I definitely learned a lot in this course. Before entering this class I had discussed the idea of culture industries before but had never really explored or applied it. It was very helpful to review the Frankfurt school and its theorists. The idea of “culture industry” was conceived by two members of the Frankfurt school, Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer who believed that mass culture was becoming identical through standardization and mass production. Culture industries produce and commodify culture to an exploitable audience that falls prey to satisfying false needs through consumerism and advertising. I still believe that virtual worlds, namely Second Life, can be classified as a cultural industry because it is still an extension of real life and therefore reinforces the dominant world view. For instance, celebrity skins are offered so that you can look like you’re favourite celebrity, and as we mentioned in class, the majority of avatars are slim and good looking. In this sense, it is important to consume in order to have an identity, otherwise you are just given the standardized identity of “girl next door” or “club boy”. As well, consumption is a big part of Second Life since large corporations have taken up a presence on SL and are beginning to sell and market products. Obviously you do not have to purchase in SL to participate but these “false” needs have been created. Some have taken this counter argument that you don’t have to spend and therefore SL is not a cultural industry, but even the emphasis on giving away free t-shirts, filling out surveys for money etc emphasizes the face that we “need” these things. So I would undoubtedly argue that Virtual Worlds, like real life, can be defined as a culture industry. It seems almost impossible to try and escape ideologies that are so ingrained into society. I believe virtual worlds as a cultural industry was inevitable and ultimately unavoidable.
I found it most interesting to learn about education in Second Life. As soon as I discovered what this course was about I was excited because I felt like I could be part of something that is on the cutting edge and quite possibly the future of education. I learned a lot just from being immersed in a VW classroom experience and discovered all the possibilities that are not available in the regular confines of a traditional classroom. I was amazed at how enriched presentations can be by teleporting to art galleries, exhibits and universities. Besides face to face interaction, I didn’t feel like much was sacrificed by online learning but instead saw a lot of gains. Of course, it was very helpful that we had one class online and one class on campus so we knew each other in both environments. It was a really unique experience because we got to know each other in RL and SL and got to bond over the fact that all of us were experiencing things that were completely new. I was also really impressed with all the University campuses that I visited, although there never seemed to be much happening in them. Although the physical presence of a university in second life allows the potential for more things to happen there in the future. As well, there are tools such as guest speakers, like Mark Bell, who can enrich educational opportunities. I’m really excited about the potential SL and other virtual worlds have hold for the future of educational and feel privileged to be involved at a somewhat experiential time when professors are just beginning to test out VW classes. Also, with additional reading I did for my essay I learned about how valuable SL is for distance learners and people with disabilities and the different programs that are being offered. As well, there are places such as Commonwealth Island where health information is distributed and where they hope to offer private consultations in the future. Additionally, medical students are starting to have immersive experiences in SL to help them learn. Although I believe there is a lot of value in our traditional methods of learning, VW open the door to new ideas and opportunities that wouldn’t be available otherwise. I believe the traditional and new world of education can potentially combine and complement each other, to truly give students the best of both worlds of education.
It was very interesting exploring different universities in Second Life. Each had different architecture, style and design, some much more elaborate than others. I believe that SL was used very well in our class at Brock University. There were definitely more elaborate classrooms but I don’t think the setting is of the utmost importance. I think it worked well to have presenters, because my favourite parts of class online was actually when we got to teleport to a new location. Not that anything is wrong with Brock’s, but there’s a whole “world” to explore in SL and I found it very enriching to teleport there as a class. I went on SL a few times on my own and it definitely wasn’t as engaging as being with and learning with your peers. So there are not a lot of improvements I could offer on improving the Brock classes, except to empathize to presenters to be creative and plan some teleports and new activities that people likely wouldn’t experience on their own time. I really thought the structure to this class worked well and I got to learn and experience things I never would have in a regular 4th year seminar. It’s really nice when you learn something new...actually new. Not just a new perspective or a new part of it but altogether completely new. It’s really neat to see different reactions and perspectives to something you’re trying to make sense of and figure out. I really liked the discussions in class and hearing people’s reactions to different situations. Although, I think it would be interesting to have more field assignments – such as interviewing someone in SL and writing a report on it – asking questions such as how long they’ve been a residents, why they like it, where their favourite spots were etc. It would also be a challenge to try and build a relationship with someone outside of class. The field assignments were definitely interesting and allowed for time to simply explore and discover so I think there’s room for more of the creative field assignments. Overall though, I genuinely liked the course. I always learned something new and was always intrigued by the overlap between RL and SL, as well as my peer’s reactions to it. Now, when I talk to people about SL I love seeing how amazed they are at everything I tell them about it, the concept seems somewhat unimaginable. Since I’m not tech savvy, this wouldn’t have been something I would have done in my own time so I’m very grateful that I took this course and expanded my (second) world view.
Agape
A Picture Taken Of Me During My Presentation
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Outline of Research Essay - 10 points
Topic: Education in Virtual Worlds – gauging the effectiveness, looking at case studies, assessing Second Life and making recommendations for the future.
Title: Combing Content and Context: Assessing the Effectiveness of Virtual Learning Environments and Exploring New Methods of Education
1. Introduction:
-Virtual environments have gained immense international popularity
-Virtual worlds are “computer-based, simulated multi-media environments, usually running over the Web” and often involving user interaction through avatars, which are an individual’s own graphical self representation (Kamel Boulous et al. 233).
-Quote Blake Melnick (2002):
Virtual schools hold out the possibility of the global classroom, democratization of knowledge. Student-driven learning, and robust, authentic curriculum that is constantly being improved upon by each successive group of learners. [Virtual Schools] can remove geographical, socioeconomic, and cultural barriers. The question is how can this potential be realized in the face of present education structures, which hearken back to the Industrial Age? (85).
-the 2007 Horizon Report from the New Media Consortium (NMC) and Educause predicts that virtual learning environments will be embraced on a wide scale basis in education within the next five years
2. Thesis:
Situating education in virtual worlds within Theodor Adorno and Max Horkeimer’s (1944) idea of culture industry, this paper will evaluate the effectiveness of virtual worlds as an educational forum, and argue that Second Life is a virtual world that has considerable educational potential. As well, this paper will draw on Lave and Wenger’s (1991) Situated Learning theory and Albert Bandura’s (1977) Social Learning theory to argue that traditional methods of education need to be reworked and new approaches that are appropriate for the new environment of virtual worlds need to be identified and implemented.
3. Define Culture Industry: The idea of “culture industry” was conceived by two members of the Frankfurt school, Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer (1944). These two theorists believed that mass culture was becoming identical through standardization and mass production (Adorno and Horkheimer). The term culture industry is used to illustrate the “production of mass culture and power relations between capitalist producers and mass consumers” (Cox et al. 7). In the culture industry, society conforms to a social hierarchy that has been well established. Cox et al. (2004) argue that the culture industry can be viewed as a process of mass deception, because it allows the consumers to believe that they are producers who chose what they consume, when they are simply consuming this ideology of false freedom (13;17)
4. Apply Culture Industry to Virtual Worlds and Education: Virtual worlds are networked environments that can look similar to the physical world, and are able to create a sense of place for the individual navigating the virtual space (Maher 1). Many educational corporations and institutions have recreated traditional learning environments online, with customary seats, screens and podiums within virtual worlds. Pat Galagan (2008) argues that this is not the best approach since a new learning environment should warrant a new style of learning (37). This idea of reproducing traditional teaching styles relates to ideas surrounding the culture industry since learning styles of “real” life are being replicated into virtual reality and therefore dominant worldviews regarding learning are being implemented and reinforced. This can also be viewed as the continued standardisation of culture, since ideologies of real life are spilling over into virtual life.
5. Describe theories being used:
Situated Learning Theory - Unlike most methods of classroom learning that involve abstract knowledge which is and out of context, Lave contends that learning is situated; that is, as it normally happens, learning is embedded within activity, situation and culture. It is also usually inadvertent rather than deliberate. (Learning theories)
Social Learning Theory - People learn from each other, through “observation, imitation, and modeling”. This theory outlines four conditions for effective modeling: Attention, Retention, Reproduction and Motivation. (Learning theories)
6. Discuss the benefits of Virtual Education:
-Galagan : more than 300 universities and colleges are experimenting with accredited courses in Second Life
Meredith Bricken (1990) observes that virtual worlds allow for a shared learning experience - learners tend to be more productive in group situations
Mary Lou Maher - virtual campuses are valuable because they can enhance traditional styles of teaching and provide interactivity for distance learners. A virtual campus allows for students to feel a sense of place and community even if they are not in the physical setting of the university.
Cobb et al. (1998) - project to create a virtual city comprised of real world settings that allows for people with learning disabilities to learn about living skills and prepare for independent living
-Rizzo et al. (2001) discusses the ongoing development of a virtual classroom that is being specifically created to assess individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
-Healthinfo Island, a project that is funded by the US National Library of Medicine and is located within Second Life. At Healthinfo Island, users can find out information about various health issues and speak to people in the medical field. Also, users who are unfamiliar with current concerns in the medical field are able to become aware of pressing issues they may not have heard of otherwise.
-clinical students are able to have immersive educational experiences
-Dede: The use of virtual learning environments may actually add a whole new dimension to traditional learning styles such as auditory, visual and kinaesthetic and benefit individuals who are perhaps “shy, reflective [and] more comfortable with emotional distance” but who still have valuable contributions to share with others that they may not be comfortable doing in a traditional learning environment.
7. Negative Factors involved with Virtual Learning Environments
- Melnick (2002) has noted that “when you remove the face-to-face component, retention rates drop dramatically” (87).
-Chris Hughes and Lindsay Hewson (1998) note that when using “WebTeach”, an asynchronous web conferencing system, there is often a “wait time” during class discussions and presentations while students think about their answers (7).
-Delwiche (2006): professors should warn students about the possibility of becoming addicted to virtual worlds, especially if the environments involve gaming (167-168).
- Melnick: teachers are insufficiently trained to teach in an online forum and create curriculum that upholds the learning potential that is available in these environments
-Melnick: “technology can be very isolating” (87).
8 a). Examining the potential of Second Life
- Linden Lab’s virtual world of Second Life has been argued to be “the most popular virtual platform in use today” (Kamel Bolous et al. 233).
-Since January 2007, the population of Second Life has more than doubled. When measured on May 2, 2007, the citizens of Second Life reached over six million (Kamel Bolous et al. 233).
- Numerous corporations and universities that have a presence within Second Life.
-In Second Life, students are able to browse different information spaces, sample new cultures, attend live events (lectures, conferences, festivals, concerts etc.) and develop new skills (Kamel Bolous et al. 234).
-a more immersive experience than that of a web page (Kalay 203).
8 b). Case Studies: Princeton University & VNEC
Princeton
- Campus is comprised of different buildings which includes an art gallery and
- There are three large screens that can be used for different types of presentations. Within the buildings, there are also various lecture halls for classes.
-The Princeton online campus provides “a place for the Princeton University community to experiment with the potential uses of Second Life for education” (Princeton University Island).
VNEC centre
- Users can select a range of neurological symptoms that animate their avatar and experience what it is like to have a limited range of movement and coordination.
-beneficial for medical students, practitioners and researchers, and also appeals to users who are looking to gain more information on the subject of neurological disorders.
9. Argue that there needs to be new methods of learning
- Melnick (2002) : “Virtual schools tend to use existing educational models – those of the typical classroom – and simply transplant these in an online environment” (84).
-school boards, teachers and administrators need to be familiar with these learning environments and their positive and negative attributes (87).
-Hughes and Hewson (1998) argue that there needs to be new specialized communication tools that support and facilitate the interactivity involved in virtual environments.
-Boulos et al. (2007): educators need to “think out of the box” and develop new and creative ways of teaching.
10. Conclusion:
-virtual worlds are changing the very nature of education.
- Virtual worlds have great potential for providing productive and effective learning environments.
-Second Life is a leader in virtual learning
-need to do more than duplicate the traditional classroom online
- It is crucial that the methods of education change along with its context.
Title: Combing Content and Context: Assessing the Effectiveness of Virtual Learning Environments and Exploring New Methods of Education
1. Introduction:
-Virtual environments have gained immense international popularity
-Virtual worlds are “computer-based, simulated multi-media environments, usually running over the Web” and often involving user interaction through avatars, which are an individual’s own graphical self representation (Kamel Boulous et al. 233).
-Quote Blake Melnick (2002):
Virtual schools hold out the possibility of the global classroom, democratization of knowledge. Student-driven learning, and robust, authentic curriculum that is constantly being improved upon by each successive group of learners. [Virtual Schools] can remove geographical, socioeconomic, and cultural barriers. The question is how can this potential be realized in the face of present education structures, which hearken back to the Industrial Age? (85).
-the 2007 Horizon Report from the New Media Consortium (NMC) and Educause predicts that virtual learning environments will be embraced on a wide scale basis in education within the next five years
2. Thesis:
Situating education in virtual worlds within Theodor Adorno and Max Horkeimer’s (1944) idea of culture industry, this paper will evaluate the effectiveness of virtual worlds as an educational forum, and argue that Second Life is a virtual world that has considerable educational potential. As well, this paper will draw on Lave and Wenger’s (1991) Situated Learning theory and Albert Bandura’s (1977) Social Learning theory to argue that traditional methods of education need to be reworked and new approaches that are appropriate for the new environment of virtual worlds need to be identified and implemented.
3. Define Culture Industry: The idea of “culture industry” was conceived by two members of the Frankfurt school, Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer (1944). These two theorists believed that mass culture was becoming identical through standardization and mass production (Adorno and Horkheimer). The term culture industry is used to illustrate the “production of mass culture and power relations between capitalist producers and mass consumers” (Cox et al. 7). In the culture industry, society conforms to a social hierarchy that has been well established. Cox et al. (2004) argue that the culture industry can be viewed as a process of mass deception, because it allows the consumers to believe that they are producers who chose what they consume, when they are simply consuming this ideology of false freedom (13;17)
4. Apply Culture Industry to Virtual Worlds and Education: Virtual worlds are networked environments that can look similar to the physical world, and are able to create a sense of place for the individual navigating the virtual space (Maher 1). Many educational corporations and institutions have recreated traditional learning environments online, with customary seats, screens and podiums within virtual worlds. Pat Galagan (2008) argues that this is not the best approach since a new learning environment should warrant a new style of learning (37). This idea of reproducing traditional teaching styles relates to ideas surrounding the culture industry since learning styles of “real” life are being replicated into virtual reality and therefore dominant worldviews regarding learning are being implemented and reinforced. This can also be viewed as the continued standardisation of culture, since ideologies of real life are spilling over into virtual life.
5. Describe theories being used:
Situated Learning Theory - Unlike most methods of classroom learning that involve abstract knowledge which is and out of context, Lave contends that learning is situated; that is, as it normally happens, learning is embedded within activity, situation and culture. It is also usually inadvertent rather than deliberate. (Learning theories)
Social Learning Theory - People learn from each other, through “observation, imitation, and modeling”. This theory outlines four conditions for effective modeling: Attention, Retention, Reproduction and Motivation. (Learning theories)
6. Discuss the benefits of Virtual Education:
-Galagan : more than 300 universities and colleges are experimenting with accredited courses in Second Life
Meredith Bricken (1990) observes that virtual worlds allow for a shared learning experience - learners tend to be more productive in group situations
Mary Lou Maher - virtual campuses are valuable because they can enhance traditional styles of teaching and provide interactivity for distance learners. A virtual campus allows for students to feel a sense of place and community even if they are not in the physical setting of the university.
Cobb et al. (1998) - project to create a virtual city comprised of real world settings that allows for people with learning disabilities to learn about living skills and prepare for independent living
-Rizzo et al. (2001) discusses the ongoing development of a virtual classroom that is being specifically created to assess individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
-Healthinfo Island, a project that is funded by the US National Library of Medicine and is located within Second Life. At Healthinfo Island, users can find out information about various health issues and speak to people in the medical field. Also, users who are unfamiliar with current concerns in the medical field are able to become aware of pressing issues they may not have heard of otherwise.
-clinical students are able to have immersive educational experiences
-Dede: The use of virtual learning environments may actually add a whole new dimension to traditional learning styles such as auditory, visual and kinaesthetic and benefit individuals who are perhaps “shy, reflective [and] more comfortable with emotional distance” but who still have valuable contributions to share with others that they may not be comfortable doing in a traditional learning environment.
7. Negative Factors involved with Virtual Learning Environments
- Melnick (2002) has noted that “when you remove the face-to-face component, retention rates drop dramatically” (87).
-Chris Hughes and Lindsay Hewson (1998) note that when using “WebTeach”, an asynchronous web conferencing system, there is often a “wait time” during class discussions and presentations while students think about their answers (7).
-Delwiche (2006): professors should warn students about the possibility of becoming addicted to virtual worlds, especially if the environments involve gaming (167-168).
- Melnick: teachers are insufficiently trained to teach in an online forum and create curriculum that upholds the learning potential that is available in these environments
-Melnick: “technology can be very isolating” (87).
8 a). Examining the potential of Second Life
- Linden Lab’s virtual world of Second Life has been argued to be “the most popular virtual platform in use today” (Kamel Bolous et al. 233).
-Since January 2007, the population of Second Life has more than doubled. When measured on May 2, 2007, the citizens of Second Life reached over six million (Kamel Bolous et al. 233).
- Numerous corporations and universities that have a presence within Second Life.
-In Second Life, students are able to browse different information spaces, sample new cultures, attend live events (lectures, conferences, festivals, concerts etc.) and develop new skills (Kamel Bolous et al. 234).
-a more immersive experience than that of a web page (Kalay 203).
8 b). Case Studies: Princeton University & VNEC
Princeton
- Campus is comprised of different buildings which includes an art gallery and
- There are three large screens that can be used for different types of presentations. Within the buildings, there are also various lecture halls for classes.
-The Princeton online campus provides “a place for the Princeton University community to experiment with the potential uses of Second Life for education” (Princeton University Island).
VNEC centre
- Users can select a range of neurological symptoms that animate their avatar and experience what it is like to have a limited range of movement and coordination.
-beneficial for medical students, practitioners and researchers, and also appeals to users who are looking to gain more information on the subject of neurological disorders.
9. Argue that there needs to be new methods of learning
- Melnick (2002) : “Virtual schools tend to use existing educational models – those of the typical classroom – and simply transplant these in an online environment” (84).
-school boards, teachers and administrators need to be familiar with these learning environments and their positive and negative attributes (87).
-Hughes and Hewson (1998) argue that there needs to be new specialized communication tools that support and facilitate the interactivity involved in virtual environments.
-Boulos et al. (2007): educators need to “think out of the box” and develop new and creative ways of teaching.
10. Conclusion:
-virtual worlds are changing the very nature of education.
- Virtual worlds have great potential for providing productive and effective learning environments.
-Second Life is a leader in virtual learning
-need to do more than duplicate the traditional classroom online
- It is crucial that the methods of education change along with its context.
Blabbering on BlogHud
The Bloghud exercise was very interesting. Well, at times frustrating because I discovered that you can’t use bloghud at all places, since my partner and I made many unsuccessful attempts to blog from Sky News but weren’t able to do it. My partner and I explored many different media hubs, including SLNN, Reuters and Sky News. I was very surprised, especially with all the technical equipment that existed at Sky News and wondered how often everything was actually used and what was purely for appearances. It was a little bit difficult to research these areas because I never met anyone at anyone of these places except for my classmates.
I am also fascinated by these media hubs because of overlap between First Life news and Second Life news. For instance, SLNN may cover SL issues such as SL Music, Virtual Conferences, and Open Source Software as well as breaking news from RL. It is also interesting how SL is penetrating RL in some ways. For instance, on the SLNN website, there was an article about a SL musician who was going to appear on MTV. SL has also been on a popular murder mystery show on television. Also, while researching Sky News online, I found this YouTube clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN_jr6xjs90
This was a very disturbing short news story about SL and a place called wonderland where avatars can go to receive sex acts from avatars who appear to be children. The reporters and people interviewed in this story were worried about the RL impacts of these SL actions.
I believe it is beneficial to have media hubs in SL because SL is a community of residents who should be aware of issues and events that concern them. As well, SL residents have in common the fact that they are all RL residents and so should be able to access information about national and international issues as well. I also believe the overlap of news is necessary because one life could absolutely affect the other. I think these interactive news hubs are definitely a good thing, especially for raising awareness about different issues. Quite honestly, it appears scary to be that SL (like the rest of the Internet) seems to be growing faster than laws can catch up to it. For this reason it is important to have news sources to keep citizens updated about events.
As well, it is helpful to have Bloghud in SL because you are able to post your comments so that numerous people can see it instead of just talking to the people around you. I thought Bloghud was very inventive and definitely a time saver for individuals who spend a lot of time online and like to blog about thoughts, issues or events. It is helpful to be able to express ideas right as they are happening and have others be able to access them so easily. It is also interesting that you are blogging as your avatar and not as yourself (so to speak). This also shows how realities are blurring together. I am amazed at all the technology that is available on Second Life and how RL and SL are merging together. These media hubs especially display how RL and SL issues are combining and overlapping. It’s strange that SL is an extension of RL but then at the same time seems to be a world all its own. Also, now people are worried about SL becoming an extension of real life, so everything is coming full circle.
The “realities” collide.
I am also fascinated by these media hubs because of overlap between First Life news and Second Life news. For instance, SLNN may cover SL issues such as SL Music, Virtual Conferences, and Open Source Software as well as breaking news from RL. It is also interesting how SL is penetrating RL in some ways. For instance, on the SLNN website, there was an article about a SL musician who was going to appear on MTV. SL has also been on a popular murder mystery show on television. Also, while researching Sky News online, I found this YouTube clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN_jr6xjs90
This was a very disturbing short news story about SL and a place called wonderland where avatars can go to receive sex acts from avatars who appear to be children. The reporters and people interviewed in this story were worried about the RL impacts of these SL actions.
I believe it is beneficial to have media hubs in SL because SL is a community of residents who should be aware of issues and events that concern them. As well, SL residents have in common the fact that they are all RL residents and so should be able to access information about national and international issues as well. I also believe the overlap of news is necessary because one life could absolutely affect the other. I think these interactive news hubs are definitely a good thing, especially for raising awareness about different issues. Quite honestly, it appears scary to be that SL (like the rest of the Internet) seems to be growing faster than laws can catch up to it. For this reason it is important to have news sources to keep citizens updated about events.
As well, it is helpful to have Bloghud in SL because you are able to post your comments so that numerous people can see it instead of just talking to the people around you. I thought Bloghud was very inventive and definitely a time saver for individuals who spend a lot of time online and like to blog about thoughts, issues or events. It is helpful to be able to express ideas right as they are happening and have others be able to access them so easily. It is also interesting that you are blogging as your avatar and not as yourself (so to speak). This also shows how realities are blurring together. I am amazed at all the technology that is available on Second Life and how RL and SL are merging together. These media hubs especially display how RL and SL issues are combining and overlapping. It’s strange that SL is an extension of RL but then at the same time seems to be a world all its own. Also, now people are worried about SL becoming an extension of real life, so everything is coming full circle.
The “realities” collide.
Mark Bell & Guest Speaking
In lecture Mark Bell discussed virtual economics and Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is basically a trend associated with Internet technology that promotes openness, creativity and sharing amongst users. In class Mark Bell noted how this is a bottom up approach. Essentially, the argument with web 2.0 is that the more people share, the more people can benefit and that takes the power away from a few select individuals and distributes it more evenly amongst internet uses. It’s the “you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours” mentality, and it allows everyone to benefit. Mark Bell also spoke about the private user’s potential for commercial success. He talked about Second Life and how production and distribution is very different. Bell stated that rather than conglomerates taking over, the typical store owner is female and a full time worker who uses Second Life to add to their income. I’ve really been interested by the business side of Second Life, and it was discussed that more people will spend time in SL because it is of better value than time spend in RL. Also, it seems obvious that Second Life wouldn’t have been able to grow as huge as it is now, and with as many structures and objects if people hadn’t been sharing knowledge all along. Societies may be able to exist without sharing, but they are not able to flourish...and it is clear that SL is wildly successful because the majority of its users are committed to helping and learning from each other. SL is also a great opportunity for users who are looking to add to their income, and especially users who may need to work from home – whether it’s because they have small children or have some type of disability. This gives a whole other meaning to the phrase: “Having the best of both worlds”.
I think SL works very well as a guest speaker tool, whether you’re in SL watching a guest speaking or in RL watching SL. I think this also adds a new dimension to traditional lectures. More importantly, it allows for teachers to draw on a wealth of knowledge and students to learn from experts around the world. This could really change the education that students receive because they could now learn information straight from the source – instead of reading about a theorist from Japan, he could lecture over SL. This allows a lot of boundaries to be crossed and borders to be blurred. I know as a student it’s very hard to choose what University to go to, but now you could choose Brock University and still get lectures from a professor in Australia, or take part in seminars offered at a Princeton campus. I think this tool could offer a lot of crossover benefits. As well, as we have seen in our class, when you have lectures in SL, obstacles such as the weather don’t matter because you can just meet online and continue as planned. This is a great feature for distance learners who can listen in on professors and experts speaking from the comfort of their own home. Also, it can be a hassle to book guest speakers because of driving, flight, living arrangements etc. But this way the speaker does not have to travel either if they don’t want to. I definitely think having guest speakers is an effective tool and will become increasingly popular in schools with time.
I think SL works very well as a guest speaker tool, whether you’re in SL watching a guest speaking or in RL watching SL. I think this also adds a new dimension to traditional lectures. More importantly, it allows for teachers to draw on a wealth of knowledge and students to learn from experts around the world. This could really change the education that students receive because they could now learn information straight from the source – instead of reading about a theorist from Japan, he could lecture over SL. This allows a lot of boundaries to be crossed and borders to be blurred. I know as a student it’s very hard to choose what University to go to, but now you could choose Brock University and still get lectures from a professor in Australia, or take part in seminars offered at a Princeton campus. I think this tool could offer a lot of crossover benefits. As well, as we have seen in our class, when you have lectures in SL, obstacles such as the weather don’t matter because you can just meet online and continue as planned. This is a great feature for distance learners who can listen in on professors and experts speaking from the comfort of their own home. Also, it can be a hassle to book guest speakers because of driving, flight, living arrangements etc. But this way the speaker does not have to travel either if they don’t want to. I definitely think having guest speakers is an effective tool and will become increasingly popular in schools with time.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Art in Second Life
Since I have already discussed music in Second Life, I would also like to discuss art. I visited Small World Art Gallery in Second Life. This gallery included works from RL and SL artists and the works of art were available for purchase in RL and SL as well.
I took a picture of a sculpture called “Blue Flower” that was available for $3000L. This sculpture was located within the art gallery. Although it does not say in its description, the work was likely done by Mercury John because it was within a room that held his paintings as well. It could have been another artist, however.
Virtual art includes RL replications and original VW pieces. In his article, Paolo A. Bolaños states that “The critical role of art, as opposed to mere entertainment, is based on
Adorno’s claim that art has a truth-content. For Adorno, art, inasmuch as art
is a product of society, has a dialectical character” (30). An argument of authenticity can emerge when discussing SL and VW art, especially since art is based in rich tradition from which its criteria derives. However, I would argue that SL art is authentic art and a form of expression that can present truths and commentary on the society it emerges.
This SL gallery allows for art to be seen by SL residents and the art acts as a valuable expression both within and outside of its context, but it is not the context or medium that determines the authenticity of the art.
I took a picture of a sculpture called “Blue Flower” that was available for $3000L. This sculpture was located within the art gallery. Although it does not say in its description, the work was likely done by Mercury John because it was within a room that held his paintings as well. It could have been another artist, however.
Virtual art includes RL replications and original VW pieces. In his article, Paolo A. Bolaños states that “The critical role of art, as opposed to mere entertainment, is based on
Adorno’s claim that art has a truth-content. For Adorno, art, inasmuch as art
is a product of society, has a dialectical character” (30). An argument of authenticity can emerge when discussing SL and VW art, especially since art is based in rich tradition from which its criteria derives. However, I would argue that SL art is authentic art and a form of expression that can present truths and commentary on the society it emerges.
This SL gallery allows for art to be seen by SL residents and the art acts as a valuable expression both within and outside of its context, but it is not the context or medium that determines the authenticity of the art.
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