Course Description

Exploring Second Life

Trainer: Kathryn Greenhill

Course Dates

Course Information

In April 2007, Gartner Inc predicted that by 2011 "80 percent of active Internet users (and Fortune 500 enterprises) will have a 'second life', but not necessarily in Second Life". Virtual Worlds have been identified by the Educause "Horizon Report 2007" as one of the six new technologies likely to have the most impact on higher education in the next five years. Over 600 librarians are experimenting with library services in the "Information Archipelago" in Second Life. Are Online Virtual Worlds an over-hyped Web 2.0 bubble or the Next Big Thing? This exciting new hands-on workshop focuses on the skills required to explore and evaluate the potential of Second Life for your library, and your users. It focuses on the creation of personal avatars and how to navigate and explore Second Life safely. The workshop suggests managerial and practical issues a library should consider before setting up a presence in an Online Virtual World.

Outcomes

- understanding of the current possibilities of online virtual worlds
- understanding the potential of online virtual worlds for libraries
- understanding of management issues related to an institutional presence in Second Life
- know how to create a personalised avatar in Second Life
- a skill set to further explore Second Life safely
- time to explore in Second Life
- ability to fly, teleport and change appearance at will

Topics covered

- what are Online Virtual Worlds?
- library involvement in Online Virtual Worlds
- installing Second Life - how to, specifications
- creating your own avatar
- finding your way around Orientation Island in Second Life
- getting around in Second Life - SLURLS, teleporting, flying
- contacting avatars - friends, groups, instant messaging, teleporting, voice capability
- the environment - notecards, objects, scripts
- customising an avatar - appearance, inventory, animation
- visiting library/educational environments in Second Life
- exploring Second Life safely
- considerations when running Second Life training using library PCs
- issues in managing an institutional presence in Second Life
- creating and scripting objects in Second Life

Who should attend?

This workshop is recommended to anyone who wants to explore and evaluate Online Virtual Worlds in a safe environment with an experienced guide, and caters for all abilities.

Duration

One day

Pre-Requisites

Attendees will require an email account that they know how to access via the web on the day of training: eg, gmail. yahoo, institutional webmail.

Full address and contact details for your venue will be sent with email course confirmations.

Course Prices

$556.60 (Retail)
$417.45 (CAVAL Members)
$500.94 (CAVAL Associate Members)
$528.77 (Subscribers)
$500.94 (Alia Members)

Course fees (New Zealand)
Excludes Australian GST. Payment on invoice and accepted by credit card, or cheque in Australian dollars only.

Caval Limited is an exempt company from New Zealand Non- resident Contractors Withholding Tax under the 62 day clause and the double tax agreement between Australia and New Zealand.

Course Leader

Kathryn Greenhill is Emerging Technologies Specialist at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia. She is based in the library to help staff and students work out the best new web tools and technologies to use. She is part of the team managing the Australian collaborative libraries blog, librariesinteract.info. Kathryn is the author of the influential Librarians Matter blog (librariansmatter.com) and frequently presents on how libraries can find a place for new Web technologies, including Online Virtual Worlds, blogging and other social software. She was awarded the 2009 VALA travel scholarship to travel in the United States researching alternative discovery layers and Open Source library management systems.

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