Inside My Real World

Life at The Village

2009-11-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

I look for interesting things to do in SL. One thing I do enjoy, even if I do not keep all that I find so that my inventory does not explore, are the various hunts. On occasion, I pop into search and just see what I find.

I am a fan of the old TV show "The Prisoner." I watched it late at night when it came on PBS. I have not seen it in years, but I really enjoyed it. I found a sim dedicated to "The Prisoner." The sim is a replica of The Village, which where the main character, number six, in The Prisoner resided.

The sim has a lot of events one of which is a rover hunt. You will have no clue what a rover is UNLESS you happen to have watched the old TV show OR if you watch the new one due out on AMC November 15, 2009.

I have found the sim to be a pleasant place to visit and I started teaching basic build classes there when I can. My classes target those who have no build experience and those with very little experience. Thus far I have not had a full "classroom" when I have taught, but I will continue to offer classes as my schedule permits.

At one time there were many classes available and could be readily located using SL's search feature. That is no longer the case. Currently, there are many individualized tutorials, which to be fair have advantages. Myself, I enjoy having a purpose and a place to be at a particular time--an in-world virtual class experience. I have taken dozens of classes and never would have ventured to build something on my own had I done so. I wanted to learn from those who had experience and I wanted to experience the social community within the virtual class.

Maybe one day such classes will become popular again. I know offering classes in a box generates more revenue and I could easily box up my classes; however, I prefer to give back to the community and make time for new residents so that they have the benefit I did when I began to build. I am not the most experienced builder nor do I create elaborate builds. I do provide explicit instructions in an attempt to describe precisely where on the interface to locate a tool and how to navigate the tool when creating a build.

Teaching SL Tools

2009-10-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

My original intent was to document my experiences in SL. Life happens and I just did not find the time to do so. I left SL primarily because my right arm is injured. I have had one operation and am about to undergo another one. Joy! However, I can offer personal reflections here and there. I guess you could say my interest in SL was "reborn."

When I first came to SL I never thought that I would be interested in building. WRONG! I was and am. I started taking as many classes as I could find. At the time, there were a nunber of schools that offered classes on a daily basis. I loved building. I had some land and put just about everything that I had built out on display and available to purchase. My land is no more but I hope one day to have a little spot again in SL.

Since I enjoyed building so much, I became a teacher for TUi (technical users interface). My journey to being a full fledge teacher for TUi involved a mentorship. I was fortunate to have the most fabulous mentor, Squeakapoo Tracy. I have maintained contact with Squeak and we became close friends.

TUi has since shut its doors in terms of being a teaching institution within SL. Now you may go to Edumart and purchase individual tutorials. Personally, this holds no appeal to me. I enjoyed going to classes and teaching classes in SL. I had a purpose, teach and learn. I do not find it rewarding to simply put out lessons in a box to be purchased. I enjoy the sense of community within the virtual classroom setting.

Squeak is now a Master Jewler and has her own store, M!ne, which is absolutely lovely. She has decided to offer a few classes there and I am planning on teaching again.

Learning the SL interface is not an easy task. There are still so many things that I have no clue how to use; however, I can do a little of this and that. I plan on teaching a few simple build classes targeted at newbies who are interested in learning to build.

Also, I am considering on being a moderator for a "class discussion." Primarly, I want to provide a forum for SL residents to discuss the cultural aspects of SL. The other day I told Squeak about this and we generated a laundry list of topics.

Since it is getting to be winter, I decided to work on a very basic class, a snowflake. I know does not sound like much and it is not prim intensive whatsoever, but it covers the basics. Students will learn how to use several of the SL build features, how to texture and add a script. Note, I am not teaching script writing. That is an area I have very little experience let alone expertise.

Squeak is pushing me to take the Master Jewler class and I think I will just for the heck of it. I enjoy learning very much and it would be a kick just to see what I can dream up. Plus I would have some cool gifts to pass out to my other avi friends.

Putting it All Together

2008-09-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

What is the role of the instructional designer? Are instructional designers cogs who merrily work with content or do instructional designers need to do more? In today's world it seems that an instructional designer should develop an additional set of skills, namely either some type of programing or graphic art. But then what is really happening is that one person takes on the role of two or maybe three people. A really good graphic artist is not simutaneously figuring out calculus while creating art. So why is it that in the field of instructional technology companies expect an instructional designer to do it all? I do not know. Makes me scratch my head but that seems to be the way.

Virtually Organic: Life in SL

2007-05-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

My SL avatar was born April 21, 2007. I learned of SL from my academic advisor. She gave me a brief overview, but I really did not know what to expect. The world of SL parallels RL with added twists and turns. On April 23, my back went out and all I could do was lay flat, period. To overcome the daily grind of daytime TV, I explored SL and along the way met some I consider friends and others as drifters. It must be the anthropologist side of me; I have not been able to rid myself of the social fabric that exists within this virtual space.

SL has its own culture—socialized learning and sharing, and specialized symbols. Upon entering SL you are a “newbie,” and to survive, you must learn the mores. You are a babe again, as you need to observe behavior and ask questions to absorb and internalize the appropriate social intricacies. SL has a unique language; it is a mix of gaming communication and electronic communication symbols. Avatars share and teach other avatars the ropes. Overtime, life within SL becomes a “natural” experience, and you behave according to the specified norms learned.

SL is my field work. In essence, I am a participant observer analyzing the world of SL and my BLOG will be my informal ethnography.

Communication and Learning

2007-04-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

I remeber when cordless phones first arrived. I refused to buy one; instead, I concocted a very long cord from the wall and the receiver. I could travel from my apartment to the laundry room and not miss a bit of my conversation.

This is around the time I bought my first computer and then experienced chatting via AOL communities.

I was one of the "last" to adopt a cell phone. I decided to go get one after a night out and I certainly should not have driven home. If only I had a cell phone. Today, I do not leave home without it. My cell is my dear friend.

Fast forward to last year. A dear friend sent me text messages and I flat refused to ever "text." In December 2006, I met a guy and he was a texter. I did not get it. And then, I did. I have been an avid texter since then. The guy did not last, texting did.

I used to tell people to leave a message on my answering machine. After several years, I stopped even listening to messages. Rather than call me at home, I advised people to email me.I unplugged it and even when I had it on last year, I never listened; I opted to check my caller ID. My next step was to tell friends to call me on my cell. I still use this as a communication of choice. But...if you really want to tell me something, text me. Sure it takes time to get the hang of it, but it is faster than calling and making small talk or leaving a message.

So what is my point? The way we communicate has changed and continues to evolve. There are some who claim kids are losing social connections. I say, these are the ones who have not. eLearning is part of our social fabric. Love it or hate it. What is on the horizon? Already educators are starting to use BLOGs and WIKIs. What will eLearning look like in 5 years? What can we expect?

The Real World of eLearning

2007-04-18T16:34:00.000-07:00

The purpose of my BLOG is to share my professional experience, highs/lows, what I read and my reactions.

I plan to share documents I use in an attempt to streamline my development. Anyone who stumbles upon my BLOG, please feel free to jump in and share/advise me and or others who visit.

My goal is to have an open community for those of us who love eLearning and strive to increase our knowledge, skill set and satisfy our end users.

My experience as an instructional technology graduate student was superb. I was fortunate to have great instructors and experience well designed online courses. My preparation did lack an important element--eLearning in the real world. For those of you in ISD, I am sure I read many of the same authors that you have. I did not encounter any research conducted within the corporate sector; all research was purely academic. Is this fair to graduate students?

I have found and read numerous texts which are not strictly academic. I think ISD programs are missing a key and crucial element. Many students will transition into corporations post graduation. Are they ready?

Do students learn:

How to select a LMS
What are the industry standard multimedia tools
How to design a compelling interface that sustains attention and does not cause cognitive overload
How to use branching
How to incorporate gaming--cheap and fast
How to create an eLearning project plan
Conduct a user acceptance test
Manage and incorporate project team feedback
Use multimedia in case there is not a dedicated specialist on the team
How to use white space effectively