Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 4. Revised Bloom's Taxonomy of Teaching Objectives at Biome I; http://slurl.com/secondlife/
Clemson%20Teaching%20Learning/92/141/29
simulations. SL itself can be thought of as a
simulation of First Life because it is designed to
mimic the real world in various ways, including
the behavior of humans (as avatars), the appear-
ance of buildings, landscapes, and plants, and
the “physical” behavior of objects (for example
the effects of gravity or collisions). Because of
the features and adaptability of the environment,
SL also offers a unique environment for the
creation of simulations and models. The cycle
of day and night, the behavior of water, and the
realistic possibilities of texturing and shaping
objects mean that almost any First Life situation
can be modeled. Also, everything in SL is built
on a “wireframe,” which is the basic structure
for 3D modeling in a variety of fields, including
medicine, chemistry, architecture, engineering,
and geography. The Cartesian grid system of SL
(x,y,z) also encourages users to think of ways to
model data in three dimensions.
Some examples of simulations in SL include the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion (NOAA)'s island called Meteora, with several
interesting simulations, including a submarine
ride, two tsunami simulations, an airplane ride
into the eye of a hurricane, and a demonstration
of a melting glacier. Clear Ink has created a model
of the US Capitol to encourage discussions of
politics and government. Renaissance Island is a
simulation of a 16 th century village complete with
a copy of Shakespeare's Globe Theater.
More complex simulations of systems in-
volving multiple human actors are also possible.
Australia's Central Gippsland Institute of TAFE
established a virtual resort in Second Life, Paluma
Resort, in which students learned how to manage
and run a business. On an educational island owned
by a Finnish school (Salpaus Further Education)
two student groups tried economic enterprises
during the 2008-09 school year. One modeled the
Finnish winter by creating a park with snowboard-
ing, skating, hiking, and sledding. They charged
20 Lindens to enter the park. Once inside, every-
thing was free and the students provided customer
service and managed the accounting involved in
business. The other student group created a hotel
and earned pennies from a real Finnish business
when they advertised the business in-world. While
the former was considered a success, the latter
was not. During the 2009-2010 school year, the
students at the school will have similar opportuni-
ties to try their own economic ventures.
Simulations of biological environments are
also possible. Perhaps the most was the island
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