Second Life And Open Sim
Hazard detection excersie example
What is it?
Second Life and Open Sim are 3D virtual spaces where people can chat and interact. Educational institutions are using Second life, Open Sim and other virtual worlds for teaching purposes. Virtual worlds are most effective when teaching a subject that has a physical nature (like anatomy), or where virtual simulations are cheaper, safer or more practical than setting up a real world scenario.
How does it work?
There are currently four computer labs in the university set up for Second Life at Keleston Road's
- B205,
- B206
- B226
- and BM-LG06.
Students can enter these labs when they are free, and log in to Second Life. If you are teaching a session to a class using Second Life you can make a request for somebody from Learning Systems and Resources to facilitate the session. We will give your students a temporary account for them to use for the duration of that
session, teach your students the skills they will need to carry out the exercises, and be there to support them through the exercises.
What do I use it for?
- Common uses of Second Life include:
- Virtual lectures and conferences,To enable distance learners to interact in a 3D environment.
- Hazard detection exercises, where students can assess a dangerous situation in complete safety.
- Medical simulation, to train medical and nursing students without putting patients at risk.
- Visualisations: to enable students to visualise something in 3D (e.g. buildings, the solar system or the inner ear).
- Psychology experiments: Second Life is a good tool for studying and monitoring human behaviour.
Where do I find it?
Contact Learning Systems and Resources and we will look at your needs and see what the best solution will be for you and your students. We will then develop the materials for you. You do not need to learn the skills required to develop applications in Second Life. Anyone can get access to Second Life at home. All you need is a PC with a 3D card and the ability to download the Second Life viewer.which is free:
http://secondlife.com/support/downloads/
