Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 5. Close-up of a very simple Linden Script-
ing Language (LSL) script. This one is designed
to add rotation to the primitive object(s).
project that related to their academic content. In
fact, the immediate application of the tools to the
learning object takes advantage of the enthusiasm
at successfully negotiating the Second Life skills
and reinforces them as well.
Creating Learning Objects
My own personal experience indicates that one of
the more creative uses of Second Life is to adapt
course material to the virtual world. Language
teachers, for example, use in-world translators
and the ability to meet people from foreign
countries. There are many sites in Second Life
that are created by most of the world's nations.
In many cases these sims are occupied largely
by people who predominantly speak their native
tongue. It is possible to use these sims to allow
language students to become immersed in the
language without the expense of actually taking
an immersive language course.
Historians create historical settings in which
their students can be immersed in these historic
places. Such approaches usually employ some
form of role-play with the students either creat-
ing avatars that represent real historical figures,
or appear in-world as costumed visitors in the
historical context. Such role play is substantially
less expensive and less complex than trying to
recreate historical settings in real life. One could,
for example, create a simulation of the courtroom
of 1926 Dayton, Tennessee. Students could assume
the roles of the defendant John Scopes, the defense
attorney Clarence Darrow, or the prosecuting at-
torney William Jennings Bryant. The transcript
for the trial could then be employed to drive the
simulated trial. By acting out the trial the students,
psychologically identifying as the characters, gain
a deeper understanding of the trial and its impact.
Art, drama, and even dance instructors have a
ready-made environment in Second Life to create
whatever canvas or stage they require. One well-
documented use of Second Life for art instruction
is to bring students to simulations of the Louvre
than more complex tasks. It is easy to create
more complex projects that build upon the
initial skills.
4. Perhaps among the most important is that
the skill set learned be learned first in an en-
joyable environment and then immediately
transferred through their ready application
of academic content.
This final point is a major focus of this ar-
ticle. A classic example of producing fun objects
and immediately applying the skills learned to
utilitarian, course related projects, is from my
own class. The initial task for the students to
build a trampoline required them to learn how
to manipulate prims, texture them, and finally to
add an animation. These were three simple tasks
but the output provided immediate gratification.
Once finished the students' avatars were quickly
jumping up and down and the students were enjoy-
ing the product of their handiwork. The natural
next step was to apply the learned abilities (prim
manipulation, texturing, and adding scripts) to a
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