations and divergences between virtual journalism - which evidently treats Second Life from the perspective of a separate social place - and preexisting, traditional journalism - which evidently treats Second Life from the perspective of its correlations to the material world

Improving elderly social well-being through hospitality: the interface between service, social interaction, satisfaction and quality of life

This research aims to investigate how elderly customers’ social interactions with hospitality services influence their experience and satisfaction and how this affects the quality of life of the elderly. It will employ a mixed method approach in two phases. In the first phase, quantitative data will be collected through structured interviews with 300 elderly people living in the UK. In the second phase, focus group interviews will be conducted with a mixed selection of relevant policy makers, elderly customers and local hospitality business owners/managers in each group to explore the enablers and disablers of elderly social interactions with hospitality service providers and with other customers, and how their consumption experience and satisfaction could be best enriched. This study will make a distinct contribution to knowledge by exploring the social impact of hospitality through evaluating how a societal issue, quality of life of the elderly, can be enhanced through hospitality