This paper records my contribution to a panel presentation titled \u27Virtual Ability: Support, Collaboration, Research, Community\u27 at the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference 2015. I provide a brief outline of the class I teach, \u27Virtual Environments: Is once life enough?\u27 and a field trip we made to Virtual Ability Island, a community established specifically to enable people with a wide range of disabilities by providing a supporting environment for them to enter and thrive in online virtual worlds like Second Life

O\u27Connor, John

English

Arrow@TUDublin

Technological University Dublin ARROW@TU Dublin Conference Papers Fine Arts 2015-03-20 Community Engagement in Second Life John O'Connor Technological University Dublin, john.oconnor@tudublin.ie Follow this and additional works at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/aaschadpcon  Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons, and the Education Commons Recommended Citation O'Connor, J. (2015) Community engagement in second life. >i>Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference 2015. This Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by the Fine Arts at ARROW@TU Dublin. It has been accepted for inclusion in Conference Papers by an authorized administrator of ARROW@TU Dublin. For more information, please contact yvonne.desmond@tudublin.ie, arrow.admin@tudublin.ie, brian.widdis@tudublin.ie. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________	  Virtual	  Ability:	  Support,	  Collaboration,	  Research,	  Community.	  Panel	  presentation	  at	  Virtual	  Worlds	  Best	  Practices	  in	  Education	  Conference:	  Crossroads,	  Second	  Life,	  18–21	  March	  2015.	  Community	  engagement	  in	  Second	  Life	  John	  O’Connor,	  Dublin	  Institute	  of	  Technology	  	  Abstract	  	  This	  paper	  records	  my	  contribution	  to	  a	  panel	  presentation	  titled	  'Virtual	  Ability:	  Support,	  Collaboration,	  Research,	  Community'	  at	  the	  Virtual	  Worlds	  Best	  Practices	  in	  Education	  Conference	  2015.	  I	  provide	  a	  brief	  outline	  of	  the	  class	  I	  teach,	  'Virtual	  Environments:	  Is	  once	  life	  enough?'	  and	  a	  field	  trip	  we	  made	  to	  Virtual	  Ability	  Island,	  a	  community	  established	  specifically	  to	  enable	  people	  with	  a	  wide	  range	  of	  disabilities	  by	  providing	  a	  supporting	  environment	  for	  them	  to	  enter	  and	  thrive	  in	  online	  virtual	  worlds	  like	  Second	  Life.	  	  Presentation	  	  Hi	  everyone,	  my	  name	  is	  John	  O’Connor.	  I	  am	  Dean	  of	  the	  College	  of	  Arts	  and	  Tourism	  at	  Dublin	  Institute	  of	  Technology	  in	  Ireland.	  	  I	  have	  been	  teaching	  a	  class	  in	  Second	  Life	  (with	  my	  former	  DIT	  colleague	  Locks	  Aichi)	  called	  ‘Virtual	  Environments:	  Is	  one	  life	  enough?’	  since	  20091.	  The	  class	  is	  delivered	  entirely	  online,	  with	  weekly	  meetings	  in	  Second	  Life	  and	  regular	  engagement	  through	  student	  blogs	  and	  social	  media.	  My	  first	  students	  were	  undergraduates	  from	  the	  School	  of	  Creative	  Arts	  taking	  it	  as	  an	  elective.	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  1	  http://virtualenvironmentsmodule.com	  (visited	  on	  18	  March	  2015)	  ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________	  Virtual	  Ability:	  Support,	  Collaboration,	  Research,	  Community.	  Panel	  presentation	  at	  Virtual	  Worlds	  Best	  Practices	  in	  Education	  Conference:	  Crossroads,	  Second	  Life,	  18–21	  March	  2015.	  One	  decision	  we	  made	  that	  might	  be	  considered	  unusual	  for	  a	  university	  was	  to	  forgo	  the	  use	  of	  a	  private	  island.	  Instead	  we	  came	  to	  an	  arrangement	  with	  the	  already	  vibrant	  community,	  Dublin	  Virtually	  Live2.	  Established	  in	  the	  early	  days	  of	  Second	  Life,	  by	  real	  life	  Dubliner	  and	  world	  traveller	  Ham	  Rambler,	  the	  Second	  Life	  version	  of	  Dublin	  provided	  an	  ideal	  cultural	  context	  for	  the	  class.	  To	  some	  extent	  it	  mirrored	  DIT’s	  position	  as	  a	  university	  in	  the	  centre	  of	  the	  city.	  But,	  more	  importantly,	  Dublin	  offered	  an	  already	  established	  cultural	  backdrop	  in	  which	  the	  students	  could	  be	  immersed.	  Sitearm	  Madonna3,	  the	  virtual	  city	  manager,	  took	  an	  active	  interest	  in	  our	  activities	  and	  also	  attended	  as	  a	  student.	  This	  engagement	  has	  continued	  and	  he	  is	  now	  a	  regular	  contributor	  to	  the	  class.	  With	  Sitearm’s	  encouragement	  we	  soon	  decided	  to	  offer	  places	  to	  Second	  Life	  residents	  who	  wanted	  to	  take	  the	  class	  on	  a	  stand-­‐alone	  basis.	  This	  resulted	  in	  our	  meeting	  a	  broad	  range	  of	  professionals	  from	  diverse	  backgrounds	  who	  added	  experience	  and	  depth	  to	  the	  class.	  Many	  of	  these	  became	  friends	  and	  have	  also	  returned	  to	  the	  class	  as	  guest	  lecturers.	  They	  have	  also	  introduced	  us	  to	  many	  new	  communities	  over	  the	  years,	  including	  Virtual	  Ability	  Island4.	  Last	  year	  we	  started	  a	  new	  development	  and	  were	  joined	  by	  Dudley	  Dreamscape’s	  class	  from	  University	  of	  Akron,	  Ohio.	  Dreamscape	  (Prof	  Dudley	  Turner	  in	  Real	  Life)	  participated	  as	  a	  student	  in	  the	  class	  the	  previous	  year	  and	  following	  that	  we	  met	  in	  Real	  Life	  at	  a	  conference	  in	  Dublin.	  Over	  the	  course	  of	  a	  few	  days	  we	  planned	  a	  methodology	  that	  allowed	  us	  to	  commence	  joint	  delivery.	  The	  Akron	  students	  come	  from	  a	  more	  diverse	  range	  of	  disciplines	  than	  the	  Dublin	  students:	  engineering;	  nursing;	  education;	  dance;	  accountancy	  and	  so	  on.	  This	  brings	  not	  only	  a	  disciplinary	  richness	  to	  the	  class	  but	  also	  a	  cultural	  breadth	  that	  many	  participants	  would	  not	  otherwise	  experience.	  The	  current	  class	  has	  thirty	  students	  with	  about	  fifteen	  from	  each	  university	  and	  the	  main	  aim	  of	  the	  module	  is	  to	  introduce	  the	  participants	  to	  online	  collaborative	  working.	  Second	  Life	  is	  provides	  the	  virtual	  space	  for	  class	  meetings	  but	  we	  also	  explore	  the	  use	  of	  tools	  such	  as	  blogs,	  wikis,	  social	  media	  and	  so	  on.	  This	  prepares	  students	  to	  engage	  professionally	  with	  building	  their	  own	  online	  reputation	  and	  personal	  brand.	  In	  order	  to	  experience	  online	  collaboration	  first	  hand	  students	  from	  each	  university	  are	  put	  into	  mixed	  groups	  to	  work	  on	  a	  project	  throughout	  the	  semester.	  This	  ensures	  they	  learn	  how	  to	  use	  a	  range	  of	  online	  tools	  to	  work	  together	  and	  plan	  effectively.	  They	  must	  decide	  how	  to	  communicate	  asynchronously	  across	  different	  time	  zones	  and	  cultural	  norms	  to	  produce	  a	  coherent	  presentation	  by	  the	  conclusion	  of	  the	  semester.	  A	  key	  element	  of	  the	  module	  is	  the	  number	  of	  field	  trips	  arranged	  for	  students.	  These	  are	  mostly	  organised	  by	  our	  guest	  lecturers	  who	  introduce	  the	  class	  to	  a	  range	  of	  diverse	  online	  communities.	  Elfay	  Pinkdot5,	  a	  long-­‐time	  collaborator	  and	  former	  host	  of	  the	  Second	  Life	  jazz	  radio	  show	  Coffee	  and	  Pajamas,	  introduced	  us	  to	  Circe	  Broom’s	  Sunset	  Jazz	  Club	  and	  to	  some	  art	  collectives.	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  2	  http://dublin.readyhosting.com/index.php	  (visited	  on	  18	  March	  2015)	  3	  https://sitearm.wordpress.com	  (visited	  on	  18	  March	  2015)	  4	  http://www.virtualability.org	  (visited	  on	  18	  March	  2015)	  5	  http://elfeay.wix.com/portfolio	  (visited	  on	  18	  March	  2015)	  ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________	  Virtual	  Ability:	  Support,	  Collaboration,	  Research,	  Community.	  Panel	  presentation	  at	  Virtual	  Worlds	  Best	  Practices	  in	  Education	  Conference:	  Crossroads,	  Second	  Life,	  18–21	  March	  2015.	  Dudley	  Dreamscape	  made	  contact	  with	  Gentle	  Heron	  and	  Virtual	  Ability	  Island,	  one	  of	  the	  very	  dynamic	  communities	  to	  inhabit	  Second	  Life.	  The	  recent	  class	  field	  trip	  to	  Virtual	  Ability	  Island	  had	  a	  very	  distinct	  impact	  on	  our	  students.	  Gentle	  welcomed	  us	  and	  gave	  a	  brief	  outline	  on	  the	  genesis	  of	  the	  community	  and	  how	  it	  functions.	  Many	  of	  the	  students	  began	  to	  realise,	  for	  the	  first	  time,	  the	  potential	  of	  virtual	  environments	  for	  filling	  gaps	  in	  real	  lives.	  Speaking	  directly	  with	  the	  residents	  of	  Virtual	  Ability	  Island	  they	  began	  to	  understand	  that	  online	  engagement	  is	  not	  merely	  about	  games	  but	  can	  be	  an	  important	  social	  and	  professional	  space	  for	  people	  who	  might	  not	  otherwise	  be	  able	  to	  engage	  in	  this	  way.	  Our	  hosts	  in	  Virtual	  Ability	  Island	  are	  open	  and	  welcoming	  –	  and	  willing	  to	  share	  their	  stories	  with	  the	  class.	  They	  answered	  questions	  and	  even	  asked	  some	  of	  their	  own!	  The	  interactive	  nature	  of	  the	  engagement	  shone	  through	  and	  impressed	  the	  students	  with	  its	  sincerity6.	  Many	  do	  not	  quite	  understand	  the	  power	  of	  Second	  Life	  in	  some	  people’s	  lives.	  It	  is	  only	  when	  they	  meet	  those	  who	  rely	  on	  the	  environment	  and	  its	  communities	  for	  their	  social	  interaction	  that	  the	  power	  of	  this	  engagement	  is	  revealed.	  The	  opportunity	  to	  speak	  to	  members	  of	  the	  community	  and	  hear	  their	  stories	  first-­‐hand	  is	  very	  powerful	  indeed.	  John	  Seely	  Brown	  and	  Paul	  Duguid	  propose	  that	  “…the	  more	  isolated	  learners	  are,	  whether	  physically	  or	  socially,	  the	  more	  they	  need	  access	  to	  peers,	  communities	  of	  practice,	  and	  other	  social	  resources”.7	  The	  same	  goes	  for	  most	  of	  us:	  community	  engagement	  is	  a	  fundamental	  human	  need.	  When	  this	  is	  denied	  us	  in	  the	  Real	  World	  Second	  Life	  truly	  offers	  a	  second	  chance.	  	  	  Additional	  References	  	  Lave,	  J.E.	  and	  Wenger,	  E.	  Situated	  Learning:	  Legitimate	  Peripheral	  Participation,	  Cambridge	  University	  Press,	  Cambridge,	  1991.	  Galarneau,	  L.	  Spontaneous	  Communities	  of	  Learning:	  	  	  Learning	  Ecosystems	  in	  Massively	  Multiplayer	  Online	  Gaming	  Environments,	  Proceedings	  of	  DiGRA	  2005	  Conference:	  Changing	  Views	  –	  Worlds	  in	  Play.	  Brown,	  J.S.	  and	  Kahan,	  S.	  Story-­‐telling	  and	  the	  Art	  of	  Science	  Interview	  from	  the	  Smithsonian	  Associates	  Presentation,	  “Story-­‐telling:	  Passport	  to	  Success	  in	  the	  21st	  Century”,	  2004.	  	  http://www.johnseelybrown.com/seth_int.html	  (visited	  on	  18	  March	  2015)	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  6	  An	  account	  of	  the	  visit	  can	  be	  read	  on	  the	  module	  blog	  http://virtualenvironmentsmodule.com/2015/02/27/class-­‐5-­‐virtual-­‐ability-­‐island/	  (visited	  on	  18	  March	  2015)	  7	  Brown,	  J.	  S.	  and	  Duguid,	  P.	  The	  Social	  Life	  of	  Information,	  Harvard	  Business	  Press,	  Boston,	  2000,	  p.	  227.	  

Community Engagement in Second Life

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Community Engagement in Second Life

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